[Interindividual variability in patients with visuospatial neglect: a retrospective study]. / Variabilidad interindividual en pacientes con heminegligencia visuoespacial: estudio retrospectivo.

INTRODUCTION: Patients who have suffered a stroke may present with visuospatial neglect (VSN). In clinical practice, different degrees of impairment can be observed among patients with VSN; however, there is no consensus regarding the criteria and tests used to determine them. AIM: This study aims to classify patients with VSH based on their level of impairment and to study their response to computerized cognitive training. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 34 patients (19 men and 15 women) with a mean age of 47.59 ± 8.39 years. All patients underwent a neuropsychological exploration protocol composed of specific tests that assess visuospatial attention and others to evaluate multiple cognitive domains. All participants underwent computerized cognitive training consisting of 15 one-hour sessions. RESULTS: A cluster analysis was performed that divided the sample into three groups: group 1: mildly affected VSN (n = 17), group 2: moderately affected VSN (n = 11), and group 3: severely affected VSN (n = 6). Statistically significant differences were found in all tests of the visuospatial attention protocol, both in the pre-treatment and post-treatment evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: There are different levels of impairment among patients with VSN, differences that persist after applying computerized cognitive training. These results suggest that the evolution of VSN follows a homogeneous pattern linked to the initial level of impairment. These findings, although preliminary, may be relevant to neurorehabilitation professionals.

TITLE: Variabilidad interindividual en pacientes con heminegligencia visuoespacial: estudio retrospectivo.Introducción. Los pacientes que han sufrido un ictus pueden presentar heminegligencia visuoespacial (HVE). En la práctica clínica es posible observar diferentes grados de afectación entre los pacientes con HVE; sin embargo, no existe consenso respecto a los criterios y pruebas utilizadas para determinarlos. Objetivo. Este estudio tiene como objetivo clasificar a los pacientes que presentan HVE en función de su nivel de afectación y estudiar su respuesta a un entrenamiento cognitivo computarizado. Pacientes y métodos. La muestra estaba formada por 34 pacientes (19 hombres y 15 mujeres) con una edad media de 47,59 ± 8,39 años. A todos los pacientes se les administró un protocolo de exploración neuropsicológico compuesto por pruebas específicas que evalúan la atención visuoespacial y otro para evaluar múltiples dominios cognitivos. Todos los participantes realizaron un entrenamiento cognitivo computarizado consistente en 15 sesiones de una hora de duración. Resultados. Se realizó un análisis de conglomerados que dividió la muestra en tres grupos: grupo 1, HVE con afectación leve (n = 17); grupo 2, HVE con afectación moderada (n = 11); y grupo 3, HVE con afectación grave (n = 6). Se obtuvieron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en todas las pruebas del protocolo de atención visuoespacial, tanto en la evaluación pretratamiento como en la postratamiento. Conclusiones. Existen diferentes niveles de afectación entre los pacientes con HVE, diferencias que se mantienen después de aplicar un entrenamiento cognitivo computarizado. Estos resultados sugieren que la evolución de la HVE sigue un patrón homogéneo vinculado al nivel de afectación inicial. Estos hallazgos, aunque preliminares, pueden ser relevantes para los profesionales de la neurorrehabilitación.

Genomic tools for early selection among Thoroughbreds and Polo Argentino horses for practicing polo.

The Polo Argentino (PA) horse is a recognized breed, developed originally by mixing crossbred and Thoroughbred (TB) horses to play polo. Early PA selection is difficult due to unreliable performance estimations. This study investigated the usefulness of genomic markers previously linked to morphological and functional traits as a tool for the early selection of PA. To this, we genotyped 520 PA and 30 TB horses using the Equine GGPArray (Illumina, n = 71,778 SNPs). Analyses included a genetic characterization of six genetic markers associated with behavioral (DRD4), muscular development (MSTN), and body size (LCORL, HMGA6, ZFAT, and LASP1) genes. Genetic differences in the DRD4, MSTN, and LCORL SNP were found between the two breeds, in the last two FST index between breeds was 0.13 and 0.6, respectively (p < 0.01). In DRD4, G allele was the more prevalent in PA (0.56 vs 0.45 in TB, p < 0.05), but no differences were observed between the genotypes associated with phenotypes. In MSTN, heterozygous genotypes were the most common in PA (48 %), with a significant decrease in AA (Hardy-Weinberg p < 0.05), suggesting a negative selection against it in polo horses. In body size, HMGA2 was monomorphic in all horses, while ZFAT and LASP1 SNP showed higher variability. Interestingly, 99 % of PA showed a TT genotype in LCORL (only 66 % in TB), demonstrating selection for smaller horses. Our results suggest that empirical selection in PA has generated an incipient genomic differentiation in discrete traits which could be used as a marker-assisted selection tool for early selection of polo horses.

