Influencia de los episodios afectivos bipolares en el procesamiento emocional: sesgos atencionales, respuesta a la frustración y juicios morales

Introducción. El Trastorno Bipolar constituye un trastorno psiquiátrico crónico caracterizado por ciclos sucesivos de episodios de manía, depresión y eutimia, y que afecta aproximadamente a un 1% de la población. Un análisis más profundo de los modelos psicológicos que explican su etiopatogenia puede ayudar a desarrollar tratamientos más eficaces. La aproximación teórica a la vulnerabilidad cognitiva en el trastorno ha destacado la relevancia del estudio de la interacción entre los procesos emocionales y cognitivos como base para comprender la inestabilidad afectiva. Inicialmente, esta interacción fue definida desde la hipótesis de la congruencia con el estado de ánimo, es decir, que los mecanismos cognitivos favorecen el procesamiento de la información de manera congruente con el estado emocional. Sin embargo, el posterior desarrollo en el conocimiento del trastorno ha puesto de relieve una heterogeneidad fenomenológica que va más allá de los síntomas afectivos y que se acompaña de un procesamiento emocional más complejo. Nuestro estudio tiene como objetivo aportar conocimiento a la caracterización de los mecanismos atencionales en los diferentes episodios del Trastorno Bipolar (manía, depresión y eutimia) según tres niveles de complejidad: a) la orientación atencional implícita hacia estímulos emocionales, b) el efecto del refuerzo y la frustración en la ejecución atencional, y c) el efecto de la implicación emocional en decisiones morales complejas. Método. En este estudio participaron 90 pacientes diagnosticados de Trastorno Bipolar y distribuidos en tres grupos experimentales de 30 sujetos cada uno según su episodio afectivo en el momento de la evaluación. Para garantizar el cumplimiento de los criterios clínicos en cada episodio y la ausencia de síntomas mixtos, se administraron tres escalas clínicas: el Inventario de Depresión de Beck (BDI-II), la Escala de Manía de Young (YMRS) y el Inventario de Ansiedad de Beck (BAI). Además, se seleccionó un grupo de 30 individuos sanos como control, que igualmente fue evaluado clínicamente para descartar síntomas emocionales presentes en el momento de la evaluación. Se analizaron las diferencias en la orientación atencional hacia estímulos emocionales frente a estímulos neutros a través de la Emotional Dot Probe Task. Se analizaron las diferencias en la ejecución de la tarea Affective Posner Task con la introducción de refuerzos monetarios y de retroalimentación correctiva no contingente. Se analizaron las diferencias en la elección de juicios utilitarios para la resolución de dilemas morales de baja y alta implicación emocional y se estudió la relación de las elecciones utilitarias con el funcionamiento social. Resultados. El experimento con la Emotional Dot Probe Task reveló sesgos atencionales hacia las caras amenazantes en los pacientes maníacos y depresivos, pero no en los eutímicos. No aparecieron sesgos hacia las caras alegres y tristes en los pacientes con Trastorno Bipolar, pero sí se encontró un sesgo hacia las caras alegres en el grupo control. Por otra parte, el estudio con la Affective Posner Task encontró que la adición de incentivos monetarios al refuerzo social mejoró la eficacia en la tarea tiempos de reacción más rápidos) en los pacientes eutímicos y en los individuos sanos, mientras que la empeoró en los pacientes maníacos y no tuvo un efecto notable en los deprimidos. Además, con la inducción de frustración, se encontró un mayor incremento en la tasa de errores para todos los pacientes con Trastorno Bipolar independientemente de su episodio afectivo en comparación a la condición no frustrante, mientras que este efecto fue menor en los individuos sanos. Al informar sobre su experiencia emocional tras el experimento, los pacientes maníacos y los individuos sanos señalaron estar más alegres, mientras que no se registraron cambios en el nivel de activación para ninguno de los grupos. Por último, en el análisis con dilemas morales, se encontró que los tres grupos de pacientes realizaron más elecciones utilitarias que los controles para los dilemas de baja implicación emocional, mientras que sólo los pacientes sintomáticos eligieron más juicios utilitarios que los controles para los dilemas de alta implicación emocional. Además, no se encontró una asociación significativa entre las respuestas utilitarias y la adaptación social, ni en los dilemas personales ni en los impersonales, controlando el episodio afectivo. Conclusiones. Cuando la atención no se dirige explícitamente a la información emocional, los sesgos hacia la amenaza caracterizan la orientación atencional en la manía y la depresión, pero no en la eutimia. Esta evidencia sugiere que los esquemas relacionados con la amenaza deben ser tenidos en cuenta como un factor de vulnerabilidad cognitiva en el Trastorno Bipolar y como un elemento relevante en el tratamiento cognitivo de la enfermedad. En segundo lugar, el procesamiento de las contingencias en el Trastorno Bipolar podría tener efectos divergentes en la ejecución de una tarea atencional en función de su carácter reforzante o frustrante. Mientras que la introducción de refuerzo monetario no beneficia a la ejecución de la tarea de los pacientes maníacos y depresivos, pero sí de los eutímicos, la inducción de frustración provoca una interferencia más notable en todos los episodios de la enfermedad (ambos efectos examinados en comparación con los individuos sanos). Siguiendo el modelo de los Eventos Afectivos, esto significaría que las reacciones emocionales al refuerzo y la frustración impactarían de manera diferencial en la ejecución atencional, y que este efecto estaría modulado por los síntomas afectivos en el Trastorno Bipolar. Por último, existen déficits en el razonamiento moral de los pacientes con Trastorno Bipolar que se manifiestan a nivel general en una mayor tasa de juicios utilitarios, la cual se incrementa en los pacientes sintomáticos en escenarios de alta implicación emocional. En definitiva, nuestro estudio añade evidencia consistente para considerar que la interacción entre los procesos emocionales y cognitivos en el Trastorno Bipolar se modula diferencialmente según el episodio afectivo, lo que permite identificar factores cognitivos de vulnerabilidad y de mantenimiento. Estos hallazgos contribuyen a mejorar la eficacia de las intervenciones clínicas mediante la adecuación temporal de las mismas a las distintas fases de la enfermedad

