Cross-cultural adaptation, validity, and reliability of the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire - Short Version (PSDQ) for use in Brazil

Objective: The Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) is used worldwide to assess three styles (authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive) and seven dimensions of parenting. In this study, we adapted the short version of the PSDQ for use in Brazil and investigated its validity and reliability. Methods: Participants were 451 mothers of children aged 3 to 18 years, though sample size varied with analyses. The translation and adaptation of the PSDQ followed a rigorous methodological approach. Then, we investigated the content, criterion, and construct validity of the adapted instrument. Results: The scale content validity index (S-CVI) was considered adequate (0.97). There was evidence of internal validity, with the PSDQ dimensions showing strong correlations with their higher-order parenting styles. Confirmatory factor analysis endorsed the three-factor, second-order solution (i.e., three styles consisting of seven dimensions). The PSDQ showed convergent validity with the validated Brazilian version of the Parenting Styles Inventory (Inventário de Estilos Parentais - IEP), as well as external validity, as it was associated with several instruments measuring sociodemographic and behavioral/emotional-problem variables. Conclusion: The PSDQ is an effective and reliable psychometric instrument to assess childrearing strategies according to Baumrind's model of parenting styles.

Impairment of fine motor dexterity in mild cognitive impairment and alzheimer's disease dementia: association with activities of daily living

Objective: Cognitive impairment is a hallmark of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease dementia (AD). Although the cognitive profile of these patients and its association with activities of daily living (ADLs) is well documented, few studies have assessed deficits in fine motor dexterity and their association with ADL performance. The objective of this research paper is to evaluate fine motor dexterity performance among MCI and AD patients and to investigate its association with different aspects of ADLs. Methods: We assessed normal aging controls, patients with multiple- and single-domain amnestic MCI (aMCI), and patients with mild AD. Fine motor dexterity was measured with the Nine-Hole Peg Test and cognitive functioning by the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale. We analyzed the data using general linear models. Results: Patients with AD or multiple-domain aMCI had slower motor responses when compared to controls. AD patients were slower than those with single-domain aMCI. We found associations between cognition and instrumental ADLs, and between fine motor dexterity and self-care ADLs. Conclusion: We observed progressive slowing of fine motor dexterity along the normal aging-MCI-AD spectrum, which was associated with autonomy in self-care ADLs.

Neural correlates of hallucinations in bipolar disorder

Objective: Approximately one-half of all patients affected by bipolar disorder present with psychotic features on at least one occasion. Several studies have found that alterations in the activity of mesolimbic and prefrontal regions are related to aberrant salience in psychotic patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the structural correlates of a history of hallucinations in a sample of euthymic patients with bipolar I disorder (BD-I). Methods: The sample consisted of 21 euthymic patients with BD-I and no comorbid axis I DSM-IV-TR disorders. Voxel based morphometry (VBM) was used to compare patients with and without a lifetime history of hallucinations. Preprocessing was performed using the Diffeomorphic Anatomical Registration through Exponentiated Lie Algebra (DARTEL) algorithm for VBM in SPM8. Images were processed using optimized VBM. Results: The main finding of the present study was a reduction in gray matter volume in the right posterior insular cortex of patients with BD-I and a lifetime history of hallucinations, as compared to subjects with the same diagnosis but no history of hallucinations. Conclusions: This finding supports the presence of abnormalities in the salience network in BD patients with a lifetime history of hallucinations. These alterations may be associated with an aberrant assignment of salience to the elements of one’s own experience, which could result in psychotic symptoms.