[Chronology of Justo Gonzalo's research on brain dynamics]. / Cronología de la investigación sobre la dinámica cerebral de Justo Gonzalo.

INTRODUCTION: The Spanish neuroscientist Justo Gonzalo y Rodriguez-Leal (1910-1986) investigated the functional organisation of the cerebral cortex over more than four decades. His findings led him to formulate a neurophysiological theory based on the laws of nervous excitability, which he called brain dynamics. This paper presents in chronological order how the main ideas on which it is based arose. DEVELOPMENT: In 1939, Gonzalo observed the phenomena of dynamic action: asynchrony or disaggregation, facilitation and cerebral repercussion. This was followed by two principles: the cerebral effect of lesions according to their magnitude and position (1941), and spiral development of the sensory field (1947). At the same time, he characterised what he called the central syndrome of the cerebral cortex. In the 1950s he developed the concepts of the cortical gradient, similarity and allometry. In contrast to modular conceptions of the cerebral cortex, in which one region is responsible for one function, Gonzalo argued that 'cortical gradients provide the location of systems, while similarity and allometry reveal their functional mechanism.' CONCLUSIONS: The theory of brain dynamics was established in two stages. The first (between 1938 and 1950) had an important clinical foundation, involving the observation of new phenomena and the formulation of new concepts. The second (between 1950 and 1960) included the introduction of more far-reaching concepts, such as the functional cortical gradient, and allometry laws based on a change of scale. Today, various authors believe that the concept of the gradient is crucial for understanding how the brain is organised.

TITLE: Cronología de la investigación sobre la dinámica cerebral de Justo Gonzalo.Introducción. El neurocientífico español Justo Gonzalo y Rodríguez-Leal (1910-1986) investiga la organización funcional de la corteza cerebral durante más de cuatro décadas. Sus hallazgos le llevan a formular una teoría neurofisiológica basada en las leyes de la excitabilidad nerviosa, que denomina dinámica cerebral. En el presente trabajo se expone de forma cronológica cómo surgen las principales ideas sobre las que se articula.Desarrollo. En 1939 Gonzalo observa los denominados fenómenos de acción dinámica: desfasamiento, facilitación y repercusión cerebral. Le siguen dos principios: efecto cerebral de la lesión según la magnitud y posición (1941), y organización sensorial, según un desarrollo espiral (1947). Paralelamente, caracteriza lo que llama el síndrome central de la corteza cerebral. En la década de los cincuenta desarrolla los conceptos de gradiente cortical, similitud y alometría. En contraposición a las concepciones modulares de la corteza cerebral, en las que una región es responsable de una función, Gonzalo expresa que 'los gradientes corticales dan la localización de los sistemas mientras la similitud y alometría revelan su trama funcional'. Conclusiones. La teoría de dinámica cerebral se articula en dos etapas. La primera (de 1938 a 1950) se caracteriza por una importante base clínica con observación de nuevos fenómenos y formulación de nuevos conceptos. La segunda (de 1950 a 1960) incluye la introducción de conceptos de mayor alcance, como el gradiente funcional cortical, y leyes de alometría que se basan en un cambio de escala. Actualmente, varios autores consideran que el concepto de gradiente es clave para entender la organización cerebral.

Neuropsychological performance and disease burden in individuals at risk of developing Huntington disease.

INTRODUCTION: Huntington disease (HD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder. Thanks to predictive diagnosis, incipient clinical characteristics have been described in the prodromal phase. OBJECTIVE: To compare performance in cognitive tasks of carriers (HDC) and non-carriers (non-HDC) of the huntingtin gene and to analyse the variability in performance as a function of disease burden and proximity to the manifest stage (age of symptom onset). METHOD: A sample of 146 participants in a predictive diagnosis of HD programme were divided into the HDC (41.1%) and non-HDC groups (58.9%). Mathematical formulae were used to calculate disease burden and proximity to the manifest stage in the HDC group; these parameters were correlated with neuropsychological performance. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed between groups in performance on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Stroop-B, Symbol-Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), and phonological fluency. In the HDC group, correlations were observed between disease burden and performance on the MMSE, Stroop-B, and SDMT. The group of patients close to the manifest stage scored lowest on the MMSE, Stroop-B, Stroop-C, SDMT, and semantic verbal fluency. According to the multivariate analysis of covariance, the MMSE effect shows statistically significant differences in disease burden and proximity to onset of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Members of the HDC group close to the manifest phase performed more poorly on tests assessing information processing speed and attention. Prefrontal cognitive dysfunction appears early, several years before the motor diagnosis of HD.

