Qualidade de vida de acordo com o controle e gravidade da asma em pacientes pediátricos atendidos em um hospital em Belém do Pará / Quality of life according to asthma control and severity in pediatric patients at a hospital in Belém do Pará, north of Brazil

Introdução: A asma é uma doença inflamatória obstrutiva crônica que, mesmo com baixa letalidade, pode prejudicar a qualidade de vida das crianças e adolescentes. Estabelecer o quanto a gravidade da asma e o seu controle podem influenciar na qualidade de vida dos pacientes pode auxiliar em um melhor desfecho para os pacientes. Objetivo: Avaliar a qualidade de vida em crianças asmáticas de acordo com o controle de sintomas e a gravidade da doença. Métodos: Estudo transversal com inclusão de crianças asmáticas de 7 a 13 anos de idade acompanhadas no ambulatório de pneumologia pediátrica da Fundação Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará (FSCMPa). Dados sociodemográficos e clínicos foram obtidos por meio de uma ficha de identificação e do prontuário. O controle de sintomas foi avaliado pelo Teste de Controle da Asma e a gravidade foi determinada com base nos critérios do Global Initiative for Asthma. Para avaliação da qualidade de vida foi utilizado o Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ). Resultados: Foram entrevistados 45 pacientes (57,7% meninos) com média de idade de 9,53±1,89 e mediana de 9 anos. Destes, 19, 11 e 15 foram classificados, respectivamente, com asma controlada (AC), asma parcialmente controlada (APC) e asma não controlada (ANC). Quanto à gravidade, 25, 19 e 1 foram classificados, respectivamente, com asma leve (AL), asma moderada (AM) e asma grave (AG). O grupo AC, quando comparado ao APC e ANC, apresentou maiores valores no escore geral do PAQLQ e em todos os domínios (p < 0,05). Quanto à adesão ao tratamento, verificou-se que pacientes com adesão terapêutica têm aproximadamente três vezes mais chance de ter prejuízo mínimo ou ausente na qualidade de vida do que pacientes não aderentes. Conclusão: Crianças asmáticas têm comprometimento da qualidade de vida relacionado ao inadequado controle dos sintomas e à não adesão terapêutica.

Background: Asthma is a chronic obstructive inflammatory disease that, even with low mortality, can impair the quality of life (QoL) of children and adolescents. Establishing to what extent asthma severity and control can influence patient QoL may contribute to better patient outcomes. Objective: To evaluate the QoL of children with asthma according to disease severity and symptom control. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of asthmatic children aged 7 to 13 years followed up at the pediatric pulmonology outpatient clinic of Hospital Fundação Santa Casa de Misericórida do Pará (FSCMPa). Sociodemographic and clinical data were obtained using an identification form and from medical records. Symptom control was assessed by the Asthma Control Test, and severity was determined using the Global Initiative for Asthma criteria. The Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) was used to assess QoL. Results: We interviewed 45 patients (57.7% boys) with a mean age of 9.53 ± 1.89 years (median, 9 years). Of these, 19, 11, and 15 were classified as having well-controlled, partially controlled, and uncontrolled asthma, respectively. As for severity, 25, 19, and 1 were classified as having mild, moderate, and severe asthma, respectively. Children with well-controlled asthma had higher scores in total and in all domains of the PAQLQ than those with partially controlled or uncontrolled asthma (p<0.05). Regarding treatment adherence, patients with good adherence were approximately 3 times more likely to have minimal or no impairment in QoL than those with poor adherence. Conclusion: Asthmatic children have impaired QoL as a result of inadequate symptom control and non-adherence to treatment.

Novel Model For Integrative Medicine Curriculum

While the use of Traditional, Complimentary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) is substantial, it continues to existat the periphery of allopathic medicine. This article provides a global scenario with the strengths and weaknesses of the present health care systems. Availability, affordability, and accessibility of healthcare coupledwith uneven growth and the double burden of diseases have become major concerns around the globe. Thisarticle emphasizes the need for mindset change from illness-disease-drug centric curative to person-healthwellness centric preventive and promotive approaches. It highlights the innovation deficit faced by conventionalallopathic medicine and delineates the significant benefits of the integration of conventional medicine withtraditional, complementary and integrative therapies in the medical curriculum.Medical heterogeneity is a rising trend, and people are trying to explore various options, including allopathic,complementary, and alternative medicine. In such a situation, knowledge from Yoga, Ayurveda, TraditionalChinese medicine/Acupuncture, and Homeopathy may play a vital role. We can progress with an appropriatemodel by integrating allopathic medicine with traditional medicine systems for affordable health care. Severalmedical scientists have contributed positive reflections and benefits of integrative approaches to health. Theseprovide not only clear insight into the historical roots of the healing traditions of traditional and complementary medicine, but also into the entire concept of integrative approaches to health.

