Estrogen, Cognitive Performance, and Functional Imaging Studies: What Are We Missing About Neuroprotection?

Menopause transition can be interpreted as a vulnerable state characterized by estrogen deficiency with detrimental systemic effects as the low-grade chronic inflammation that appears with aging and partly explains age-related disorders as cancer, diabetes mellitus and increased risk of cognitive impairment. Over the course of a lifetime, estrogen produces several beneficial effects in healthy neurological tissues as well as cardioprotective effects, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, clinical evidence on the efficacy of hormone treatment in menopausal women has failed to confirm the benefit reported in observational studies. Unambiguously, enhanced verbal memory is the most robust finding from longitudinal and cross-sectional studies, what merits consideration for future studies aiming to determine estrogen neuroprotective efficacy. Estrogen related brain activity and functional connectivity remain, however, unexplored. In this context, the resting state paradigm may provide valuable information about reproductive aging and hormonal treatment effects, and their relationship with brain imaging of functional connectivity may be key to understand and anticipate estrogen cognitive protective effects. To go in-depth into the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying rapid-to-long lasting protective effects of estrogen, we will provide a comprehensive review of cognitive tasks used in animal studies to evaluate the effect of hormone treatment on cognitive performance and discuss about the tasks best suited to the demonstration of clinically significant differences in cognitive performance to be applied in human studies. Eventually, we will focus on studies evaluating the DMN activity and responsiveness to pharmacological stimulation in humans.

Haptic Information Improvement on Postural Sway is Information-Dependent But Not Influenced by Cognitive Task.

Young adults reduce their sway in both light touch (LT) and anchor systems (AS), however, the cognitive involvement in these tasks is unknown. This study investigated postural control in young adults standing upright using either LT or AS, concomitantly with a cognitive task (counting). Nine adults (26 ± 7.4 years) stood in the upright tandem stance with eyes closed, with/without LT, AS (force <2 N), and a cognitive task. The mean sway amplitude of the trunk, right wrist, and shoulder ellipse area, as well as the mean force during LT and AS were obtained. The cognitive task did not influence the magnitude of trunk sway or the mean force in the LT and AS conditions. The trunk sway magnitude was reduced in the AS and even further in LT. Wrist and shoulder variability was larger in the AS than in the LT. Based on these results, we conclude that enhanced sensory cues provided by LT and AS reduce trunk sway with little or no attentional demands.

Delphi Method to Achieve Clinical Consensus for a BPMN Representation of the Central Venous Access Placement for Training Purposes.

Proper teaching of the technical skills necessary to perform a medical procedure begins with its breakdown into its constituent steps. Currently available methodologies require substantial resources and their results may be biased. Therefore, it is difficult to generate the necessary breakdown capable of supporting a procedural curriculum. The aim of our work was to breakdown the steps required for ultrasound guided Central Venous Catheter (CVC) placement and represent this procedure graphically using the standard BPMN notation. METHODS: We performed the first breakdown based on the activities defined in validated evaluation checklists, which were then graphically represented in BPMN. In order to establish clinical consensus, we used the Delphi method by conducting an online survey in which experts were asked to score the suitability of the proposed activities and eventually propose new activities. RESULTS: Surveys were answered by 13 experts from three medical specialties and eight different institutions in two rounds. The final model included 28 activities proposed in the initial model and four new activities proposed by the experts; seven activities from the initial model were excluded. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed methodology proved to be simple and effective, generating a graphic representation to represent activities, decision points, and alternative paths. This approach is complementary to more classical representations for the development of a solid knowledge base that allows the standardization of medical procedures for teaching purposes.

Combined effects of the light touch and cognitive task affect the components of postural sway.

The light touch (LT) of the fingertip on a rigid surface and the performance of a cognitive task (CT) affect the postural control. The current study examined the mechanisms involved in the control of postural sway (i.e., Rambling and Trembling components of the center of pressure) with the LT and CT performed individually or simultaneously. Thirteen adults stood on a force plate for 70 s while performed the LT, CT (visual searching of specific letters) or both tasks simultaneously. COP, Rambling, and Trembling mean amplitude and speed were computed. COP and Rambling trajectories were highly and Trembling moderately reduced with LT. The CT affected mainly the Rambling component, supporting the role of supraspinal control of postural sway. These findings suggested that while LT influences both supraspinal and peripheral control mechanisms, CT influences mostly the supraspinal mechanisms involved in postural sway. The combined effects of LT and CT improve the postural control with no negative consequences on CT performance.

Ergonomics, safety, and resilience in the helicopter offshore transportation system of Campos Basin.

