Utilización de sustancias psicoactivas en alumnos de anatomía y su implicación en el aprendizaje / The use of psychoactive substances in Anatomy students and its implication in learning

Introducción. Es conocido que, para aumentar el rendimiento cognitivo, numerosos estudiantes recurren a sustancias con el objetivo de estar más horas despiertos con la atención agudizada para estudiar. Pero dichas sustancias interfieren en la memoria y pueden generar farmacodependencia. Objetivo. Establecer la frecuencia de uso de sustancias psicoactivas en universitarios y su relación con características de sueño, socioeconómicas y educativas. Sujetos y métodos. Estudio observacional transversal mediante una encuesta estandarizada, normalizada y anónima, con sistema de elección múltiple, a 122 alumnos de anatomía en el año 2009. Se aplicaron parámetros estadísticos y se exigió el consentimiento informado. Resultados. El 79,51% refirió no llegar a leer todos los temas y el 36,89% refirió haber memorizado conceptos. El 25% comenzó a memorizar términos tres días antes del examen; un 20,49% comenzó el día anterior, y el 19,67%, la noche anterior y luego acudió al examen sin haber dormido. El 25,41% respondió que tomaba sustancias para dormir y el 41,8% alguna sustancia para aumentar las horas de estudio; destacaban el café, las bebidas energizantes, psicofármacos (45,09%, principalmente modafinilo y metilfenidato) y ácido acetilsalicílico. El número de horas trabajadas por día se correlacionó con el número de sustancias consumidas (r = 0,89); los repetidores de la asignatura refirieron menor cantidad de horas de sueño, indirectamente correlativas con el uso de psicoactivos (r = –0,86). Conclusiones. Registramos una alta prevalencia de consumo de sustancias psicoactivas, especialmente en repetidores de la asignatura y alumnos con actividades laborales. Es de suma importancia implementar herramientas pedagógicas para aumentar las capacidades motivacionales, atencionales y asociativas bajo una concepción integradora-educacional (AU)

Introduction. It is well-known that to increase their cognitive performance, many students turn to substances with the objective of being able to stay up more hours with a sharp attention focused on their study. However, these substances can interfere long term memory and can generate pharmaceutical dependency. Aim. To establish the prevalence of the use of psychoactive substances in University students and to relate it with sleeping patterns and social-economic-educational characteristics. Subjects and methods. Cross-sectional study using standardized questionnaire with multiple choice system administered to 122 Anatomy students in the year 2009. Statistic parameters were applied and an informed consent was demanded. Results. 79.51% said that they were not able to read all the topics and 36.89% said that they memorized concepts; 25% started to memorize subjects three days before the exam, 20.49% did it the previous day, and 19.67% memorized subjects the night before the exam without sleeping. 25.41% answered that they used substances for sleeping and 41.8% used some substances to increase studying hours, such as: coffee, energy drinks, psychopharmacological medication (45.09% modafinil and methylphenidate) and acetylsalicylic acid. The numbers of hours working correlated with the number of substances consumed (r = 0.89); students that where taking the subject again had less hours of sleep indirectly correlated with the use of psychoactives (r = –0.86). Conclusions. We recorded a high prevalence of consumptions of psychoactive substances, especially amongst students that are repeating the course and students that had jobs. It is of utmost importance to implement pedagogical tools that increase motivation, attention, and the associative capacities under an integrative-educational conception (AU)

[Autoimmune aspects of a case of chronic interstitial cystitis]. / Aspetti autoimmuni in un caso di cistite cronica interstiziale.

Chronic interstitial cystitis is a disease characterized by clinical recurring cystitis with histopathological aspects of a chronic aspecific inflammation of the bladder. Etiopathogenesis is still unknown, even if autoimmunity has been hypothesized in some cases. In this paper we report an immunopathologic and immunohistochemical study on a case of chronic interstitial cystitis. The inappropriate immunologic behaviour of the lymphocyte populations, the inhibition of leukocytes migration with bladder extracts and the immunofluorescent findings of IgG and C3 deposits in the mucosa support the hypothesis of an autoimmune pathogenesis of the disease.