El cliente, sujeto activo de la hotelería actual. Cómo la gestión de las opiniones actúa en la satisfacción, el marketing de la empresa y en sus resultados.

Debemos conocer a nuestros clientes para acercarnos a sus necesidades y expectativas. Debido al volumen de comentarios e información en los social media es necesario una recogida, recopilación y evaluación de las impresiones de nuestros clientes para poder adecuar nuestros servicios y calidad al mercado actual. Es básico una gestión correcta de la reputación en line que repercutirá en la cuenta de resultados de hotel.Grado en Turism

A service-learning educational approach developed the transversal competencies of undergraduate students in an outreach workshop aimed to high school students

In the last decade, research institutes and universities have strengthened the development of outreach activities in the biomedical field, involving researchers and professors as well as graduate students, but with little or no implication of undergraduate students. The development of this type of activities, using the Service-Learning educational approach, could be a valuable tool that would manage the acquisition of learning competencies by undergraduate students of Health Science Degrees and would put science at the service of society.In this project, we present the development of the workshop entitled “Exploring the human body”, in which 205 students in their first and second year of a Degree in Nursing or Medicine (University of Málaga, Spain) acted as mentors of 753 high school students (15 to 16 years old) in several school years (since 2016-2017, excluding 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The workshop consisted of five work stations. Each station featured a set of different experiments and activities that were designed to teach the multiple levels by which the human body, and particularly the nervous system, can be studied: biomolecules, cells, tissues, organs and systems. Both high school and undergraduate students gave an evaluation of the workshop via questionnaires (Likert scale-based and short-answer questions) and a debriefing with the university professors. Data showed an overall score of 4.6 Out of 5 points for the workshop by both high school and undergraduate students. In addition, undergraduate students pointed out that their participation had a positive impact on their academic background (4.8 Out of 5 points), mainly due to the improvement of their oral communication skills (78 students) and self-confidence (58 students). Therefore, these results suggest that this methodology would be valid and applicable to develop the transversal competences of the students in Bachelor's degrees of Health Sciences.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Increased Impulsivity following progressive nigral degenereation and chronic pramipexole treatment in an animal model of Parkinson's disease

