The Effect of Breath Pacing on Task Switching and Working Memory.

The cortical and subcortical circuit regulating both cognition and cardiac autonomic interactions are already well established. This circuit has mainly been analyzed from cortex to heart. Thus, the heart rate variability (HRV) is usually considered a reflection of cortical activity. In this paper, we investigate whether HRV changes affect cortical activity. Short-term local autonomic changes were induced by three breathing strategies: spontaneous (Control), normal (NB) and slow paced breathing (SB). We measured the performance in two cognition domains: executive functions and processing speed. Breathing maneuvres produced three clearly differentiated autonomic states, which preconditioned the cognitive tasks. We found that the SB significantly increased the HRV low frequency (LF) power and lowered the power spectral density (PSD) peak to 0.1[Formula: see text]Hz. Meanwhile, executive function was assessed by the working memory test, whose accuracy significantly improved after SB, with no significant changes in the response times. Processing speed was assessed by a multitasking test. Consistently, the proportion of correct answers (success rate) was the only dependent variable affected by short-term and long-term breath pacing. These findings suggest that accuracy, and not timing of these two cognitive domains would benefit from short-term SB in this study population.

Sífilis ocular como manifestación de neurolues: a propósito de un caso clínico / Ocular syphilis as a manifestation of neurolues: about a clinical case / Sífilis ocular como manifestação de neurolores: sobre um caso clínico

Resume: La sífilis ocular es una forma infrecuente de neurosífilis, que se puede presentar en cualquier estadio de la enfermedad. La presentación clínica puede ser heterogénea, siendo la forma más frecuente la uveítis. El diagnóstico se confirma con serología, debiéndose realizar estudio del líquido cefalorraquídeo para descartar compromiso meníngeo. Su detección y tratamiento precoz permiten la prevención de complicaciones neurológicas como la ceguera irreversible. Presentamos el caso clínico de un paciente que se presenta con panuveítis y diagnóstico serológico de sífilis presentando excelente respuesta al tratamiento instaurado.

Abstract. Ocular syphilis is an uncommon type of neurosyphilis, which can occur at any stage of the disease. The clinical presentation can be heterogeneous, with uveitis being the most frequent form. The diagnosis is confirmed with serology and a study of the cerebrospinal fluid should be performed to rule out meningeal involvement. Its diagnosis and early treatment allow the prevention of neurological complications such as irreversible blindness. We present a clinical case of a patient who presents with panuveitis and serological diagnosis of syphilis presenting an excellent response to treatment.

Resumo: A sífilis ocular é uma apresentação atípica do neurosífilis, que pode ocorrer em qualquer estágio da doença. A apresentação clínica pode ser heterogênea, sendo a uveíte a forma mais frequente. O diagnóstico é confirmado com sorologia e um estudo do líquido cefalorraquidiano deve ser realizado para descartar o compromisso meníngeo. Seu diagnóstico e tratamento precoce permitem prevenir complicações neurológicas como cegueira irreversível. Apresentamos um caso clínico de um paciente com panuveíte e diagnóstico sorológico de sífilis e excelente resposta ao tratamento.