Esgotamento fí­sico dos profissionais de enfermagem no combate da COVID-19 / Physical exhaustion of nursing professionals in the COVID-19 combat

Objetivo: Averiguar os fatores associados ao esgotamento físico dos profissionais de enfermagem no combate da COVID-19. Método: Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa. Realizou-se a busca por artigos; com delimitação nos últimos 5 anos; nos idiomas português, inglês e espanhol; disponíveis na íntegra. Nas seguintes plataformas de dados: BDENF; LILACS; MEDLINE/BVS; PUBMED; Science Direct e na SciELO. Resultados: Os dados foram organizados e apresentados em figuras e tabelas. Dos 76 estudos encontrados, 2 estava disponível na BDENF; 2 na LILACS; 3 na MEDLINE/BVS; 5 na PUBMED; 61 na Science Direct e 3 na SciELO; contudo, após a leitura permaneceram apenas os que atendiam aos critérios para inclusão e exclusão descritos na metodologia, 8 estudos. Conclusão: A revisão elaborada proporcionou a identificação dos fatores associados ao esgotamento físico e psicológico dos profissionais de enfermagem ao combate da COVID-19; e frequentemente relacionados a sintomas de depressão, ansiedade, insônia e angústia.(AU)

Objective: To investigate the factors associated with the physical exhaustion of nursing professionals in the fight against COVID-19. Method: This is an integrative review. The search for articles was carried out; with delimitation in the last 5 years; in Portuguese, English and Spanish; available in full. On the following data platforms: BDENF; LILACS; MEDLINE/VHL; PUBMED; Science Direct and SciELO. Results: The data were organized and presented in figures and tables. Of the 76 studies found, 2 were available from BDENF; 2 at LILACS; 3 at MEDLINE/VHL; 5 at PUBMED; 61 at Science Direct and 3 at SciELO; however, after reading, only those that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria described in the methodology remained, 8 studies. Conclusion: The elaborated review provided the identification of factors associated with the physical and psychological exhaustion of nursing professionals to combat COVID-19; and often related to symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia and distress.(AU)

Objetivo: Investigar los factores asociados al agotamiento físico de los profesionales de enfermería en la lucha contra el COVID-19. Método: Esta es una revisión integradora. Se realizó la búsqueda de artículos; con delimitación en los últimos 5 años; en portugués, inglés y español; disponible en su totalidad. En las siguientes plataformas de datos: BDENF; LILACS; MEDLINE/VHL; PUBMED; Science Direct y SciELO. Resultados: Los datos fueron organizados y presentados en figuras y tablas. De los 76 estudios encontrados, 2 estaban disponibles en BDENF; 2 en LILACS; 3 en MEDLINE/VHL; 5 en PUBMED; 61 en Science Direct y 3 en SciELO; sin embargo, después de la lectura, solo quedaron aquellos que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión y exclusión descritos en la metodología, 8 estudios. Conclusión: La revisión elaborada proporcionó la identificación de factores asociados al agotamiento físico y psicológico de los profesionales de enfermería para combatir el COVID-19; ya menudo se relaciona con síntomas de depresión, ansiedad, insomnio y angustia.(AU)

Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Recent open-label trials show that psychedelics, such as ayahuasca, hold promise as fast-onset antidepressants in treatment-resistant depression. METHODS: To test the antidepressant effects of ayahuasca, we conducted a parallel-arm, double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial in 29 patients with treatment-resistant depression. Patients received a single dose of either ayahuasca or placebo. We assessed changes in depression severity with the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating scale at baseline, and at 1 (D1), 2 (D2), and 7 (D7) days after dosing. RESULTS: We observed significant antidepressant effects of ayahuasca when compared with placebo at all-time points. MADRS scores were significantly lower in the ayahuasca group compared with placebo at D1 and D2 (p = 0.04), and at D7 (p < 0.0001). Between-group effect sizes increased from D1 to D7 (D1: Cohen's d = 0.84; D2: Cohen's d = 0.84; D7: Cohen's d = 1.49). Response rates were high for both groups at D1 and D2, and significantly higher in the ayahuasca group at D7 (64% v. 27%; p = 0.04). Remission rate showed a trend toward significance at D7 (36% v. 7%, p = 0.054). CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first controlled trial to test a psychedelic substance in treatment-resistant depression. Overall, this study brings new evidence supporting the safety and therapeutic value of ayahuasca, dosed within an appropriate setting, to help treat depression. This study is registered at http://clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02914769).

There is more to the picture than meets the rat: a study on rodent geometric shape and proportion preferences.

In rodents, the novel object preference test has been used as a behavioral parameter for evaluation of neotic exploratory behavior, and also for memory consolidation tasks. Geometric patterns of this preference are poorly understood, and may vary among species. We evaluated in Wistar rats (Rattus norvergicus) a possible exploration preference considering aluminum tripartite rounded and cylindrical objects of different proportions: 1.2; 1.618; 1.8. At the first day, animals were exposed to 1.2; 1.6 and 1.8 rounded objects. At 24h after, these animals were exposed to the same objects, together with three new steel cylindrical objects (same proportions). ANOVA and T tests were used to quantify object exploration for each animal (p<0.05). Data analysis pointed to a longer exploration time of the object 1.2 at the three different protocols indicating a preference pattern on the first day exposition. On the second day the exploration was similar in both familiar and unfamiliar objects, revealing no novel object preference for cylinders. However, we found an object preference related to the 1.2 proportion (balls plus cylinders), in two of three position protocols. In addition, on a single exposition with both cylinders and rounded objects, rats revealed a rounded object preference. The 1.2 preference disclosed by rats also reflected the proportion of their body. From nine main measures of body ratios, seven were close to 1.2 ratio. The correspondence between body ratios and object preference may be explained by habituation learning and by sexual selection, and highlight innate factors regarding aesthetic preferences among species.

Combining spatial and temporal expectations to improve visual perception.

The importance of temporal expectations in modulating perceptual functions is increasingly recognized. However, the means through which temporal expectations can bias perceptual information processing remains ill understood. Recent theories propose that modulatory effects of temporal expectations rely on the co-existence of other biases based on receptive-field properties, such as spatial location. We tested whether perceptual benefits of temporal expectations in a perceptually demanding psychophysical task depended on the presence of spatial expectations. Foveally presented symbolic arrow cues indicated simultaneously where (location) and when (time) target events were more likely to occur. The direction of the arrow indicated target location (80% validity), while its color (pink or blue) indicated the interval (80% validity) for target appearance. Our results confirmed a strong synergistic interaction between temporal and spatial expectations in enhancing visual discrimination. Temporal expectation significantly boosted the effectiveness of spatial expectation in sharpening perception. However, benefits for temporal expectation disappeared when targets occurred at unattended locations. Our findings suggest that anticipated receptive-field properties of targets provide a natural template upon which temporal expectations can operate in order to help prioritize goal-relevant events from early perceptual stages.