Behavioral and Physiological Differences between Working Horses and Chilean Rodeo Horses in a Handling Test.

Non-invasive measures are preferred when assessing animal welfare. Differences in behavioral and physiological responses toward a stressor could be the result of the selection of horses for specific uses. Behavioral and physiological responses of working and Chilean rodeo horses subjected to a handling test were assessed. Five behaviors, number of attempts, and the time to cross a bridge were video recorded and analyzed with the Observer XT software. Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), to assess the physiological response to the novel stimulus, were registered with a Polar Equine V800 heart rate monitor system during rest and the bridge test. Heart rate variability data were obtained with the Kubios software. Differences between working and Chilean rodeo horses were assessed, and within-group differences between rest and the test were also analyzed. Chilean rodeo horses presented more proactive behaviors and required significantly more attempts to cross the bridge than working horses. Physiologically, Chilean rodeo horses presented lower variability of the heart rate than working horses.

Platelet-rich plasma versus lidocaine as tenotomy adjuvants in people with elbow epicondylopathy: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) compared to lidocaine as a tenotomy adjuvant for people with elbow tendinopathy. METHODS: Our study was a parallel-group, double-blind, randomized trial involving 71 patients with recalcitrant elbow tendinopathy who received two sessions of ultrasound-guided tenotomy with either PRP or lidocaine in a tertiary public hospital. The primary end point was the percentage of patients with an improvement exceeding 25% reduction in disability (Spanish version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaires-DASH-E) at 6 and 12 months; the secondary outcome was the percentage of patients exceeding 25% reduction in pain (VAS-P). RESULTS: There was no evidence of significant differences in the proportion of patients who experienced clinically relevant improvements. After 6 months, 18 patients (78.59%) in the lidocaine group and 19 patients (73.08%) in the PRP group showed improved function above 25% (unadjusted odds ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90 (0.17 to 4.60)); 21 patients (72.21%) in the lidocaine group versus 22 patients (84.62%) in the PRP group achieved more than 25% pain reduction (unadjusted odds ratio, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.10 to 2.37). After 12 months, 17 patients (70.83%) in the lidocaine group versus 19 patients (76%) in the PRP group had improved function (unadjusted odds ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.13 to 3.84), and 19 patients (76%) in the lidocaine group versus 20 patients (90.91%) in the PRP group had improved pain above 25% (unadjusted odds ratio, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.06 to 2.51). Hypercholesterolemia and baseline vascularization influenced outcomes. There were no differences between groups in the adjusted odds ratios. CONCLUSION: PRP results in similar improvements to those obtained with lidocaine. Selecting patients according to their pretreatment status can improve treatment efficacy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01945528 , EudraCT 2013-000478-32. Registered 18 August 2013, enrolment of the first participant 10 March 2014.

Predictors of Outcome Following Tenotomy in Patients with Recalcitrant Epicondylopathy.

BACKGROUND: Elbow tendinopathies are associated with tenderness, pain, and functional disability with ensuing socioeconomic costs. There is lack of consensus regarding the best treatment for patients recalcitrant to first-line conservative treatments. Percutaneous needle tenotomy is considered a regenerative approach that injures the tendon to elicit a healing response. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether demographic characteristics, clinical factors, baseline sonographic entities, or their interactions are related to the likelihood of responding positively to needle tenotomy over a 1-year follow-up period. DESIGN: Prospective case series. SETTING: Tertiary institutional hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with elbow tendinopathy for whom conservative treatments had failed and who had persistent symptoms lasting for at least 3 months. METHODS: Patients underwent needle tenotomy with or without PRP followed by a lighter needle tenotomy within a 2-week interval as part of treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) and Visual Analogue Scale for pain (VAS-P) scores were assessed before intervention (baseline) and at 6 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months after intervention. A generalized linear mixed effects model was created to examine whether injectate type, clinical, demographic, or pretreatment sonographic entities or their interactions influenced clinical outcomes. RESULTS: The authors analyzed 74 elbows (71 patients). At baseline, analyzed patients (mean age: 49.48 years; 51.35% women) scored 43.30 and 5.83 on the DASH and VAS-P, respectively. Pretreatment tendon vascularization was a predictor of pain (P = .011) and DASH score changes (P = .019). The linear mixed effect model revealed that male gender and hypercholesterolemia were associated with enhanced functional recovery, (P = .020 and P < .001, respectively). Moreover, the interactions between pretreatment vascular status (P = .039), echotexture (P = .037) and enthesophytes (P = .028) influenced the temporal pattern of functional recovery after needle tenotomy. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline patient characteristics, such as gender and hypercholesterolemia, along with ultrasound features may be predictive of outcomes following needle tenotomy for elbow tendinopathy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV (NCT01945528).

