Inhibitory Control for Emotional and Neutral Scenes in Competition: An Eye-Tracking Study in Bipolar Disorder

This study examined the inhibitory control of attention to social scenes in manic, depressive, and euthymic episodes of bipolar disorder (BD). Two scenes were simultaneously presented (happy/threatening/neutral [target] versus control). Participants were asked either to look at the emotional pictures (i.e., attend-to-emotional block) or to avoid looking at the emotional pictures (i.e., attend-to-neutral block) while their eye movements were recorded. The initial orienting (latency and percentage of first fixation) and subsequent attentional engagement (gaze duration) were computed. Manic patients showed a higher percentage of initial fixations on happy scenes than on the other scenes, regardless of the instructions. However, in the attend-to-neutral block, their gaze durations were longest for threatening scenes. Inhibitory control was not modulated by the scene's emotional salience in the other groups. Thus, manic patients had difficulties voluntarily ignoring emotional information – this was characterized by a happy-related bias during initial orienting, but a threat-related bias during attentional engagement.This study was funded by Grants PSI2014-53444-P from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness; 43-CONTROL-DES-PEREAGARCIA- 2015-A from VLC-BIOMED (University of Valencia and University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Spain) and CM14/00012 “Rio Hortega” from the Instituto Carlos III (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness)

Regulación espacio-temporal de la homeostasis del cobre en Arabidopsis thaliana

El cobre y el hierro son nutrientes esenciales para los seres vivos aerobios y sus potenciales redox son utilizados en las reacciones de transferencia de electrones. Sin embargo, esta capacidad redox resulta tóxica cuando los metales de transición entran en contacto con intermediarios del metabolismo aerobio, conocidos como ROS (reactive oxygen species). Los organismos aerobios han desarrollado estrategias homeostáticas para mantener los niveles de los metales adecuados en la célula y distribuir, espacial y temporalmente, los procesos de transporte y tráfico intracelular de metales para minimizar el daño oxidativo al resto de procesos celulares. En este sentido, recientemente se ha demostrado la interacción recíproca entre la homeostasis metálica y el reloj circadiano en Arabidopsis thaliana, como medio para organizar en el tiempo el transporte de metales, adecuándolo a los periodos en que resulte menos tóxico y como forma de traducir las señales ambientales en información temporal. El reloj circadiano influye sobre las oscilaciones endógenas en la expresión de los genes, en la síntesis, degradación y modificación postraduccional de las proteínas y en los cambios rítmicos en la estructura de la cromatina. El objetivo final de esta interacción recíproca, entre los metales y el reloj, sería el de coordinar rítmicamente el metabolismo y la fisiología y adecuarlos a las condiciones ambientales para optimizar la eficiencia de procesos clave para las plantas, como el crecimiento, el desarrollo y la reproducción

Atención y procesamiento emocional en personas con trastorno bipolar

Las personas con trastorno bipolar se caracterizan por una desregulación emocional que afecta a cómo atienden a la información que les rodea. Investigaciones recientes han encontrado sesgos atencionales en las personas con trastorno bipolar, tanto cuando su estado de ánimo es bajo (mayor atención a palabras negativas y rostros tristes) como cuando su estado de ánimo es elevado (mayor atención a palabras positivas y caras alegres). Es importante destacar que, en personas con depresión, estos sesgos pueden entrenarse de manera que disminuye la sintomatología afectiva. Esta opción podría contemplarse como una nueva alternativa de intervención en el trastorno bipolar

Scientific knowledge and conservation policies : interrelationships in the Spanish livestock autochthonous endangered breeds

