The Role of Age of Onset in Problematic Alcohol Consumption: Artefact or Cohort Effect? / El papel de la edad de inicio en el consumo problemático de alcohol: ¿artefacto o efecto de cohorte?

Age of onset has been reported as a crucial predictor for alcohol consumption in adolescence. However, several authors have warned against it as an unreliable artefact accounted by the tendency to delay age of onset as respondents’ age increases (forward telescoping). This study aims to test whether age of onset is either a proxy for age or a predictor of alcohol consumption of its own. A hierarchical regression model and Process Macro for SPSS were used to test the effect of age of onset (controlling for age) on alcohol consumption and the mediating/moderator role of age of onset, parental control, and sex on alcohol consumption, respectively. Results support the role of age of onset as a significant predictor of alcohol consumption in Ecuadorian adolescents, rather than an artefact. Furthermore, age of onset completely mediated the effect of age on alcohol consumption, often moderated by sex. Practical implications are further discussed.

La edad de inicio se ha señalado como un predictor crucial del consumo de alcohol en la adolescencia. Sin embargo, varios autores han advertido que se trata de un artefacto poco fiable que se explica por la tendencia a retrasar la edad de inicio a medida que aumenta la edad de los encuestados (forward telescoping o sesgo de memoria). Este estudio pretende comprobar si la edad de inicio es una medida aproximativa de la edad o un predictor del consumo de alcohol por sí mismo. Se utilizó un modelo de regresión jerárquica y la Macro Process para SPSS para probar el efecto de la edad de inicio (controlando la edad) en el consumo de alcohol y el papel mediador/moderador de la edad de inicio, el control parental y el sexo en el consumo de alcohol, respectivamente. Los resultados confirman el papel de la edad de inicio como predictor significativo del consumo de alcohol en los adolescentes ecuatorianos en lugar de artefacto. Además, la edad de inicio medió completamente el efecto de la edad en el consumo de alcohol, con frecuencia moderado por el sexo. Se discuten posteriormente las implicaciones prácticas.

Acute psychological and behavioral effect of COVID-19 confinement measures in Spanish population / Efecto psicológico y conductual agudo de las medidas de confinamiento del COVID-19 en población española

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic is now a major global health issue and quarantine is being applicated worldwide as asuppression measure. The aim of this study was to analyse the psychological and behavioural modifications associated withthe first phase of the confinement period in Spanish population.Material and method: Variables of anxiety, sleep quality, motivation, food intake and physical activity habits and body weightwere analysed in ninety-one participants (35.7±10.4 years old) at the beginning of the quarantine, after three days, one week,two weeks and three weeks of the confinement decreed in Spain.Results: A significant (P<0.05) increase of 20% prevalence was found in the number of participants that started to exercise.Despite this, anxiety levels increased throughout the confinement, being significant after 2 weeks of isolation compared tothe initial moment. None of the other variables significantly presented modifications. Correlation analysis showed that anxietylevels were positively related to the number of daily food intakes and negatively to sleep quality. On the other hand, the timededicated to aerobic exercise was negatively related to body weight and the number of intakes, and positively to the timededicated to anaerobic exercise (p <0.05 for all correlations).Conclusion: We found how first phase of confinement period in the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain produced a significantincrease in anxiety levels, and subjects that started to exercise, do not significantly affecting body weight, food intakes, sleepquality and motivation of subjects. Higher food ingestions per day positively correlated with anxiety and negatively withsleep quality.(AU)