Dopamine agonists (DA) that are widely used to treat motor deficits in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are frequently associated with the development of abnormal-impulsive behaviors (AIB). The pathophysiology of AIB is poorly understood and there is a need for reliable animal models. We have analyzed the behavior of parkinsonian (injection of adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV) encoding for A53T mutated hα-syn in the substantia nigra compacta) and control (AAV- GFP expression) rats under chronic treatment with the D2/D3 receptor DA pramipexole (PPX) during 4 weeks, in OFF and ON medication states, using the 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time-Task (5-CSRTT). Before PPX treatment, the dopaminergic lesion increased the premature responses rate (waiting impulsivity) that was further increased with PPX during the 4 weeks of treatment in ON medication state and that was significantly higher than in control rats. A similar pattern of changes was observed in the variables related to attention (reduced accuracy in the responses and increased omissions). Premature response rate before and after treatment (both in ON and OFF medication) were correlated. In turn, premature responses before treatment and in OFF correlated with the striatal dopaminergic depletion (Dopamine transporter (DAT) immunochemistry). No significant changes were observed in OFF medication state in premature responses rate respect to the pretreatment state. The striatal expression of FosB/ΔFosB inversely correlated with the DAT expression and was higher in the lateral region of both striata and in the shell and core of the nucleus accumbens in parkinsonian than in control rats. In conclusion, these results indicate that the dopaminergic lesion is a risk factor to develop abnormal impulsive behaviors in PD under DA treatment and that this model could be a valid tool to investigate the pathophysiology of AIB in PD (DFG11/019, PI11/02109).Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Sugar Beet Pulp as Raw Material for the Production of Bioplastics

The production of bioplastics from renewable materials has gained interest in recent years, due to the large accumulation of non-degradable plastic produced in the environment. Here, sugar beet pulp (SBP) is evaluated as a potential raw material for the production of bioplastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). SBP is a by-product obtained in the sugar industry after sugar extraction from sugar beet, and it is mainly used for animal feed. It has a varied composition consisting mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin. Thus, it has been used to produce different value-added products such as methane, hydrogen, pectin, simple sugars, ethanol, lactic acid and succinic acid. This review focuses on the different bioprocesses involved in the production of lactic acid and PHAs, both precursors of bioplastics, from sugars derived from SBP. The review, therefore, describes the pretreatments applied to SBP, the conditions most frequently used for the enzymatic hydrolysis of SBP as well as the fermentation processes to obtain LA and PHAs

Dopamine D4R restores morphine-induced impairment of adult neurogenesis in the subventricular zone

In the adult mammalian brain, neuroblasts from the subventricular zone (SVZ) migrate along the rostral migratory stream into the olfactory bulb, where they differentiate and synaptically integrate to contribute with the maintenance of the olfactory function. It has been established that endogenous as well as exogenous opioid signalling affects proliferation in adult brains. In fact, chronic administration of morphine reduces adult neurogenesis in SVZ although its implication in addiction has not yet been clarified. On other hand, dopamine has been also identified as a regulatory factor of adult neurogenesis as dopaminergic cells from the substantia nigra compacta project toward the dorsal SVZ whereas the ventral tegmental area innervates the ventral SVZ. Previous results demonstrated that morphine increases striatal dopamine signaling, which is restored by the specific stimulation of dopamine D4 receptor (D4R). The mechanisms by which D4R counteracts morphine effects is not completely understood, but the existence of a D4R-MOR heterodimer in the striosomes of the caudate putamen has been proposed . However, it is unknown how this interaction could affect both the adult neurogenesis and olfaction. In the present work, we have studied the effects of a chronic treatment with morphine alone or in combination with a D4R agonist (PD168,077) on adult neurogenesis occurring in the SVZ. Furthermore, the impairment or improvement of odorants discrimination has also been analyzed. Using immunohistochemical techniques, we found that chronic treatment with morphine increases dopamine signalling in the SVZ and promotes a depletion of cell proliferation, affecting both neural and glial precursors. These effects were counteracted by the coadministration of morphine with the D4R agonist. The present results support for a critical role of the D4R to prevent morphine effects in the SVZ.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Pharmacological activation of dopamine D4 receptor prevents morphine-induced tolerance at the rat dorsal horn level