[Neuron-specific enolase in bronchial carcinoma. Immunohistochemical and immunoenzyme study]. / Enolasi neurono-specifica (NSE) in carcinomi bronchiali. Studio immunoistochimico ed immunoenzimatico.

Serum level of neuro-specific enolase (NSE) was determined in 20 lung cancer patients. NSE concentration was detected also on neoplastic tissue and NSE-positive neoplastic cells on histological sections were observed immunohistochemically. The presence of high level of NSE was showed in small cell lung cancer.

[Distribution and prognostic value of CEA and TPA in cancer of the lung]. / Distribuzione e valore prognostico del CEA e del TPA nel carcinoma del polmone.

Serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) were investigated in 53 lung cancer patients. The higher percentage of patients with serum CEA positivity was observed within the anaplastic lung cancer group. TPA serum positivity was found in similar percentage in all the examined groups. Relationship between serum CEA positivity and/or serum TPA positivity and survival were then carried out.

[Prognostic value of serum and tissue CEA evaluation in lung cancer]. / Valore prognostico della valutazione del CEA serico e tissutale in carcinomi del polmone.

Serum concentration of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was determined in 53 lung cancer patients before and 1 month after surgery. Relationships between serum CEA levels after and before surgery and survival were carried out. Furthermore, histological sections of the neoplastic surgical material were stained with anti human CEA antibody using an immunohistochemical method. The positivity of the neoplastic cells and of the macrophages were then analyzed and discussed.

[Prognostic significance of plasmatic concentration of fibronectin in patients with bronchial carcinoma]. / Significato prognostico della concentrazione plasmatica di fibronectina in soggetti affetti da carcinoma bronchiale.

Plasma levels of fibronectin were determined in 50 lung cancer patients and in 25 normal subjects. Immunoturbidimetric assay was performed to detect possible variations of plasma fibronectin concentration in neoplastic patients. Moreover plasma levels of fibronectin were related to clinical stage, histological type of tumor and survival after surgery.

[Immuno-oncologic monitoring of patients with bronchial carcinoma. IV. Aspects of the immunocompetence system]. / Monitoraggio immuno-oncologico di pazienti affetti da carcinoma bronchiale. IV. Aspetti dell'assetto immunitario.

Some aspects of the immunocompetent system are tested in 84 lung cancer patients at time of diagnosis and during the natural course of the disease. Results show no significant variations for many immunological tests during the course of the neoplasia. Significant alterations are observed in T-lymphocyte and macrophage evaluation. Moreover, some immunological data are related to lung cancer post-surgical survival.

[Immuno-oncologic monitoring of patients with bronchial carcinoma. III. Plasma glycoproteins]. / Monitoraggio immuno-oncologico di pazienti affetti da carcinoma bronchiale. Nota III. Le glicoproteine plasmatiche.

Alpha and beta serum glycoprotein levels were determined in lung cancer patients at time of diagnosis and during the natural course of the disease. The results do not suggest that these glycoproteins can be used as tumour markers. Moreover, some glycoproteins, which have activity in cell-mediated processes and macrophage functions, can suggest prognosis.

[Immuno-oncologic monitoring of patients with bronchial carcinoma. I. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)]. / Monitoraggio immuno-oncologico in pazienti affetti da carcinoma bronchiale. Nota I. L'antigene carcinoembrionario (CEA).

Plasma levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were determined in 82 lung cancer patients before surgery and during the clinical course of the disease. Results were compared to those obtained in normal controls and in patients with lung inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, relationships between plasma CEA levels and survival were carried out. While CEA levels were not useful to make differential diagnosis, in our study, we hypothized the possibility to use CEA in prognostic evaluations.

[Immuno-oncologic monitoring of patients with bronchial carcinoma. II. Plasma fibronectin determination]. / Monitoraggio immuno-oncologico in pazienti affetti da carcinoma bronchiale. Nota II. Valutazioni della fibronectina plasmatica.

Recent attempts implicating glycoproteins have been focused on the study of fibronectin. This glycoprotein was observed especially in cellular adhesivity processes. Some works were direct to detect the fibronectin concentration in plasma and in other biological fluids to relate increased or decreased levels in pathological features. In this paper we describe a study on plasma fibronectin in lung cancer patients during the course of the disease.