High frequency of endoluminal thrombus in patients with ischaemic stroke following AARS-CoV-2 infection.

BACKGROUND: Ischaemic stroke may be a major complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Studying and characterising the different aetiological subtypes, clinical characteristics, and functional outcomes may be valuable in guiding patient selection for optimal management and treatment. METHODS: Data were collected retrospectively on consecutive patients with COVID-19 who developed acute focal brain ischaemia (between 1 March and 19 April 2020) at a tertiary university hospital in Madrid (Spain). RESULTS: During the study period, 1594 patients were diagnosed with COVID-19. We found 22 patients with ischaemic stroke (1.38%), 6 of whom did not meet the inclusion criteria. The remaining 16 patients were included in the study (15 cases of ischaemic stroke and one case of transient ischaemic attack). Median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 9 (interquartile range: 16), and mean (standard deviation) age was 73 years (12.8). Twelve patients (75%) were men. Mean time from COVID-19 symptom onset to stroke onset was 13 days. Large vessel occlusion was identified in 12 patients (75%). We detected elevated levels of D-dimer in 87.5% of patients and C-reactive protein in 81.2%. The main aetiology was atherothrombotic stroke (9 patients, 56.3%), with the predominant subtype being endoluminal thrombus (5 patients, 31.2%), involving the internal carotid artery in 4 cases and the aortic arch in one. The mortality rate in our series was 44% (7 of 16 patients). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with COVID-19, the most frequent stroke aetiology was atherothrombosis, with a high proportion of endoluminal thrombus (31.2% of patients). Our clinical and laboratory data support COVID-19-associated coagulopathy as a relevant pathophysiological mechanism for ischaemic stroke in these patients.

Transmission ratio distortion detection by neutral genetic markers in the Pura Raza Española horse breed.

Transmission Ratio Distortion (TRD) is a genetic phenomenon widely demonstrated in several livestock species, but barely in equine species. The TRD occurs when certain genotypes are over- or under-represented in the offspring of a particular mating and can be caused by a variety of factors during gamete formation or during embryonic development. For this study, 126 394 trios consisting of a stallion, mare, and offspring were genotyped using a panel of 17 neutral microsatellite markers recommended by the International Society for Animal Genetics for paternity tests and individual identification. The number of alleles available for each marker ranges from 13 to 18, been 268 the total number of alleles investigated. The TRDscan v.2.0 software was used with the biallelic procedure to identify regions with distorted segregation ratios. After completing the analysis, a total of 12 alleles (out of 11 microsatellites) were identified with decisive evidence for genotypic TRD; 3 and 9 with additive and heterosis patterns, respectively. In addition, 19 alleles (out of 10 microsatellites) were identified displaying allelic TRD. Among them, 14 and 5 were parent-unspecific and stallion-mare-specific TRD. Out of the TRD regions, 24 genes were identified and annotated, predominantly associated with cholesterol metabolism and homeostasis. These genes are often linked to non-specific symptoms like impaired fertility, stunted growth, and compromised overall health. The results suggest a significant impact on the inheritance of certain genetic traits in horses. Further analysis and validation are needed to better understand the TRD impact before the potential implementation in the horse breeding programme strategies.

Valorization of wipe wastes for the synthesis of microporous carbons and their application in CO2 capture, gas separation and H2-storage.

Wipe wastes have been used as a cellulosic source to synthesize biochars. Prior to the synthesis of the adsorbents by the pyrolysis of wipes wastes, this waste was treated to remove the pathogenic agents. Then, the wipe wastes were pyrolyzed between 500 and 900 °C to obtain biochars, whose microporosity increased proportionally to the pyrolysis temperature, achieving a maximum CO2-adsorption uptake of 2.53 mmol/g at a pressure of 760 mm of Hg and 25 °C for the biochar pyrolized at 900 °C. The synthesized biochars are also highly selective towards CO2-adsorption in CO2/N2 or CO2/H2 mixtures. Hence, these adsorbents have shown a great potential to be used in flue gas treatment and H2-purification processes. Biochar treatment with KOH further improves microporosity due to chemical activation although the addition of a large amount of KOH leads to excessive microporosity causing a collapse in the pore structure and decreasing CO2-adsorption capacity.

Sun exposure practices, attitudes and knowledge among students and teachers at a University School of Health Sciences in Ecuador.

