ULHT/HEI-Lab - Artigos de Revistas Internacionais com Arbitragem Científica

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Validation of a new tool for evaluating subjects’ satisfaction with medicine package leaflets: a cross sectional descriptive study.
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2020) Pires, Carla Maria Batista Ferreira; Rosa, Pedro Joel; Vigário, Marina; Cavaco, Afonso Miguel das Neves; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
BACKGROUND: Package leaflets of medicines need to be intelligible, but tools for their evaluation are scarce. OBJECTIVE: To validate a new tool for assessing subjects’ satisfaction with medicine package leaflets (LiS‑RPL). DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in two regions of Portugal (Lisbon and Centre). METHODS: 503 participants (53.1% male) were selected according to convenience and homogenously distributed into three groups: 1 to 6; 7 to 12; and > 12 years of schooling. LiS-RPL was developed based on international regulation guidelines and was initially composed of 14 items. Twelve package leaflets were tested. Dimensionality calculations included: exploratory factor analysis and minimum rank factor analysis; Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin index and Bartlett’s sphericity test to assess matrix adequacy for exploratory factor analysis; exploratory bifactor analysis with Schmid-Leiman solution to detect possible existence of a broad second-order factor; and Bentler’s Simplicity Index and Loading Simplicity Index to assess factor simplicity. Diverse coefficients were calculated to assess reliability. RESULTS: Minimum rank factor analysis detected a two-factor or single-factor structure. Exploratory factor analysis with 12 items showed a two-factor structure, explaining 69.11% of the variance. These items were strongly correlated with each other (r = 0.80). Schmid-Leiman: all items seemed to represent the general factor (loadings above 0.50), which was 76.4% of the extracted variance. Simplicity indices were good (percentile 99): Bentler’s Simplicity Index of 0.99 and Loading Simplicity Index of 0.48. Internal consistency indexes indicated good reliability. LiS-RPL was shown to be homogenous. CONCLUSION: LiS-RPL is a validated tool for evaluating subjects’ satisfaction with medicine package leaflets.
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.
Special issue. Places and human behaviour: from local to global — PSICAMB 2017 / XIV Conference on Environmental Psychology
(Taylor & Francis, 2020) Loureiro, Ana Luisa Cardoso Marques Teixeira; Bernardo, Maria de Fátima Campos; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
This special issue publishes a selection of works presented at the XIV Conference on Environmental Psychology, held in Évora in June 2017, under the auspices of PSICAMBAsociación de Psicología Ambiental
Sexual health and the pandemic crisis : testing the role of psychological vulnerability/protective factors on sexual functioning and sexual distress during a critical life period
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2022-01) Nobre, Pedro; Rosa, Pedro Joel; Vasconcelos, Priscila; Tavares, Inês; Carvalho, Joana Patrícia Pereira de; Gomes, Ana Luísa de Matos Dias Quinta; Moura, Catarina; Carrito, Manuela; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
Recent findings suggest that the current COVID-19 pandemic has a potential negative impact in several areas of life, including sexual health. However, less is known about the psychological dimensions that may work as vulnerability/protective factors for the development of sexual problems in the current pandemic. The current study used a longitudinal design to examine the role played by personality trait factors (neuroticism, extraversion) as well as psychosexual factors (sexual beliefs) in predicting sexual functioning and sexual distress across time during the current pandemic crisis. A total of 528 individuals (337 women) completed a web survey assessing sexual health indicators and psychological factors. The first wave was conducted during the confinement period in Portugal (N = 528) between May and June 2020 and the second four months later (N = 146), when strict confinement rules were over. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to examine the ability of psychological factors to predict sexual functioning and distress across time, while controlling for age and gender. Results indicated that sexual distress at time point 2 was lower than during confinement, and men had lower levels of sexual functioning post-confinement while no significant difference was observed for women. Moreover, higher levels of neuroticism and age-related beliefs significantly predicted lower sexual functioning as well as higher sexual distress, whereas lower levels of extraversion predicted lower sexual functioning after controlling for age and gender effects. Findings support the role of psychological vulnerability factors to predict sexual problems across time and may have important implications in the prevention and treatment of sexual dysfunctions.
