[Process-based approach neuropsychological assessment: review of the evidence and proposal for improvement of dementia screening tools].

A detailed neuropsychological assessment plays an important role in the diagnostic process of mild cognitive impairment. However, available brief cognitive screening tests for this clinical population are administered and interpreted based mainly, or exclusively, on total achievement scores. This score based approach can lead to erroneous clinical interpretations unless we also pay attention to the test taking behaviour or to the type of errors committed during the test performance. The goals of the current review are to present the grounds for the process-based approach to neuropsychological assessment, to offer a brief review of the evidence obtained so far regarding its usefulness, and to show the results of a systematic review of existing screening and neuropsychological assessment tools, some of which were already created and/or modified using this approach, and others that may benefit in their screening properties if they underwent modifications according to a process-based approach. It is expected that, in a relatively short period of time, process-based approach versions of screening tools will be available. These modified versions will not alter substantially the standard administration procedure, but will provide a way for scoring and interpretation that goes beyond total scores. This will allow clarifying with higher accuracy the underlying cognitive components involved in the successful or unsuccessful performance in cognitive tasks, and thus will facilitate an early diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment

Health Related Quality of Life and Cognitive Decline in Older Populations: Preliminary Results From NeuroDemeNPsia Study

Goal: To measure Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in people with different primary degenerative dementias and compare them with 50+ years old older individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy controls (HCs). Materials and Methods: In all, 45 participants suffered from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia, 27 from Lewy body dementia (LBD), 17 from frontotemporal dementia (FTD), 43 from MCI, and 31 HCs (n = 163). The 12-Item Short Form Health Survey, version 2 (SF-12-v2) and Mini Mental State Examination were administered. Reisberg’s Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) was completed by a neurologist. HRQoL indices obtained via the SF-12-v2 were compared between different subgroups. Results: Physical Function, Physical Role, Emotional Role, and Physical Summary Composite scores showed the best scores for patients with AD, followed by HC and MCI, and finally FTD and LBD. Discussion: A differentiated profile in HRQoL is shown in dementia subgroups, and may be useful to support differential diagnosi

Shaping technologies for older adults with and without dementia: Reflections on ethics and preferences

As a result of several years of European funding, progressive introduction of assistive technologies in our society has provided many researchers and companies with opportunities to develop new information and communication technologies aimed at overcoming the digital divide of those at a greater risk of being left behind, as can be the case with healthy older people and those developing cognitive decline and dementia. Moreover, in recent years, when considering how information and communication technologies have been integrated into older people’s lives, and how technology has influenced these individuals, doubts remain regarding whether technologies really fulfil older users’ needs and wishes and whether technologies developed specifically for older users necessarily protect and consider main ethical values. In this article, we address the relevance of privacy, vulnerability and preservation of autonomy as key factors when involving older individuals as target users for information and communication technology research and development. We provide explanatory examples on ethical issues involved in the particular case of developing different types of information and communication technology for older people (from robotics to serious games), what previously performed research tells us about older adults’ preferences and wishes for information and communication technology and what steps should be taken into consideration in the near future

Editorial: Psychology, technological Innovation, and entrepreneurship

The aim of this Research Topic is to offer an integrated view of three areas for implementing Psychology as a science and as a profession, for the benefit of both the academic and professional sphere. An initial article offers a global analysis of the R&D&I value chain (de la Fuente et al.). Complementarily, several articles then provide examples of research on the characteristics of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, whether as a review (Sánchez-García et al.), an analysis of a personal factor that is predictive of this activity (Arco-Tirado et al.), the role of psychological characteristics (Hu et al.), and even a tool for assessing this construct (Cuesta et al.)

Marrying Past and Present Neuropsychology: Is the Future of the Process-Based Approach Technology-Based?

A cognitive assessment strategy that is not limited to examining a set of summary test scores may be more helpful for early detection of emergent illness such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and may permit a better understanding of cognitive functions and dysfunctions in those with AD and other dementia disorders. A revisit of the work already undertaken by Kaplan and colleagues using the Boston Process-Approach provides a solid basis for identifying new opportunities to capture data on neurocognitive processes, test-taking strategies and response styles. Thus, this critical review will combine traditional process-based assessment strategies with support provided or offered by newer technologies that have the potential to add value to data collection and interpretation. There is now considerable interest in neuropsychological test administration using computer/digital technology, both in research and in clinical settings. To add value, any computerized version of an existing cognitive test should respect the administration procedure for which normative data were obtained, should be time-saving in terms of scoring and interpretation, and should, we argue, facilitate gathering information about the processes and strategies followed in test completion. This article will offer an overview of the steps needed when implementing computerization of neuropsychological tests using a Process-Based Approach (PBA) to these technology-based adaptations and will discuss further developments in this area by linking it to future technological developments that may be possible in the area of neuropsychological assessment. Additionally, an overview of neuropsychological tests that may benefit from computerization will be presented, together with suggestions on the specific processes, strategies and features that may be captured with the aid of such computerization. Finally, hypotheses on how virtual reality could be an asset for the future of the PBA to neuropsychological assessment will also be discussed

