Differences in Early Stages of Tactile ERP Temporal Sequence (P100) in Cortical Organization during Passive Tactile Stimulation in Children with Blindness and Controls.

Compared to their seeing counterparts, people with blindness have a greater tactile capacity. Differences in the physiology of object recognition between people with blindness and seeing people have been well documented, but not when tactile stimuli require semantic processing. We used a passive vibrotactile device to focus on the differences in spatial brain processing evaluated with event related potentials (ERP) in children with blindness (n = 12) vs. normally seeing children (n = 12), when learning a simple spatial task (lines with different orientations) or a task involving recognition of letters, to describe the early stages of its temporal sequence (from 80 to 220 msec) and to search for evidence of multi-modal cortical organization. We analysed the P100 of the ERP. Children with blindness showed earlier latencies for cognitive (perceptual) event related potentials, shorter reaction times, and (paradoxically) worse ability to identify the spatial direction of the stimulus. On the other hand, they are equally proficient in recognizing stimuli with semantic content (letters). The last observation is consistent with the role of P100 on somatosensory-based recognition of complex forms. The cortical differences between seeing control and blind groups, during spatial tactile discrimination, are associated with activation in visual pathway (occipital) and task-related association (temporal and frontal) areas. The present results show that early processing of tactile stimulation conveying cross modal information differs in children with blindness or with normal vision.

[PASSIVE TACTILE STIMULATION AS A WAY OF SPATIAL RECOGNITION IN SUBJECTS WITH SEVERE VISUAL IMPAIRMENT OR BLINDNESS]. / ESTIMULACIÓN TÁCTIL PASIVA COMO VÍA DE RECONOCIMIENTO ESPACIAL EN SUJETOS CON DISCAPACIDAD VISUAL GRAVE O CEGUERA.

Regular tactile passive stimulation increases the lasting activation of a greater number of synaptic connections (neuroplasticity) in posterior cortical areas in subjects with blidness with duration and permanence of the neuroplasticity process. Assuming that the lack of stimulation logically involves a deficit due to the cerebral hypofunctionality; in the case of blind subjects such deficit should be more pronounced in the occipital lobe responsible of human vision. We found, after long period of táctile stimulation, that the occipital lobe was activated while having at the same time a visual "qualia" subjective sensation using transcranial magnetic stimulation occipital lobe inhibition decreases visual response.

[Psychometric properties of the satisfaction with life scale in active elderly women]. / Propiedades psicométricas de la escala de satisfacción con la vida en mujeres mayores activas.

OBJECTIVE: The present study analyzes the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale. METHODS: The sample of 310 active elderly women with primary school education and living in their own homes. The scale's reliability was examined with Cronbach's alpha and the exploratory factor analysis. RESULTS: The reliability show a value of 0.75. Principal components analysis showed a single factor solution accounting for 51.32% of the variance. Item 5 "The conditions of my life are excellent" explained the highest percentage of variance in the data. CONCLUSION: These analyses showed acceptable internal consistency.

Propiedades psicométricas de la escala de satisfacción con la vida en mujeres mayores activas / Psychometric properties of the satisfaction with life scale in active elderly women

Objetivo: El presente estudio analiza las propiedades psicométricas de la versión en castellano de la Escala de Satisfacción con la Vida. Método: Se utilizó una muestra de 310 mujeres mayores activas, con estudios primarios y que viviesen en su domicilio habitual. La fiabilidad de la escala se examinó con el alfa de Cronbach y con un análisis factorial exploratorio. Resultados: La fiabilidad de la escala fue de 0,75. El análisis de componentes principales mostró un único factor que explicaba el 51,32% de la variancia. El ítem 5 «Las circunstancias de mi vida son buenas» es el que explica un mayor porcentaje de variancia de los datos. Conclusión: El análisis de fiabilidad muestra una buena consistencia interna (AU)

Objective: The present study analyzes the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Methods: The sample of 310 active elderly women with primary school education and living in their own homes. The scale's reliability was examined with Cronbach's alpha and the exploratory factor analysis. Results: The reliability show a value of 0.75. Principal components analysis showed a single factor solution accounting for 51.32% of the variance. Item 5 “The conditions of my life are excellent” explained the highest percentage of variance in the data. Conclusión: These analyses showed acceptable internal consistency (AU)

Efectos del tratamiento combinado de fármaco más estimulación cognitiva en la demencia moderada: seguimiento de dos años / Effects of combined pharmacologic and cognitive treatment in the progression of moderate dementia: a two-year follow-up

