A Mini-Review of Work Stress and Mindfulness: A Neuropsychological Point of View.

Work stress is consistently linked with the deterioration of cognitive and mental health, limitations in everyday workplace performance, and an increased risk of developing diseases. A common thread binding these consequences appears to be stress-associated alterations in neuropsychological functions and affective domains, especially those reliant on hippocampal, prefrontal, and amygdala brain area. Although research broadly supports the claim that the practice of mindfulness meditation for the reduction of the consequences of stress and the promotion of health exert positive effects on workplaces, the precise neuropsychological benefits of Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in the context of organizations remain elusive. In this review, we will analyze the impairments imposed by stress on the brain areas and functions and the benefits of MBIs from a neuropsychological point of view. This is significant since there is a centrality of cognitive functions in core processes necessary for work achievements, such as emotion regulation, problem-solving, and learning. The promotion of wellbeing is a responsibility shared between workers and organizations. Developing healthy environments allows workers to exercise greater control over their work, face work challenges, work productively and develop their talent.

[Normative data of the spanish-complutense verbal learning test (tavec) in a sample of argentine adults]. / Datos normativos del Test de Aprendizaje Verbal España­Complutense (Tavec) en una muestra de adultos argentinos.

INTRODUCTION: The evaluation of memory has increased relevance because of the place occupied by its alterations in neuropsychological syndromes of wide prevalence. The TAVEC evaluates strategies and processes involved in learning and remembering of verbal material. OBJECTIVE: Generate normative data of the TAVEC for the adult population of Córdoba (Argentina) with high level of instruction. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 260 subjects aged between 25 and 88 years and with 12 or more years of education were selected. The influence of sex, age and educational level was analysed and statistics of mean and standard deviation were calculated. RESULTS: Statistically significant relationships were found between age and TAVEC sub test. No interactions were found with sex. Statistically significant relationships were seen for education only for variables of perseveration and discrimination index. Normative tables were stratified by age, and years of instruction in case necessary, with mean values and standard deviation for each subtest. CONCLUSION: Until this research, there have been no normative studies of the TAVEC in the Argentine population. The present standardization would be a valid parameter in neurocognitive evaluation processes of adults with high level of instruction.

[Validation of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as a screening tool for mild cognitive impairment in the population of Buenos Aires, Argentina]. / Validez de la prueba de Evaluación Cognitiva de Montreal (MoCA) como una herramienta de screening para detectar Deterioro Cognitivo Leve en población de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

INTRODUCTION: The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test is a brief tool for neuropsychological assessment. OBJECTIVE: to validate the MoCAin the population of Buenos Aires, Argentina, to allow for the use of the test for the detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). METHODS: The sample consisted of 269 adults over 60 years old and of schooling of more than 6 years (healthy adults n = 115 and MCIn = 154). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to establish the relationship between the diagnoses of the patients and the scores obtained at MoCA. The optimal cut-off points were selected, and the positive and negative predictive value were calculated for them. RESULTS: The area under the curve (AUC) was 0,741 (p <0001, 95% CI:.682 -.800) for the MMSE and 0.810 (p <0001, 95% CI:.759 -. 861) for the MoCA test. The cut point suggested using the MoCA test is 26 points, which throws .727 of sensitivity and a specificity of. 748. CONCLUSION: The MoCA test is a useful test for clinical consultation. Its brevity and simplicity place it as an interesting instrument for neuropsychological screening in the Argentinian population.

The effects of a computer-based cognitive and physical training program in a healthy and mildly cognitive impaired aging sample.

OBJECTIVES: The Long Lasting Memories (LLM) program concerns a newly integrated platform which combines cognitive exercises with physical activity within the context of advanced technologies. The main objective of this study was to present the preliminary results that determine the possible effectiveness of the LLM program in the improvement of cognitive functions and symptoms of depression in healthy elderly and subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHOD: Fifty healthy and MCI subjects participated in the study. All of them received one hour's physical training and 35 minutes' cognitive training, 3 times a week, during the 12 weeks of the program. Before and after the intervention all participants were assessed using a battery of neuropsychological tests. RESULTS: The results showed a significant improvement after the LLM training in global cognitive function, in verbal memory, in attention, in episodic memory and symptoms of depression. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that LLM is a promising solution for older adults with and without cognitive impairment, maintaining their wellbeing with few professional and technical requirements.

Influencia del ejercicio físico en la prevención del deterioro cognitivo en las personas mayores: revisión sistemática / The influence of physical exercise in the prevention of cognitive deterioration in the elderly: a systematic review