Skin cancer incidence is increasing worldwide. Late adolescence and young adulthood are fundamental stages of life to acquire good sun exposure practices, regarding both personal involvement in skin cancer prevention and being a role model for others, especially in a health education environment. This descriptive cross-sectional study is based on the validated CHACES questionnaire to study sun exposure and photoprotection behavior among students and teachers at the School of Health Sciences in the National University of Chimborazo, Riobamba (Ecuador). University members (814 students (89.8 %) and 93 teachers (10.2 %)) were studied, with a predominance of females and light-skin phototypes in both groups. Similar results were obtained regarding sun exposure, with higher recreative exposure in the teachers' group and higher occupational exposure in students. However, students significantly showed lower avoiding midday sun (41.9 % vs 60.9 %), and lower use of sunglasses (10.1 % vs. 41.6 %). Attitudes towards the sun and photoprotection knowledge issues were also equivalent between students and teachers (6.1/10 vs 6.2/10). Students' sunburn rate last year reaches 88.4 % and 52.7 % in teachers (p < 0.001). Using a multivariable logistic regression model, we identified risk factors associated with a greater risk of sunburn in our population. This study highlights areas to be improved regarding knowledge, attitudes and, especially, practices of photoprotection, among students and teachers at the University of Chimborazo. These results point out that awareness-raising campaigns should be implemented to reduce sunburns, morbidity and mortality of skin cancer in this environment.

Survival analysis of productive life in Florida dairy goats using a Cox proportional hazards model.

Longevity is an economically important trait, since extending the functional life of a doe would allow us to keep the most productive females in the herd as long as possible, and this could result in the increased profitability of dairy farms. Thus, the objectives of this study were to determine the most important factors that influence the length of productive life (LPL) of female Florida goats and to estimate its genetic additive variance using a Cox proportional hazards model. The data consisted of 70,695 productive life records from 25,722 Florida females kidding between 2006 and 2020. A total of 19,495 does had completed their productive life while 6227 (24.2%) does had censored information. The pedigree contained information on 56,901 animals. The average censoring age and average failure age after first kidding for LPL were 36 and 47 months respectively. The model included, as time-independent effects, the age at first kidding and the interaction between herd, year and season of birth of the doe, and as time-dependent effects, the age at kidding, the interaction between herd, year and season of kidding, the within-herd class of milk production deviation, and the interaction between the lactation number and the stage of lactation. All fixed effects had a significant effect on LPL (p < 0.05). Does with older ages at the first kidding and an earlier age at kidding were at higher risk of being culled. A large difference among herds was observed in terms of culling risk, which highlighted the importance of adequate management practices. Also, high-producing does were less likely to be culled. The estimate of the additive genetic variance was 1.844 (in genetic standard deviation), with a heritability estimate of 0.58 ± 0.012. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the development of a genetic model for genetic evaluation of the length of the productive life of Spanish dairy goat breeds.

[Rediscovering patient M: Justo Gonzalo Rodriguez-Leal and his theory of the dynamic mind]. / Redescubriendo al paciente M: Justo Gonzalo Rodríguez-Leal y su teoría de la dinámica cerebral

INTRODUCTION: During the Spanish Civil War, Justo Gonzalo Rodriguez-Leal visited patient M at the Military Healthcare Hospital in Godella (Valencia). This meeting marked the beginning of a long relationship between the two, which gave Justo Gonzalo the opportunity to study the functional organisation of the brain and to develop an original conception of neurophysiology based on the laws of nervous excitability. The aim of this work is to rediscover patient M and the physiological interpretation of Gonzalo's brain dynamics. DEVELOPMENT: Taking patient M as the cornerstone, Gonzalo postulated that the effect of a cortical lesion depends on its magnitude and position: the magnitude conditions the intensity of the disorder, whereas the position determines the type of disorder. Between 1945 and 1950 he developed these and other hypotheses in depth, based on clinical observations, in his work Dinamica cerebral. La actividad cerebral en funcion de las condiciones dinamicas de la excitabilidad nerviosa (Vol. 1, 1945; Vol. 2, 1950). From 1952 onwards he provided an expanded version of his theory of brain dynamics, basing it not only on physiological concepts, but also on the idea of brain gradients, and introducing the concepts of similarity and allometry of dynamic systems. CONCLUSIONS: For centuries, knowledge about the functional organisation of the brain has been based on single case studies. Patient M is a further example of this tradition that helps to establish the basis of the theory of brain dynamics developed by Justo Gonzalo.