El objetivo del estudio fue analizar las relaciones entre el conocimiento científico y los principales factores que determinan el grado de amenaza de las razas autóctonas españolas en peligro de extinción. Se utilizaron los datos oficiales del conjunto de razas españolas en peligro de extinción durante el período 2009-2013, y la producción científica y divulgativa de cada raza, recopilada a partir de Web of Science y Google para el período 1950-2012. Las razas fueron clasificadas según su riesgo de extinción con base en criterios demográficos durante el período 2009-2013. Los resultados han mostrado que el riesgo de extinción es elevado en más de la mitad de las razas, moderado en el 12,4% y crítico en el 36,1%. Los mayores niveles de riesgo correspondieron a razas concentradas en pequeñas áreas, con poblaciones y rebaños de menor tamaño, y reconocimiento oficial más reciente. La producción científica en el área de genética ha sido significativamente superior en las razas con mayor riesgo de extinción, mientras que los aspectos productivos y productos han sido más estudiados en las razas con menor riesgo de extinción. La divulgación de aspectos zootécnicos y sistemas de producción, producciones y productos ha sido significativamente mayor en las situaciones de menor riesgo de extinción. Por todo ello, se recomienda que las políticas de conservación concentren sus apoyos en una fase inicial relativa al estudio y caracterización racial basada en aspectos genéticos y una segunda fase centrada en el incremento del conocimiento y divulgación de las características productivas y de los sistemas de producción.The aim of this study was to analyse the progress and current status of endangered autochthonous Spanish breeds exploring relationships between the main factors that determine the degree of endangered and the scientific and technical production related to the breed. The status of each breed was determined from official data published by Ministry of Agriculture during 2009-2013. The scientific and disclosure production related to each breed was collected from Web of Science and Google for 1950-2012. Each breed was classified according to its risk of extinction, based on demographic criteria and the annual growth rate of the population during 2009-2013. Results showed the risk of extinction was high in approximately the half of breeds, intermediate in 12.4% and very high in 36.1%. The highest levels of extinction risk corresponded to breed with recent official recognition and spread in small areas, with reduced population and herds of small size. Scientific literature on genetics has been significantly higher in breeds at greatest risk of extinction, while productive issues and products have been significantly studied most intensively in breeds with less risk of extinction. The disclosure literature on zootechnical issues and production systems has been significantly higher in breeds at lower risk of extinction. Therefore, it is recommended conservation policies focus, in a first stage, on genetic aspects and breed features, and secondly on productive issues and production systems.Fil: Perea, José. Universidad de Córdoba (España)Fil: Barba, Cecilio. Universidad de Córdoba (España)Fil: Luque, Manuel. Federación Española de Asociaciones de Ganado SelectoFil: González, Ana. Universidad de Córdoba (España)Fil: Angón, Elena. Universidad de Córdoba (España)Fil: García, Antón. Universidad de Córdoba (España

Attentional biases toward emotional images in the different episodes of bipolar disorder: An eye-tracking study.

Attentional biases toward emotional information may represent vulnerability and maintenance factors in bipolar disorder (BD). The present experimental study examined the processing of emotional information in BD patients using the eyetracking technology. Bipolar patients in their different states (euthymia, mania, depression) simultaneously viewed four pictures with different emotional valence (happy, neutral, sad, threatening for 20 s while their eye movements were monitored. A group of healthy individuals served as the control. The data revealed the following: (i) a decrease in attention to happy images in BD patients in their depressive episodes compared to healthy individuals, and (ii) an increase in attention to threatening images in BD patients (regardless of their episode) relative to the healthy controls. These biases appeared in the late stages of information processing and were sustained over the 20 s interval. Thus, the present findings reveal that attentional biases toward emotional information can be a key feature of BD, in that:(i) an anhedonic lack of sensitivity to positive stimuli during the bipolar depressive episode may be considered a maintaining factor of this clinical state, and (ii) the trait-bias toward threat, even in asymptomatic patients, may reflect a marker of vulnerability in BD

Mood-congruent Bias and Attention Shifts in the Different Episodes of Bipolar Disorder

An affective go/no-go task was used in the different episodes of bipolar patients (euthymic, depressed, and manic) to examine (1) the presence of a mood-congruent attentional bias; and (2) the patients¿ ability to inhibit and invert associations between stimuli and responses through blocks. A group of healthy individuals served as controls. Results revealed a mood-congruent attentional bias: patients in the manic episode processed positive information faster, whereas those in the depressive episode processed negative information faster. In contrast, neither euthymic patients nor healthy individuals showed any mood-congruent biases. Furthermore, there was a shift cost across blocks for healthy individuals, but not for the patients. This may reflect a general impairment at selecting relevant information (e.g., in terms of disability to inhibit and invert associations between stimuli and responses) in bipolar participants, regardless of their episode. This state/trait dissociation in an episodic and chronic disorder such as bipolar disorder is important for its appropriate characterisation