Empathy In Caribbean Medical Students Assessed Using The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire

Introduction: Empathy is the emotional process to understand a patient’s state of being and current emotion.Empathy, through humanization of medical students, plays an important role while learning and practicing theart of medicine. Our study aims to quantify empathy as an indicator of humanization, in medical studentsthroughout their education.Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was performed on basic medical and clinicalscience students at Avalon University School of Medicine, Curacao. Standard Toronto Empathy Questionnaire[TEQ] was utilized to quantify the empathy.Results: Average TEQ scores of the basic students in MD1 - MD4 were 51.55 ± 4.16, 49.42±3.58, 46.72±4.60,48.86±6.17 respectively. Overall TEQ scores were slightly higher in basic science students in comparison to theclinical students (48.82 ± 5.12 vs 48.74 ± 4.01, P=0.46).Conclusions: Empathy scores were higher in basic science medical students in comparison to the clinicalstudents. Lack of progression of empathy amongst medical students needs to be addressed. We recommendmedical schools to adapt and instill the virtue of empathy in the course curriculum

High Levels Of Stress Causing Anxiety Amongst Medical Students

The medical students undergo tremendous stress and mental pressure during their academic life and clinicalstudies. The high level of anxiety and depression among medical students is very common occurrence combinedwith the academic pressure that has a severe impact on their mental and physical health. The current study aimsto explore various articles presented by scholars in the field of analysing the impact of stress causing anxietyand depression in medical students and evaluating its impact on prevalence of depression among medicalstudents. This study critically analyses and reviews articles published in this decade for analysing the role ofdepression and anxiety and experiences of medical students and the reaction to stress. The central idea of thestudy understands different perspectives presented by scholars in the field of stress and anxiety and its prevalence among the medical students highlighting the causes and key issues. This is vital for understanding thecritical factors affecting the mental health and physical well-being of the medical students in order to derivesuggestions for early identification and providing for support by the medical schools. The study had usedelectronic databases for rummaging and reviewing literature articles published on stress and other psychological determinants among medical students and management of stress. In the current study, data were extractedthrough reviewing various related research articles focusing more on the prevalence and suggest possible stressmanagement strategies in medical students. The current study focuses on findings and views of different scholars with stress as an epicentre of discussion and other factors such as environmental factors, social andeconomic factors and so on that directly or indirectly impacts on the medical student’s mental health. Thepurpose of the study to analyse the research articles to acknowledge the quantum of research done in the fieldof understanding the causes and impact of stress and depression among medical students and mark the areaswhere further research can be conducted

Proceduralizing The Art Of Clinical Skills Teaching

Purpose: Literature suggests that there are two common teaching methods in clinical skills are the four-stepapproach of Peyton and the theory of instructional design by Gagne. The combination of these two teachingmethods was planned and implemented in the undergraduate medical program at Avalon University, Curacao,in training and teaching clinical skills during the firsttwo years of the program. The objective behind developingthis teaching modality is to offer more chances to repeat the demonstration by the instructors, to rehearsal bystudents, and to provide instant feedback on specific concepts of clinical skills. This study aims to examinefurther and evaluate this teaching method for clinical skills.Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study that was conducted to evaluate the new teaching method. The datawere gathered in summer 2017, which is a control group and for another three groups; fall 2017, winter 2018,and summer 2018, which are study groups. A survey of course evaluations was developed to collect bothqualitative and quantitative feedback from students at the end of the course. The quantitative questionnaireincluded 17 questions used a five-point Likert scale with one of the following responses; one indicates stronglydisagree, two-disagree, three-neutral/no opinion, four-agree, and five-strongly agree. Qualitative analysis wasdone based on the responses from students for open-ended questions. Quantitative data were gathered even forstudents’ grades on the final assessments.Results: Students’ responses (survey questionnaire) data were analyzed for descriptive statistics. The responserate for the summer 2017 group (control) is 100% and 95.65%, 87.5%, and 90.9% for the three study groups,respectively. Students’ feedback for all questions showed improved satisfaction with the new method of teaching.The class performance (mean grade) of different groups wasshown a difference which is statistically significant(p<0.05) on the Kruskal-Wallis test.Conclusion: The new modality of teaching in clinical skills showed that students are more satisfied and alsoimproved students’ performance.

