Mental toughness and physical fitness tests of boxing athletes associated with big five personality factors / Testes de resistência mental e aptidão física de atletas de boxe associados aos cinco grandes fatores de personalidade

ABSTRACT The present study related to boxing athletes' mental toughness and physical fitness performances with Big Five Factors. For this, the sample was composed of eleven recreational boxers who competed at the state level and were regularly training (technical and tactical) 4 times a week during the evaluation period. The 44-item Big Five Inventory (BFI) measures the Big Five dimensions of Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Openness, and Extraversion and the 14-item Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) were applied with Strength, Power, and Endurance Tests, Pearson and Spearman's correlations were used to verify the association between BFI, physical and mental tests, respectively, p≤.05. Our results demonstrated that significant and strong correlation between agreeableness factor and sit-ups test, with 40.85±12.36 freq./min (r=.72, p=.02) and, in SMTQ, a strong correlation between Neuroticism and Control [10(9;12) score, r=.76, p≤0.01], Constancy [10(9;12) score, r=.84, p≤0.01] and Total SMQT [37(34;37) score, r=.84, p≤0.01]. In conclusion, these results suggest that Neuroticism factors are associated with mental toughness, while the agreeableness factor is related to muscular endurance capability. Mental toughness and endurance results are associated with boxers' personalities whose drive motivates them relentlessly towards success and promotes thriving in boxing training environments or during championships.

RESUMO O presente estudo relacionou a resistência mental e o desempenho da aptidão física de atletas de boxe com os cinco grandes fatores. Para isso, compuseram o presente estudo onze boxeadores recreativos que competiram em nível estadual e estavam treinando regularmente (técnico e tático) 4 vezes por semana durante o período de avaliação. O Big Five Inventory (BFI) de 44 itens mede as dimensões de Conscienciosidade, Amabilidade, Neuroticismo, Abertura e Extroversão e o Questionário de Resistência Mental Esportiva (SMTQ) de 14 itens foram aplicados com Testes de Força, Potência e Resistência, Pearson e as correlações de Spearman foram utilizadas para verificar a associação entre IMC, testes físicos e mentais, respectivamente, p≤0.05. Nossos resultados demonstraram correlação significativa e forte entre o fator de amabilidade e o teste de abdominais, com 40,9±12,4 freq./min (r=0,72, p=0,02) e, no SMTQ, uma forte correlação entre Neuroticismo e Controle [10 (9;12) pontuação, r=0.76, p≤0,01], Constância [10(9;12) pontuação, r=0.84, p≤0,001] e total SMQT [37(34;37) pontuação, r= 0.84, p≤0,001]. Em conclusão, esses resultados sugerem que os fatores de neuroticismo estão associados à resistência mental, enquanto o fator de amabilidade está associado à capacidade de resistência muscular. Os resultados de resistência mental e resistência estão associados à personalidade dos boxeadores, cuja motivação os impulsiona implacavelmente para o sucesso e promove o sucesso em ambientes de treinamento de boxe ou durante campeonatos.

The Effect of Neurofeedback on the Reaction Time and Cognitive Performance of Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Our study evaluated the effect of training with neurofeedback (NFB) in improving athletes' reaction time and decision-making. A computerized search in PubMed, PsycINFO, Scielo, Web of Science, EMBASE, Scopus, BVS, and Cochrane databases was performed to identify studies published from 2011 to June 2021. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO. The quality of studies that was peer-reviewed and included was assessed using the Review Manager tool, Cochrane Risk of Bias, and design and reporting quality according to the CRED-nf checklist. Standard mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated and combined using a random-effects model. A total of 07 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (173 athletes) met the inclusion criteria. Significant effects of NFB in the experimental group in relation to reaction time were found, indicating an improvement in sports performance [standardized mean difference (SMD) = -1.08; 95% CI = (-1.90, -0.25), p = 0.0009] and cognitive performance vs. decision-making with moderate effect [SMD = 1.12; 95% CI = (-0.40, 1.85), p = 0.0001]. However, the control group had a very small effect on cognitive performance [SMD = 0.19; 95% CI = (-0.20, 0.59), p = 0.086]. NFB could improve athletes' reaction time and decision-making, effectively increasing their performance in the sports field. Future studies should focus on standardized protocols for NFB training. Systematic Review Registration: http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier: CRD42021258387.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts on the Mental Health of Professional Soccer: Comparison of Anxiety Between Genders.

