ABSTRACT
In ERP studies of cognitive processes during attentional tasks, the cue signals containing information about the target can increase the amplitude of the parietal cue P3 in relation to the 'neutral' temporal cue, and reduce the subsequent target P3 when this information is valid, i.e. corresponds to the target's attributes. The present study compared the cue-to-target P3 ratios in neutral and visuospatial cueing, in order to estimate the contribution of valid visuospatial information from the cue to target stages of the task performance, in terms of cognitive load. The P3 characteristics were also correlated with the results of individuals' performance of the visuospatial tasks, in order to estimate the relationship of the observed ERP with spatial reasoning. In 20 typically developing boys, aged 10-13 years (11.3±0.86), the intelligence quotient (I.Q.) was estimated by the Block Design and Vocabulary subtests from the WISC-III. The subjects performed the Attentional Network Test (ANT) accompanied by EEG recording. The cued two-choice task had three equiprobable cue conditions: No cue, with no information about the target; Neutral (temporal) cue, with an asterisk in the center of the visual field, predicting the target onset; and Spatial cues, with an asterisk in the upper or lower hemifield, predicting the onset and corresponding location of the target. The ERPs were estimated for the mid-frontal (Fz) and mid-parietal (Pz) scalp derivations. In the Pz, the Neutral cue P3 had a lower amplitude than the Spatial cue P3; whereas for the target ERPs, the P3 of the Neutral cue condition was larger than that of the Spatial cue condition. However, the sums of the magnitudes of the cue and target P3 were equal in the spatial and neutral cueing, probably indicating that in both cases the equivalent information processing load is included in either the cue or the target reaction, respectively. Meantime, in the Fz, the analog ERP components for both the cue and target stimuli did not depend on the cue condition. The results show that, in the parietal site, the spatial cue P3 reflects the processing of visuospatial information regarding the target position. This contributes to the subsequent "decision-making", thus reducing the information processing load on the target response, which is probably reflected in the lower P3. This finding is consistent with the positive correlation of parietal cue P3 with the individual's ability to perform spatial tasks as scored by the Block Design subtest.
Subject(s)
Attention , Cues , Event-Related Potentials, P300 , Parietal Lobe/physiology , Spatial Processing , Visual Perception , Adolescent , Child , Electroencephalography , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the metabolic control of a cohort of adult type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients assisted in a public Diabetes Center (DC) that follows the rules of a national diabetes society. METHODS: We compared for one year the metabolic control and the characteristics of 175 T1DM patients attended by a multidisciplinary team in a DC (test group) with 30 patients assisted only by endocrinologists at a public endocrinology outpatient center (control group). RESULTS: The test group presented a larger proportion of well-controlled patients (p= 0.002). The proportions (test x control group) were as follows: 51.4 percent x 16.7 percent in the subgroup with A1C < 7 percent; 21.7 percent x 36.7 percent in the subgroup with A1C between 7.1 percent and 8.0 percent; and 26.9 percent x 46.7 percent in the subgroup with A1C > 8 percent. Patients assisted in the DC presented a likelihood 4.38 times higher of reaching levels of A1C up to 7 percent. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the effectiveness of a DC and emphasizes the importance of education, adherence and multidisciplinarity as cornerstones for the treatment, showing that in developing countries it is possible to treat T1DM with satisfactory results.
OBJETIVO: Avaliar o controle metabólico de uma coorte de pacientes adultos com diabetes do tipo 1 (DM1) atendidos em um Centro de Diabetes (CD) que segue as normas da Sociedade Brasileira de Diabetes. MÉTODOS: Foram comparados o controle glicêmico e as características de 175 pacientes com DM1 atendidos por uma equipe multidisciplinar em um CD (grupo teste) com 30 pacientes assistidos em um ambulatório de endocrinologia geral (grupo controle) durante um ano. RESULTADOS: O grupo teste apresentou uma maior proporção de pacientes bem controlados (p= 0,002). As proporções (grupo teste x grupo controle) foram: 51,4 por cento x 16,7 por cento no subgrupo com A1C < 7 por cento; 21,7 por cento x 36,7 por cento no subgrupo com A1C entre 7,1 por cento e 8,0 por cento; e 26,9 por cento x 46,7 por cento no subgrupo com A1C > 8 por cento. Os pacientes atendidos no CD apresentaram probabilidade 4,38 vezes maior de atingir níveis de A1C até 7 por cento. CONCLUSÃO: O estudo mostra a efetividade do CD e enfatiza a importância da educação, aderência e da multidisciplinaridade como pedras angulares do tratamento, mostrando ser possível tratar o DM1 nos países em desenvolvimento com resultados satisfatórios.