Reemergence of H3N8 Equine Influenza A virus in Chile, 2018.

A new outbreak of equine Influenza A virus (IAV) was reported in Chile in January 2018, 6 years after its last report in 2012. Equine IAV was detected by rtRT-PCR, followed by virus isolation and full genome sequencing. Genetic characterization of equine IAV classified the virus within clade 1 of the Florida sublineage. Although this is the same sublineage that caused an outbreak in Chile in 2012, the virus has a high similarity to other cocirculating viruses that were recently identified in Europe and Asia. The Chilean 2018 equine influenza (EI) outbreak was caused by an H3N8 strain circulating globally that spread through horse movements.

[Ecological validity and multitasking environments in the evaluation of the executive functions]. / Validez ecologica y entornos multitarea en la evaluacion de las funciones ejecutivas.

Evaluation of executive functions is a major issue of neuropsychological assessment, due to the role displayed by these on a cognitive, behavioural and emotional level, and the implication of these functions in daily life functioning. In order to perform a reliable assessment, the strategy traditionally followed for the evaluation of executive functions has been their atomization in different cognitive subprocesses, which is useful in a clinical or a research context. However, in clinical practice it is frequently artificial to disintegrate a global and complex cognitive process, such as executive functions, in a variety of related components; thus, tests designed according to these theoretical processes have low value in clinical procedures (diagnosis, rehabilitation design) due to their poor correspondence with the subject's or patient's clinical reality. The aims of the present work are to revise the concept of ecological validity applied to the evaluation of executive functions, and to perform a critical review of executive functions assessment by means of multitask paradigms as a way to increase the ecological validity and predictive value of the subject's functional performance. After a historical journey around the (low) ecological validity of single-task tests, and the bet in favour of a multitask paradigm for the evaluation of executive functions, up-to-date existing multitask tests are presented meticulously (with their respective advantages and disadvantages). Finally, concrete recommendations about how to develop multitask tests in the future are presented, attending to concrete parameters related to the context, tasks, objectives, rules and scoring.

TITLE: Validez ecologica y entornos multitarea en la evaluacion de las funciones ejecutivas.La valoracion de las funciones ejecutivas es un aspecto central de la evaluacion neuropsicologica. De cara a una evaluacion fiable, la estrategia tradicionalmente seguida para la evaluacion de las funciones ejecutivas ha sido su atomizacion en diferentes subprocesos cognitivos. No obstante, en la practica clinica, frecuentemente resulta artificiosa la disgregacion de un proceso cognitivo global y complejo como este en infinidad de subcomponentes relacionados. Asi, a menudo, las pruebas diseñadas de acuerdo con este paradigma resultan de poco valor para procedimientos clinicos (diagnostico, diseño de la rehabilitacion) por la pobre correspondencia con la realidad clinica del sujeto o paciente. Los objetivos del presente trabajo son revisar el concepto de validez ecologica aplicado a la evaluacion de las funciones ejecutivas y hacer una revision critica de la valoracion de las funciones ejecutivas mediante paradigmas de multitarea como medio de incrementar la validez ecologica y valor predictivo del desempeño funcional del sujeto. Tras un recorrido historico por la (escasa) validez ecologica de los tests monotarea y la apuesta por un paradigma multitarea para la evaluacion de las funciones ejecutivas, se recogen minuciosamente los tests multitarea existentes hasta la fecha (con sus respectivas ventajas e inconvenientes). Se concluye con recomendaciones concretas sobre como desarrollar tests multitarea en el futuro, atendiendo a parametros concretos relacionados con entorno, tareas, objetivos, reglas y puntuaciones.