TITLE: Redescubriendo al paciente M: Justo Gonzalo Rodríguez-Leal y su teoría de la dinámica cerebral.Introducción. En el transcurso de la Guerra Civil española, Justo Gonzalo Rodríguez-Leal visita al paciente M en el Hospital de Sanidad Militar de Godella (Valencia). Este encuentro marca el inicio de una larga relación entre ambos, que brinda a Justo Gonzalo la oportunidad de estudiar la organización funcional cerebral y articular una original concepción de la neurofisiología basada en las leyes de la excitabilidad nerviosa. El objetivo de este trabajo es redescubrir al paciente M y la interpretación fisiológica de la dinámica cerebral de Gonzalo. Desarrollo. Tomando como piedra angular al paciente M, Gonzalo postula que el efecto de una lesión cortical depende de su magnitud y posición: la magnitud condiciona la intensidad del trastorno; la posición, el tipo de trastorno. Entre 1945 y 1950 desarrolla en profundidad estas y otras hipótesis, basadas en observaciones clínicas, en la obra Dinámica cerebral, La actividad cerebral en función de las condiciones dinámicas de la excitabilidad nerviosa (Vol. 1, 1945; Vol. 2, 1950). A partir de 1952 proporciona una versión ampliada de su teoría sobre dinámica cerebral, fundamentándola no sólo en conceptos fisiológicos, sino también en la idea de gradientes cerebrales, e introduciendo los conceptos de similitud y alometría de los sistemas dinámicos. Conclusiones. Durante siglos, el conocimiento sobre la organización funcional del cerebro se ha asentado en el estudio de casos únicos. El paciente M constituye un ejemplo más de esta tradición, ayudando a establecer las bases de la teoría de dinámica cerebral desarrollada por Justo Gonzalo.

[Translated article] Efficacy and marginal cost of treatment with tocilizumab in COVID-19 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the marginal cost and survival of patients treated with tocilizumab in a university hospital under real-life conditions and to evaluate factors that could influence costs and health outcomes will be evaluated. METHODS: Observational, single-center, retrospective study of a cohort of adult patients infected with SARS-COV2 treated with tocilizumab. The 1 year restricted mean survival time was analyzed in life-years gained (LYG). The influence of sex, age and severity on patient survival was evaluated. The marginal cost/LYG and marginal cost/survivor ratios were calculated. RESULTS: 508 patients (66 ±â€¯13 years; 32% women) were included. Seventeen percent were admitted to the ICU. Overall survival was 77%. Age older than 71.5 years (HR = 1.08; 95% CI 1.07-1.10; p < 0.001) and ICU admission at initiation of treatment (HR = 2.01; 95% CI 1.30-3.09; p = 0.002) were identified as risk factors. The total budgetary impact of tocilizumab in the period analyzed was 206,466 euros. The patients with the highest cost per unit of health outcome were those admitted to the ICU and those over 71.5 years, with a marginal cost/LYG of €966 and a marginal cost/survivor of €1136. CONCLUSION: The efficiency of treatment with tocilizumab is associated with the age and severity of the patients. The figures are lower in all subgroups than the thresholds usually used in cost-effectiveness evaluations. The results of the present study suggest that early first dose of tocilizumab is an efficient strategy.

[Bibliographic review of the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma treatment in lumbar disc herniation]. / Revisión bibliográfica de la eficacia del tratamiento con plasma rico en plaquetas en hernia de disco lumbar.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous blood product containing growth factors and proteins, widely employed in the clinical setting for tissue repair. Robust evidence in basic science literature has facilitated clinical research involving PRP for patients with disc disease and lumbar pain. Degenerative disc disease (DDD) has been identified as a significant contributor to lower back pain, with approximately 40% of patients under 30 and 90% of those over 50 experiencing lumbar pain showing MRI findings consistent with degenerative changes in intervertebral discs. Regenerative medicine within the disc has primarily been studied in patients with chronic, untreatable lumbar pain. Objective: to understand the available evidence regarding the efficacy of PRP in lumbar disc herniation. By understanding the scientific evidence supporting PRP as a lumbar disc herniation treatment, a research project can be developed, providing the theoretical foundation for implementing this therapy in the Mexican population. A search was conducted using PUBMED, ClinicalKey (Elsevier), Medscape, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases. Conclusions: despite promising results in several studies on intradiscal PRP injection, small sample sizes and non-standardized graft preparation procedures have hindered these research efforts.