Quantification of Tyrosine Hydroxylase and ErbB4 in the Locus Coeruleus of Mood Disorder Patients Using a Multispectral Method to Prevent Interference with Immunocytochemical Signals by Neuromelanin / 神经科学通报·英文版

The locus coeruleus (LC) has been studied in major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). A major problem of immunocytochemical studies in the human LC is interference with the staining of the immunocytochemical end-product by the omnipresent natural brown pigment neuromelanin. Here, we used a multispectral method to untangle the two colors: blue immunocytochemical staining and brown neuromelanin. We found significantly increased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the LC of MDD patients-thus validating the method-but not in BD patients, and we did not find significant changes in the receptor tyrosine-protein kinase ErbB4 in the LC in MDD or BD patients. We observed clear co-localization of ErbB4, TH, and neuromelanin in the LC neurons. The different stress-related molecular changes in the LC may contribute to the different clinical symptoms in MDD and BD.

Implementation of standardized patient program using local resources in Avalon School of Medicine

Introduction: the standardized Patient Program [SPP] is a standard educational training method which provides the preclinical students a better clinical foundation by linking the realm of clinical medicine to basic sciences. It incorporates a modern simulation technique and enhances the ability of the students wherein they can practice, apply and learn the basics of patient encounter. The main objective of this study was to analyze the implementation and efficiency of the SPP in Avalon University School of Medicine [AUSOM]

Methods: a quasi-experimental "before-and-after" study design was conducted among the 3rd Semester [MD3] medical students at AUSOM. 24 students voluntarily participated in the study. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated after comparing the summative examination scores before and after implementation of the SPP [graded in 100 points system]. Mean scores were calculated and a comparison of the change in scores was made, using a paired t-test in Stata [©Stata corp]

Results: the mean final summative clinical skills examination scores of the students before and after the introduction of the SPP were 78.46 +/- 6.62 [SEM: 1.35, range: 89-70] and 86.54 +/- 6.41 [SEM: 1.31, range: 98-65], respectively. There was a statistically significant increment [t=5.5058, p=0.0001] in the scores of the students after the introduction of the SPP

Conclusion: introduction and implementation of SPP at AUSOM at preclinical years increased the overall students' performance in clinical skills. It is necessary that medical schools implement SPP early in preclinical years to strengthen learning and inoculate necessary clinical skills in medical students

Physician Impairment: Exploring the Health Issues and Determinants

Physician impairment is a critical issue in health care setting. Physicians have an exaggerated risk of psychosocial problems. The most common psychiatric problems in the physician can be isolated psychiatric conditions or substance abuse. Physician impairment due to psychosocial problems, substance abuse, burnout or accidental health care hazards can result in adverse personal, social and professional consequences. Due to the nature of the work, physician impairment can result in significant compromise in patients’ health. It is absolute necessary to have a definitive set of programs within each health care facility to target physician impairment preserving the functionality and optimal health output of health care provider and the receiver.

Reduced Neck Muscle Strength and Altered Muscle Mechanical Properties in Cervical Dystonia Following Botulinum Neurotoxin Injections: A Prospective Study

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in the strength and mechanical properties of neck muscles and disability in patients with cervical dystonia (CD) during a 12-week period following botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injections. METHODS: Eight patients with CD volunteered for this prospective clinical cohort study. Patients had received BoNT injections regularly in neck muscles at three-month intervals for several years. Maximal isometric neck strength was measured by a dynamometer, and the mechanical properties of the splenius capitis were evaluated using two myotonometers. Clinical assessment was performed using the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale (TWSTRS) before and at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the BoNT injections. RESULTS: Mean maximal isometric neck strength at two weeks after the BoNT injections decreased by 28% in extension, 25% in rotation of the affected side and 17% in flexion. At four weeks, muscle stiffness of the affected side decreased by 17% and tension decreased by 6%. At eight weeks, the muscle elasticity on the affected side increased by 12%. At two weeks after the BoNT injections, the TWSTRS-severity and TWSTRS-total scores decreased by 4.3 and 6.4, respectively. The strength, muscle mechanical properties and TWSTRS scores returned to baseline values at 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Although maximal neck strength and muscle tone decreased after BoNT injections, the disability improved. The changes observed after BoNT injections were temporary and returned to pre-injection levels within twelve weeks. Despite having a possible negative effect on function and decreasing neck strength, the BoNT injections improved the patients reported disability.

