Tradução e adaptação semântica do questionário de controle atencional para o contexto brasileiro / Translation and semantic adaptation of the attentional control scale for the brazilian context

A capacidade de controlar a atenção é uma tarefa complexa que demanda diferentes processos mentais. O presente estudo teve como objetivo traduzir e adaptar o Questionário de Controle Atencional para o Brasil. A pesquisa foi realizada com a ajuda de dois painéis multidisciplinares: um formado por profissionais de Psicologia Experimental e Neurociências responsáveis por auxiliar nas adaptações semânticas, e outro de especialistas em Psicologia da Atenção responsáveis por julgar os itens em três aspectos: clareza, coerência e compatibilidade semântica. O Coeficiente de Validade de Conteúdo foi utilizado para avaliar os itens a partir dos escores desses juízes. Dentre os 20 itens, apenas três não se mantiveram acima do critério de 0,80: itens 3, 16 e 20. Os resultados foram discutidos considerando os problemas enfrentados na adaptação do instrumento. Concluiu-se que o Questionário de Controle Atencional foi traduzido adequadamente e apresenta equivalência semântica com seu original estadunidense.

The ability to control attention is a complex task that requires different mental processes. The present study aims to translate and adapt the Attentional Control Scale to Brazil. The research was conducted with the support of two multidisciplinary panels: one formed by Experimental Psychologists and Neuroscientists who were responsible to help throughout the semantic adaptation process, and another one formed by Attention Psychology specialists responsible to judge items in three aspects: comprehensiveness, coherence and semantic compatibility. The Content Validity Coefficient was used to assess items from judges scores. Among 20 items, only three did not hold values above the 0.80 criteria: items 3, 16 and 20. Results were discussed considering the problems faced throughout the adaptation of the instrument. It was concluded that the Attentional Control Scale was adequately translated and it shows semantic equivalency with the American original scale.

Development and psychometric properties of a novel depression measure / Desenvolvimento e propriedades psicométricas de uma nova medida de depressão / Desarollo y propiedades psicométricas de una nueva medida de la depresión

The Filgueiras Depression Inventory is proposed as a new instrument, created specifically for the Brazilian culture, for screening of Major Depressive Episodes according to the categories of the DSM-V. Two studies were conducted for this purpose. Study's 1 sample consisted of 326 undergraduate psychology students. Single words or expressions were asked to represent overall depressive symptoms. The most cited formed the first version of the Filgueiras Depression Inventory. Study 2 reported the psychometric properties of this new scale. The sample consisted of 471 volunteers recruited on the Internet and 238 volunteers undergraduate students. Factor analyses, convergent and discriminant validity and other Classical Test Theory indices revealed results consistent to expectations in the present study. Andrich's Rating Scale Modeling was used as an Item Response Theory method of analysis. The overall psychometric properties of the Filgueiras Depression Inventory were shown to be good, and this study supports the effectiveness of this scale as a new instrument that measures depressive episodes in the Brazil.

O Inventário Filgueiras de Depressão é proposto como um novo instrumento criado especificamente para a cultura brasileira, no intuito de rastrear episódios de depressão maior de acordo com as categorias do DSM-V. Dois estudos foram conduzidos com esse propósito. O estudo 1 teve amostra constituída por 326 alunos de graduação em psicologia. Palavras únicas ou expressões foram perguntadas para que representassem os sintomas depressivos. Os termos mais citados compuseram a primeira versão do Inventário Filgueiras de Depressão. O estudo 2 reporta as propriedades psicométricas dessa nova escala. A amostra consistiu em 471 voluntários recrutados pela internet e 238 alunos de graduação também voluntários. Análises fatoriais, validade concorrente e convergente, e outros índices da Teoria Clássica dos Testes revelaram resultados consistentes com as expectativas do presente trabalho. A modelagem por escala de classificação de Andrich foi usada como método de análise na Teoria de Resposta ao Item. De um modo geral, as propriedades psicométricas do Inventário Filgueiras de Depressão se mostraram bons e o presente estudo sustenta a efetividade dessa nova escala como um instrumento que mede episódios depressivos no Brasil.

El Inventario de Depresión Filgueiras fue propuesto como una nueva herramienta creada específicamente para la cultura brasileña, con el fin de realizar una criba de episodios de depresión mayor según las categorías del DSM-V. Dos estudios se llevaron a cabo para este fin. El estudio 1 contó con una muestra de 326 estudiantes de licenciatura en psicología. Se pidió a palabras o expresiones para representar a los síntomas depresivos. Los términos más frecuentemente citados componen la primera versión del Inventario de Depresión Filgueiras. Estudio 2 reporta las propiedades psicométricas de esta nueva escala. La muestra fue conformada por 471 voluntarios reclutados por la internet y 238 estudiantes de licenciatura también voluntarios. Análisis de factores, validez convergente y discriminante, y otros índices de la Teoría Clásica de los Tests mostraron resultados que corresponderán las expectativas del presente trabajo. Se utilizó el modelo de escala de calificación de Andrich como método de análisis de la Teoría de Respuesta al Ítem. En general, las propiedades psicométricas del Inventario de Depresión Filgueiras resultó buena y este estudio apoya la eficacia de esta nueva escala como un instrumento que mide los episodios depresivos en Brasil.

Panic-like behaviors in Carioca High-and Low-conditioned Freezing rats

Panic disorder involves both recurrent unexpected panic attacks and persistent concern about having additional attacks. Electrical stimulation of the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) is an animal model of both panic attack and panic disorder, whereas contextual fear conditioning represents a model of anticipatory anxiety. Previous research indicated that anxiety has an inhibitory effect on panic attack-like behavior. However, still unclear is the role that anticipatory anxiety plays in panic disorder-like behaviors. This issue was investigated with two lines of animals selectively bred for high (Carioca High-Freezing) and low (Carioca Low-Freezing) freezing in response to contextual cues associated with footshock. The results suggest that although anticipatory anxiety might exert an inhibitory effect on the expression of panic attack, it might also facilitate the pathogenesis of panic disorder.

Effects of contextual fear conditioning and pentylenetetrazol on panic-like reactions induced by dorsal periaqueductal gray stimulation with N-methyl-D-aspartate

Electrical or chemical stimulation of the dorsal periaqueductal gray (DPAG) has been accepted as an animal model of panic attacks. This study investigates the influence of anticipatory anxiety in the occurrence of panic-like behavior induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) microinjection into the DPAG of rats. Behavioral (i.e., contextual fear conditioning) and pharmacological (i.e., pentylenetetrazol) manipulations were employed as animal models of anticipatory anxiety. In the first experiment, animals exposed to contextual cues that had been previously associated with electric footshocks through contextual fear conditioning were less likely than non-conditioned control animals to display defensive reactions such as running and jumping in response to microinjection of NMDA (0.3 µl of 15.0 µg/µl) into the DPAG. In the second experiment, rats were injected intraperitoneally with the anxiogenic drug pentylenetetrazol (PTZ, 15 mg/kg) 5 minutes before receiving intra-DPAG microinfusion with the same dose of NMDA as in Experiment 1. Panic-related behaviors were registered in an experimental arena immediately after NMDA microinfusion. As compared with saline pre-treated animals, PTZ significantly attenuated NMDA-induced panic-like reactions. These results further demonstrate the usefulness of DPAG chemical stimulation as an animal model of panic attacks and suggest that behavioral and pharmacological activation of the brain mechanisms underlying anticipatory anxiety might exert an antipanic-like effect.