Interaction of the Melatonin/Ca2+-CaM Complex with Calmodulin Kinase II: Physiological Importance.

Melatonin N-acetyl-5-methoxytriptamine is an ancient molecule which synchronizes the internal biologic activity with the environmental photoperiod. It is synthesized by the pineal gland during the night and released to the general circulation, where it reaches nanomolar concentrations. The indolamine acts through melatonin receptors and binds to different proteins such as calmodulin: a phylogenetically conserved protein which is the main transductor of the calcium signaling. In this review, we will describe evidence supporting that melatonin binds to calmodulin in presence of calcium, and we discuss the effects of this indolamine on the activity of calmodulin kinase II as an inhibitor and as stimulator of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activity. We also provide a literature review supporting the relevance of melatonin binding to calmodulin in the regulation of circadian rhythms in unicellular organisms, as well as in neuronal development in mammals as an ancient, conserved mechanism. Finally, we highlight the importance of antioxidant effects of melatonin on calmodulin preservation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This review compiled evidence supporting that melatonin binds to calmodulin. We discuss the dual effect of melatonin on the activity of calmodulin kinase II, the possible mechanisms involved, and the relevance on regulation of circadian rhythms and neurodevelopment. Finally, we describe evidence supporting that the binding of melatonin to calmodulin hydrophobic pockets may prevent the oxidation of methionine species with a shielding effect that preserves the functionality of calmodulin.

Brain Connectivity in Ateles geoffroyi: Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Working Memory and Executive Control.

The objective of this research was to describe the organization and connectivity of the working memory (WM) and executive control (EC) networks in Ateles geoffroyi in resting-state conditions. Recent studies have shown that resting-state activity may underlie rudimentary brain functioning, showing that several brain regions can be tonically active at rest, maximizing the efficiency of information transfer while preserving a low physical connection cost. Whole-brain resting-state images were acquired from three healthy adult Ateles monkeys (2 females, 1 male; mean age 10.5 ± SD 2.5 years). Data were analyzed with independent component analysis, and results were grouped together using the GIFT software. The present study compared the EC and WM networks obtained with human data and with results found in the literature in other primate species. Nine resting-state networks were found, which were similar to resting networks found in healthy human adults in the prefrontal basal portion and frontopolar area. Additionally, components of the WM network were found to be extending into the hypothalamus and the olfactory areas. A key finding was the discovery of connections in the WM and EC networks to the hypothalamus, the motor cortex, and the entorhinal cortex, suggesting that information is integrated from larger brain areas. The correlated areas suggest that many elements of WM and EC may be conserved across primate species. Characterization of these networks in resting-state conditions in nonhuman primate brains is a fundamental prerequisite for understanding of the neural bases underlying the evolution and function of this cognitive system.

Diel and infradian (7-day) activity rhythms in Mexican spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) kept with and without visitor contact.

Diel activity rhythms in mammals are regulated by an endogenous (circadian) timing system which is synchronized by environmental 24-hr periodicities called zeitgebers. Additional direct responses to stochastic environmental factors ensure the fine-tuning to the actual situation and may mask the circadian time course. Following an observational study on behavioral effects of visitor activities in a group of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) kept free-ranging on a small island of Lake Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico, we analyzed the effect of weekly varying numbers of visiting tourist boats on the monkeys' diel activity rhythm. With small accelerometer-data logger devices we recorded the monkeys' locomotor activity continuously for several months each. Then we compared the data with those from spider monkeys living without tourist contact. Neither the duration of the monkeys' activity time (α) nor its phase relationship to the 24-hr solar day did change on different weekdays in either site. However, their activity level showed a clear 7-day rhythm. The monkeys of the tourist site showed highest activity on Saturday and Sunday, when the frequency of visiting tourist boats was highest, whereas those of the non-tourist site were least active on Sunday and Monday, when human activities were lowest there. While the monkeys of the non-tourist site usually displayed a distinct bimodal activity pattern peaking in the morning and late afternoon, the pattern in those of the tourist site mostly lacked a morning peak and varied more over time. Based on our results, we suggest that circadian entrainment is not involved in the differences between the diel activity rhythms of the spider monkeys from the two keeping sites and the differing 7-day variation in their activity level. Rather, these differences seemingly reflect direct responses to the differing human activities and thus may correspond to circadian masking effects.