Assessing the Unidimensionality of Clayton’s Environmental Identity Scale Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Bifactor Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (bifactor-ESEM)
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2021) Moreira, Paulo; Loureiro, Ana Luisa Cardoso Marques Teixeira; Inman, Richard; Olivos-Jara, Pablo; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
A relevant intrapersonal characteristic for understanding intentions and behavior toward environmental sustainability is the degree to which nature is important for a person’s self-definition. Clayton’s Environmental Identity (EID) scale purports to measure this construct. However, a limited number of prior exploratory studies of this measure have supported different factor structures. Hence, our initial aim was to develop an understanding of the dimensionality of Clayton’s 24-item EID scale by testing competing latent structures using confirmatory factor analysis. We analyzed self-reported data from 458 adults (Mage = 26.7 years; 81% female). Four a priori models (a first-order model, a second-order model, a unidimensional model, and a bifactor model) did not show satisfactory fit to the data. An ancillary analysis using bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling (bifactor-ESEM) indicated a bifactor model with three specific factors had a good fit to the data. The factor loadings of this model and values for bifactor indices (Omega Hierarchical and Explained Common Variance [ECV]) indicated a single mean score across all EID scale items taps into an essentially unidimensional construct and is therefore appropriate to interpret. In sum, our study provides a critical insight into the dimensionality of Clayton’s EID scale that will be valuable when applying this measure for research and intervention purposes.
Virtual reality-based cognitive stimulation on people with mild to moderate dementia due to alzheimer’s disease : a randomized controlled trial
(MDPI, 2021) Oliveira, Jorge; Gamito, Pedro; Souto, Maria Teresa Soares; Dias, Ana Rita Conde; Ferreira, Maria; Corotnean, Tatiana; Fernandes, Adriano; Silva, Henrique; Neto, Teresa; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
The use of ecologically oriented approaches with virtual reality (VR) depicting instrumen-tal activities of daily living (IADL) is a promising approach for intervention on acquired brain inju-ries. However, results of such an approach on dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are still lacking. This research reports on a pilot randomized controlled trial that aims to explore the effect of cognitive stimulation reproducing several IADL in VR on people with mild to moderate dementia caused by AD. Patients are being recruited from residential care homes of Santa Casa da Misericórdia da Amadora (SCMA) which is a relevant non-profit social and healthcare provider in Portugal. This intervention lasts 2 months with a total of 10 sessions (2 sessions/week). Neuropsy-chological assessment is carried out at baseline and follow-up using established neuropsychological instruments for assessing memory, attention and executive functions. The sample consisted of 17 patients of both genders randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The prelimi-nary results show an improvement in the overall cognitive function in the experimental group, which suggest this approach to be effective for neurocognitive stimulation for older adults with dementia, contributing to maintain cognitive function in AD.
Moving from VR into AR using Bio-Cybernetic Loops and Physiological Sensory Devices for Intervention on Anxiety Disorders
(2021-07-12) Arquissandás, Preyesse; Oliveira, Jorge; Lamas, David Ribeiro; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
Anxiety disorders comprise different clinical conditions that affect individuals in their personal, professional and social domains. The development of new intervention approaches for the treatment of anxiety disorders is crucial. As a step forward into promoting the well-being through adaptive physiological responses, we developed an Augmented Reality (AR) based system using bio-cybernetic loops to create an adaptive system for exposure therapy in anxiety disorders. The system was built using open source software (e.g., NyARToolkit, and Unity 3D). AR technology uses computer-generated information to enrich the real world. It can be used with less intrusive devices to collect physiological data (e.g., Bitalino) describing human behavior in a cycle. In this context our research project aims to study behavior during exposure to biologically relevant stimuli such as snakes. Phobia is described as an irrational fear to an object/stimulus. This fear triggers several physiological responses from sensors as increased heart rate (ECG) and skin conductance (EDA), which are responses from the autonomous nervous system. This approach can be used in several sessions, where the system through machine learning algorithms adapts the tresholds to the individual profile of each participant from historical data. Our study has been carried out in two stages: (1) The participants in a total of 35 students (30 males and 5 females with ages ranging from 19 to 29 years) were invited to fill a snake questionnaire (SNAQ). (2) A sub-sample was enrolled in an exposure session in AR using a virtual snake while collecting psychophysiological responses from sensors data. The results have shown increased physiological responses in two AR exposure sessions using snakes as stimuli. Therefore we conclude that the system was efficient to detect changes in physiological responses during the exposure sessions.