Validez ecológica y entornos multitarea en la evaluación de las funciones ejecutivas / Ecological validity and multitasking environments in the evaluation of the executive functions

La valoración de las funciones ejecutivas es un aspecto central de la evaluación neuropsicológica. De cara a una evaluación fiable, la estrategia tradicionalmente seguida para la evaluación de las funciones ejecutivas ha sido su atomización en diferentes subprocesos cognitivos. No obstante, en la práctica clínica, frecuentemente resulta artificiosa la disgregación de un proceso cognitivo global y complejo como éste en infinidad de subcomponentes relacionados. Así, a menudo, las pruebas diseñadas de acuerdo con este paradigma resultan de poco valor para procedimientos clínicos (diagnóstico, diseño de la rehabilitación) por la pobre correspondencia con la realidad clínica del sujeto o paciente. Los objetivos del presente trabajo son revisar el concepto de validez ecológica aplicado a la evaluación de las funciones ejecutivas y hacer una revisión crítica de la valoración de las funciones ejecutivas mediante paradigmas de multitarea como medio de incrementar la validez ecológica y valor predictivo del desempeño funcional del sujeto. Tras un recorrido histórico por la (escasa) validez ecológica de los tests monotarea y la apuesta por un paradigma multitarea para la evaluación de las funciones ejecutivas, se recogen minuciosamente los tests multitarea existentes hasta la fecha (con sus respectivas ventajas e inconvenientes). Se concluye con recomendaciones concretas sobre cómo desarrollar tests multitarea en el futuro, atendiendo a parámetros concretos relacionados con entorno, tareas, objetivos, reglas y puntuaciones (AU)

Evaluation of executive functions is a major issue of neuropsychological assessment, due to the role displayed by these on a cognitive, behavioural and emotional level, and the implication of these functions in daily life functioning. In order to perform a reliable assessment, the strategy traditionally followed for the evaluation of executive functions has been their atomization in different cognitive subprocesses, which is useful in a clinical or a research context. However, in clinical practice it is frequently artificial to disintegrate a global and complex cognitive process, such as executive functions, in a variety of related components; thus, tests designed according to these theoretical processes have low value in clinical procedures (diagnosis, rehabilitation design) due to their poor correspondence with the subject’s or patient’s clinical reality. The aims of the present work are to revise the concept of ecological validity applied to the evaluation of executive functions, and to perform a critical review of executive functions assessment by means of multitask paradigms as a way to increase the ecological validity and predictive value of the subject’s functional performance. After a historical journey around the (low) ecological validity of single-task tests, and the bet in favour of a multitask paradigm for the evaluation of executive functions, up-to-date existing multitask tests are presented meticulously (with their respective advantages and disadvantages). Finally, concrete recommendations about how to develop multitask tests in the future are presented, attending to concrete parameters related to the context, tasks, objectives, rules and scoring (AU)

[Neuropsychological evaluation of the executive functions by means of virtual reality]. / Evaluación neuropsicológica de las funciones ejecutivas mediante realidad virtual.

Executive functions include a wide range of self regulatory functions that allow control, organization and coordination of other cognitive functions, emotional responses and behaviours. The traditional approach to evaluate these functions, by means of paper and pencil neuropsychological tests, shows a greater than expected performance within the normal range for patients whose daily life difficulties would predict an inferior performance. These discrepancies suggest that classical neuropsychological tests may not adequately reproduce the complexity and dynamic nature of real life situations. Latest developments in the field of virtual reality offer interesting options for the neuropsychological assessment of many cognitive processes. Virtual reality reproduces three-dimensional environments with which the patient interacts in a dynamic way, with a sense of immersion in the environment similar to the presence and exposure to a real environment. Furthermore, the presentation of these stimuli, as well as distractors and other variables, may be controlled in a systematic way. Moreover, more consistent and precise answers may be obtained, and an in-depth analysis of them is possible. The present review shows current problems in neuropsychological evaluation of executive functions and latest advances in the consecution of higher preciseness and validity of the evaluation by means of new technologies and virtual reality, with special mention to some developments performed in Spain.

TITLE: Evaluacion neuropsicologica de las funciones ejecutivas mediante realidad virtual.Las funciones ejecutivas engloban un amplio conjunto de funciones de autorregulacion que permiten el control, organizacion y coordinacion de otras funciones cognitivas, respuestas emocionales y comportamientos. El acercamiento tradicional a la hora de evaluar estas funciones, normalmente a traves de tests neuropsicologicos de lapiz y papel, puede mostrar en algunos pacientes un rendimiento mayor de lo esperado o dentro de los limites normales, y, sin embargo, observar dificultades en la vida diaria. Estas discrepancias sugieren que las pruebas neuropsicologicas clasicas puede que no reproduzcan adecuadamente la complejidad y naturaleza dinamica de las situaciones de la vida real. Los ultimos desarrollos en el campo de la realidad virtual ofrecen opciones interesantes en la evaluacion neuropsicologica de muchos procesos cognitivos. La realidad virtual reproduce entornos tridimensionales con los que el paciente interactua de forma dinamica, con una sensacion de inmersion en el entorno similar a la presencia y exposicion a un entorno real. Ademas, se puede controlar de forma sistematica la presentacion de dichos estimulos, asi como de distractores u otras variables. Asimismo, se pueden obtener respuestas mas consistentes y precisas, y permitir un analisis detallado de ellas. La presente revision muestra los problemas actuales de la evaluacion neuropsicologica de las funciones ejecutivas y los ultimos avances en la consecucion de mayor precision y validez en la evaluacion a traves de las nuevas tecnologias y la realidad virtual, haciendo especial mencion a algunos desarrollos llevados a cabo en España.