Visitor effect on the behavior of a group of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) maintained at an island in Lake Catemaco, Veracruz/Mexico.

We analyzed the effect of human visitors on the behavior of a group of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) kept on a small tourist island. Although the spider monkey is a common species in zoos, there are very few specific studies on visitor effects on these monkeys. We conducted behavioral observations on the group of spider monkeys to evaluate the effect of visitors. We also used actimetry devices to measure the variations in the spider monkeys' locomotor activity associated with human presence. With regard to the effect on behavior, we found an increase in self-directed behaviors and a decrease in vocalization, both associated with human presence. Moreover, our results suggest that when people feed monkeys, there is an increase in agonistic behaviors. On the other hand, we found that changes in activity levels in response to human presence vary among individuals. We conclude that changes in spider monkeys' behavior could provide evidence of the negative effect of visitors in our study conditions. Although we discuss the differences in activity levels due to differences in social position, further research is required this topic. Our results can be used to inform management plans for this species in captivity. Improving this relationship between humans and non-human primates through tourism education programs would benefit ecotourism and therefore species conservation programs.

Automatic detection of facial expressions during the Cyberball paradigm in Borderline Personality Disorder: a pilot study.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) symptoms include inappropriate control of anger and severe emotional dysregulation after rejection in daily life. Nevertheless, when using the Cyberball paradigm, a tossing game to simulate social exclusion, the seven basic emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, disgust, and contempt) have not been exhaustively tracked out. It was hypothesized that these patients would show anger, contempt, and disgust during the condition of exclusion versus the condition of inclusion. When facial emotions are automatically detected by Artificial Intelligence, "blending", -or a mixture of at least two emotions- and "masking", -or showing happiness while expressing negative emotions- may be most easily traced expecting higher percentages during exclusion rather than inclusion. Therefore, face videos of fourteen patients diagnosed with BPD (26 ± 6 years old), recorded while playing the tossing game, were analyzed by the FaceReader software. The comparison of conditions highlighted an interaction for anger: it increased during inclusion and decreased during exclusion. During exclusion, the masking of surprise; i.e., displaying happiness while feeling surprised, was significantly more expressed. Furthermore, disgust and contempt were inversely correlated with greater difficulties in emotion regulation and symptomatology, respectively. Therefore, the automatic detection of emotional expressions during both conditions could be useful in rendering diagnostic guidelines in clinical scenarios.

Non-invasive, real-time stress measurement: Vocalization compared with thermal imaging in kittens of the domestic cat in response to social separation.

Finding tools to assess the stress response which can be easily applied, are non-invasive, reliable and measured in real time is still a relevant topic in many areas of biology. Vocal characteristics and temperature of certain body areas have been suggested to reflect HPA axis and ANS activation. We hypothesized that changes in vocalizations and peripheral body temperature will show the magnitude of the stress response, and that the change in these will covary. Our aim was to measure the change in vocal characteristics and eye and nasal temperature of kittens (n = 43 from nine litters of seven mixed-breed mothers) during a potentially stressful event and to test how these correlated. We found change in several vocal and thermal parameters during a short social separation. Our findings indicate that arousal due to ANS activation in kittens of the domestic cat resulted in an increasing number of vocalisations of longer duration and higher intensity, and in lower and a wider range in fundamental frequency. Calls also became less tonal with more jitter. Change in temperature was generally negative in the lacrimal caruncle as well as in the rhinarium, but with great variance across individuals. Change in eye temperature positively correlated with the intensity of the calls and the change in nose temperature positively correlated with the change in call length. The results suggest the continued difficulty in interpreting both physiological and behavioural data to assess an individual´s stress response.

Social closeness modulates brain dynamics during trust anticipation.