Computerized cognitive training using virtual reality on everyday life activities for patients recovering from stroke
(2020-04-07) Oliveira, Jorge; Gamito, Pedro; Lopes, Beatriz; Silva, Ana Rute Tavares; Galhordas, João; Pereira, Eduarda; Ramos, Elisabete; Silva, Ana Paula Lopes da; Jorge, Áurea; Fantasia, António; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
Recent studies argue that the use of virtual reality tasks depicting activities daily living may be an effective means for cognitive rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to test an ecologically oriented approach in virtual reality resembling the demands of everyday life activities for cognitive rehabilitation following stroke. The sample comprised 30 sub-acute stroke patients recovering from stroke in a rehabilitation hospital. They were assessed in a single-arm pre-post intervention study on global cognition, executive functions, memory and attention abilities. The intervention consisted of virtual reality in a multidomain cognitive training approach depicting everyday life tasks (preparing food, choosing clothes, shopping, etc.). Improvements were found in the assessed cognitive domains at 6 to 10 post-treatment sessions. In-depth analysis through reliable change scores has suggested larger treatment effects on global cognition. Overall results suggest that the use of virtual reality-based exercises on everyday life activities may be a useful cognitive rehabilitation approach to provide short-term gains in cognition following stroke.
Virtual Reality-Based Cognitive Stimulation to Improve Cognitive Functioning in Community Elderly
(2020-03) Gamito, Pedro; Oliveira, Jorge; Alves, Catarina; Santos, Nuno; Coelho, Cátia; Brito, Rodrigo; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
The advantages of using naturalistic virtual reality (VR) environments based on everyday life tasks for cog- nitive intervention in the elderly are not yet well understood. The literature suggests that the similarity of such exercises with real life activities may improve generalizability by extending the transfer of gains of training to everyday living. This study aimed to investigate the gains associated with this ecologically-oriented virtual reality cognitive stimulation (VR-CS) versus standard cognitive stimulation in the elderly. Forty-three healthy older adults were divided into two groups: an experimental group underwent a VR-based cognitive stimulation and an active control group underwent a paper-and-pencil cognitive stimulation. The outcomes assessed at the pre-treatment and posttreatment assessment consisted in well-established tests for cognitive and executive functioning, depression, subjective well-being, and functionality. The results showed positive outcomes on dimensions of general cognition, executive functioning, attention, and visual memory in the group that un- derwent VR-CS. Improvements in executive functioning in this group was supported by consistent evidence of increases in attention abilities but little evidence of increases in memory abilities. Both effects may have contributed to improvements in general cognition. Further studies are needed to test whether these effects may extend to well-being and functionality in cognitively impaired older adults.
Cognitive Stimulation of Elderly Individuals with Instrumental Virtual Reality-Based Activities of Daily Life
(2019-01-01) Gamito, Pedro; Oliveira, Jorge; Morais, Diogo; Coelho, Cátia; Santos, Nuno; Alves, Catarina; Galamba, Ana; Soeiro, Miguel; Brito, Rodrigo; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
As the demographic structure in western societies ages, the prevalence and impact of cognitive decline rises. Thus, new solutions to tackle this problem are required. The use of Information and Communication Tech- nologies (ICT)-based cognitive exercises has emerged in the last few decades, though with inconsistent results. Hence, we conducted a pre-post treatment study to further investigate this approach. We designed a set of virtual reality exercises that mimic activities of daily living by which the patient can train different cognitive domains. Twenty-five participants, ages 65–85, underwent 12 training sessions between the pre-treatment and post-treatment assessments. Significant increases were seen between the two assessments for some of the neuropsychological measures: visual memory, attention, and cognitive flexibility. Results also suggest that participants with lower baseline cognitive performance levels improved most after these sessions.