Objetivo: La pandemia de COVID-19 es ahora un importante problema de salud mundial y la cuarentena se está aplicandoen todo el mundo como medida de supresión. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar las modificaciones psicológicas yconductuales asociadas a la primera fase del período de encierro en población española.Material y método: Se analizaron variables de ansiedad, calidad del sueño, motivación, ingesta alimentaria y hábitos deactividad física y peso corporal en noventa y un participantes (35,7 ± 10,4 años) al inicio de la cuarentena, después de tresdías, una semana, dos semanas y tres semanas del confinamiento decretado en España.Resultados: Se encontró un aumento significativo (P <0,05) del 20% de prevalencia en el número de participantes quecomenzaron a hacer ejercicio. A pesar de ello, los niveles de ansiedad aumentaron a lo largo del confinamiento, siendosignificativo a las 2 semanas de aislamiento respecto al momento inicial. Ninguna de las otras variables estudiadas presentómodificaciones significativas. El análisis de correlaciones mostró que los niveles de ansiedad se relacionaron positivamentecon el número de ingestas de comida diaria y negativamente con la calidad del sueño. Por otro lado, el tiempo dedicado aejercicio aeróbico se relacionó negativamente con el peso corporal y el número de ingestas, y positivamente con el tiempodedicado a ejercicio anaeróbico (p<0,05 para todas las correlaciones).Conclusión: Encontramos cómo la primera fase del período de encierro en la pandemia de COVID-19 en España produjo unaumento significativo en los niveles de ansiedad, y los sujetos que comenzaron a hacer ejercicio, no afectaron significativa-mente el peso corporal, la ingesta de alimentos, la calidad del sueño y la motivación de los sujetos. La mayor ingesta diariade alimentos se correlacionó positivamente con la ansiedad y negativamente con la calidad del sueño.(AU)

The Effect of Psychology Objective Structured Clinical Examination Scenarios Presentation Order on Students Autonomic Stress Response.

The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a method for assessment clinical competencies and skills. However, there is a need to improve its design in psychology programs. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of the different scenario's presentation order with different complexity/difficulty on the autonomic stress response of undergraduate students undergoing a Psychology OSCE. A total of 32 students of Psychology Bachelor's Degree (23.4 ± 2.5 years) were randomly selected and assigned to two OSCE scenarios of different complexity. While undergoing the scenarios, participants heart rate variability was analyzed as an indicator of participant's stress autonomic response. Results indicate that the order of presentation of different complexity/difficulty scenarios affects the autonomic stress response of undergraduate Psychology students undergoing an OSCE. Students who underwent the high-complexity scenario (difficult) first, reported significantly higher autonomic stress response than students who began the OSCE with the low-complexity scenario (easy). Highly complex or difficult scenarios require good executive functions or cognitive control, very sensitive to autonomic stress responses. Therefore, OSCE design will benefit from placing easy scenarios first.

The Effect of Cultural Differences in Psychophysiological Stress Response in High Education Context: A Pilot Study.

The simulation scenarios are increasingly being used to assess professional competences in health sciences at university level. The objective of this study was to explore the effect of differences in the stress psychophysiological response of Psychology degree students from Spain and Colombia undergoing to clinical practice. Multiple psychophysiological measures were obtained in a sample of 25 Colombian and Spanish Psychology students undergoing to simulation scenario. Differences in the initial level of stress and habituation process as reported by self-reported and psychophysiological measurements as discussed. Differences in stress-related psychological traits are also analyzed and further discussed.

Applications of Virtual and Augmented Reality in Biomedical Imaging.

Virtual and Augmented Reality has experienced a steady growth in medicine in recent years. At the same time, the radiological images play a central role in the diagnosis and planification of surgical approaches. The aim of this study is to present the first attempt to enhanced radiological image visualization using virtual and augmented reality for better planification and monitorization of surgeries. This application allows to move beyond traditional two-dimensional images towards three-dimensional models that can be visualized and manipulated with both Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. We propose possible approaches to automate the segmentation of radiological images, using computer vision techniques and Artificial Intelligence.

Analysis of Psychophysiological Stress Response in Higher Education Students Undergoing Clinical Practice Evaluation.

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychophysiological response of Physiotherapy degree students during a complete clinical practice as well as their psychological profile in relation to coping style in stressful situations, and its impact on academic performance. We analysed in 15 students heart rate variability (HRV) to analyse autonomic modulation in three moments during the entire clinical practices of 3 months (4 h per day, 3 days per week), first session, middle session and last session; perceived stress, personality, life engagement, cognitive flexibility before starting the clinical practice the academic performance after the clinical practice. Results based on HRV and related indexes parameters fail to indicate the expected autonomic adaptation during the practice. A complete clinical practice of Physiotherapy degree students did not produce an habituation process since a high sympathetic autonomic nervous system modulation was measured in the beginning, at the middle and at the final of the clinical practice. Below-average scores are presented in a personality factor associated with traditional and non-adaptive coping styles that could explain the non-habituation of the students. Finally, none of the analyzed indexes has been able to relate to academic performance.