El plasma rico en plaquetas (PRP) es un producto sanguíneo autólogo que contiene factores de crecimiento y proteínas y se ha utilizado en todo el entorno clínico para la reparación de tejidos. La fuerte evidencia en la literatura de ciencias básicas ha permitido la investigación clínica que involucra PRP para pacientes con enfermedad del disco y dolor lumbar. La enfermedad degenerativa del disco (DDD) se ha establecido como un importante contribuyente a la causa del dolor lumbar: aproximadamente el 40% de los pacientes menores de 30 años y el 90% de los pacientes mayores de 50 años que tienen dolor lumbar también muestran hallazgos de imágenes de resonancia magnética (IRM) que son consistentes con cambios degenerativos dentro de los discos intervertebrales. La medicina regenerativa intradiscal se ha estudiado principalmente en pacientes con dolor lumbar crónico intratable. Objetivo: conocer la evidencia disponible sobre la eficacia del PRP en hernias de disco lumbar. Al conocer la evidencia científica disponible del PRP como tratamiento de hernia discal lumbar se podrá desarrollar un proyecto de investigación, lo cual sustentará las bases teóricas para realizar esta terapia en la población mexicana. Se realizó búsqueda en base de datos PUBMED, ClinicalKey (Elsevier), Medscape, Science Direct, Google Scholar. Conclusiones: aunque varias investigaciones han arrojado resultados prometedores con respecto a la inyección intradiscal de PRP los tamaños de muestra pequeños y los procedimientos de preparación de injertos no estandarizados obstaculizaron estos esfuerzos de investigación.

[Predictors of the duration of post-traumatic amnesia following traumatic brain injury]. / Variables predictoras de la duración de la amnesia postraumática tras un traumatismo craneoencefálico.

INTRODUCTION: The duration of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) helps estimate the level of recovery following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Yet, little information is available about which sociodemographic and clinical variables influence its duration. This study aims to identify them and create a predictive model that makes it possible to estimate the time it takes for a patient to emerge from PTA. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 40 adult patients with PTA admitted to a neurorehabilitation centre. A total of 89.7% had suffered a severe TBI, whereas the remaining 10.3% had had a moderate TBI. Cognitive status was assessed using the Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test (GOAT) - a scale for determining at what point a patient can be considered to be emerging from PTA. RESULTS: A regression equation was found (F = 8.511; p < 0.001; R2 = 0.415), in which the following variables (ranked in order of importance) explained 41.5% of the variability observed in the duration of PTA: a) GOAT administered on arrival at the neurorehabilitation centre; b) years of formal education of the patient; and c) days with PTA prior to admission to the neurorehabilitation centre. The equation derived was as follows: 104.284 + (-0.708 x GOAT-initial) + (-4.124 x years formal education) + (0.219 x hospital acute-APT). CONCLUSIONS: The time it takes for a patient to emerge from PTA is conditioned by the score obtained in the first GOAT administered on admission to the neurorehabilitation centre, their level of education, and the number of days elapsed with PTA between occurrence of the TBI and admission to the neurorehabilitation centre.

TITLE: Variables predictoras de la duración de la amnesia postraumática tras un traumatismo craneoencefálico.Introducción. La duración de la amnesia postraumática (APT) ayuda a estimar el nivel de recuperación tras un traumatismo craneoencefálico (TCE). Sin embargo, apenas se dispone de información sobre qué variables sociodemográficas y clínicas influyen en su duración. Este estudio pretende identificarlas y crear un modelo predictivo que permita estimar el tiempo que un paciente tarda en emerger de la APT. Pacientes y métodos. La muestra estaba formada por 40 pacientes adultos en APT ingresados en un centro neurorrehabilitador. El 89,7% había sufrido un TCE grave; el 10,3% restante, un TCE moderado. Su estado cognitivo se valoró mediante el Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test (GOAT) ­escala que permite determinar en qué momento se puede considerar que un paciente emerge de la APT­. Resultados. Se encontró una ecuación de regresión (F = 8,511; p menor de 0,001; R2 = 0,415), en la que las siguientes variables (clasificadas por su orden de importancia) explicaron el 41,5% de la variabilidad observada en la duración de la APT: a) GOAT administrado a la llegada al centro neurorrehabilitador; b) años de formación reglada del paciente; y c) días que estuvo en APT antes de ingresar en el centro neurorrehabilitador. La ecuación de regresión derivada fue la siguiente: 104,284 + (­0,708 × GOAT-inicial) + (­4,124 × años formación reglada) + (0,219 × APT-hospital agudos). Conclusiones. El tiempo que un paciente tarda en emerger de la APT está condicionado por la puntuación que obtiene en el primer GOAT administrado al ingresar en el centro neurorrehabilitador, el nivel de estudios, y los días que permanece en APT entre el momento del TCE y el ingreso en el centro neurorrehabilitador.