Soundspace VR: spatial navigation using sound in virtual reality
(2021) Fialho, Luís Miguel da Costa; Oliveira, Jorge; Filipe, André; Luz, Filipe Costa; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
Prior research reveals that spatial navigation skills rely mostly in visual sensory abilities, but the study of how spatial processing operates in the absence of visual information is still incomplete. Therefore, a spatial navigation task in virtual reality using auditory cues was developed to study navigational strategies in blindfolded sighted individuals. Twenty healthy adult participants were recruited. The task consisted of a VR scene, in which participants were asked to localize a sound source and move to the target without visual information throughout the entire task. Task difficulty was manipulated by route length and complexity in three different difficulty levels repeated in two different trials. The first trial (learning) consisted of moving to the sound source and then returning to the starting point. The second trial (retrieval) consisted of the same task without the sound source but with auditory cues from obstacles to test spatial learning. Performance was assessed from behavioral measures of execution time, obstacle collisions, and prompts during the task execution. These variables were compared to established neuropsychological instruments for global cognition (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) and memory abilities (Wechsler Memory Scale-R). The results suggested that difficulty level affected navigation performance in both trials. Navigation performance was better in the retrieval trial, but both learning and retrieval trials were explained by global cognitive functioning. These data suggested the Soundspace VR as being effective to study spatial navigation in the absence of visual information and highlight the importance of auditory information from spatial sound cues for spatial navigation and spatial learning.
Connectedness and well-being in simulated nature
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2021) Pasca, Laura; Carrus, Giuseppe; Loureiro, Ana Luisa Cardoso Marques Teixeira; Navarro, Oscar; Panno, Angelo; Tapía-Follen, Cesar; Aragonés, Juan Ignacio; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
People relate to nature physically, cognitively and emotionally, and this relationship fosters their well-being. There are several types of environments that vary according to their degree of naturalness, raising the question of whether they each exert different effects on people, connectedness and well-being. In order to study the extent to which environmental connectedness and well-being are a function of viewing different types of nature, we conducted a study with 454 participants from five different countries, who viewed images on a computer screen of one of three types of environment (totally natural, quasi-natural or non-natural) and responded to a series of associated items. The results of a mediation analysis showed an indirect effect of type of environment on well-being through positive and negative affect and connectedness to nature. The corresponding ANOVAs revealed differences in the connectedness and well-being elicited by different types of environment, and in preference: totally natural and quasi-natural environments (with no differences between them) showed differences with non-natural environments. Therefore, our study results suggest the usefulness of images of natural environments in fostering people's well-being and connectedness to nature.
Judging pharmaceutical environmental risk by its cover? The effects of prescription medication and disease severity on environmental risk perception
(Wiley Online Library, 2021-11) Luís, Sílvia; Moura, Rita; Lima, Maria Luísa; Poggio, Lucia; Aragones, Juan Ignacio; CAMILO, CRISTINA MARIA LOPES; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions; Universidade Lusófona
Recent water analysis performed in senior residences showed high levels of water pollution due to pharmaceutical waste. The way people perceive pharmaceuticals’ environmental risk can contribute to reverse this problem, but it is still relatively unknown which factors influence their perception. The present study is two-fold. We first focused on exploring the levels of knowledge regarding environment/water pollution due to pharmaceutical residue of the groups responsible for prescribing (health professionals), handling (staff), and consuming pharmaceuticals on a daily basis (seniors) in senior residences. Secondly, we assessed their environmental risk perception of four pharmaceutical based on two main factors: prescription medication (non-prescribed versus prescribed) and disease severity (milder versus severe disease), accounting for their level of knowledge (deficit vs. sufficiency of knowledge). Data was collected in multiple senior homes located in three Southwestern European countries – Portugal, Spain, and France (N=300), using self-report surveys. Results show that across all groups, current knowledge was perceived to be low and the need to know more was perceived to be high. Results further indicate that participants made use of irrelevant information to assess the environmental risk of the pharmaceuticals. Prescribed pharmaceuticals and/or medication used to treat severe diseases were perceived as being more hazardous for the environment. Moreover, only for disease severity did this effect occur mostly in the deficit of knowledge group. These misconceptions might discourage stakeholders to take a more active role in reducing the impact of pharmaceutical residues in the environment/water sources, causing them to overlook this crisis.