Psychophysiological Stress Response of a Paralympic Athlete During an Ultra-Endurance Event. A Case Study.

Psychophysiological response of athletes with spinal cord injurie has not been reported yet in scientific literature. The aim of this study is to examine the psychophysiological stress response of Paralympic athlete during competitive activities. We collected the following psychophysiological measurements: anxiety-trait, anxiety-state, locus of control, perceived psychological stress, stress-copying style, rate of perceived exertion, perceived muscle pain, body temperature, forced vital capacity, blood oxygen saturation, blood glucose and lactate concentrations, isometric hand strength, cortical arousal, heart rate variability, heart rate and velocities of a female Paralympic spinal cord injured athlete in a 11 h and 44 min ultraendurance mountain event. An ultraendurance mountain even produced an increase in the sympathetic autonomous modulation, heart rate, lactate, muscular pain and rated of perceived exertion and a decrease in cortical arousal, hand strength and respiratory muscle in a spinal cord injurie female athlete during. The Paralympic athletes presented a low psychological inflexibility, high life engagement, strong internal locus of control, a low trait and state anxiety and medium perceived psychological stress. These results are consistent with the expected response during a highly stressful situation and consistent with previous findings in athletes without spinal cord injurie.

Autonomic Adaption to Clinical Simulation in Psychology Students: Teaching Applications.

Simulation is used to facilitate new learning in a variety of situations. One application of simulation could be to help therapists gain therapeutic skills prior to seeing clients. This particular study was interested in measuring changes in stress response by looking at subjective and objective measures of distress (as measured by SUDS, HR, and HRV) over three sessions of simulated therapy. 16 second year psychology students participated in three sessions, and had their HR and HRV measured by Polar watches. Over the three sessions, there was a decrease in perceived distress, as measured by SUDS ratings. During and between sessions, there was inconclusive change in physiological parameters.

Use of Portable Digital Devices to Analyze Autonomic Stress Response in Psychology Objective Structured Clinical Examination.

The aim of the present study was to explore changes in the autonomic stress response of Psychology students in a Psychology Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and their relationship with OSCE performance. Variables of autonomic modulation by the analysis of heart rate variability in temporal, frequency and non-linear domains, subjective perception of distress strait and academic performance were measured before and after the two different evaluations that composed the OSCE. A psychology objective structured clinical examination composed by two different evaluation scenarios produced a large anxiety anticipatory response, a habituation response in the first of the evaluation scenarios and a in the entire evaluation, and a no habituation response in the second evaluation scenario. Autonomic modulation parameters do not correlate with academic performance of students.

Análisis del efecto de la exposición a información, del sexo y de la edad sobre las preferencias de tratamiento en depresión leve a moderada / Analysis of the effect of exposure to information, sex and age on treatment preferences in mild to moderate depression

Estudios previos han encontrado que la atención a las preferencias de los pacientes acorta la duración del tratamiento en depresión. Sin embargo, no se conocen las variables que influyen en las preferencias por cada modalidad de tratamiento (psicofarmacológica/psicoterapéutica/combinada). El objetivo del presente estudio es analizar el efecto de la exposición a información mínima sobre eficacia terapéutica, el sexo y la edad de los participantes en sus preferencias de tratamiento. A través de redes sociales, se encuestó a 335 personas sobre preferencias de tratamiento en depresión. La exposición a información no influyó en el grado de preferencia por una u otra. La preferencia por el tratamiento farmacológico fue inferior al psicoterapéutico en mujeres y jóvenes. Los principales motivos expresados fueron la confianza en la terapia combinada y en la psicoterapia. Se discuten las implicaciones para el abordaje del tratamiento de depresión

Previous studies have found that matching patients' preferences is a strong predictor of a shorter treatment duration in depression. However, variables for patients' preference towards each treatment type (psychopharmacological/psychotherapeutic/combined) are unclear. This study aims to analyze the effect of exposure to minimal information on the therapeutic efficacy of each treatment type, the sex and the age of participants, on their treatment preferences. Three hundred and thirty-five people were surveyed through two social networks. Exposure to information on the efficacy of each type of treatment did not influence the degree of preference for any of them. However, preference for the pharmacological treatment was lower than for psychotherapeutic treatment in women and young people. Main reasons indicated were confidence in combination therapy and in psychotherapy. Implications for the treatment of depression are discussed