This study verifies associated factors with trait and state anxiety in professional soccer teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample was composed of 315 athletes, coaches, and physical trainers of professional soccer teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. From this amount, 214 were classified with trait anxiety, and 315 were classified with state anxiety using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). This study is an epidemiological and cross-sectional study. We applied an observational method, and we performed a remote measurement. The measurement was made via online questionnaires in male and female individuals working on soccer teams (soccer professionals or athletes) who could be affected by anxiety during social isolation in the COVID-19 pandemic. Each questionnaire was composed of sociodemographic questions, self-perceived performance, and STAI. The main results indicated a significant difference between female vs. male soccer professionals in state anxiety (54.97 ± 9.43 vs. 57.65 ± 9.48 index) and trait anxiety (54.21 ± 5.74 vs. 55.76 ± 6.41 index) with higher results in men. Sociodemographic variables impacted significant differences between female and male athletes and professionals of soccer clubs, and anxiety during the pandemic COVID-19 period impacted self-perceived performance analysis. The present results highlight the importance of cognitive behavior therapy for professional soccer teams.

Safety of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with epilepsy: A systematic review.

Approximately one-third of patients with epilepsy remain with pharmacologically intractable seizures. An emerging therapeutic modality for seizure suppression is repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Despite being considered a safe technique, rTMS carries the risk of inducing seizures, among other milder adverse events, and thus, its safety in the population with epilepsy should be continuously assessed. We performed an updated systematic review on the safety and tolerability of rTMS in patients with epilepsy, similar to a previous report published in 2007 (Bae EH, Schrader LM, Machii K, Alonso-Alonso M, Riviello JJ, Pascual-Leone A, Rotenberg A. Safety and tolerability of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with epilepsy: a review of the literature. Epilepsy Behav. 2007; 10 (4): 521-8), and estimated the risk of seizures and other adverse events during or shortly after rTMS application. We searched the literature for reports of rTMS being applied on patients with epilepsy, with no time or language restrictions, and obtained studies published from January 1990 to August 2015. A total of 46 publications were identified, of which 16 were new studies published after the previous safety review of 2007. We noted the total number of subjects with epilepsy undergoing rTMS, medication usage, incidence of adverse events, and rTMS protocol parameters: frequency, intensity, total number of stimuli, train duration, intertrain intervals, coil type, and stimulation site. Our main data analysis included separate calculations for crude per subject risk of seizure and other adverse events, as well as risk per 1000 stimuli. We also performed an exploratory, secondary analysis on the risk of seizure and other adverse events according to the type of coil used (figure-of-8 or circular), stimulation frequency (≤ 1 Hz or > 1 Hz), pulse intensity in terms of motor threshold (<100% or ≥ 100%), and number of stimuli per session (< 500 or ≥ 500). Presence or absence of adverse events was reported in 40 studies (n = 426 subjects). A total of 78 (18.3%) subjects reported adverse events, of which 85% were mild. Headache or dizziness was the most common one, occurring in 8.9%. We found a crude per subject seizure risk of 2.9% (95% CI: 1.3-4.5), given that 12 subjects reported seizures out of 410 subjects included in the analysis after data of patients with epilepsia partialis continua or status epilepticus were excluded from the estimate. Only one of the reported seizures was considered atypical in terms of the clinical characteristics of the patients' baseline seizures. The atypical seizure happened during high-frequency rTMS with maximum stimulator output for speech arrest, clinically arising from the region of stimulation. Although we estimated a larger crude per subject seizure risk compared with the previous safety review, the corresponding confidence intervals contained both risks. Furthermore, the exclusive case of atypical seizure was the same as reported in the previous report. We conclude that the risk of seizure induction in patients with epilepsy undergoing rTMS is small and that the risk of other adverse events is similar to that of rTMS applied to other conditions and to healthy subjects. Our results should be interpreted with caution, given the need for adjusted analysis controlling for potential confounders, such as baseline seizure frequency. The similarity between the safety profiles of rTMS applied to the population with epilepsy and to individuals without epilepsy supports further investigation of rTMS as a therapy for seizure suppression.