Morphine is one of the most effective drugs used for pain management. However, prolonged exposition to morphine produces a wide variety of side effects such as tolerance to analgesia, hyperalgesia and addiction. Downregulation of the mu opioid receptor (MOR) and its uncoupling to G-proteins in the dorsal horn are likely to contribute to the development of morphine tolerance. Previous studies demonstrated that dopamine D4 receptor (D4R) activation prevents morphine addiction by modulating dopamine signaling from nigral dopamine cells. This effect seems to be the result of an antagonistic receptor-receptor interaction involving a D4R-MOR heteroreceptor which could exist in the dorsal striatum. As D4R is expressed in dorsal horn neurons, we hypothesize that D4R could interfere in the development of morphine-induced tolerance to its analgesic effects. Here, using a chronic paradigm of combined treatment of morphine with the D4R agonist PD168.077, we investigated the nociceptive response to three noxious stimuli: thermal (tail-flick test), mechanical (von Frey test) and chemical (formalin test). Moreover, using immunohistochemistry, western blot and qRT-PCR, we have evaluated alterations in the primary circuitry of pain and the balance between glutamate and GABA within dorsal horn. Results from the evaluation of analgesic activity of chronic combined treatment of morphine with PD168,077 showed that D4R prevents the development of morphine-induced analgesic tolerance. The present results give support for the existence of antagonistic functional D4R-MOR receptor-receptor interaction in the dorsal horn that could help to the development of a new pharmacology strategy in the treatment of pain.CTS161 y UMA20-FEDERJA-122 Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Role of dopamine D4 receptor in the development of morphine-induced analgesic tolerance

Morphine is one of the most effective analgesic used in the clinical management of pain. However, long-term use of morphine can cause many side effects including respiratory depression, constipation, analgesic tolerance, hyperalgesia and addiction. The mechanisms underlying morphine tolerance are complex and nowadays it is not yet completely understood. As a primary mediator of morphine analgesia, the mu opioid receptor (MOR) contributes to morphine tolerance through downregulating the expression of MOR and its uncoupling from G-proteins in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. It has been reported that the colocalization of the dopamine D4 receptor with MOR in the dorsal striatum counteracts the addictive effects induced by morphine through a putative D4R-MOR heteroreceptor that modulates dopamine signaling from nigral dopamine nerve cells. As D4R is also expressed in both the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and dorsal horn neurons, we hypothesize that D4R could interfere the development of morphine-induced tolerance to its analgesic effects at dorsal horn level. Using a chronic treatment paradigm of morphine with the D4R agonist PD168,077, we have first investigated the nociceptive response to noxious thermal stimulation (tail flick), mechanical stimulation (von Frey) and to persistent noxious chemical stimulation (formalin). Furthermore, using immunohistochemical techniques, we have studied primary afferent fibers (peptidergic and non-peptidergic C fibers), spinal interneurons and NK1 spinal projection neurons, and the balance between glutamate and GABA in the dorsal horn. Results from the evaluation of analgesic activity showed that D4R activation prevents the development of morphine-induced analgesic tolerance. In addition, D4R preserves the appropriate balance between glutamate and GABA for a proper analgesic effect by modulating the spinal circuit.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Role of dopamine D4 receptor in the develpment of morphine-induced analgesic tolerance