Male Victims of Female-Perpetrated Partner Violence: A Qualitative Analysis of Men’s Experiences, the Impact of Violence, and Perceptions of Their Worth
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2020-09-17) Machado, Andreia; Hines, Denise; Douglas, Emily; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
There has been a recent increase in the amount of research on male victims of female-perpetrated partner violence (PV), but research needs to be conducted to understand how the patterns of abuse persist in these relationships. In the current study, the experiences of 59 male PV victims in the United States, recruited through online advertisements in professional networks and websites (e.g., agencies that specialize in male victims of PV), were explored through a thematic analysis. Analyses suggested that the help-seeking process of male PV victims is complex and heterogeneous and can often lead to further negative consequences due to various structural, cultural, social, and organizational factors. The findings also highlight the potential societal issues that male victims perceived as contributing to male victimization and lack of available resources for them. The results are discussed in terms of its implications for agencies, service providers, and general societal attitudes that are relevant to raising awareness about this phenomenon.
Community sanctions: Offenders’ perceptions about their appropriateness
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2021) Andrade, Joana Raquel Mendes; Cruz, Ana Rita Pereira da; Cunha, Olga Cecília Soares da; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Rodrigues, Andreia de Castro; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
A Cluster Analysis on Sexual Boredom Profiles in A Community Sample of Men and Women
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2021-06-11) Oliveira, Leonor B. de; Rosa, Pedro Joel; Carvalho, Joana Patrícia Pereira de; Nobre, Pedro; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
Research evidence of the attributes of sexual boredom is extremely limited. Understanding variability in the experience of sexual boredom may offer relevant insights for the field of human sexuality. This study aimed to explore the co-occurrence of sexual boredom and other sexuality-related dimensions. The sample consisted of 1021 participants aged between 18 and 75 years old (M = 32.68, SD = 8.79). A genderstratified cluster analysis was performed to classify individuals regarding their scores on sexual boredom, general boredom, sexual sensation seeking, sexual desire, sexual excitation, sexual pleasure, and sexual satisfaction. A three-cluster solution was revealed for both men and women. Based on our findings, we put forward a profile for the sexually bored individual, who is more likely to be married or cohabiting with a partner, to have a boredom prone personality, to lack sexual sensation seeking, experience low sexual pleasure and satisfaction, and to present with sexual arousal and/or desire problems. Women dealing with sexual boredom might present low sexual desire for their partner but experience high sex desire for attractive others. Results are critically discussed and implications for sexual therapy explored.
The update of semantic memories in amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment
(wiley, 2021) Mendonça, Alexandre de; Cardoso, Sandra; Maroco, João; Guerreiro, Manuela; Carmo, Joana Costa; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
It is still controversial to what extent neocortical consolidated memories are susceptible of change by processes of reconsolidation and transformation throughout experience, and whether the medial temporal lobes are necessary for this update of semantic consolidated memories, as they are for episodic remembering. We hypothesise that patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) who have deficits in episodic memory may also have difficulties in updating information on added new features of objects. Sixteen participants with aMCI and 20 healthy control participants performed a semantic Word-to-Picture task, in which they were asked to identify as belonging to a given semantic category NEW objects, that have incorporated novel features, as well as OLD items, semantically and visually SIMILAR items and UNRELATED items. Patients with aMCI made a greater percentage of errors than healthy controls. Participants globally made greater percentages of errors in difficult types of items, namely NEW and SIMILAR, as compared to easier ones, OLD and UNRELATED. Importantly, an item by diagnostic group interaction effect was observed, and post hoc analysis showed that patients with aMCI made a higher percentage of errors than controls in NEW items only. In conclusion, patients with aMCI had a particular difficulty in identifying the NEW items of the Word-to-Picture task as compared to the control participants, supporting the concept of a flexible and dynamic conceptual knowledge system, involving the update of semantic memories and the integration of new attributes in a constant transformation process, which is impaired in these patients. Keywords: Mild Cognitive Impairment; memory transformation account; semantic system; semantic update
Virtual Reality Cognitive Training Among Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder Undergoing Residential Treatment
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2021-01-01) Gamito, Pedro; Oliveira, Jorge; Matias, Marcelo Alexandre Cabaça; Cunha, Elsa Alexandra Pinto Ribeiro da; Brito, Rodrigo; Lopes, Paulo Jorge Ferreira; Deus, Alberto; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