Rehabilitation of social cognition impairment after traumatic brain injury: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Many studies have described the presence of difficulty processing and generating social behaviour in patients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI). These difficulties in social cognition (SC) deteriorate personal relationships in the family, at work, or in the community. However, therapeutic programmes aiming to improve SC continue to be an outstanding issue in clinical practice. We performed a systematic review of the existing literature on the recovery of SC in patients with TBI, assessing the methodological quality of the included studies and the therapeutic effectiveness of the rehabilitation strategies used. DEVELOPMENT: We performed a bibliographic search of papers published before June 2018 in the Medline/PubMed, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases. Of the 198 potentially relevant articles, 10 met our eligibility criteria. Two of the authors independently and blindly assessed the methodological quality of these studies using the PEDro scale. CONCLUSIONS: The articles included in this systematic review essentially studied the effect of different interventions aimed at the rehabilitation of SC in patients with chronic TBIs. The analysis showed adequate methodological quality and an acceptable level of evidence. Future research should analyse the effect of these interventions in patients with TBIs in the sub- and post-acute phases.

Psychological discomfort in carriers and non-carriers of the Huntington disease mutation and its relationship with disease burden.

INTRODUCTION: Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative and hereditary disorder. Due to the predictive diagnosis, incipient clinical characteristics have been described in the prodromal phase. Several studies have reported an increase in psychiatric symptoms in carriers of the HD gene without motor symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To identify psychological distress in carriers of the mutation that causes HD, without motor symptoms, utilizing the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90), and to correlate with the burden and proximity of the disease. METHOD: A sample of 175 participants in a HD Predictive Diagnostic Program (PDP-HD) was divided into HEP carriers (39.4%) and NPEH non-carriers (61.6%) of the HD-causing mutation. By means of mathematical formulas, the disease burden and proximity to the manifest stage in the PEH group were obtained and it was correlated with the results of the SCL-90-R. RESULTS: Comparing the results obtained in the SCL-90-R of the PEH and NPEH, the difference is observed in the positive somatic male index, where the PEH obtains higher average scores. The correlations between disease burden and psychological distress occur in the domains; obsessions and compulsions, interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, global severity index and positive somatic distress index. A low correlation is observed between the burden of disease and the scores obtained in psychological discomfort. CONCLUSIONS: In general, we found that the PEH group obtained a higher score in the dimensions evaluated with the SCL-90-R, showing a relationship with the burden and differences due to the proximity of the disease. Higher scores on the SCL-90-R dimensions in carriers of the HD gene may suggest an early finding of psychological symptoms in the disease.

Neuropsychological rehabilitation for post-COVID-19 syndrome: results of a clinical programme and six-month follow up.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome may present cognitive and emotional symptomatology. This study aims to analyse the results of an outpatient neuropsychological intervention programme for post-COVID-19 syndrome. METHOD: In June 2020 Institut Guttmann started an outpatient post-COVID-19 neurorehabilitation programme, including respiratory therapy, physiotherapy, and neuropsychological rehabilitation. Before and after the programme, the cognitive-emotional state of all participants is assessed. Six months after treatment, a follow-up assessment is administered (which includes a collection of information on various aspects of daily life). RESULTS: The sample analysed consisted of 123 patients (mean age: 51 years, SD: 12.41). Seventy-four per cent (n = 91) had cognitive impairment and underwent cognitive treatment (experimental group); the remaining 26% (n = 32) constituted the control group. After the intervention, the experimental group improved in working memory, verbal memory (learning, recall and recognition), verbal fluency and anxious-depressive symptomatology. The control group showed changes in immediate memory, verbal memory (learning and recognition) and depressive symptomatology, although the effect size in the latter two was smaller than in the experimental group. Six months after treatment, 44.9% of the patients were unable to perform their pre-COVID-19 work activity, and 81.2% reported difficulties in their activities of daily living. CONCLUSIONS: Neuropsychological rehabilitation is an effective tool to treat the cognitive-emotional deficits present in post-COVID-19 syndrome. However, months after the end of treatment, not all patients recover their pre-COVID-19 functional level.

The effect of AgNPS bio-functionalization on the cytotoxicity of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

This work used Sedum praealtum leaf extract to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in a single step. The cytotoxicity of AgNPs was studied with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae W303-1. In addition, the antioxidant activity of the DPPH radical was studied both in the extract of S. praealtum and in the AgNPs. UV-Vis spectroscopy determined the presence of AgNPs by the location of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band at 434 nm. TEM and XRD analyzes show AgNPs with fcc structure and hemispherical morphology. Also, AgNPs range in size from 5 to 25 nm and have an average size of 14 nm. 1H NMR, FTIR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy techniques agreed that glycosidic compounds were the main phytochemical components responsible for the reduction and stabilization of AgNPs. In addition, AgNPs presented a maximum of 12% toxicity in yeast attributed to the generation of ROS. Consequently, there was low bioactivity because glycoside compounds cover the biosynthesized AgNPs from S. praealtum. These findings allow applications of AgNPs involving contact with mammals and higher organisms.