Digital accessibility skills in students of master’s course on e-learning

La formación de futuros docentes en materia de accesibilidad digital es muy relevante, ya que permite garantizar que personas con discapacidad, mayores y otros colectivos con riesgo de exclusión social, puedan acceder a los procesos educativos mediados por las tecnologías de la información y del conocimiento. Sin embargo, pareciera que no se contempla como parte de la oferta formativa. El objetivo del presente trabajo se centra en identificar los conocimientos en accesibilidad digital de los que parten los alumnos en una titulación de maestría orientada a instruirse como profesionales en el diseño tecnopedagógico de acciones formativas desarrolladas en modalidad e-learning. Para su desarrollo, se ha llevado a cabo un test de autodiagnóstico en accesibilidad digital sobre un grupo de 49 estudiantes de máster. A raíz de los resultados obtenidos, se han orientado los objetivos de la asignatura de accesibilidad contemplada en el máster para potenciar el desarrollo de competencias en esta materia.The training of future teachers in digital accessibility matter´s is very relevant, since it allows guaranteeing that people with disabilities, old people and other groups at risk of social exclusion, can access educational processes though information and knowledge technologies. However, it seems that it is not considered as part of the training offer. The aim of the present work has focused on identifying the knowledge in digital accessibility of the students in a master’s course aimed at educating themselves as professionals in the techno-pedagogical design of training actions developed in e-learning mode. For its development, a self-diagnostic test on digital accessibility was carried out on a group of 49 master students. As a result of the obtained results, the objectives of the accessibility subject contemplated in the master have been oriented to promote the development of skills in this matter

Effectiveness of a fibromyalgia online nursing consultation in the quality of life: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of an online nursing consultation through the Internet platform Red Sinapsis (RS) in improving the perceived quality of life of patients with fibromyalgia (FM). Method: Eighty patients with FM were randomized to an intervention group (n = 40) or control group (n= 40). The intervention group (IG) was monitored by a nursing specialist through the online platform RS while the control group (CG) received standard follow-up at the clinic. The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used at baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up. Results: The IG showed a 65% improvement in the perception of their general state of health at 12 months into the study, compared with an improvement of 5.6% in the CG (p < .001). The IG also achieved better results for emotional status, with a maintained improvement throughout the study of more than 2 points in the anxiety variable (from 7.64 to 5.36), that remained constant in the CG. The depression variable also showed constant improvement over the 12 months of the study in the IG, rising from an average of 7.72 (standard deviation [SD] = 2.05) to 5.33 (SD = 1.65), while in the CG a slight deterioration was observed. In both cases, the difference in mood evolution was significant (p < .001). Conclusions: Online nursing follow-up for people with fibromyalgia improves patients’ perceived quality of life related to their welfare and emotional state. Fibromyalgia (FM) is among the diseases causing the highest rate of occupational disability in Spain. Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex condition that causes pain, fatigue, non-refreshed sleep, mood disturbance and cognitive impairmen

The 5 Objects Test: Normative data from a Spanish community sample

[EN]Objective: The objective of this study was to provide normative data for the 5 Objects Test in a large Spanish community sample, as well as some validity evidence. Methods: The sample was composed of 427 participants (of which 220 females, age 15 to 95 years old; educational level range: 2–17 years). Normative data are provided, as well as correlations with test scores from Benton Visual Retention test, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure and Mini Mental State Examination. Results: No association was found between delayed recall score and level of education, age or gender. Immediate recall score was correlated with age. Both immediate and delayed recall significantly correlated with the criteria, evidencing concurrent validity. Conclusions: It is recommended that the 5 Objects Test be used for assessing persons in primary care, including those from different linguistic backgrounds or with limited language use. Delayed recall scores are especially recommended given the lack of association with demographic variables