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

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A home-based individual cognitive stimulation program for older adults with cognitive impairment : a randomized controlled trial
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2021) Silva,Rosa Carla Gomes da; Campos,Elżbieta MaŁgorzata Bobrowicz; Costa,Paulo Santos; Cruz,Ana Rita Pereira da; Apóstolo,João Luís Alves; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
Objective: This study aims to assess the feasibility and meaningfulness of a home-based individual cognitive stimulation (iCS) program delivered by caregivers to persons with cognitive impairment (PwCIs). It also aims to assess whether the older adults receiving this program improved their cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and depressive symptoms and quality of life and whether their caregivers improved their mental and physical health. Methods: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with PwCI-caregiver dyads recruited from the community. Participants were allocated to two groups: intervention (n = 28) and control (n = 24). The intervention group received the European Portuguese version of the Individual Cognitive Stimulation Program—Making a Difference 3 (MD3-P). The control group received usual care. The iCS therapy program was implemented three times a week for 12 weeks. Caregivers were supported by the researchers to deliver the sessions at home. Participants were assessed at baseline and at the end of the intervention (week 13). Feasibility and meaningfulness were assessed through the attrition rate, adherence, and degree of satisfaction with the sessions. Four interviews were conducted (after week 13) to understand participants’ experiences. Results: The attrition rate was 23.1%. The dyads reported that they did not have high expectations about the iCS program before starting the study. Nevertheless, as the program evolved, caregivers noted that their family members had improved some areas of functioning. Intention-to-treat analysis based on group differences revealed a significant improvement in PwCIs’ cognition, specifically in their orientation and ability to follow commands. The intervention had no impact on other variables such as caregivers’ physical and mental health. Conclusion: The iCS program implemented by caregivers showed promising results in improving PwCIs’ cognition. The participants who completed the intervention attributed a positive meaning to the MD3-P, confirming it as a valid non-pharmacological therapeutic approach to reducing frailty in PwCIs in community settings.
Psychometric and Rash Analysis of the UCLA Loneliness Scale – 16 in a Portuguese Sample of Older Adults
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2019-06-07) Faustino, Bruno; Lopes, Paulo Jorge Ferreira; Oliveira, Jorge; Campaioli, Giulia; 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 individ- uals (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 explora- tory 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.
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 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
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.
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.
Environmental Action Scale: psychometric properties of the Portuguese version (Escala de Acciones Ambientales: propiedades psicométricas de la versión portuguesa)
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2021) Carmona, Beatriz; Loureiro, Ana Luisa Cardoso Marques Teixeira; Aguilar-Luzón, M. Carmen; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
The Environmental Action Scale (EAS) is an 18-item questionnaire designed to assess the degree of involvement in collective actions in favour of the environment. This scale is of interest for research in environmental domains, particularly the recent study of environmental activism. The main objective of this study is to contribute to the adaptation and validation of the Portuguese version of the EAS. The EAS Portuguese version — following its adaptation — was administered to a total of 346 participants. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed the two dimensions considered by the authors of the original version: participatory actions and leadership actions. In addition, evidence of validity was obtained based on the relationship with other variables such as environmental identity. In conclusion, the Portuguese version maintains the 18 items and replicates the two-factor structure, showing good psychometric properties.
Attitudes of Police Recruits Toward Offenders: The Impact of the Police Training on Attitudinal Change
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2021-10-06) Cunha, Olga Cecília Soares da; Carvalho, Filipa; Rodrigues, Andreia de Castro; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Cruz, Ana Rita Pereira da; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
The traditional prevailing perspectives on attitudes assume that attitudes, once formed, are relatively stable over time. However, research has revealed that attitudes may be influenced by different factors that may contribute to change them. The present longitudinal study aims to understand if the police recruits’ attitudes towards offenders change after police training. Besides, we aim to understand the impact of sociodemographic and personality variables on recruits’ attitudes towards offenders and which variables predict recruits’ attitudes. The Attitude Scale towards Offenders (ATO) and the NEO-FFI Personality Inventory were used in a sample of 74 recruits of a Portuguese Police Force - Guarda Nacional Republicana -, in two distinct moments (at the beginning and at the end of the police training programme). Results revealed that at the end of the training recruits hold more negative attitudes towards offenders. Those who had previous professional experience in the army hold more positive attitudes, but only at the beginning of the training. Only attitudes towards offenders at the beginning of the police training predict recruits’ attitudes towards offenders at the end of the training. These results emphasize the importance of initial and continuous training of recruits and police officers, especially in terms of their attitudes towards offenders.
