Percepción de eficacia materna y autoestima materna luego de una internación en una unidad de cuidados intensivos neonatal / Perception of maternal efficacy and mother self-esteem after admission in a neonatal intensive care unit

El presente estudio de investigación tuvo como objetivos: analizar la percepción de eficacia materna en madres cuyos hijos estuvieron internados en una Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Neonatales y analizar dimensiones de autoestima materna y posibles correlaciones entre sí. Se trabajó con un enfoque cuantitativo, diseño no experimental transversal, descriptivo con encuestas, con alcance correlacional. La muestra estuvo conformada por 45 madres, cuyos bebés cursaban el post-alta, luego de un período internación en una Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Neonatal. Se empleó: Entrevista Psicológica Perinatal en Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Neonatales (UCIN) (Waldheim-Arizu, 2013); Cuestionario de eficacia maternal (Teti & Gelfand, 1991); y Cuestionario de Autoestima Materna - versión corta (Shea & Tronick,1988). Se analizan resultados obtenidos

The aim of this paper was to analyze the perception of maternal efficacy in mothers whose children were hospitalized in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and analyze the dimensions of maternal self-esteem and possible correlations among each other. Quantitative approach, transversal non-experimental design, descriptive with surveys, with correlational scope. The sample consisted of 45 mothers, whose babies were post-discharged, after a period of hospitalization in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The following was used: Perinatal Psychological Interview in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (Waldheim-Arizu, 2013); Maternal Efficacy Questionnarie (Teti & Gelfand, 1991); and Maternal self-report inventory ­ short version(Shea & Tronick, 1988). Results are analyzed

Estudio de las actitudes hacia la ética profesional en estudiantes de grado y posgrado de psicología / Study of attitudes towards professional ethics in undergraduate and graduate students of psychology

El objetivo del estudio es realizar un relevamiento y estudio sobre las actitudes hacia la ética en estudiantes de grado y posgrado de psicología. A fin de comparar competencias más valoradas y menos valoradas en cuanto a ética profesional, se aplica a una muestra intencional (n=273) de estudiantes de grado (n=193) y posgrado (n=80) la Escala sobre Actitudes hacia la Ética Profesional (Hirsch Adler, 2005, adaptación de Ormart, Esteva y Navés, 2012), cuenta con 55 proposiciones que miden 4 competencias: cognitivo-técnicas, sociales, éticas y afectivo-emocionales. Los resultados obtenidos evidencian que, tanto para los estudiantes de grado como de posgrado, la competencia más valorada es la de ética y no se presentan grandes diferencias en el resto de las competencias.

The present investigation has as objective to make a survey and a study of the attitudes from grade and postgraduate students of the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Aconcagua (UDA), in what regards to professional ethic. With the purpose of being able to compare between the grade and postgraduate students, the most valued competences and those less valued towards professional ethic are weighted, it has been applied to an intentional sample: 193 volunteer students from grade and 80 from postgraduate level, The Ethical Attitudes Scale (Hirsch Adler, 2005, adaptation by Ormart, Esteva y Navés, 2012), which consists of 55 propositions relating to four skills: technical-cognitive, socials, ethics and affective-emotional. The results obtained in this research show that for both, grade and postgrad students, the most valued skill is Ethics and in the rest of the competences there are not major differences.

Influence of the estrous cycle on some non reproductive behaviors and on brain mechanisms in the female rat

Sex hormone fluctuations in females are involved in some behavioral states such as mood, anxiety, aggression and stress response, due to functional changes in the central nervous system (CNS) activity induced by the cyclic sex hormone fluctuation. This review includes three sections. 1.- A description of the three major hormone fluctuations in the estrous cycle: estrogens (E2), progesterone (P4) and prolactine (PRL). E2 achieves the maximum circulation levels during P.E2 is mainly excitatory and has been considered to have an antidepressive action. The highest plasma levels of P4 and its metabolite allopregnenolone(ALLO) occur in P. Ovulation takes place in the night of P, and the resulting corpora lutea produces a secondary increase in P4 (and ALLO) on D. The P4 peak level occurring in D1 and in the evening of P was shown to exert benzodiazepine-like effects, including sedation. It has been proposed that ALLO, rather than P4 is the one acting on GABA systems. Circulating levels of ALLO parallel those of P4 across the estrous cycle and is known to have anxiolytic properties. PRL is produced mainly in the adenohypophysis, though synthesis in other sites of the brain also occurs. Its regulation is mostly inhibitory and is exerted by dopamine (DA) released in the hypothalamus. A surge in PRL secretion occurs during P. PRL would be a modulator of the HPA-axis, and is considered as a stress hormone. 2.- Some behavioral and neural changes occur at each stage of the cycle. Lower anxiety level in P females was described. This has been correlated with increased circulating levels of endogenous ALLO in P. PRL is another hormone that may cause the lower scores of anxiety observed at P, since the peak of plasma PRL is observed at this stage. A novel peptide, the Prolactin Releasing Peptide (PrRP), which is sensitive to E2 fluctuation, has also been linked to the lower activity of the HPA axis. Stress-induced activation of PrRP neurons is significantly decreased in E compared with P and D, suggesting that E2 suppresses the activation of PrRP neurons. The late luteal phase (D) correlates with the premenstrual phase in women, commonly associated with psychological disturbances, including mood disorders and increased aggression. Consistently, increased levels of anxiety and aggression have been detected in rats during D. 3.- Findings about cyclic hormone influences on the CNS neurotransmitters and on the stress mediator, prolactine-releasing peptide (PrRP) were described. GABA is the main inhibitory system in the brain. Estrous-cycle-dependent increases in -GABA A receptors were reported; this subtype underlying a tonic inhibitory current, is the most sensitive target of P4 and ALLO. E2 causes a reduction in GABAergic inhibition, leading to an increase in the excitatory tone. It also acts on hippocampus causing a transient lowering of GABA synthesis in the interneuron. These findings suggest an excitatory role for E2 through inhibition of the GABA system. The serotonin system, involved in behavioral responses such as stress, anxiety and depression, also exhibits variations along the estrous cycle, in part dependant of GABA-receptor changes. Gender differences were described for DA function in the brain, due to E2 and P4 modulation. DA release and reuptake fluctuate with changes in circulating steroid levels. E2 enhances DA release and DA-mediated behaviors, such as general activity stimulation, food seeking behavior and sexual motivation. PrRP is produced in hypothalamic and extra hypothalamic structures. It has been proposed as a mediator of stress responses. Though gender differences have been shown, distribution of PrRP does not change during the estrous cycle. We hope this review may contribute to understand the mechanism of female behavioral variations and their pharmacological and diagnostic implications.

