Percorrer por autor "Faustino, Bruno"

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    Diagnostic precision of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in assessing cognitive deficits in substance use disorders
    (Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2021-04-01) Faustino, Bruno; Oliveira, Jorge; Lopes, Paulo Jorge Ferreira; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
    The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) is a widely used neuropsychological instrument to assess executive functions related to cognitive flexibility and abstract reasoning. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the diagnostic precision of this instrument in sub- stance use disorders. In this study, we aimed at assessing the sensitivity and specificity of the WCST in discriminating the performance of participants with substance use disorder with cognitive deficits and participants from the general population without cognitive defi- cits. The sample comprised three groups of participants with substance use disorders (opi- oid use disorder in harm reduction with methadone maintenance; opioid use disorder in treatment in a therapeutic community; alcohol use disorder in a therapeutic community) and a normative group of healthy adults. The total sample consisted of 587 participants that were assessed with cognitive tests for executive functions, general cognitive function- ing, and self-reported depression. The results showed differences between groups in most WCST variables, providing evidence of discriminant validity for this test. Convergent validity was also established by weak to moderate correlations with general cognitive functioning. Cutoff points based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated for the WCST variables. Overall, the WCST was sensitive to changes in cognitive flexibility and abstract reasoning that are key features of substance use disorders.
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    Metacognitive Self-Assessment Scale: psychometric properties and clinical implications
    (Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2021-09-01) Faustino, Bruno; Vasco, António Branco; Oliveira, Jorge; Lopes, Paulo Jorge Ferreira; Fonseca, Isabel Barahona da; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
    Metacognition is a higher-order psychological construct that has been conceptualized as the abil- ity to identify and describe mental states, beliefs, and intentions of self and others. The Metacognition Self-Assessment Scale (MSAS), was developed to assess different functions of meta- cognition, being a potential asset in fields such as psychotherapy and clinical neuropsychology. However, a reliability and validity study is still lacking, as well, the study with other related meta- cognitive constructs. This research describes the psychometric analysis of the MSAS in a cross- sectional design and the study of the relationship between metacognitive functions, meta-beliefs and cognitive fusion. The sample comprised 194 participants from the general population (76% women), with an average age of 32 years old. Exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach alpha, test- retest, and validity procedures through bivariate correlations with convergent/divergent measures were conducted. The scale showed satisfactory psychometric properties with good internal consist- ency along with appropriate convergent/divergent validity. Metacognition and cognitive fusion were negatively correlated, while negative meta-beliefs and mastery predicted the variance of cog- nitive fusion. Decentering-differentiation factor correlated negatively with cognitive fusion and per- sonal discomfort. These results suggest that MSAS may be a reliable tool to assess metacognition in the Portuguese population. Clinical implications are discussed.
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    Normative scores of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in a sample of the adult Portuguese population
    (Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2020-09-01) Faustino, Bruno; Oliveira, Jorge; Lopes, Paulo Jorge Ferreira; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
    Objectives: The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) is a neuropsychological instrument that is widely used for assessment of executive functioning in both clinical and research settings. The aim of this study was to provide the normative scores for the WCST in a sample of Portuguese healthy adults. Methods: The data was collected from archival data in a total sample of 359 individuals, 149 men (41.5%, Mage1⁄438.3; SD1⁄420.3) and 210 women (58.5%, Mage1⁄452.2; SD1⁄419.4). Descriptive statis- tics were calculated to describe mean scores, standard-deviation and percentiles of the WCST indexes by gender, age and education. ANOVAs were used to explore the differences between these scores in sociodemographic variables. The normative scores were adjusted for age and educa- tional level. Results: Significant statistical differences in mean scores were found in several WCST indexes, such as, total errors, perseverations, perseverative errors and conceptual level responses regarding age and education. Percentiles for WCST indexes were stratified by age group and educa- tional level. Conclusions: Age and education are important factors explaining performance on the WCST. This is the first study focused on the development of WCST normative scores for the adult Portuguese population, which can be applied in clinical, educational and research contexts.
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    Psychometric and Rash Analysis of the UCLA Loneliness Scale-16 in a Portuguese Sample of Older Adults
    (Springer International Publishing, 2019-06-01) Faustino, Bruno; Lopes, Paulo; Oliveira, Jorge; Campaioli, Giulia; Rondinone, Maria; Bomfim, Helena; Germano, Lindanuza; Escola de Psicologia e Ciências da Vida; Faculdade de Psicologia, Educação e Desporto; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
    Loneliness is a serious concern in modern societies, particularly among older adults, while being imperative that clinicians use reliable instruments for an accurate assessment of this problem. This study aims to describe a mixed statistical approach to assess the psychometric properties of the UCLA Loneliness Scale-16 in Portuguese old-aged individuals. The sample comprised 153 individuals (59.1% women and 40.3% men), aged 61–98 (M = 78.80, SD = 8.58). The psychometric properties of UCLA Loneliness Scale-16 were analyzed with exploratory factorial analysis, internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity and through the item response theory. The results suggested a bidimensional structure for this instrument. The scale showed satisfactory psychometric properties with a high internal consistency. In addition, a negative relationship with constructs of social support and functionality was also observed. Overall results suggest that the UCLA Loneliness Scale-16 is a psychometric reliable measure to evaluate social loneliness in the Portuguese elderly population.