Evaluación neuropsicológica de las funciones ejecutivas mediante realidad virtual / Neuropsychological evaluation of the executive functions by means of virtual reality

Las funciones ejecutivas engloban un amplio conjunto de funciones de autorregulación que permiten el control, organización y coordinación de otras funciones cognitivas, respuestas emocionales y comportamientos. El acercamiento tradicional a la hora de evaluar estas funciones, normalmente a través de tests neuropsicológicos de lápiz y papel, puede mostrar en algunos pacientes un rendimiento mayor de lo esperado o dentro de los límites normales, y, sin embargo, observar dificultades en la vida diaria. Estas discrepancias sugieren que las pruebas neuropsicológicas clásicas puede que no reproduzcan adecuadamente la complejidad y naturaleza dinámica de las situaciones de la vida real. Los últimos desarrollos en el campo de la realidad virtual ofrecen opciones interesantes en la evaluación neuropsicológica de muchos procesos cognitivos. La realidad virtual reproduce entornos tridimensionales con los que el paciente interactúa de forma dinámica, con una sensación de inmersión en el entorno similar a la presencia y exposición a un entorno real. Además, se puede controlar de forma sistemática la presentación de dichos estímulos, así como de distractores u otras variables. Asimismo, se pueden obtener respuestas más consistentes y precisas, y permitir un análisis detallado de ellas. La presente revisión muestra los problemas actuales de la evaluación neuropsicológica de las funciones ejecutivas y los últimos avances en la consecución de mayor precisión y validez en la evaluación a través de las nuevas tecnologías y la realidad virtual, haciendo especial mención a algunos desarrollos llevados a cabo en España (AU)

Executive functions include a wide range of self regulatory functions that allow control, organization and coordination of other cognitive functions, emotional responses and behaviours. The traditional approach to evaluate these functions, by means of paper and pencil neuropsychological tests, shows a greater than expected performance within the normal range for patients whose daily life difficulties would predict an inferior performance. These discrepancies suggest that classical neuropsychological tests may not adequately reproduce the complexity and dynamic nature of real life situations. Latest developments in the field of virtual reality offer interesting options for the neuropsychological assessment of many cognitive processes. Virtual reality reproduces three-dimensional environments with which the patient interacts in a dynamic way, with a sense of immersion in the environment similar to the presence and exposure to a real environment. Furthermore, the presentation of these stimuli, as well as distractors and other variables, may be controlled in a systematic way. Moreover, more consistent and precise answers may be obtained, and an in-depth analysis of them is possible. The present review shows current problems in neuropsychological evaluation of executive functions and latest advances in the consecution of higher preciseness and validity of the evaluation by means of new technologies and virtual reality, with special mention to some developments performed in Spain (AU)

[Effectiveness of neuropsychological rehabilitation in acquired brain injury (II): Executive functions, behavioural modification and psychotherapy, and the use of the new technologies]. / Efectividad de la rehabilitación neuropsicológica en el daño cerebral adquirido (II): Funciones ejecutivas, modificación de conducta y psicoterapia, y uso de nuevas tecnologias.

INTRODUCTION: The consequences of acquired brain injury include impairments in cognition, emotion and behaviour. Neuro-psychology provides techniques for treating these disorders, but it is still important to establish which of all the available tools are most effective for this purpose. DEVELOPMENT: This article reviews existing studies on the effectiveness of neuropsychological rehabilitation, focusing on those areas more often affected after acquired brain injury. The purpose of the article is to guide and orient neuro-psychological rehabilitation of these patients based on the strongest evidence available in the literature. In this second part, we will focus on the rehabilitation of executive functions, the behaviour modification, and psychotherapy applied in this area, as well as the application of new technologies. CONCLUSION: There is enough evidence to recommend the neuropsychological rehabilitation of executive functions, and the application of the above mentioned tools in patients with acquired brain injury.