Morphine is one of the most effective drugs used for pain management. However, prolonged exposition to morphine produces a wide variety of side effects such as tolerance to analgesia, hyperalgesia and addiction. Downregulation of the mu opioid receptor (MOR) and its uncoupling to G-proteins in the dorsal horn are likely to contribute to the development of morphine tolerance. Previous studies demonstrated that dopamine D4 receptor (D4R) activation prevents morphine addiction by modulating dopamine signaling from nigral dopamine cells. This effect seems to be the result of an antagonistic receptor-receptor interaction involving a D4R-MOR heteroreceptor which could exist in the dorsal striatum. As D4R is expressed in dorsal horn neurons, we hypothesize that D4R could interfere in the development of morphine-induced tolerance to its analgesic effects. Here, using a chronic paradigms of combined treatment of morphine with the D4R agonist PD168.077, we investigated the nociceptive response to three noxious stimuli: thermal (tail-flick test), mechanical (von Frey test) and chemical (formalin test). Moreover, using immunohistochemical techniques, we have evaluated alterations in the primary circuitry of pain (peptidergic and non-peptidergic C fibers and spinal projections neurons NK1-R) and the balance between glutamate and GABA within dorsal horn. Results from the evaluation of analgesic activity of chronic combined treatment of morphine with PD168,077 showed that D4R prevents the development of morphine-induced analgesic tolerance. The present results give support for the existence of antagonistic functional D4R-MOR receptor-receptor interaction in the dorsal horn that could help to the development of a new pharmacology strategy in the treatment of pain. CTS161 and UMA20-FEDERJA-122 (Junta de Andalucía, Spain)Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Galanin receptor 2 modifies neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor internalization and β-Arrestin recruitment

We have recently described a Galanin receptor 2(GALR2) and Neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor(NPYY1R) interaction at behavioural, cellular and receptor levels through GALR2/NPYY1R heterodimers. The aim of this work was to study if GALR2 and NPYY1R costimulation modified NPYY1R internalization and β-Arrestin recruitment after in HEK293T cells. HEK293T cells were transfected with NPYY1REGFPor β-Arrestin2GFP2 cloned with standard molecular biology techniques employing PCR and fragment replacement strategies. NPYY1REGFP/GALR2 and NPYY1R/GALR2 with β- Arrestin2GFP2 HEK293T coexpressing cells were incubated with NPY 1μM and/or GAL1μM, at different times. Antagonist studies were performed 15 min prior to the addition of agonist with NPYY1R antagonist BIBP3226 10μM or GALR2 antagonist M871 10 μM. Timed-interval images of NPYY1REGFP or β-Arrestin2GFP2 endosomes in different cell groups were acquired using a confocal microscope following agonist addition. Percentage of internalization was determined by Leica software analysis of total membrane fluorescence compared to total internal compartment fluorescence at the various time points. We observed that addition of NPY induced a rapid decrease in the cell surface expression of NPYY1REGFP and a redistribution of β-Arrestin2GFP2. In fact, we observed a maximum of internalization of 80% three minutes after the NPY stimulation. However, combined treatment with GAL and NPY induced a delay in the internalization of NPYY1REGFP, with a maximum of internalization thirty minutes after the co-stimulation. Moreover, a delay in the β-Arrestin2GFP2 redistribution was observed. The specific GALR2 antagonist M871 abolished these delays in internalization of NPYY1REGFP and β-Arrestin2GFP2 redistribution, suggesting that this effect was mediated through the coactivation of GALR2 and NPYY1R. These results demonstrate that costimulation with GAL and NPY delays the internalization of  NPYY1REGFP by decreasing recruitment of β-Arrestin2GFP2 and probably could change intracellular signaling. This study was supported by Junta de Andalucia CVI6476.Junta de Andalucia CVI6476.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech