Psicose e espiritualidade: cuidados para além da medicação / Psychosis and spirituality: care beyond medication

O presente artigo busca investigar o campo da psicose e sua relação com fenômenos relativos à espiritualidade. Ao longo da história da psiquiatria, a loucura foi destituída de sua dimensão espiritual com uma compreensão científica dos fenômenos; porém, a nosografia médica também operou uma redução do fenômeno apenas à dimensão descritiva. Neste artigo foi realizada uma revisão teórica narrativa sobre a temática de espiritualidade, emergência espiritual, processos de renovação, psicose e tratamentos para além da medicação. A revisão de literatura sinaliza que as crises psicóticas não necessariamente indicam o desenvolvimento de uma esquizofrenia e que essa crise também pode carregar um potencial transformador. Por fim, reflete-se como a dimensão religiosa pode ser acolhida em um atendimento psicológico ético e sua importância para o acolhimento de crises psicóticas.

The present article intends to investigate the field of psychosis and its relation to phenomena related to spirituality. Through the history of psychiatry, madness was stripped from its spiritual dimension with the scientific compreehension of phenomena. By the otherside, the medical nosography also operated a reduction of the phenomena only to a descriptive dimension. The authors developed a theoretical narrative revision about the themes of spirituality, spiritual emergency, renewal process, psychosis and the treatments beyond medication. The literature review indicate that psychotic crisis do not necessarily indicate a development of schizophrenia and that this crisis can also carry a transformative potential. Thus, it is discussed how that the religious dimension can be approached in an ethical psychological session and its importance on dealing with a psychotic crisis.

Impact of textual warnings on emotional brain responses to ultra-processed food products.

Background and objectives: Ultra-processed food products (UPF) have been associated with numerous non-communicable diseases. Despite this, the addictive nature of UPF, and the aggressive marketing strategies used to promote them, has created a strong emotional connection between UPF and consumers, and supports their increasing UPF global consumption. In view of the emotional link that consumers often have with UPF, modulating emotional reactions to UPF (by using strategies such as textual warnings) is important in changing consumers' behavior. Since emotions are better understood by assessing individuals' implicit reactions, we conducted an electroencephalographic study applying the event-related potential technique to investigate whether textual warnings were able to modulate the brain responses to UPF stimuli. Materials and methods: Twenty-six participants (19 women) viewed pictures of UPF preceded by a warning sentence about the health risks of consuming UPF or a control sentence while the electroencephalogram was recorded. In addition, the participants rated the picture in respect of pleasantness, arousal, and intention to consume. As emotions are associated with motivational circuits in the brain, we focused on a well-known event-related potential brain marker of the motivational relevance associated with emotional stimuli, namely late positive potential (LPP). Results: The late positive potential amplitude was larger for pictures depicting UPF under the warning condition compared to the control condition, a result that was accompanied by lower pleasantness ratings during the warning condition (compared to the control). Conclusion: Textual warnings about the negative health consequences of consuming UPF changed the emotional responses toward UPF, possibly increasing the motivation to avoid UPF. These results shed new light on the impact of textual warnings on UPF-evoked emotions.

Lithium Insertion into Graphitic Carbon Observed via Operando Kerr-Gated Raman Spectroscopy Enables High State of Charge Diagnostics.

Monitoring the precise lithium inventory of the graphitic carbon electrode within the Li-ion battery, in order to assess cell aging, has remained challenging. Herein, operando electrochemical Kerr-gated Raman spectroscopy measurements on microcrystalline graphite during complete lithium insertion and extraction are reported and compared to conventional continuous-wave Raman microscopy. Suppression of the fluorescence emission signals via use of the Kerr gate enabled the measurement of the Raman graphitic bands of highly lithiated graphite where 0.5 ≤ x ≤ 1 for Li x C6. The broad graphitic band initially centered at ca. 1590 cm-1 for Li0.5C6 linearly shifted to ca. 1564 cm-1 with further lithiation to LiC6, thus offering a sensitive diagnostic tool to interrogate high states of charge of graphitic carbon-based negative electrodes.

Impaired Fixation-Related Theta Modulation Predicts Reduced Visual Span and Guided Search Deficits in Schizophrenia.

During normal visual behavior, individuals scan the environment through a series of saccades and fixations. At each fixation, the phase of ongoing rhythmic neural oscillations is reset, thereby increasing efficiency of subsequent visual processing. This phase-reset is reflected in the generation of a fixation-related potential (FRP). Here, we evaluate the integrity of theta phase-reset/FRP generation and Guided Visual Search task in schizophrenia. Subjects performed serial and parallel versions of the task. An initial study (15 healthy controls (HC)/15 schizophrenia patients (SCZ)) investigated behavioral performance parametrically across stimulus features and set-sizes. A subsequent study (25-HC/25-SCZ) evaluated integrity of search-related FRP generation relative to search performance and evaluated visual span size as an index of parafoveal processing. Search times were significantly increased for patients versus controls across all conditions. Furthermore, significantly, deficits were observed for fixation-related theta phase-reset across conditions, that fully predicted impaired reduced visual span and search performance and correlated with impaired visual components of neurocognitive processing. By contrast, overall search strategy was similar between groups. Deficits in theta phase-reset mechanisms are increasingly documented across sensory modalities in schizophrenia. Here, we demonstrate that deficits in fixation-related theta phase-reset during naturalistic visual processing underlie impaired efficiency of early visual function in schizophrenia.

Kerr gated Raman spectroscopy of LiPF6 salt and LiPF6-based organic carbonate electrolyte for Li-ion batteries.

Fluorescent species are formed during cycling of lithium ion batteries as a result of electrolyte decomposition due to the instability of the non-aqueous electrolytes and side reactions that occur at the electrode surface. The increase in the background fluorescence due to the presence of these components makes it harder to analyse data due to the spectroscopic overlap of Raman scattering and fluorescence. Herein, Kerr gated Raman spectroscopy was shown to be an effective technique for the isolation of the scattering effect from the fluorescence enabling the collection of the Raman spectra of LiPF6 salt and LiPF6-based organic carbonate electrolyte, without the interference of the fluorescence component. Kerr gated Raman was able to identify POF3 on the LiPF6 particle surface, after the addition of trace water.

Stabilization of O-O Bonds by d0 Cations in Li4+ xNi1- xWO6 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.25) Rock Salt Oxides as the Origin of Large Voltage Hysteresis.

Multinary lithium oxides with the rock salt structure are of technological importance as cathode materials in rechargeable lithium ion batteries. Current state-of-the-art cathodes such as LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 rely on redox cycling of earth-abundant transition-metal cations to provide charge capacity. Recently, the possibility of using the oxide anion as a redox center in Li-rich rock salt oxides has been established as a new paradigm in the design of cathode materials with enhanced capacities (>200 mAh/g). To increase the lithium content and access electrons from oxygen-derived states, these materials typically require transition metals in high oxidation states, which can be easily achieved using d0 cations. However, Li-rich rock salt oxides with high valent d0 cations such as Nb5+ and Mo6+ show strikingly high voltage hysteresis between charge and discharge, the origin of which is uninvestigated. In this work, we study a series of Li-rich compounds, Li4+ xNi1- xWO6 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.25) adopting two new and distinct cation-ordered variants of the rock salt structure. The Li4.15Ni0.85WO6 (x = 0.15) phase has a large reversible capacity of 200 mAh/g, without accessing the Ni3+/Ni4+ redox couple, implying that more than two-thirds of the capacity is due to anionic redox, with good cyclability. The presence of the 5d0 W6+ cation affords extensive (>2 V) voltage hysteresis associated with the anionic redox. We present experimental evidence for the formation of strongly stabilized localized O-O single bonds that explain the energy penalty required to reduce the material upon discharge. The high valent d0 cation associates localized anion-anion bonding with the anion redox capacity.

Appetitive drives for ultra-processed food products and the ability of text warnings to counteract consumption predispositions.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to (i) assess the appetitive drives evoked by the visual cues of ultra-processed food and drink products and (ii) investigate whether text warnings reduce appetitive drives and consumers' reported intentions to eat or drink ultra-processed products. DESIGN: In Study I, a well-established psychometric tool was applied to estimate the appetitive drives associated with ultra-processed products using sixty-four image representations. Sixteen product types with four exemplars of a given product were included. Pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) served as controls. The two exemplars of each product type rated as more appetitive were selected for investigation in the second study. Study II assessed the impact of textual warnings on the appetitive drive towards these thirty-two exemplars. Each participant was exposed to two picture exemplars of the same product type preceded by a text warning or a control text. After viewing each displayed picture, the participants reported their emotional reactions and their intention to consume the product. SETTING: Controlled classroom experiments SUBJECTS: Undergraduate students (Study I: n 215, 135 women; Study II: n 98, 52 women). RESULTS: In Study I, the pictures of ultra-processed products prompted an appetitive motivation associated with the products' nutritional content. In Study II, text warnings were effective in reducing the intention to consume and the appetitive drive evoked by ultra-processed products. CONCLUSIONS: This research provides initial evidence favouring the use of text warnings as a public policy tool to curb the powerful influence of highly appetitive ultra-processed food cues.

Shell isolated nanoparticles for enhanced Raman spectroscopy studies in lithium-oxygen cells.

A critical and detailed assessment of using Shell Isolated Nanoparticles for Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SHINERS) on different electrode substrates was carried out, providing relative enhancement factors, as well as an evaluation of the distribution of shell-isolated nanoparticles upon the electrode surfaces. The chemical makeup of surface layers formed upon lithium metal electrodes and the mechanism of the oxygen reduction reaction on carbon substrates relevant to lithium-oxygen cells are studied with the employment of the SHINERS technique. SHINERS enhanced the Raman signal at these surfaces showing a predominant Li2O based layer on lithium metal in a variety of electrolytes. The formation of LiO2 and Li2O2, as well as degradation reactions forming Li2CO3, upon planar carbon electrode interfaces and upon composite carbon black electrodes were followed under potential control during the reduction of oxygen in a non-aqueous electrolyte based on dimethyl sulfoxide.

Clínica sensível à cultura popular na atenção ao sofrimento psíquico grave / Towards clinical care which is sensitive to popular culture in the case of severe psychic suffering

Este estudo problematiza a atenção em saúde mental, resgatando a cultura popular como forma de encontro afetivo, cuidado e criação na clínica do sofrimento psíquico grave. Por meio de reflexão teórica, articularemos o conceito de cultura popular à noção de presença sensível e ambiente suficientemente bom. Compreendemos a cultura popular, no campo da saúde mental, pelo jogo do conformismo e da resistência frente à cultura hegemônica. Ressaltamos a importância de uma atenção sensível aos modos de expressão da cultura popular no cotidiano dos serviços de saúde mental, a partir de uma postura ética e estética frente ao sofrimento psíquico grave.(AU)

This study inquires on mental health care, recovering popular culture as a means of finding affectivity, care and creation in the clinical care of severe psychic suffering. We will articulate the concept of popular culture to the notion of sensitive presence and a "sufficiently good environment" by the means of theoretical reflexion. We understand popular culture, within the field of mental health, as the game of conformism and resistance. We emphasize the importance of providing care which is sensitive to popular culture's means of expression, in the daily attention dispensed in mental health institutions, as well as an ethical and aesthetic attitude towards severe psychic suffering.(AU)

Clínica sensível à cultura popular na atenção ao sofrimento psíquico grave / Towards clinical care which is sensitive to popular culture in the case of severe psychic suffering

Este estudo problematiza a atenção em saúde mental, resgatando a cultura popular como forma de encontro afetivo, cuidado e criação na clínica do sofrimento psíquico grave. Por meio de reflexão teórica, articularemos o conceito de cultura popular à noção de presença sensível e ambiente suficientemente bom. Compreendemos a cultura popular, no campo da saúde mental, pelo jogo do conformismo e da resistência frente à cultura hegemônica. Ressaltamos a importância de uma atenção sensível aos modos de expressão da cultura popular no cotidiano dos serviços de saúde mental, a partir de uma postura ética e estética frente ao sofrimento psíquico grave.

This study inquires on mental health care, recovering popular culture as a means of finding affectivity, care and creation in the clinical care of severe psychic suffering. We will articulate the concept of popular culture to the notion of sensitive presence and a "sufficiently good environment" by the means of theoretical reflexion. We understand popular culture, within the field of mental health, as the game of conformism and resistance. We emphasize the importance of providing care which is sensitive to popular culture's means of expression, in the daily attention dispensed in mental health institutions, as well as an ethical and aesthetic attitude towards severe psychic suffering.

Attentional disengagement is modulated by the offset of unpleasant pictures: a saccadic reaction time study.

We studied the influence of passively viewing a picture on saccade latencies to peripheral targets. Thirty-two volunteers were instructed to look at a central picture, wait for the onset of a peripheral target, and execute a saccade toward it as quickly as possible - saccadic reaction time (SRT). The central picture (neutral or unpleasant) could be turned off simultaneously with target onset (the no-gap condition) or 200ms prior to target onset (the gap-200 condition). We found that saccade latencies were influenced by emotional valence and condition. In the no-gap condition, SRTs were longer after viewing unpleasant pictures. In the gap-200 condition, the pattern was reversed, and unpleasant pictures induced shorter SRTs in relation to neutral pictures. Furthermore, the influence of unpleasant pictures gradually decreased when images were re-exposed to the participants - affective habituation. The results are discussed in terms of attentional avoidance and disengagement from unpleasant emotional pictures.

ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein) but not ABCC1 (MRP1) is downregulated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Although the kidney is a major target in hypertension, several studies have correlated important immune alterations with the development of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), like increased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, inflammatory infiltration in kidneys and thymic atrophy. Because adenosine-triphosphate-binding cassette sub-family B member 1 (ABCB1; P-glycoprotein) and adenosine-triphosphate-binding cassette sub-family C member 1 (ABCC1; multidrug resistance protein 1), two proteins first described in multidrug resistant tumors, physiologically transport several immune mediators and are required for the adequate functioning of the immune system, we aimed to measure the expression and activity of these proteins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), thymocytes, and also kidneys of normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats and SHR. Our results showed that ABCB1, but not ABCC1, activity was diminished (nearly 50%) in PBMC. Moreover, Abcb1b gene was downregulated in PBMC and kidney of SHR and this was not counterbalanced by an upregulation of its homolog Abcb1a, suggesting that the diminished activity is due to downregulation of the gene. No alteration was detected in ABCB1 activity in SHR thymocytes, indicating that this downregulation occurs after lymphocytes leave the primary lymphoid organs. Even though it is not known at present which parameter(s) is(are) responsible for this downregulation, it may contribute for the altered immune response observed in hypertension and to possible altered drug disposition in hypertensive individuals, resulting in greater drug interaction and increased drug toxicity.

Comparative study on the effects of cyclosporin a in renal cells in culture.

BACKGROUND: Although cyclosporin A (CSA) inhibits P-glycoprotein (ABCB1), the relationship between this inhibition and CSA-induced nephrotoxicity is not established. METHODS: Three renal cell lines were used to investigate the effects of CSA in cellular viability and accumulation of rhodamine 123 (Rho123): LLC-PK1, which does not express ABCB1 substantially; MDCK, expressing moderate amounts of this protein, and Ma104 cells, which express high amounts of ABCB1. RESULTS: The viability was significantly reduced in the three cell lines after treatment with CSA concentrations >10 microM. Ma104 was the more resistant and LLC-PK1 the more sensitive. CSA increased Rho123 accumulation in the three cell lines when incubated simultaneously, MDCK presenting the higher increase. However, different results were achieved when the periods of incubation with Rho123 and CSA were disconnected: a post-incubation with CSA was more effective in Ma104 cells, while MDCK and LLC-PK1 showed no difference between pre-, co- and post-incubation with CSA. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the effects of CSA may be divided into two groups: ABCB1-independent (direct injury), and ABCB1-dependent toxicity, due to modulation of its activity. This could result in increased accumulation of noxious ABCB1 substrates, contributing to CSA-induced nephrotoxicity. Furthermore, the mechanisms of ABCB1 modulation by CSA may be different for different cell lines.