Statistically Non-significant Papers in Environmental Health Studies included more Outcome Variables / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The number of analyzed outcome variables is important in the statistical analysis and interpretation of research findings. This study investigated published papers in the field of environmental health studies. We aimed to examine whether differences in the number of reported outcome variables exist between papers with non-significant findings compared to those with significant findings. Articles on the maternal exposure to mercury and child development were used as examples.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Articles published between 1995 and 2013 focusing on the relationships between maternal exposure to mercury and child development were collected from Medline and Scopus.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of 87 extracted papers, 73 used statistical significance testing and 38 (43.7%) of these reported 'non-significant' (P>0.05) findings. The median number of child development outcome variables in papers reporting 'significant' (n=35) and 'non-significant' (n=38) results was 4 versus 7, respectively (Mann-Whitney test P-value=0.014). An elevated number of outcome variables was especially found in papers reporting non-significant associations between maternal mercury and outcomes when mercury was the only analyzed exposure variable.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Authors often report analyzed health outcome variables based on their P-values rather than on stated primary research questions. Such a practice probably skews the research evidence.</p>

Construtivismo radical ou trivial? / Trivial or radical constructivism?

Com alguma influência em psicoterapia e pedagogia, o construtivismo radical de Ernst von Glasersfeld é uma teoria que se apresenta como revolucionária e defende que o conhecimento nada mais é que uma construção que fazemos com base nos dados subjetivos de nossa experiência. No entanto, se radical, ele é uma forma contemporânea de solipsismo; se renuncia ao solipsismo, é um realismo piagetiano trivial. Estéril na prática, o construtivismo radical é uma variação idealista contemporânea de relativismo que defende teses condenadas por contradições claras, entre elas, a assunção de pressupostos ontológicos para negar a necessidade de ontologia, o recurso a investigações empíricas para sustentar que o conhecimento objetivo não existe e o uso da linguagem para comunicar que a linguagem não pode comunicar.

With some influence in psychotherapy and pedagogy, radical constructivism is a theory proposed by Ernst von Glasersfeld which presents itself as revolutionary and argues that knowledge is nothing more than a construct that we make based on our experience subjective data. However, if radical, it is a contemporary form of solipsism; if it renounces solipsism, it is a trivial Piagetian realism. Sterile in practice, radical constructivism is a contemporary idealistic variation of relativism that proposes theses condemned by clear contradictions, including the assumption of ontological presuppositions to deny the need for ontology, the use of empirical research for sustaining that objective knowledge does not exist and the use of language to communicate that language cannot communicate.

O cognitivismo e o problema da cientificidade da psicologia / Cognitivism and the problem of scientific psychology / El cognivismo y el problema de la cientificidad da a psicología

Este artigo trata do problema do estatuto científico da psicologia. Seu objetivo é avaliar em que medida o cognitivismo solucionou objeções históricas levantadas contra a possibilidade de uma psicologia científica. Com base em avaliação de textos clássicos da "revolução cognitiva", conclui-se que esta abordagem apresentou um projeto filosófico de ciência psicológica que resolveu a maior parte dos problemas ontológicos e epistemológicos endêmicos da disciplina, como o da natureza inquantificável do objeto psicológico, da simultaneidade da condição de sujeito e objeto, da suposta inexistência de objeto próprio e da impossibilidade de observação direta do fenômeno psicológico. Porém, ignorou ou agravou os problemas da possibilidade de algum nível de autonomia humana e da complexidade da explicação psicológica. Apesar de seus importantes avanços, o cognitivismo não conseguiu ainda a plena realização do projeto de fundamentação ontológica, epistemológica e metodológica de uma psicologia plenamente aderida à ciência moderna.

This article is about the problem of scientific statute of psychology. Its proposal is to evaluate in what extension cognitivism solved historical objections to the possibility of a scientific psychology. Based on an evaluation of classical texts of the "cognitive revolution", it concludes that this approach presented a philosophical project of psychological science that solved most of the ontological and epistemological endemic problems of the discipline, like the one of non quantitative nature of psychological object, the subject and object simultaneity condition, the supposed non-existence of own object and the impossibility of psychological phenomenon direct observation. However, cognitivism ignored or worsened the problems about the possibility of some level of human autonomy and of the psychological explanation complexity. Despite its evident advances, cognitivism still doesn't get full accomplishment of the project of ontological, epistemological and methodological fundamentation of a psychology completed adhered to modern science.