Anticipation of trust from someone with high social closeness is expected. However, if there is uncertainty in the interaction because a person is a stranger or because he has distrusted us on another occasion, we need to keep track of his behavior and intentions. Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) we wanted to find the brain regions related to trust anticipation from partners who differ in their level of social closeness. We designed an experiment in which 30 participants played an adapted trust game with three trustors: A computer, a stranger, and a real friend. We covertly manipulated their decisions in the game, so they trusted 75% of the trials and distrusted in remaining trials. Using a psychophysiological interaction analysis, we found increases in functional coupling between the anterior insula (AIns) and intra parietal sulcus (IPS) during trust anticipation between a high versus low social closeness partner. Also, the right parietal cortex was coupled with the fusiform gyrus (FG) and the inferior/middle temporal gyrus during trust anticipation of a friend versus a stranger. These results suggest that brain regions involved in encoding the intentions of others are recruited during trust anticipation from a friend compared to a stranger.

Recording vocalizations with Bluetooth technology.

We propose a method for capturing vocalizations that is designed to avoid some of the limiting factors found in traditional bioacoustical methods, such as the impossibility of obtaining continuous long-term registers or analyzing amplitude due to the continuous change of distance between the subject and the position of the recording system. Using Bluetooth technology, vocalizations are captured and transmitted wirelessly into a receiving system without affecting the quality of the signal. The recordings of the proposed system were compared to those obtained as a reference, which were based on the coding of the signal with the so-called pulse-code modulation technique in WAV audio format without any compressing process. The evaluation showed p < .05 for the measured quantitative and qualitative parameters. We also describe how the transmitting system is encapsulated and fixed on the animal and a way to video record a spider monkey's behavior simultaneously with the audio recordings.

Lunar periodic modulation of the circadian activity rhythm in a wild North Colombian night monkey (Aotus griseimembra).

South American night monkeys (genus Aotus) are the only nocturnal simian primates. Early activity recordings in North Colombian A. griseimembra monkeys kept under semi-natural conditions and extensive chronobiological studies carried out in laboratory settings revealed a strictly nocturnal behavior and strong activity enhancing (disinhibiting) effects of moonlight or corresponding luminosities during the dark time. To check whether the results from captive individuals correspond to the behavior of wild monkeys, we carried out long-term activity recordings of a wild female A. griseimembra in a tropical rainforest near San Juan de Carare, Northern Colombia. Our data from about 150 days of continuous activity records with an "Actiwatch Mini" (CamNtech, UK) accelerometer-data logger device, confirmed: (1) strictly nocturnal behavior, (2) a pronounced bimodal activity pattern with prominent peaks during dusk and dawn, and (3) a lunar periodic modulation (masking) of the night monkey's circadian activity rhythm due to distinct activity inhibiting effects of the absence of moonlight throughout the night. The results from this wild-living tropical night monkey are consistent with those from captive conspecifics studied decades earlier.

Facial and Vocal Expressions During Clinical Interviews Suggest an Emotional Modulation Paradox in Borderline Personality Disorder: An Explorative Study.

Videotape recordings obtained during an initial and conventional psychiatric interview were used to assess possible emotional differences in facial expressions and acoustic parameters of the voice between Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) female patients and matched controls. The incidence of seven basic emotion expressions, emotional valence, heart rate, and vocal frequency (f0), and intensity (dB) of the discourse adjectives and interjections were determined through the application of computational software to the visual (FaceReader) and sound (PRAAT) tracks of the videotape recordings. The extensive data obtained were analyzed by three statistical strategies: linear multilevel modeling, correlation matrices, and exploratory network analysis. In comparison with healthy controls, BPD patients express a third less sadness and show a higher number of positive correlations (14 vs. 8) and a cluster of related nodes among the prosodic parameters and the facial expressions of anger, disgust, and contempt. In contrast, control subjects showed negative or null correlations between such facial expressions and prosodic parameters. It seems feasible that BPD patients restrain the facial expression of specific emotions in an attempt to achieve social acceptance. Moreover, the confluence of prosodic and facial expressions of negative emotions reflects a sympathetic activation which is opposed to the social engagement system. Such BPD imbalance reflects an emotional alteration and a dysfunctional behavioral strategy that may constitute a useful biobehavioral indicator of the severity and clinical course of the disorder. This face/voice/heart rate emotional expression assessment (EMEX) may be used in the search for reliable biobehavioral correlates of other psychopathological conditions.