Efectividad de la rehabilitación neuropsicológica en el daño cerebral adquirido (I): atención, velocidad de procesamiento, memoria y lenguaje / Effectiveness of neuropsychological rehabilitation in acquired brain injury (I): attention, processing speed, memory and language

Introducción. Las consecuencias del daño cerebral adquirido incluyen alteraciones en el funcionamiento cognitivo, emocional y conductual de las personas afectadas. La neuropsicología proporciona técnicas que permiten tratar dichas alteraciones; e ahí la importancia de establecer cuáles, de entre todas las herramientas disponibles, son las más eficaces para este objetivo. Desarrollo. El presente artículo revisa los estudios existentes sobre efectividad de la rehabilitación neuropsicológica, centrándose en aquellas áreas y procesos cognitivos alterados con más frecuencia. El fin último del artículo es servir de guía y orientar la rehabilitación neuropsicológica de estos pacientes a partir de las evidencias más sólidas existentes en la literatura, especialmente en procesos como la atención y la heminegligencia, la memoria y el lenguaje. Conclusión. Existen evidencias suficientes para recomendar la rehabilitación neuropsicológica de los procesos antes señalados en población con daño cerebral adquirido (AU)

Introduction. The consequences of acquired brain injury include impairments in cognition, emotion, and behaviour. Neuropsychology provides techniques for treating these disorders, but it is still important to establish which of all the available tools are most effective for this purpose. Development. This article reviews existing studies on the effectiveness of neuropsychological rehabilitation, focusing on those areas more often impaired due to acquired brain injury. The purpose of the article is to guide and orient neuropsychological rehabilitation of these patients based on the strongest evidence available in the literature. This paper focuses on cognitive domains such as attention and neglect, memory and language. Conclusion. There is enough evidence to recommend the neuropsychological rehabilitation of the above processes in patients with acquired brain injury (AU)

[Effectiveness of neuropsychological rehabilitation in acquired brain injury (I): attention, processing speed, memory and language]. / Efectividad de la rehabilitación neuropsicologica en el daño cerebral adquirido (I): atención, velocidad de procesamiento, memoria y lenguaje.

INTRODUCTION: The consequences of acquired brain injury include impairments in cognition, emotion, and behaviour. Neuro-psychology provides techniques for treating these disorders, but it is still important to establish which of all the available tools are most effective for this purpose. DEVELOPMENT: This article reviews existing studies on the effectiveness of neuropsychological rehabilitation, focusing on those areas more often impaired due to acquired brain injury. The purpose of the article is to guide and orient neuro-psychological rehabilitation of these patients based on the strongest evidence available in the literature. This paper focuses on cognitive domains such as attention and neglect, memory and language. CONCLUSION: There is enough evidence to recommend the neuropsychological rehabilitation of the above processes in patients with acquired brain injury.

La especialización en neuropsicología: Desde la necesidad clínica hasta la conveniencia estratégica / No disponible

La especialización dentro del ámbito de la Psicología es una necesidad ampliamente reconocida, debido a la creciente demanda deservicios que gocen de una progresiva mayor calidad y eficacia. Sin embargo, la Ley de Ordenación de Profesiones Sanitarias haobviado el reconocimiento sanitario a importantes especialidades de marcado carácter clínico-asistencial, como es el caso de laNeuropsicología. El artículo justifica desde una base epistemológica, y desde la búsqueda de la excelencia en la calidad de los ser-vicios sanitarios dispensados desde la Psicología, la necesidad del reconocimiento de la especialización en Neuropsicología Clínica,como una disciplina asistencial independiente, aunque íntimamente relacionada con otras especialidades clínicas, de la Psicología yde otras Neurociencias. Así mismo, plantea que este camino de diferenciación asistencial beneficia, en última instancia, la posiciónestratégica de la Psicología dentro de las profesiones sanitarias, y por tanto, dentro de la propia sociedad

Specialization within Psychology is a broadly acknowledged need, given the increasing demand for higher-quality and more effec-tive clinical attention. However, Spain’s Health Professions Regulation Act has overlooked important clinical-healthcare specialties,such as Neuropsychology. This article argues strongly, from an epistemological point of view, and based on the search for excellencein healthcare provided by Psychology, in favour of acknowledging Neuropsychology as a key healthcare specialization. It also ar-gues that Neuropsychology, as an independent healthcare specialization, should collaborate closely with other healthcare fields with-in Psychology and Neuroscience. Furthermore, the article also postulates that such specialization in healthcare provision willultimately benefit the strategic role of Psychology within the healthcare framework, and hence, in society (AU)