Introducción. La población española mayor de 65 años continua creciendo, por lo que la atención a adultos mayores se convierte en un objetivo de salud publica cada vez más relevante. La actividad física está siendo reconocida como un factor altamente protector de las funciones cognitivas en el envejecimiento, y se establece, en la actualidad, como una estrategia psicosocial prometedora para la protección de las facultades cognitivas. Pacientes y métodos. Mediante una búsqueda bibliográfica en las bases de datos PubMed, PsycINFO, Psicodoc, Scopus y SciELO, se revisaron sistemáticamente los estudios relativos a la influencia del ejercicio físico en la prevención del deterioro cognitivo en adultos mayores sanos y en la reversión o en el mantenimiento del declive cognitivo una vez ya iniciado. Se seleccionaron y utilizaron 31 artículos como unidades de análisis. Resultados. En conjunto, estos estudios indicaron que un mayor índice de actividad física se relacionaría con un menor deterioro de las funciones cognitivas en adultos mayores sanos y con deterioro cognitivo ya manifiesto. Conclusiones. El ejercicio físico constituye una estrategia psicosocial prometedora para la intervención de adultos mayores con y sin signos de deterioro cognitivo. Serian convenientes mayores estudios que empleen una metodología experimental, mayor homogeneidad en cuanto a los instrumentos de recogida de datos de funciones cognitivas y una profundización en la frecuencia e intensidad necesaria en las intervenciones (AU)

Introduction. In Spain, the number of elderly people is increasing, reason why the improvement in the attention given to the older adults has become a significant objective and requirement of health care systems. The physical activity is being recognized as a highly protective factor of the cognitive functions in aging, becoming a promising psycho-social strategy for the protection of the cognition in elderly population. Patients and methods. PubMed, PsycINFO, Psicodoc, Scopus y SciELO sources were searched. We analyze the influence of the physical exercise in the prevention of the cognitive functions in healthy elderly and in the improvement or maintenance of the cognitive decline in older adults with early cognitive impairment. Thirty-one studies were selected and analysed. Results. These studies indicated that a greater amount of physical activity is related with a decrease of cognitive decline in aging. Conclusions. The physical activity constitutes a promising psychosocial strategy for older adults with and without cognitive impairment. More experimental studies and homogeneity in the assessment instruments are needed. A deeper study of the convenience in the frequency and intensity of the interventions is also required (AU)

[The influence of physical exercise in the prevention of cognitive deterioration in the elderly: a systematic review]. / Influencia del ejercicio físico en la prevención del deterioro cognitivo en las personas mayores: revisión sistemática.

INTRODUCTION: In Spain, the number of elderly people is increasing, reason why the improvement in the attention given to the older adults has become a significant objective and requirement of health care systems. The physical activity is being recognized as a highly protective factor of the cognitive functions in aging, becoming a promising psycho-social strategy for the protection of the cognition in elderly population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: PubMed, PsycINFO, Psicodoc, Scopus y SciELO sources were searched. We analyze the influence of the physical exercise in the prevention of the cognitive functions in healthy elderly and in the improvement or maintenance of the cognitive decline in older adults with early cognitive impairment. Thirty-one studies were selected and analysed. RESULTS: These studies indicated that a greater amount of physical activity is related with a decrease of cognitive decline in aging. CONCLUSIONS: The physical activity constitutes a promising psychosocial strategy for older adults with and without cognitive impairment. More experimental studies and homogeneity in the assessment instruments are needed. A deeper study of the convenience in the frequency and intensity of the interventions is also required.

TITLE: Influencia del ejercicio fisico en la prevencion del deterioro cognitivo en las personas mayores: revision sistematica.Introduccion. La poblacion espanola mayor de 65 anos continua creciendo, por lo que la atencion a adultos mayores se convierte en un objetivo de salud publica cada vez mas relevante. La actividad fisica esta siendo reconocida como un factor altamente protector de las funciones cognitivas en el envejecimiento, y se establece, en la actualidad, como una estrategia psicosocial prometedora para la proteccion de las facultades cognitivas. Pacientes y metodos. Mediante una busqueda bibliografica en las bases de datos PubMed, PsycINFO, Psicodoc, Scopus y SciELO, se revisaron sistematicamente los estudios relativos a la influencia del ejercicio fisico en la prevencion del deterioro cognitivo en adultos mayores sanos y en la reversion o en el mantenimiento del declive cognitivo una vez ya iniciado. Se seleccionaron y utilizaron 31 articulos como unidades de analisis. Resultados. En conjunto, estos estudios indicaron que un mayor indice de actividad fisica se relacionaria con un menor deterioro de las funciones cognitivas en adultos mayores sanos y con deterioro cognitivo ya manifiesto. Conclusiones. El ejercicio fisico constituye una estrategia psicosocial prometedora para la intervencion de adultos mayores con y sin signos de deterioro cognitivo. Serian convenientes mayores estudios que empleen una metodologia experimental, mayor homogeneidad en cuanto a los instrumentos de recogida de datos de funciones cognitivas y una profundizacion en la frecuencia e intensidad necesaria en las intervenciones.

Clinical utility of the hopkins Verbal Test-Revised for detecting Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment in Spanish population.

The decline of verbal memory and learning is one of the main symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Hopkins Verbal Test-Revised (HVLT-R) to discriminate subjects with AD, amnestic MCI (aMCI), and a healthy control group in a Spanish population. Two hundred ninety-eight subjects were assessed with the HVLT-R and the Spanish version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MEC 35). There were significant differences in the HVLT-R delay recall and total free recall scores of aMCI, AD, and control subjects. Cut points with satisfactory sensitivity and specificity were found and showed better sensitivity than the MEC 35 in detecting AD and aMCI. Recognition scores failed to differentiate between impaired and control subjects. The HVLT-R delay recall and total free recall scores present high diagnostic utility for their employment in clinical practice in AD and MCI in a Spanish population.