Changes in facial emotion expression during a psychotherapeutic intervention for patients with borderline personality disorder.

Emotional dysregulation is one of the main features of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Therefore, it constitutes a central therapeutic objective of the interventions that have proven to be effective for these patients, including the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). However, benefits on emotional regulation have been evaluated through self-report instruments, and an anatomically based, objective, and precise measurement of the ability to change the type, duration and frequency of emotions is still needed. OBJECTIVE: To assess facial emotion expression, valence and arousal during an ACT based intervention, between initial, middle and final therapeutic sessions for BPD patients. METHOD: Using the FaceReader 7.0, 29 recordings of individual therapeutic sessions for BPD patients during an ACT intervention trial were analyzed. RESULTS: Happiness and fear intensity increase from the beginning to the end of the sessions, while sadness decreases. Emotional valence exhibits a significant decrease in its negative value during sessions from -0.13 (S.D. = 0.12) at the initial part of the sessions to -0.06 (S.D. = 0.08) by the end of the sessions, with a moderate effect size (Cohen d = 0.69). Emotional arousal increased from the beginning to the end of sessions and whole intervention. CONCLUSION: The emotional valence and arousal differed according to the psychotherapeutically process involved during ACT intervention, suggesting that the systematic analysis of facial expressions allows a rigorously examination of the relations between emotions, physiological processes, and instrumental behavior experimented though a psychotherapeutically process.

Facial Emotion Recognition and Empathy in Employees at a Juvenile Detention Center.

Numerous studies have shown that emotion recognition is impaired in individuals with a history of violent offenses, especially in those diagnosed with psychopathy. However, in criminological contexts, there is insufficient research regarding the role of empathy and facial emotion recognition abilities of personnel employed in correction centers. Accordingly, we sought to explore facial emotion recognition abilities and empathy in administrative officers and security guards at a center for institutionalized juvenile offenders. One hundred twenty-two Mexican subjects, including both men and women, were recruited for the study. Sixty-three subjects were administrative officers, and 59 subjects were security guards at a juvenile detention center. Tasks included "Pictures of Facial Affect" and the "Cambridge Behavior Scale." The results showed that group and gender had an independent effect on emotion recognition abilities, with no significant interaction between the two variables. Specifically, administrative officers showed higher empathy than security guards. Moreover, women in general exhibited more empathy than men. This study provides initial evidence of the need to study emotion recognition and empathy among professionals working in forensic settings or criminological contexts.

Sleep hygiene practices in patients with major depression with comorbid insomnia, primary insomnia, and good sleepers / Prácticas de higiene de sueño en pacientes con depresión mayor con insomnio comórbido, insomnio primario y buenos durmientes

Abstract Introduction Inadequate sleep hygiene (SH) is considered factor contributing to insomnia. However, the practice of SH by depressed patients with comorbid insomnia has not been explored. Objective We aimed to compare the practice of SH between patients with major depression, comorbid insomnia, primary insomnia, and good sleepers. Method One hundred and eighty-two adult individuals participated: 62 outpatients with major depressive disorder with comorbid insomnia (MDD), 56 outpatients with primary insomnia (PI), and 64 good sleepers (GS). All participants were assessed with a structured psychiatric interview, an insomnia interview, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Insomnia Severity Index, and the Sleep Hygiene Practice Scale. We compared the practice of SH as a whole and by domains between the groups and the relation between SH practice, insomnia, and sleep quality. Results Patients with PI and MDD showed a significantly worse practice of global SH. In the comparison by SH domains, MDD and PI groups had significantly worse scores than GS in all domains. Individuals with MDD showed a significantly worse practice of sleep schedule and arousal related behaviors than PI group. Although, SH practice was significantly related with insomnia and sleep quality in the whole sample, this association remained significant only in the PI. The arousal-related behaviors domain was the main predictor of insomnia and sleep quality. Discussion and conclusion Although patients with insomnia comorbid with MDD or with PI have a worse SH practice than GS, only arousal-related behaviors and drinking/eating habits contribute significantly to insomnia severity and sleep quality.