El rol de las hormonas sexuales sobre el comportamiento reproductivo ha sido extensamente documentado. La fluctuación periódica de hormonas sexuales en hembras de numerosas especies ha sido relacionada con cambios comportamentales no sexuales tales como humor, ansiedad, agresión y respuesta a estrés. El sustrato biológico-neural de estos cambios se basa en los cambios que estas hormonas inducen en el Sistema Nervioso Central. Este trabajo resume algunos cambios que afectan a receptores y neurotrasmisores de los sistemas GABAérgico, serotoninérgico, dopaminérgico y péptido liberador de prolactina del SNC de la rata. La rata hembra posee un ciclo sexual de 4 días de duración, denominado ciclo estrual. La presente revisión se informa en tres secciones. (1) Se presenta una breve descripción de la variación de tres hormonas sexuales principales con acción directa sobre el SNC: estrógenos (E2), progesterona (P4) y prolactina (PRL). Se han descripto propiedades ansiolíticas para P4 y anti-estrés para PRL; para E2, la bibliografía es controvertida, describiéndose acciones excitatorias y anti-estrés. (2) Se informan algunos cambios cerebrales y comportamentales que tienen lugar en cada estadio del ciclo estrual. Las fluctuaciones hormonales se consideran básicas para la interpretación de tales cambios. (3) Se mencionan algunos hallazgos acerca de la influencia hormonal cíclica sobre los sistemas de neurotransmisión del SNC y sobre un nuevo péptido propuesto como mediador de la respuesta a estrés, el péptido liberador de prolactina (PrRP). Esperamos que este trabajo contribuya a un mejor entendimiento de los mecanismos del comportamiento de las hembras y sus variaciones, y sus implicancias farmacológicas y diagnósticas.

Estrés neonatal y frustración / Neonatal stress and frustration

El estrés neonatal altera la respuesta emocional de ratas adultas. En una de sus formas, el estrés crónico neonatal aleatorio, produce una reducción comportamental, neurofisiológica y hormonal en respuesta a presentaciones de estímulos aversivos. La devaluación u omisión de los reforzadores esperados por aprendizajes previos provoca respuestas similares al dolor, al miedo y a la ansiedad, y esta reacción se denomina frustración. En este trabajo se presentan dos experimentos en los cuales las ratas sometidas a un estrés neonatal aleatorio y sus controles sin tratamiento se expusieron a dos procedimientos experimentales de frustración: el contraste sucesivo negativo consumatorio (CSNc, Experimento1) y la extinción consumatoria (Ec, Experimento 2). En el CSNc, la respuesta del tiempo de bebedero de animales que pasan de recibir una solución azucarada del 32% al 4%, se compara con el desempeño de animales que siempre recibieron solución al 4%. En la Ec, los animales reciben durante la adquisición la solución al 4% y luego se les presenta el bebedero vacío. Los resultados obtenidos señalan que en el CSNc los animales expuestos a estrés neonatal presentaron una respuesta atenuada de frustración y en la Ec, una extinción más acelerada, en relación con sus controles sin tratamiento neonatal. Estos hallazgos extienden los efectos del estrés neonatal hacia respuestas provocadas por situaciones de pérdida o decremento de incentivos.

Emotional neonatal stress alters the emotional response in adult rats. In one of its forms, the chronic random neonatal stress, produces behavioral, neurophysiological and hormonal reductions, in response to aversive stimuli. Devaluation or omission of expected reinforcers for acquired skills provokes responses similar to pain, fear and anxiety and this reaction is known as frustration. In this paper we will present, two different experiments in which, both, rats that were subjected to random neonatal stress and the no-treatment condition, were exposed to two procedures of experimental frustration: the consummatory negative successive contrast (CSNc, experiment 1) and the consummatory extinction (EC, experiment 2). In the CSNc, the response time to drinking a glucose solution of 32% to 4%, compares to the performance of animals that always received a 4% solution. In the EC, the animals received the 4% solution during acquisition and were presented with the empty water source. The obtained results show that in CSNc, the animals exposed to neonatal stress presented an adecuate response to frustration and in the EC, an accelerated extinction, in relation to controls without neonatal treatment. These findings extend the effects of neonatal stress to provoked responses to situations of loss or decrease of incentives.