Objetivos: estudiar la eficacia de un tratamiento combinado (fármaco anticolinesterásico y entrenamiento cognitivo) en los procesos cognitivos de pacientes con demencia moderada después de 2 años de tratamiento. Material y métodos: cincuenta pacientes, 64,0% mujeres, edad media ± desviación estándar de 77,9 ± 6,2 años, diagnosticados de enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) en estadio FAST ≥ 4. Asignación aleatorizada, ciega, a 4 grupos de tratamiento: grupo 1 (n = 12 individuos) recibió estimulación cognitiva; grupo 2 (n = 13), tratamiento farmacológico; grupo 3 (n = 12), tratamiento combinado (fármaco y estimulación cognitiva), y grupo 4 (n = 13), sin tratamiento. La eficacia terapéutica se evaluó, al cabo de uno y 2 años, mediante las escalas Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-Cog) y Functional Staging of Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type (FAST). Se realiza comparación entre los resultados obtenidos en los distintos grupos tras el seguimiento (ANOVA para medidas repetidas), nivel de significación p < 0,05. Resultados: los grupos de tratamiento mostraron cambios significativamente positivos frente al declive del grupo control para todas las escalas estudiadas al cabo de un año (p < 0,0001). El efecto deletéreo del tratamiento al cabo de 2 años es homogéneo en estos grupos, aunque en el grupo 3 (tratamiento combinado) se aprecia una tendencia al enlentecimiento de su deterioro funcional frente al resto (p no significativa). Conclusión: el tratamiento combinado (farmacológico y cognitivo) en la EA en estadio moderado produce efectos beneficiosos durante el primer año del tratamiento y mitiga el deterioro que se produce al segundo año en relación con otras formas de tratamiento

Objectives: to study the efficacy of combined treatment (anticholinesterase drugs and cognitive stimulation) in improving cognitive function in patients with moderate dementia after a 2-year follow-up. Material and methods: fifty patients (64.0% women, mean age 77.9 years [SD 6.2]) diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in functional assessment stage (FAST) ≥ 4 were included. The patients were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups: group 1 (n = 12) received cognitive stimulation; group 2 (n = 13) received drug therapy; group 3 (n = 12) received combined therapy (drug therapy plus cognitive stimulation), and group 4 (n = 13) received no treatment. The evaluator was blind to treatment allocation. Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated after 1 and 2 years through the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-Cog) and FAST. The results obtained in the distinct study groups were compared after follow-up (repeated measures ANOVA). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: at the end of 1 year, the two treatment groups showed significant positive changes compared with cognitive decline in the control group in all the scales studied (p < 0.0001). After 2 years, deterioration was homogeneous in these groups, although group 3 (combined therapy) showed a nonsignificant tendency toward slowing of functional deterioration compared with the remaining groups. Conclusion: combined treatment (pharmacological and cognitive) in moderate-stage AD produces beneficial effects during the first year of treatment and mitigates the deterioration produced in the second year in comparison with other forms of treatment

Quantitative magnetoencephalography of spontaneous brain activity in Alzheimer disease: an exhaustive frequency analysis.

Quantitative magnetoencephalography (qMEG) was used to investigate differences in the 2 to 60 Hz spectral power, between Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and control subjects. Twenty-two AD patients and 21 age-matched control subjects participated in this study. MEG signal analysis comprised the division of the entire 2 to 60 Hz spectrum in 2 Hz-width subbands. Both the relative power and the contribution of each subband to the correct classification of AD patients and controls were calculated. The relative power in 2 bands comprised between 2 to 4 Hz and 16 to 28 Hz was selected by a restrictive multiple-comparison test, among the entire 2 to 60 Hz spectrum. Using 2 to 4 Hz values it is possible to choose a classification rule with an estimate sensitivity and specificity given by 68% and 76% respectively. Alternatively, when 16 to 28 Hz values are used, it is possible to obtain a better classification rule with an estimate sensitivity and specificity given by 81% and 80%, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first electroencephalography or MEG study where a so exhaustive analysis of the magneto-electric spectrum has been performed. This study supports the notion that more attention should be devoted to the study of beta band in AD.

Spatiotemporal brain dynamics during preparatory set shifting: MEG evidence.

Humans can flexibly alter a plan of action to adjust their behavior adaptively in changing environments. Functional neuroimaging has shown distinct patterns of activation across a frontoparietal network responsible for switching and updating such plans of action or 'task sets.' However, little is known about the temporal order of activations within prefrontal or across with posterior regions subserving set-shifting operations. Here, whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) was used to explore the spatiotemporal brain dynamics in a modified version of the Wisconsin card-sorting test (WCST). Our task was designed to examine preparation of set-shifting rather than set-acquisition operations time locked to context-informative cues. Three cortical regions showed a larger number of MEG activity sources in response to shift and relative to nonshift cues: (a) inferior frontal gyrus (IFG; BA 45, 47/12), (b) anterior cingulate cortex (ACC; BA 24, 32), and (c) supramarginal gyrus (SMG; BA 40). Importantly, the timing of MEG activation differed across these regions. The earliest shift-related MEG activations were detected at the IFG (100-300 ms postcue onset), followed by two further peaks at the ACC (200-300 and 400-500 ms) and the SMG (300-400 and 500-600 ms). Several other prefrontal and posterior cortical areas were similarly activated by both shift and nonshift preparatory cues. The resulting temporal pattern of interactions within prefrontal and across with posterior association cortices is coherent with current models of task switching and provides novel information about the temporal course of brain activations responsible for the executive control of attention.