Resumen Introducción Una inadecuada higiene de sueño (HS) se considera como un factor que contribuye al insomnio, incluido el insomnio comórbido con trastornos mentales. Sin embargo, no se ha estudiado la práctica de HS en pacientes con depresión e insomnio comórbido. Objetivo Comparar la práctica de HS entre pacientes con depresión mayor con insomnio comórbido, insomnio primario y buenos durmientes. Método Participaron 182 individuos: 62 pacientes ambulatorios con trastorno depresivo mayor con insomnio comórbido (TDM), 56 pacientes con insomnio primario (IP) y 64 buenos durmientes (BD). A todos se les realizó una entrevista psiquiátrica estructurada, una entrevista sobre insomnio, el Índice de Calidad de Sueño de Pittsburgh, el Índice de Severidad de Insomnio y la Escala de Prácticas de Higiene de Sueño. Comparamos la práctica de HS tanto global como por dominios entre los grupos, y la relación entre la práctica de HS, el insomnio y la calidad de sueño. Resultados Los pacientes con IP y con TDM mostraron una práctica global de la HS significativamente peor. En la comparación por dominios, los grupos con TDM e IP alcanzaron peores calificaciones que los BD en todos. La práctica de HS se relacionó significativamente con el insomnio y calidad de sueño en la muestra total, sin embargo, solamente en el grupo con IP se mantuvo significativa. El dominio de conductas relacionadas con el alertamiento fue el principal predictor de insomnio y calidad de sueño. Discusión y conclusión Aunque los pacientes con insomnio comórbido con TDM o con IP tienen peores hábitos de HS que los BD, solamente las conductas relacionadas con el alertamiento y los hábitos de alimentación contribuyen significativamente a la gravedad del insomnio y calidad de sueño.

Tractography of the spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) corpus callosum using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging.

The objective of this research was to describe the organization, connectivity and microstructure of the corpus callosum of the spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi). Non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion-tensor imaging were obtained from three subjects using a 3T Philips scanner. We hypothesized that the arrangement of fibers in spider monkeys would be similar to that observed in other non-human primates. A repeated measure (n = 3) of fractional anisotropy values was obtained of each subject and for each callosal subdivision. Measurements of the diffusion properties of corpus callosum fibers exhibited a similar pattern to those reported in the literature for humans and chimpanzees. No statistical difference was reached when comparing this parameter between the different CC regions (p = 0.066). The highest fractional anisotropy values corresponded to regions projecting from the corpus callosum to the posterior cortical association areas, premotor and supplementary motor cortices. The lowest fractional anisotropy corresponded to projections to motor and sensory cortical areas. Analyses indicated that approximately 57% of the fibers projects to the frontal cortex and 43% to the post-central cortex. While this study had a small sample size, the results provided important information concerning the organization of the corpus callosum in spider monkeys.

Astronomical and meteorological parameters and rest-activity rhythm in the spider monkey Ateles geoffroyi.

UNLABELLED: All animals including primates show regular variations in their behavioural activities and physiological functions. In numerous species diel, ultradian, infradian, annual and/or lunar rhythms have been established; however, the use of the focal sampling method does not provide information on hour-to-hour nor day-to-day variations. In behavioural field studies dealing with primate activity rhythms and their modulation by environmental variables the possible dual, synchronizing and/or masking effect of these variables is often ignored. In the present study, we analyze the relation between astronomical and meteorological parameters and various parameters of the rest-activity rhythm in Ateles geoffroyi, a species scarcely investigated with respect to biological rhythms. These Ateles were kept under semi-natural conditions, exposed to natural light, temperature and humidity cycles, and sky state. Motor activity was recorded with actiwatch accelerometers during 180 days (5-min intervals), starting from the autumn equinox. RESULTS: Ateles is active throughout the day, rests during the night and presents bimodal activity. Activity time, onset and end of activity as well as the times of their two activity peaks were significantly correlated with duration of the solar day and sunrise or sunset time. The behavioural parameters also correlated with ambient temperature. Climate factors and sky-state significantly influenced the duration and times of onset and end of activity. Our findings identified a clear modulation of the rest-activity pattern by astronomical variables serving as Zeitgebers, such as the natural light-dark cycle, and by masking effects of meteorological factors (temperature, weather and cloudiness), as well as of artificial variables introduced by the interaction with man.