O que é estimulação magnética transcraniana? / What is transcranial magnetic stimulation?

Estimulação magnética transcraniana (EMT) é uma técnica capaz de induzir correntes elétricas em regiões corticais de forma não invasiva que apresenta um grande potencial tanto como uma ferramenta diagnóstica quanto terapêutica nos transtornos neuropsiquiátricos, como na depressão, esquizofrenia e neurológicos como no AVC e epilepsia. Este artigo aborda sinteticamente a EMT: fundamentos, tipos, aplicações, efeitos adversos e medidas de segurança...

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive technique that can induce electrical currents in cortical areas, having thus a significant potential both as an investigational and as a therapeutic tool in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and schizophrenia, and neurological, such as stroke and epilepsy. This article synthetically summarizes the applications of transcranial magnetic stimulation: fundamentals, type of stimulation, applications, adverse effects e safety...

Atenção primária à saúde e epilepsia: revisão de literatura / Primary health care and epilepsy: literature review

INTRODUÇÃO: A atenção primária à saúde (APS) possibilita a melhor cobertura populacional de cuidados à saúde e também o atendimento às pessoas com epilepsia (PCE). OBJETIVOS: Apresentar aspectos evolutivo-conceituais da APS, suas implicações na educação médica, e uso da telemedicina com repercussões no atendimento de PCE. METODOLOGIA: Revisão narrativa com os objetivos apresentados. RESULTADOS: Pessoas habitualmente cuidadas pelo médico de família são mais saudáveis, principalmente devido à abordagem holística; maior ênfase em prevenção e redução de custos por procurar a atenção dos especialistas apenas quando necessária. A educação médica e o mercado de trabalho estão se adaptando a esse perfil de atenção à saúde. Ao mesmo tempo em que médicos de família admitem estar despreparados para o atendimento de PCE, verificou-se não haver neurologistas suficientes para avaliação e condução dessa clientela. A telemedicina apresenta potencial para ensino, consultoria e qualificação da equipe de saúde à distância colaborando com a redução dos óbices mencionados. CONCLUSÃO: Proposições para o atendimento de PCE no Sistema de Saúde: treinamento formal dos profissionais da equipe da APS, criação de médicos especialistas intermediários e enfermeiras treinadas, com aumento dos recursos da telemedicina o que pode garantir a qualidade da APS e integração melhor do sistema de saúde.

INTRODUCTION: The primary health care (PHC) makes possible the best health care coverage and also the care to the people with epilepsy (PWE). OBJECTIVES: To present evolutionary-conceptual aspects of PHC, their medical education implications, and the use of the telemedicine with repercussions in the PWE care. METHODOLOGY: Narrative review with the presented objectives. RESULTS: People usually cared by family doctors are healthier, mainly due to the holistic approach; major health prevention emphasis and reduction of costs for seeking the specialists' attention just when necessary. Medical education and medicine labor market are gradually adapting to this health care profile. At the same time family doctors admit they are unprepared to care PWE it has been found out there are not enough neurologists to the appraisal and follow up of these clients. Telemedicine shows potential for distance health teaching, consulting and staff qualification helping to reduce the mentioned constraints. CONCLUSION: PWE care proposals in the Health Care System: formal training of the professionals' of PHC team, doctors' intermediate specialists and trained nurses creation, increasing of the resources of the telemedicine what can guarantee the quality of health care and provision of better integration of the system of health care.