Background: Alcoholusedisorder(AUD)hasbeenassociatedwithdiversephysicalandmentalmorbidities.Amongthemain consequences of chronic and excessive alcohol use are cognitive and executive deficits. Some of these deficits may be reversed in specific cognitive and executive domains with behavioral approaches consisting of cognitive training. The advent of computer-based interventions may leverage these improvements, but randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of digital interactive-based interventions are still scarce. Objective: The aim of this study is to explore whether a cognitive training approach using VR exercises based on activities of daily living is feasible for improving the cognitive function of patients with AUD undergoing residential treatment, as well as to estimate the effect size for this intervention to power future definitive RCTs. Methods: This study consisted of a two-arm pilot RCT with a sample of 36 individuals recovering from AUD in a therapeutic community; experimental group participants received a therapist-guided, VR-based cognitive training intervention combined with treatment as usual, and control group participants received treatment as usual without cognitive training. A comprehensive neuropsychological battery of tests was used both at pre- and postassessments, including measurement of global cognition, executive functions, attention, visual memory, and cognitive flexibility. Results: In order to control for potential effects of global cognition and executive functions at baseline, these domains were controlled for in the statistical analysis for each individual outcome. Results indicate intervention effects on attention in two out of five outcomes and on cognitive flexibility in two out of six outcomes, with effect sizes in significant comparisons being larger for attention than for cognitive flexibility. Patient retention in cognitive training was high, in line with previous studies. Conclusions: Overall, the data suggest that VR-based cognitive training results in specific contributions to improving attention ability and cognitive flexibility of patients recovering from AUD. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04505345; https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT04505345
Family rituals in pediatric epilepsy : links to parental competence and adaptation.
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2018) Mendes, Teresa Paula Gameiro Pompeu; Crespo, Carla Alexandra Mesquita; Austin, Joan; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
This cross-sectional study examined the associations between family ritual meaning and 3 indicators of parental adaptation (anxious and depressive symptoms and quality of life) via 2 dimensions of parental competence-satisfaction and efficacy-in parents of children with epilepsy. Two hundred Portuguese parents of children diagnosed with epilepsy for at least 6 months completed self-report measures assessing the main study variables. Our results showed that when parents reported stronger family ritual meaning, they also reported higher levels of parental satisfaction and efficacy, which were in turn were associated with lower psychological distress (anxious and depressive symptoms) and better quality of life of parents. This pattern of results was significant regardless of the severity of children's epilepsy, age group, and family socioeconomic level. In the context of pediatric epilepsy, empirical evidence was found for the role of family ritual meaning in being directly and indirectly associated with parents' adaptation outcomes by higher levels of parental satisfaction and efficacy. Focusing intervention targets on what families naturally do and recognize as their own ritual meaning may be a favorable route to address those at risk of psychological distress and lower quality of life.
Personality and psychopathology heterogeneity in MMPI-2 and health-related features in fibromyalgia patients
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2021) Gonzalez, Bárbara Isabel Dinis; Novo, Rosa Ferreira; Peres, Rodrigo; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
Psychological aspects may play an important role as predisposing factors for fibromyalgia (FM). However, psychological heterogeneity of FM patients has been suggested. Based on two personality psychopathology clusters, we intend to explore psychological heterogeneity in FM patients, specifically, to identify if personality features had other psychological and psychopathological correlates. Secondarily, we also want to identify if personality features have association with health-related correlates. The participants were female FM patients (n = 56) between 30 and 60 years old. The instruments were: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) content and supplementary scales, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS-11). Multivariate Analyses of Variance (MANOVAs) identified that Cluster 2 (n = 24), characterized by a combination of negative affectivity and social inhibition, presented a more disturbed profile, with several important features of symptomatic behavior, general maladjustment, and important clinical problem areas. The associations of personality variables with FM impact and self-reported pain are null, with the exception of Disconstraint dimension. In conclusion, FM patients may be very different at the psychological level, concerning personality and psychopathological features that may compromise their treatment. Personality and health related dimensions do not seem to be associated.

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