Differences in brain connectivity between older adults practicing Tai Chi and Water Aerobics: a case-control study.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms that differentiate mind-body practices from aerobic physical activities and elucidate their effects on cognition and healthy aging. We examined functional brain connectivity in older adults (age > 60) without pre-existing uncontrolled chronic diseases, comparing Tai Chi with Water Aerobics practitioners.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, case-control fMRI study involving two strictly matched groups ( = 32) based on gender, age, education, and years of practice.

Psychosocial factors affected by burden in family caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease.

Unlabelled: The world's population is experiencing an aging process, which is resulting in an increase in diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Consequently, more and more people need care, which can lead to overload and harm to their family's quality of life.

Objective: Identify the psychosocial factors affected by the burden on family caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease.

Baseline emotional state influences on the response to animated short films: A randomized online experiment.

Introduction: Considering the relevance of the emotional state, it is necessary to understand how daily stimuli can modulate the emotions. Animated short films are common stimuli, but it is unknown how they can modulate the emotional state. The study aimed to evaluate: how participants' emotional state changed after watching animated short films with positive or negative emotional valence in an online experiment; the relationship between participants' baseline score on an Emotional Intensity Scale and their potential change in the main emotion after watching the films; and the association between the initial main emotion valence and the potential change in this emotion with participants' sociodemographic information.

Group Synchronization during Collaborative Drawing using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a noninvasive method particularly suitable for measuring cerebral cortex activation in multiple subjects, which is relevant for studying group interpersonal interactions in ecological settings. Although many fNIRS systems technically offer the possibility to monitor more than two individuals simultaneously, establishing easy-to-implement setup procedures and reliable paradigms to track hemodynamic and behavioral responses in group interaction is still required. The present protocol combines fNIRS and video-based observation to measure interpersonal synchronization in quartets during a cooperative task.

COVID-19 news valence effects on emotion and its modulation by a relaxation: A randomized online experiment during COVID-19 pandemic.

This study evaluated how news with positive and negative content about COVID-19, as well as a relaxation pause, affect the emotional state. We also investigated the association between emotional state and practicing meditation/yoga, physical activity or having a mental disease. For that, a sample of 717 participants, recruited through social media, were randomly assigned to listen to negative or positive news about COVID-19.

Quantitative assessment of pilot-endured workloads during helicopter flying emergencies: an analysis of physiological parameters during an autorotation.

The procedures to be performed after sudden engine failure of a single-engine helicopter impose high workload on pilots. The maneuver to regain aircraft control and safe landing is called autorotation. The safety limits to conduct this maneuver are based on the aircraft height versus speed diagram, which is also known as "Dead Man's Curve".

Can news with positive or negative content affect and a relaxation pause improve the emotional state of health care professionals? A randomized online experiment during COVID-19 pandemic.

A cause of mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic is media exposure, which can impact health care professionals (HCPs) who must keep up to date with the statistics and procedures to fight the outbreak. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of listening to negative and positive news about COVID-19 pandemic and a relaxation pause audio. For that, we measured the emotional state through Likert items in a scale developed to assess how anxious, stressed, hopeful, conscious about emotions, irritated, despondent, joyful, optimistic, and preoccupied, he or she was feeling in the moment of evaluation.

COVID-19 information exposure in digital media and implications for employees in the health care sector: findings from an online survey.

Objective: To estimate coronavirus disease 2019-related information consumption and related implications for health care professionals (medical and nonmedical personnel) during the pandemic.

Methods: A cross-sectional on-line survey was distributed to employees of a major health care institution located in São Paulo, Brazil between April 3 and April 10, 2020. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

The accuracy of hippocampal volumetry and glucose metabolism for the diagnosis of patients with suspected Alzheimer's disease, using automatic quantitative clinical tools.

The hippocampus is one of the earliest sites involved in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore, we specifically investigated the sensitivity and specificity of hippocampal volume and glucose metabolism in patients being evaluated for AD, using automated quantitative tools (NeuroQuant - magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] and Scenium - positron emission tomography [PET]) and clinical evaluation.This retrospective study included adult patients over the age of 45 years with suspected AD, who had undergone fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (FDG-PET-CT) and MRI.

A New Mental Health Mobile App for Well-Being and Stress Reduction in Working Women: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Although the availability and use of mobile mental health apps has grown exponentially in recent years, little data are available regarding their efficacy.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an app developed to promote stress management and well-being among working women compared with a control app.

Methods: Female employees at a private hospital were invited to participate in the study via mailing lists and intranet ads.

Greater Anteroposterior Default Mode Network Functional Connectivity in Long-Term Elderly Yoga Practitioners.

Large-scale brain networks exhibit changes in functional connectivity during the aging process. Recent literature data suggests that Yoga and other contemplative practices may revert, at least in part, some of the aging effects in brain functional connectivity, including the Default Mode Network (DMN). The aim of this cross-sectional investigation was to compare resting-state functional connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and posterior cingulate cortex-precuneus (PCC-Precuneus) in long-term elderly Yoga practitioners and healthy paired Yoga-naïve controls.

Positive Effects of a Stress Reduction Program Based on Mindfulness Meditation in Brazilian Nursing Professionals: Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation.

Context: Mindfulness meditation has been shown to effectively mitigate the negative effects of stress among nursing professionals, but in countries like Brazil, these practices are relatively unexplored.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a Stress Reduction Program (SRP) including mindfulness and loving kindness meditation among nursing professionals working in a Brazilian hospital setting.

Design: Pilot study with a mixed model using quantitative and qualitative methods was used to evaluate a group of participants.

[Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among professionals during humanitarian aid in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010].

The scope of this article is to screen the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among the professionals who provided humanitarian aid for the Haitian population after the 2010 earthquake. It involvess a cross-sectional study. The Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R) was used for screening symptoms of PTSD.

Psychological distress in survivors of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Objective: To investigate the presence of depression and anxiety symptoms in survivors of the Haiti earthquake who were assisted by a healthcare team from the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, and to evaluate the impact that losing a family member during this catastrophe could have on the development of these symptoms.

Methods: Forty survivors of the Haiti earthquake who were assisted by the healthcare team between February and March of 2010 were included in this study. All subjects underwent a semi-structured interview.

[Cross-cultural adaptation of the Brazilian version of the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R)].

The Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) is used to screen for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim of this study was to assess the cross-cultural adaptation of the IES-R. The scale was translated into Brazilian Portuguese and culturally adapted.

[Development of the Brazilian version of the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite Measure (MSFC-BCTRIMS): pilot study].

Initial efforts are reported to develop and validate a Brazilian version of the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite Measure (MSFC-BCTRIMS). MSFC is an outcome measure in multiple sclerosis (MS) which assesses motor functions of legs and arms/hands besides cognitive function. MSFC was designed to have better sensitivity and sounder psychometric foundations than traditional measures in detecting therapeutic benefits of disease-modifying agents.

[Assessment of psychosocial functioning in multiple sclerosis: psychometric characteristics of four self-report measures].

Major and subsyndromic depression are highly prevalent in multiple sclerosis(MS). Assessment of psychosocial functioning in MS requires sound psychometric instruments. Self-report measures offer several advantages, but a valid and reliable depression self-report diagnostic measure is lacking.