BACKGROUND: Air transportation of personnel to offshore oil platforms is one of the major hazards of this kind of endeavor. Pilot performance is a key factor in the safety of the transportation system. OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to identify the ergonomic factors present in pilots' activities that may in some way compromise or enhance their performance, the constraints and affordances which they are subject to; and where possible to link these to their associated risk factors. METHODS: Methodology adopted in this project studies work in its context. It is a merging of Activity Analysis (Guerin et al. 2001) of European tradition with Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA - www.ctaresource.com) articulated with the recent approaches to cognitive systems engineering developed by Professors David Woods and Erik Hollnagel. Fifty-five hours of field interviews provided the input for analysis. RESULTS: Sixteen ergonomic constraints were identified, some cognitive, some physical, all considered relevant by the research subjects and expert advisers. CONCLUSIONS: Although the safety record of the personnel transportation system studied is considered acceptable, there is low hanging fruit to be picked which can help improve the system's safety.

Diseño de un escenario educativo para museos con el uso de TRIZ y ACT / Design of a Learning Scenario for Museums Using TRIZ and ACT / Desenho de um cenário educativo para museus com o uso de TRIZ e ACT

Objetivo. Se realizó un trabajo interdisciplinario que utilizó la Teoría de solución de problemas inventivos (TRIZ) y el Análisis cognitivo de tareas (ACT) para orientar el diseño de un escenario de aprendizaje para un museo de ciencias naturales. Método. Participaron 23 personas: seis ingenieros de sistemas, un ingeniero industrial, un ingeniero eléctrico, dos psicólogas, un biólogo, una bioquímica, un físico, un técnico museológico, un historiador, un guía de museo, un diseñador gráfico y seis estudiantes de ingeniería. El proceso de análisis fue realizado en dos fases: en la primera, se analizó el componente técnico del problema utilizando TRIZ; en la segunda, se analizó el componente educativo utilizando el ACT. Resultados. La aplicación de TRIZ permitió identificar que el escenario de aprendizaje debía ser divertido, durable, de fácil uso e integración del uso de nuevas tecnologías con fines educativos, y que debía implicar poca asistencia de los guías del museo. El ACT posibilitó entender que la función principal del escenario de aprendizaje era promover la comprensión de conceptos involucrados en la relación entre personas, humedales y aves migratorias. Para ello, se diseñó la estructura de un videojuego educativo. Conclusión. El diseño de este videojuego prioriza los componentes educativos, que promueven la conservación ambiental, sin descuidar el componente de entretenimiento, equilibrio que parece difícil de lograr en diseños de aplicaciones de interacción humano - computador, en los cuales se privilegia la diversión, el uso de recursos tecnológicos sofisticados y el sentido estético.

Objetive. This interdisciplinary study used the Theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) and Cognitive task analysis (CTA) to address the problem of designing learning scenarios. Method. The study was conducted in a natural science museum in Cali, Colombia to solve the educational problem of teaching visitors about migratory birds who arrive at Colombian wetlands. The design process was conducted in two phases. The first analyzed the technical component of the problem with TRIZ, and the second analyzed the educational component with CTA. The analysis involved 23 participants: six systems engineers, a mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer, two psychologists, two biologists, a physicist, a museum technician, a historian, a museum guide, a graphic designer, and six engineering students. Results. The TRIZ application makes it possible to conclude that the learning scenario should be easy to use, durable and fun. Also, the learning scenario should exhibit minimal assistance of museum guides and the use of new technologies directed toward the educational objective. The CTA makes it possible to understand that the main function of the learning scenario was to promote the visitors understanding of the concepts involved in the relationships among man, wetlands and migratory birds. Conclusion. The design of this game gives priority to the educational factors, promoting environmental conservation, without neglecting the entertainment component. A balance between them seems difficult to achieve in human-computer interaction application designs on which the focus is generally on fun, using sophisticated technological resources and aesthetic sense.

Escopo. Foi feito um trabalho interdisciplinar que utilizou a Teoria de solução de problemas inventivos (TRIZ) e o Análise cognitivo de tarefas (ACT) para orientar o desenho de um cenário de aprendizagem para um museu de ciências naturais. Metodologia. Participaram 23 pessoas: seis engenheiros de sistemas, um engenheiro industrial, um engenheiro eléctrico, psicólogas, um biólogo, uma bioquímica, um físico, um técnico museológico, um historiador, um guia de museu, um desenhador gráfico e seis estudantes de engenheira. O processo de análise foi feito em duas fases. Na primeira, foi analisado o componente técnico do problema usando TRIZ, na segunda, foi analisado o componente educativo utilizando o ACT. Resultados. A aplicação de TRIZ permitiu identificar que o cenário de aprendizagem devia ser divertido, durável, de fácil uso e integração do uso de novas tecnologias com fins educativos, e que devia implicar pouca assistência dos guias do museu. O ACT possibilitou entender que a função principal do cenário de aprendizagem era promover a compreensão de conceitos involucrados na relação entre pessoas, pantanais e aves migratórias. Para isto, foi desenhada a estrutura de um videojogo educativo. Conclusão. O desenho de este videojogo prioriza os componentes educativos, que promovem a conservação ambiental, sem descuidar o componente de entretenimento, equilíbrio que parece difícil de lograr em desenhos de aplicações de interação humano-computador, nos quais privilegia-se a diversão, o uso de recursos tecnológicos sofisticados e o sentido estético.