Behavioral characterization of sleep in stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides) in exterior captivity by means of high-sensitivity videorecording.

There are reasons to consider incomplete the description of sleep in many non-human primate species. Recording animals by highly sensitive videos to obtain detailed descriptions of nighttime behavior and evidence of muscle activity while in a resting posture, seems a promising approach to the non-invasive study of sleep in non-human primates. The present work describes the use of ultrasensitive videocameras to record and analyze spontaneous nighttime behaviors in captive non-human primates. Its main purpose is to emphasize the utility of videorecordings to analyze nighttime behavior. A heterosexual group of nine stumptail macaques (M. arctoides) was studied. It was possible to identify resting postures: immobility or lying on the floor as well as sleep movements and behavioral signs of sleep. This procedure permits recognition of each animal individually and the data suggest that videorecordings, among other techniques available, may be a useful, non-invasive method to study sleep. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Effects of housing conditions and season on the activity rhythm of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) kept under natural conditions within their distributional range in Central Mexico.

The timing and pattern of mammalian behavioral activities are regulated by an evolutionary optimized interplay of the genetically based biological (circadian) clock located in the brain's suprachiasmatic nuclei and direct responses to environmental factors that superimpose and thus mask the clock-mediated effects, the most important of which is the photically induced phase-setting (synchronization) of the circadian rhythmicity to the 24-hour solar day. In wild and captive animals living under the natural conditions prevailing in their habitat, to date, only a few attempts have been made to analyze the role of these two regulatory mechanisms in the species' adaptation to the time structure prevailing in their habitat. We studied the impact of housing conditions and season on the daily timing and pattern of activity in Mexican spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). To this end, we carried out long-term activity recordings with Actiwatch® AW4 accelerometer/data-logger devices in 11 adult Ateles living under identical natural lighting and climatic conditions in either a large wire netting cage or a 0.25 ha forest enclosure in the primatological field station of Veracruz State University near Catemaco, Mexico. In a gravid female in the forest enclosure, we obtained first-hand information on the effect of late pregnancy and parturition on the monkey's activity rhythm. The Ateles behaved strictly diurnal and undertook about 90% of daily total activity during this activity time. Due to a higher second activity peak in late afternoon, the bimodal activity pattern was more pronounced in monkeys living in the forest enclosure. Although the spider monkeys kept there had an earlier activity onset and morning activity peak than their conspecifics in the cage, no consistent differences were found in the parameters characterizing the phase-setting of the circadian system to the environmental 24-h periodicity, either by comparison or correlation with the external time markers of sunrise (SR) and sunset (SS). The most obvious effect of late pregnancy, parturition and lactation was a distinct reduction of the activity level during the week of parturition and the next. Seasonal variations in the form of significant differences between the long-day summer half year and the short-day winter half year were established in the phase-angle differences of the morning activity peak to SR, in the evening activity peak and activity offset to SS, as well as in the activity time and the peak-to-peak interval, but not in the phase position of activity onset to SR or in the height of the morning and evening activity peak. These findings in combination with a high variability of the phase angle differences indicate that in A. geoffroyi, a relatively weak circadian component and strong masking direct effects of environmental factors are involved in the regulation of the daily activity rhythm.

Reconocimiento facial de expresión emocional: diferencias por licenciaturas / Facial affect recognition: Differences among university careers

Resumen El reconocimiento facial de la expresión emocional es la capacidad de todos los individuos de reconocer formas básicas de expresión afectiva, la cual aparece en los rostros de las personas. Investigaciones previas sugieren que existen diferencias en el reconocimiento facial de la expresión emocional entre carreras universitarias, sin embargo, hay pocos estudios en México, y es por ello que el objetivo del presente estudio fue determinar estas diferencias en estudiantes universitarios. Se utilizaron 70 imágenes del Facial Expressions of Emotion-Stimuli and Test. Para determinar las diferencias por carrera se llevó a cabo un análisis de varianza simple con pruebas post hoc de Tukey, obteniendo diferencias estadísticamente significativas en el reconocimiento facial de la tristeza, el asco y el enojo.