Este artículo trata del problema del estatuto científico de la psicología. Su objetivo es evaluar en que medida el cognitivismo solucionó objeciones históricas a la posibilidad de una psicología científica. Con base en evaluación de textos clásicos de la "revolución cognoscitiva", se concluye que este abordaje presentó un proyecto filosófico de ciencia psicológica que resolvió la mayor parte de los problemas ontológicos y epistemológicos endémicos de la disciplina, como el de la naturaleza no cuantitativa del objeto psicológico, de la simultaneidad de la condición de sujeto y objeto, de la supuesta inexistencia del objeto propio y de La imposibilidad de observación directa del fenómeno psicológico. Sin embargo, ignoró o agravo los problemas de la posibilidad de algún nivel de autonomía humana y de la complejidad de la explicación psicológica. A pesar de sus evidentes avances, el cognitivismo no logró aún la plena realización del proyecto de fundamentación ontológica, epistemológica y metodológica de una psicología plenamente adherida a la ciencia moderna.

Cognitivismo e racionalismo crítico / Cognitivism and critical rationalism

A Revolução Cognitiva só se tornou possível graças à mudança na concepção de ciência moderna ocorrida a partir da obra de Karl Popper. Ao minar e posteriormente derrotar o Positivismo Lógico como teoria epistemológica geral, o Racionalismo Crítico acabou com o mito da indução e da observação neutra como fonte original de conhecimento científico. Além disso, ajudou a generalizar o reconhecimento de que o método de investigação da ciência moderna era o hipotético-dedutivo, e não o indutivo-experimental. Sem o enfraquecimento da posição antes hegemônica do Positivismo Lógico em filosofia da ciência, o estudo empírico de processos cognitivos não poderia ter conquistado o respeito da comunidade científica. Além disso, o Cognitivismo é plenamente compatível com o Racionalismo Crítico, como podemos ver na identidade entre as teses filosóficas de Popper e do Cognitivismo sobre o construtivismo realista (Piaget), o caráter antecipatório da percepção (Bruner), a observação que se faz contra ou a favor de uma teoria (Neisser), a rejeição da tabula rasa (Chomsky), o interacionismo (Sperry) e o caráter de imprevisibilidade que o conhecimento traz ao sujeito (Neisser). Entretanto, o Cognitivismo apresentava até vinte anos atrás uma surpreendente inconsciência em relação ao caráter precursor da filosofia de Popper. Essa inconsciência se revela particularmente surpreendente no silêncio do Cognitivismo em relação à origem de seu modelo de método geral científico

The Cognitive Revolution turned possible only thanks to the change in the conception of modernscience started with Karl Popper's work. Debilitating and defeating the Logical Positivism as generalepistemological theory, the Critical Rationalism put an end to the myth of induction and to theneutral observation as original source of scientific knowledge. Besides, it helped to generalize therecognition that the method of investigation of the modern science was the hypothetical-deductive,not the inductive-experimental. Without the weakness of the position before hegemonic of theLogical Positivism in philosophy of science, the empiric study of cognitive processes could nothave conquered the scientific community's respect. Besides, the Cognitivism is fully compatiblewith the Critical Rationalism, as we can see in the identity among the philosophical theories ofPopper and Cognitivism about the realist constructivism (Piaget), the anticipatory character ofperception (Bruner), the observation that is done against or in favor of a theory (Neisser), therejection of the tabula rasa (Chomsky), the interacionism (Sperry) and the dimension ofunpredictability that the knowledge brings to the subject (Neisser). However, Cognitivism presentedup to twenty years ago a surprising unconsciousness in relation to the precursory character of thePopper's philosophy. This ignorance is particularly surprising in the silence of Cognitivism aboutthe origin of its model of general scientific method

Psicologia Humanista: a história de um dilema epistemológico / Humanistic Psychology: a history of an epistemological dilemma

A Psicologia Humanista norte-americana surgiu há cerca de cinqüenta anos, apresentando-se como uma terceira força capaz de fazer frente ao que julgava ser uma desumanização determinista da imagem de ser humano promovida pelo Behaviorismo e pela Psicanálise. Apresentando sua versão do objeto da Psicologia como dotado de um nível de liberdade, criatividade e pró-atividade, os principais representantes da Psicologia Humanista se recusaram a abandonar o método experimental, proclamando a sua abordagem como aderida à ciência moderna. Assim inauguraram um novo dilema, que tem acompanhado a história da Psicologia Humanista: deveria esta manter sua adesão ao método científico que não se adequa a seu objeto de pesquisa ou transformar a imagem de ciência que pratica para adequá-la à sua imagem de ser humano? Defende-se aqui tese de que a Psicologia Humanista, mesmo com as adesões proclamadas de Maslow e Rychlak, acabou por abandonar o método experimental para aderir a investigações finalistas.