Adapting the Research Development and Innovation (RD & I) Value Chain in Psychology to Educational Psychology Area

Educational Psychology, as an area of Psychology that specializes in formative processes, faces several important challenges in the information and knowledge society of this twenty first century. One of these challenges is to facilitate a paradigm shift from a nearly exclusive focus on social science to the scientific-technological approach of a discipline that produces innovation and meaningful transfer of science and technology. The Research, Development, and Innovation (RD & I) value chain means pursuing these three endeavors in both the academic and professional lines of Educational Psychology. It is a strategy of innovation that leads us to integrate academic or research activity (R), research-related or professional scientific-technological development of innovation (D) and transfer and entrepreneurship activity (I). Generating innovation and transfer, applicable to educational contexts, can be an important stimulus of activity for new practicing psychologists in Educational Psychology. The RD & I value chain can become an academic, research-related or professional advantage in different activities, since it pertains to the processes, products and services found in the sphere of Educational Psychology. Several examples of how the RD & I chain can help improve psychoeducational activities are presented. First, we analyze competitive improvements that the RD & I chain can offer in competitive bids. Second, we give examples of the RD & I chain in the development of new processes, products and services in Projects of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Educational Psychology, specifically illustrating the chain in each case. In order for this conception to take shape, a new cross-functional area must be created in professional and educational organizations. Specifically, this means creating an RD & I Department, or some area that branches across the other functions. The mission of this cross-functional unit is the actual implementation of the RD & I chain in the educational organization, as well as an incentive for innovative activities: use of ICT applications, organizational improvement, improved assessment, analysis of information produced by the organization itself, cost-benefit analysis, strategic decision-making processes, and so on

PILAR: Plataforma de federación de laboratorios remotos VISIR de electrónica analógica

Resumen—Los laboratorios remotos son ya una herramienta de enseñanza/aprendizaje en diferentes campos de la ingeniería y de la ciencia. El laboratorio remoto VISIR es un ejemplo paradigmático de esta nueva metodología en el campo de la electrónica analógica ya que el alumno puede montar y medir circuitos reales de un modo satisfactorio. En la actualidad en Europa hay cinco instancias desplegadas y activas de VISIR y en Sudamérica hay 5 más, cada una de ellas ofrece distintos circuitos eléctricos y electrónicos de manera que el usuario debe saber dónde está desplegado el circuito que él quiere montar y desplegar para poder acceder a él, lo que es una clara limitación. La solución al problema pasa por federar dicho grupo de laboratorios remotosinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Inclusion of service robots in the daily lives of frail older users: a step-by-step definition procedure on users' requirements

The implications for the inclusion of robots in the daily lives of frail older adults, especially in relation to these population needs, have not been extensively studied. The “Multi-Role Shadow Robotic System for Independent Living” (SRS) project has developed a remotelycontrolled, semi-autonomous robotic system to be used in domestic environments. The objective of this paper is to document the iterative procedure used to identify, select and prioritize user requirements. Seventy-four requirements were identified by means of focus groups, individual interviews and scenario-based interviews. The list of user requirements, ordered according to impact, number and transnational criteria, revealed a high number of requirements related to basic and instrumental activities of daily living, cognitive and social support and monitorization, and also involving privacy, safety and adaptation issues. Analysing and understanding older users’ perceptions and needs when interacting with technological devices adds value to assistive technology and ensures that the systems address currently unmet needs

Chapter 1

Experimenting is fundamental to the training process of all scientists and engineers. While experiments have been traditionally done inside laboratories, the emergence of Information and Communication Technologies added two alter-natives accessible anytime, anywhere. These two alternatives are known as virtual and remote labs, and are sometimes indistinguishably referred as online labs. Sim-ilarly to other instructional technologies, virtual and remote labs require some ef-fort from teachers in integrating them into curricula, taking into consideration sev-eral factors that affect their adoption (i.e. cost) and their educational effectiveness (i.e. benefit). This chapter analyses these two dimensions and sustains the case where only through international cooperation it is possible to serve the large num-ber of teachers and students involved in engineering education. It presents an ex-ample in the area of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, based on a remote lab named Virtual Instruments System in Reality, and it then describes how a number of European and Latin-American institutions have been cooperating under the scope of an Erasmus+ project2, for spreading its use in Brazil and Argentina.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Practical strategies in geriatric mental health: Cases and approaches

Book Review Dunn, L. B., & Cassidy-Eagle, E. L. (2020). Practical strategies in geriatric mental health: Cases and approaches. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. 512 pp. $75 (hbk),$60 (e-book) ISBN: 13 9781615372577. Reviewed by: Unai Diaz-Orueta, Maynooth University, Kildare, Irelan