Abstract Facial affect recognition is the capacity of every person to recognize basic forms of affective expression, which appears at human faces. Previous research suggests that facial affect recognition differences between university careers exist. There are few studies at Mexico that assess these. The purpose of this study was to determine career differences among university studies. To assess the variable 70 images from the Facial Expression of Emotion- Stimuli and Test were used. To determine career differences a single factor analysis of variance with Tukey post hoc test was made, obtaining statistically significant differences at facial affect recognition of sadness, disgust and angry emotions.

Novelty-seeking temperament in captive stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides) and spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi).

Novelty-seeking temperament is defined as the reaction to novel or risk situations and objects, and by the global disposition to explore such stimuli. Our purpose was to describe and compare this trait in primates. For this purpose, a risk-taking Index, a curiosity index, and a novelty-seeking index were correlated to several biosocial variables using 22 captive stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides) and 7 captive spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). Spider monkeys scored higher than macaques, males of both species scored higher than females, and dominant macaques were evaluated as more novelty seekers. We suggest that these differences may be because of, among other reasons, the particular social system of each species.

Estudio de traducción y validez del Sistema de Codificación Etológica para Entrevistas ECSI (Ethological Coding System for Interviews) / Study of the application and validation of the Ethological Coding System for Interviews (ECSI)

Antecedentes El diagnóstico psicoterapéutico se fundamenta en exploraciones verbales y/o pruebas psicológicas. En contraste, a menudo se descuida la relevancia de la comunicación no-verbal. El objetivo del presente artículo es aportar una herramienta para medir y evaluar conductas no-verbales en entrevistas clínicas, basado en el Ethological Coding System for Interviews (ECSI), desarrollado por Troisi (1999), el cual se tradujo y validó en español. Un etograma es un catálogo de conductas o patrones conductuales, operacionalizados y agrupados en categorías, como afiliación, evasión, asertividad, relajación, entre otras. Método Estudio 1. El etograma ECSI fue traducido al español. Tres observadores "ciegos" registraron las frecuencias de los patrones conductuales del paciente. Los registros se realizaron en intervalos de 15 segundos durante los primeros y últimos 10 minutos de la entrevista clínica. Se obtuvo una validez interobservador de r=0.989, p<0.001. Estudio 2. Con base en el primer estudio se consideró pertinente agregar patrones conductuales, así como reacomodar y redefinir las categorías propuestas. Los tres observadores realizaron el mismo procedimiento que en el estudio 1 con una segunda videograbación. Además de las frecuencias de las conductas observadas, se midió la duración de la conducta. Se obtuvo una validez interobservadores de r=0.993, p<0.001. Resultados y discusión Se probó que el ECSI es una herramienta confiable y válida para examinar la conducta no-verbal de pacientes durante entrevistas. Se espera que el ECSI se pueda incluir al proceso diagnóstico durante las sesiones psicoterapéuticas.

Background Psychotherapeutic diagnosis is largely based on verbal explorations and/or psychological tests. In contrast, the relevance of non-verbal communication is often disregarded. Here, we aim to provide a tool to measure and assess non-verbal behavior in clinical interviews, based on the Ethological Coding System for Interviews (ECSI), developed by Troisi (1999), which was translated and validated in Spanish. An ethogram is a catalogue of behaviours or patterns of behaviour, which are operationalized and grouped in categories such as affiliation, flight, assertiveness, relaxation and so forth. Method Study 1. The ECSI was translated into Spanish. Three "blind" observers registered the frequencies of the behavioral patterns of the patient. The recordings were made in 15 seconds intervals during the first and the last 10 minutes of a clinical interview. An inter-observer reliability of r=0.989, p<0.001 was obtained. Study 2. Based on the first study, it was considered pertinent to add behavioral patterns, as well as rearranging and redefining the proposed categories. The three "blind" observers performed the same task as in study 1 with a second video-recording. Aside from the frequency of the observed behaviours, the duration of the behavior was measured. An inter-observer reliability of r=0.993, p<0.001 was obtained. Results and discussion The ECSI has proven a reliable and valid tool for the examination of patients' nonverbal behaviour during interviews. It is hoped that the ECSI can be added to the diagnostic process during psychotherapeutic sessions.