O cognitivismo é um humanismo / Cognitivism is a humanism

O Cognitivismo defende uma imagem de ser humano plenamente compatível com a defendida pela tradição humanista ocidental e o movimento da Psicologia Humanista norte-americana. O humanismo postula um ser humano com qualidades únicas no universo conhecido, que portanto possui necessariamente algo natural e universal que o caracteriza, ou seja, uma natureza humana. No caso da Psicologia Humanista, acrescenta-se a este princípio básico o da crença num ser humano livre e auto-orientado. Implícita ou explicitamente, o Cognitivismo defende que o ser humano é: consciente, ativo, movido por causas e razões, orientado a metas, um processador de informação, tem seus processos cognitivos governados por regras, possui um inconsciente cognitivo, constrói as regras que coordenam sua cognição, possui tendências inatas, reage a significados atribuídos, tem emoções que atuam através da cognição, é epistemicamente motivado e constituído de mente e corpo que interagem e se influenciam mutuamente. Com a revolução cognitiva e o surgimento de uma abordagem que defende tal modelo de objeto para a Psicologia e testa suas hipóteses sobre ele através do método experimental, o ainda nascente movimento humanista foi progressivamente perdendo força e razão de ser. O espírito reducionista, determinista e desumanizante que segundo os humanistas era disseminado na Psicologia pelo Behaviorismo e pela Psicanálise encontrava então um opositor muito mais poderoso, o Cognitivismo, que se ocupou de grande parte dos temas de investigação reivindicados pela Psicologia Humanista

Cognitivism defends a human being image fully compatible with the one of the humanist western traditionand of the movement of the North American Humanistic Psychology. The Humanism postulates a humanbeing with unique qualities in the known universe, therefore necessarily possessing something natural anduniversal that characterizes it, in other words, a human nature. In the case of the Humanistic Psychology, itis increased to this basic principle of the faith on a free and self-oriented human being. Implicitly or explicitly,Cognitivism defends that the human being is: conscious,active,moved by causes and reasons,oriented togoals,a information processor,rule-governedin their cognitive processes, a owner of a cognitive unconscious,constructorof rules that coordinate its cognition, a owner of innate tendencies,a attributed meaningsreactor,has emotions that act through cognition,epistemically motivatedand constituted of mind and body thatinteractand are mutually influenced. With the cognitive revolution and the appearance of an approach thatdefends such object model for Psychology and tests their hypotheses on him through the experimentalmethod, the still recent-born humanist movement went progressively losing his meaning and strength. Thereductionist, determinist and dehumanizing spirit that, according to the humanists, was disseminated byBehaviorism and Psychoanalysis in Psychology, had found a much more powerful opponent, the Cognitivism,which was in charge of great part of the investigation themes demanded by Humanistic Psychology

Self-Reported Sleep Latency in Postmenopausal Women

The aim of this study was to access how self-reported sleep latency (SRSL) was affected by sleep habits, mood, and circadian rhythm in postmenopausal women. Subjects (n=384, 67.9+/-7.7 yr) completed sleep and mood questionnaires, sleep log and actigraphic data. The major urinary melatonin metabolite (6-sulphatoxymelatonin, aMT6s) was assayed in fractional urine specimens for two 24-hr intervals. Although SRSL (26.5+/-24.4 min) and actigraphic sleep latency (ASL; 27.8+/-20.0 min) were correlated (rs=0.361, p<0.001), the short SRSLs tended to be underestimated whereas the long SRSLs tended to be overestimated as compared to ASL. SRSL was positively correlated with the scales of insomnia, mood and hot flash, hypertension, use of anti-hypertensive drugs and the acrophase and the offset of aMT6s. SRSL was negatively correlated with the global assessment of functioning scale in DSM-IV (GAF scale), and light exposure and wrist activity. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the best-fit model to predict SRSL was light exposure, GAF scale, and use of anti-hypertensive drugs. SRSL may be determined by psychophysiological factors as well as circadian rhythm function. Therapeutic approaches suggested for trouble falling asleep might include increased daylight exposure, improvements in general health, and modification of anti-hypertensive pharmacotherapy.