Pacientes com epilepsia: satisfação com os serviços de atenção à saúde?: [revisão] / Patient with epilepsy: satisfaction with the health care system?: [review]

INTRODUÇÃO: A avaliação da qualidade dos serviços de saúde sob a ótica dos pacientes com epilepsia (PCE) pode ser uma ferramenta importante para organização e promoção do sistema de saúde. OBJETIVOS: Avaliar e apresentar alguns aspectos sobre a satisfação do PCE com os serviços de saúde: satisfação geral, grau de informação sobre epilepsia e sua comunicação oferecida pelos profissionais de saúde, preferências pelo atendimento no setor primário ou pelo hospitalar, acessibilidade às consultas, eficácia do tratamento (freqüência das crises epilépticas) e medidas de melhoria do serviço com enfoque no uso de enfermeiras especializadas em epilepsia. MÉTODOS: Foi realizada uma revisão sistemática baseada em artigos selecionados segundo os objetivos e captados nos bancos bibliográficos Pubmed e Science Direct. RESULTADOS: Na maioria dos estudos, foram encontradas avaliações no geral positivas ao atendimento. No entanto, em quase todos existem críticas específicas, como a falta de comunicação, atendimento não compartilhado pelo setor primário e especializado, acessibilidade deficiente às consultas e a falta de continuidade do tratamento. CONCLUSÃO: Na tentativa de prover uma melhoria do atendimento aos PCE é fundamental conhecer as suas perspectivas, percepções, preferência e necessidades.

INTRODUCTION: The evaluation of the quality of the health care under the patients with epilepsy (PWE) view can be an important tool for the organization and promotion of the health care system. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and to present some aspects of the of the PWE satisfaction regarding the health care system services: general satisfaction, degree of information about epilepsy and its communication offered by the health care workers, preferences for the service in the primary health care or for the hospital care, accessibility to the consultations, effectiveness of the treatment (frequency of the epileptic seizures) and measures of improvement of the service with focus in the specialized nurses’ work in epilepsy. METHODS: A systematic review was carried out based on papers searched according to the objectives and obtained in the bibliographical banks Pubmed and Science Direct. RESULTS: In most of the studies, they were found evaluations in the general positive to the services. However, in almost all specific criticisms exist, as the communication lack, services not shared by the primary and specialized health care, insufficient accessibility to the consultations, and the lack of continuity of the treatment. CONCLUSION: In the attempt of providing an improvement of the service to PWE is fundamental to know their perspectives, perceptions, preference and needs.

Questionnaire study of primary care physicians referral patterns and perceptions of patients with epilepsy in a Brazilian city, 2005

A una muestra de médicos de familia del Programa de Médicos de Familia de Niterói, Río de Janeiro, Brasil, se aplicó en abril de 2005 un cuestionario autoadministrado para determinar la percepción de los médicos de atención primaria sobre la calidad del servicio para epilepsia y los patrones de remisión y su opinión sobre la atención que se brinda. Los encuestados consideraron que los neurólogos deben ser los responsables del diagnóstico y de la prescripción inicial de medicamentos antiepilépticos, mientras que los médicos de familia se deben responsabilizar de la atención subsiguiente. Los encuestados informaron estar insatisfechos con sus conocimientos sobre la epilepsia y los medicamentos antiepilépticos. Se consideró que los profesionales mejor calificados para la atención de la epilepsia son los neurólogos (58,9 por ciento), seguidos de los médicos de familia (35,7 por ciento). Casi todos los encuestados consideraron que los lineamientos y seminarios mejoraron su capacidad para atender a sus pacientes. Los encuestados no se sentían seguros de la atención que brindaban a los pacientes con epilepsia y por lo general los remitían al neurólogo. Sin embargo, el Programa de Médicos de Familia tiene un potencial inexplotado para tratar a los pacientes con epilepsia, debido al interés de estos profesionales en mejorar su calificación.