Cultural differences in vocal emotion recognition: a behavioural and skin conductance study in Portugal and Guinea-Bissau
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2021) Cosme, Gonçalo; Tavares, Vânia; Nobre, Guilherme; Lima, César; Sá, Rui Miguel Moutinho; Rosa, Pedro Joel; Prata, Diana; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
Cross-cultural studies of emotion recognition in nonverbal vocalizations not only support the universality hypothesis for its innate features, but also an in-group advantage for culture-dependent features. Nevertheless, in such studies, differences in socio-economic-educational status have not always been accounted for, with idiomatic translation of emotional concepts being a limitation, and the underlying psychophysiological mechanisms still un-researched. We set out to investigate whether native residents from Guinea-Bissau (West African culture) and Portugal (Western European culture)—matched for socio-economic-educational status, sex and language—varied in behavioural and autonomic system response during emotion recognition of nonverbal vocalizations from Portuguese individuals. Overall, Guinea–Bissauans (as out-group) responded significantly less accurately (corrected p < .05), slower, and showed a trend for higher concomitant skin conductance, compared to Portuguese (as in-group)—findings which may indicate a higher cognitive effort stemming from higher difficulty in discerning emotions from another culture. Specifically, accuracy differences were particularly found for pleasure, amusement, and anger, rather than for sadness, relief or fear. Nevertheless, both cultures recognized all emotions above-chance level. The perceived authenticity, measured for the first time in nonverbal cross-cultural research, in the same vocalizations, retrieved no difference between cultures in accuracy, but still a slower response from the out-group. Lastly, we provide—to our knowledge—a first account of how skin conductance response varies between nonverbally vocalized emotions, with significant differences (p < .05). In sum, we provide behavioural and psychophysiological data, demographically and language-matched, that supports cultural and emotion effects on vocal emotion recognition and perceived authenticity, as well as the universality hypothesis.
Pupil dilation reflects the authenticity of received nonverbal vocalizations
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2021) Cosme, Gonçalo; Rosa, Pedro Joel; Lima, César; Tavares, Vânia; Scott, Sophie; Chen, Sinead; Wilcockson, Thomas; Crawford, Trevor; Prata, Diana; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
The ability to infer the authenticity of other’s emotional expressions is a social cognitive process taking place in all human interactions. Although the neurocognitive correlates of authenticity recognition have been probed, its potential recruitment of the peripheral autonomic nervous system is not known. In this work, we asked participants to rate the authenticity of authentic and acted laughs and cries, while simultaneously recording their pupil size, taken as proxy of cognitive efort and arousal. We report, for the frst time, that acted laughs elicited higher pupil dilation than authentic ones and, reversely, authentic cries elicited higher pupil dilation than acted ones. We tentatively suggest the lack of authenticity in others’ laughs elicits increased pupil dilation through demanding higher cognitive efort; and that, reversely, authenticity in cries increases pupil dilation, through eliciting higher emotional arousal. We also show authentic vocalizations and laughs (i.e. main efects of authenticity and emotion) to be perceived as more authentic, arousing and contagious than acted vocalizations and cries, respectively. In conclusion, we show new evidence that the recognition of emotional authenticity can be manifested at the level of the autonomic nervous system in humans. Notwithstanding, given its novelty, further independent research is warranted to ascertain its psychological meaning.
Parents’ psychological well-being when a child has cancer: Contribution of individual and family factors
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2019) Salvador, Ágata; Crespo, Carla Alexandra Mesquita; Barros, Luísa; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the contribution of individual (positive reappraisal) and family factors (parenting satisfaction, couple relationship quality, and family life difficulty) to the psychological well-being of parents of children/adolescents diagnosed with cancer. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted at two pediatric oncology wards in Portugal. Two-hundred and five parents of pediatric cancer patients completed self-report questionnaires assessing the use of positive reappraisal as a coping strategy (Ways of Coping Questionnaire), parenting satisfaction (Parenting Sense of Competence Scale), relationship quality (Perceived Relationship Quality Components Inventory), family life difficulty (Family Management Measure), and psychological well-being (Ryff’s Psychological Well-being scales). Sociodemographic and clinical data were also assessed. Results: Standard multiple regression analysis showed a significant contribution of both individual and family-level factors to parents’ psychological well-being. Specifically, the use of positive reappraisal as a coping strategy, parenting satisfaction, and relationship quality were associated with higher psychological well-being; conversely, family life difficulty was linked to lower psychological well-being. Conclusions: The findings of this study provide an important contribution to the identification of parents at higher risk for poor psychological well-being. Screening and addressing both individual- and family-level aspects may be crucial to foster parents’ mental health when a child is diagnosed with an oncological disease.
Is Pupil Activity Associated With the Strength of Memory Signal for Words in a Continuous Recognition Memory Paradigm?
(Edições Universitárias Lusófonas, 2021-11-23) Oliveira, Jorge; Fernandes, Marta; Rosa, Pedro Joel; Gamito, Pedro; HEI-LAB (FCT) - Digital Laboratories for Environments and Human Interactions
Research on pupillometry provides an increasing evidence for associations between pupil activity and memory processing. The most consistent finding is related to an increase in pupil size for old items compared with novel items, suggesting that pupil activity is associated with the strength of memory signal. However, the time course of these changes is not completely known, specifically, when items are presented in a running recognition task maximizing interference by requiring the recognition of the most recent items from a sequence of old/new items. The sample comprised 42 healthy participants who performed a visual word recognition task under varying conditions of retention interval. Recognition responses were evaluated using behavioral variables for discrimination accuracy, reaction time, and confidence in recognition decisions. Pupil activity was recorded continuously during the entire experiment. The results suggest a decrease in recognition performance with increasing study-test retention interval. Pupil size decreased across retention intervals, while pupil old/new effects were found only for words recognized at the shortest retention interval. Pupillary responses consisted of a pronounced early pupil constriction at retrieval under longer study-test lags corresponding to weaker memory signals. However, the pupil size was also sensitive to the subjective feeling of familiarity as shown by pupil dilation to false alarms (new items judged as old). These results suggest that the pupil size is related not only to the strength of memory signal but also to subjective familiarity decisions in a continuous recognition memory paradigm.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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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