Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Emotional Memory Scale / Tradução e adaptação transcultural da versão brasileira da Escala de Memória Emocional

Abstract Background Emotional memory is an important type of memory that is triggered by positive and negative emotions. It is characterized by an enhanced memory for emotional stimuli which is usually coupled with a decrease in memory of neutral preceding events. Emotional memory is strongly associated with amygdala function and therefore could be disrupted in neuropsychiatric disorders. To our knowledge, there is no translated and culturally adapted instrument for the Brazilian Portuguese speaking population to assess emotional memory. Objective To report the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of a Brazilian Portuguese version of the Emotional Memory Scale, originally published by Strange et al. in 2003. Methods The author of the original scale provided 36 lists with 16 words each. Translation was performed by three independent bilingual translators. Healthy subjects assessed how semantically related each word was within the list (0 to 10) and what the emotional valence of each word was (-6 to +6). Lists without negative words were excluded (negative selection), most positive and most unrelated words were excluded (positive and semantic selection, respectively), and lists with low semantic relationship were excluded (semantic assessment). Results Five lists were excluded during negative selection, four words from each list were excluded in positive and semantic selection, and 11 lists were excluded during semantic assessment. Finally, we reached 20 lists of semantically related words; each list had one negative word and 11 neutral words. Conclusion A scale is now available to evaluate emotional memory in the Brazilian population and requires further validation on its psychometrics properties.

Resumo Introdução Memória emocional é um tipo importante de memória que é acionado por emoções positivas e negativas. Ela é caracterizada por um aumento de memória para estímulos emocionais que normalmente está associado a um prejuízo de memória para eventos neutros que os precedem. Memória emocional é fortemente relacionada à função da amígdala e, portanto, pode estar alterada em transtornos neuropsiquiátricos. Pelo nosso conhecimento, não existe instrumento traduzido e adaptado culturalmente para a população falante de português brasileiro para avaliar memória emocional. Objetivo Descrever a tradução e adaptação transcultural para o português brasileiro da Escala de Memória Emocional, originalmente publicada por Strange et al. em 2003. Métodos O autor da escala original forneceu 36 listas com 16 palavras cada. A tradução foi feita por três tradutores bilíngues e independentes. Sujeitos saudáveis foram selecionados para avaliar o quanto cada palavra era semanticamente relacionada dentro da lista (0 a 10) e qual era a valência emocional de cada palavra (-6 a +6). Listas sem palavras negativas foram excluídas (seleção negativa), palavras mais positivas e menos relacionadas de cada lista foram excluídas (seleções positiva e semântica, respectivamente) e listas com relação semântica fraca foram excluídas (avaliação semântica). Resultados Cinco listas foram excluídas durante a seleção negativa, quatro palavras de cada lista foram excluídas nas seleções positiva e semântica, e 11 listas foram excluídas na avaliação semântica. Por fim, chegamos em 20 listas de palavras semanticamente relacionadas; cada lista com uma palavra negativa e 11 palavras neutras. Conclusão Uma escala está disponível para avaliar memória emocional na população brasileira e requer posterior validação de suas propriedades psicométricas.

Cognitive performance and psychosocial functioning in patients with bipolar disorder, unaffected siblings, and healthy controls

Objective: To assess cognitive performance and psychosocial functioning in patients with bipolar disorder (BD), in unaffected siblings, and in healthy controls. Methods: Subjects were patients with BD (n=36), unaffected siblings (n=35), and healthy controls (n=44). Psychosocial functioning was accessed using the Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST). A sub-group of patients with BD (n=21), unaffected siblings (n=14), and healthy controls (n=22) also underwent a battery of neuropsychological tests: California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT), Stroop Color and Word Test, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Clinical and sociodemographic characteristics were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance or the chi-square test; multivariate analysis of covariance was used to examine differences in neuropsychological variables. Results: Patients with BD showed higher FAST total scores (23.90±11.35) than healthy controls (5.86±5.47; p < 0.001) and siblings (12.60±11.83; p 0.001). Siblings and healthy controls also showed statistically significant differences in FAST total scores (p = 0.008). Patients performed worse than healthy controls on all CVLT sub-tests (p < 0.030) and in the number of correctly completed categories on WCST (p = 0.030). Siblings did not differ from healthy controls in cognitive tests. Conclusion: Unaffected siblings of patients with BD may show poorer functional performance compared to healthy controls. FAST scores may contribute to the development of markers of vulnerability and endophenotypic traits in at-risk populations.

Tryptophan diet reduces aggressive behavior in male mice

A tryptophan diet reduces aggressive behavior in different species, although some controversial findings have been reported. We studied 65 male mice divided into four groups according to increasing dosages of tryptophan (10, 20, 30, and 100 mg/kg) and a control group (vehicle). The first four groups ingested 10, 20, 30, and 100 mg/kg tryptophan together with cellulose vehicle and water by gavage before the behavioral tests that sought to record aggressive behavior. The control group received only the vehicle at the same time that the other groups received the tryptophan solutions. The results showed that low concentrations (10 and 20 mg/kg) of tryptophan decreased (p < .04) the frequency of attack bites and lateral threats (i.e., aggressive components; p < .02) after an encounter with a male intruder without altering locomotor activity. In conclusion, the low concentrations of tryptophan diminished aggressive behavior against a male intruder...