[Use of immersive virtual reality for cognitive rehabilitation of patients with brain injury]. / Uso de la realidad virtual inmersiva en la rehabilitación cognitiva de pacientes con daño cerebral. Revisión sistemática.

INTRODUCTION: Virtual reality (VR) is a therapeutic tool that is widely used in the cognitive rehabilitation of brain-damaged patients. Depending on the degree of immersiveness, a distinction can be made between non-immersive, semi-immersive and immersive VR. Studies assessing the utility of VR have focused on the non-immersive and semi-immersive modes. Little evidence is available on the effectiveness of immersive VR. AIM: To describe the characteristics, methodological quality and main results of studies that have applied immersive VR programmes in the cognitive rehabilitation of brain-damaged patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following the PRISMA guidelines, a bibliographic search was conducted for studies published in the PubMed and PsycINFO databases. The methodological quality of the articles that met the selection criteria was assessed using the PEDro scale. RESULTS: After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, of the 369 articles of potential interest, five met the eligibility criteria. One of them was a randomised clinical trial (with acceptable/good methodological quality). Three were studies with pre- and post-treatment measures and one was a single case study, all four of them displaying poor methodological quality. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results obtained, there is no evidence of the effectiveness or utility of immersive VR in cognitive rehabilitation in brain-damaged patients. This finding is explained by the lack of studies with a methodological design that allows for the generation of quality evidence rather than because the results obtained in the articles analysed are negative or inconclusive.

TITLE: Uso de la realidad virtual inmersiva en la rehabilitación cognitiva de pacientes con daño cerebral. Revisión sistemática.Introducción. La realidad virtual (RV) es una herramienta terapéutica ampliamente utilizada en la rehabilitación cognitiva de pacientes con daño cerebral. En función de su grado de inmersividad, se puede diferenciar entre RV no inmersiva, semiinmersiva e inmersiva. Los estudios que valoran la utilidad de la RV se han centrado en las modalidades no inmersiva y semiinmersiva. Apenas se dispone de evidencias sobre la eficacia de la RV inmersiva. Objetivo. Describir las características, la calidad metodológica y los principales resultados de los estudios que han aplicado programas de RV inmersiva en la rehabilitación cognitiva de pacientes con daño cerebral. Materiales y métodos. Siguiendo las directrices PRISMA, se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica de los trabajos publicados en las bases de datos PubMed y PsycINFO. La calidad metodológica de los artículos que cumplían los criterios de selección se evaluó mediante la escala PEDro. Resultados. Tras aplicar los criterios de inclusión y exclusión, de los 369 artículos potencialmente interesantes, cinco cumplieron los criterios de elegibilidad. Uno de ellos era un ensayo clínico aleatorizado (con una calidad metodológica aceptable/buena). Tres correspondían a estudios con medidas pre- y postratamiento y uno a un estudio de caso único, los cuatro con una calidad metodológica pobre. Conclusiones. De acuerdo con los resultados obtenidos, no hay evidencias de la eficacia ni de la utilidad de la RV inmersiva en la rehabilitación cognitiva en pacientes con daño cerebral. Este hallazgo se explica por la falta de estudios con un diseño metodológico que permita generar evidencias de calidad y no porque los resultados obtenidos en los artículos analizados sean negativos o no concluyentes.

A genome-wide association study of mare fertility in the Pura Raza Español horse.

Despite the economic importance of fertility for the horse industry, few efforts have been made to achieve a better understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying its control. This is probably due to the difficulty of obtaining reliable phenotypes and the complexity of modelling the environmental and management factors. This work is novel in that we propose to use reproductive efficiency (RE) as an indicator of mare fertility. To achieve this, we performed a genome-wide association study in the Pura Raza Español horse aimed at identifying genomic variants, regions, and candidate genes associated with fertility in mares. The dataset included 819 animals genotyped with the Affymetrix Axiom™ Equine 670 K single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) Genotyping Array and the deregressed breeding values for RE trait, obtained using a ssBLUP model, employed as pseudo-phenotypic data. Our results showed 28 SNPs potentially associated with RE, which explained 87.19% of the genetic variance and 6.61% of the phenotypic variance. Those results were further validated in BayesB, showing a correlation between observed and predicted RE of 0.57. In addition, 15 candidate genes (HTRA3, SPIRE1, APOE, ERCC1, FOXA3, NECTIN-2, KLC3, RSPH6A, PDPK1, MEIOB, PAQR4, NM3, PKD1, PRSS21, IFT140) previously related to fertility in mammals were associated with the markers and genomic regions significantly associated with RE. To our knowledge, this is the first genome-wide association study performed on mare fertility.