Anxiety, depression, perceived executive function and sugar sweetened beverages: a causal mediation analysis in Mexican young adults.

There is the notion that dysregulation of executive function (EF), which disrupts behavior and cognitive processes, may explain the emotional impairment which leads to increasing sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) intake. We aimed to test whether anxiety and depression mediate the association between self-reported problems in EF and sugar sweetened beverage intake in Mexican adults between 18-40 years. An open survey advertised as a 'mental health and sugar sweetened beverages study' was conducted, participants were recruited through Facebook ads. Males and females, between 18-40 years, able to read and write, and currently residing in Mexico were included. We analyzed data using causal mediation analysis with latent variables using a structural equation modelling framework. Significant indirect effects were found for somatic symptoms of depression (ß = 6.601, SE = 2.657, p < .05) and anxiety (ß = .679, SE =.334, p < .05). In depression model no significant direct effects of EF were found in the depression model, however they were found in the anxiety model (ß = 1.335 SE =.566, p < .05). Somatic symptoms of depression were a total mediator, and anxiety a partial mediator. The results suggest that EF increased the probability of emotional symptoms, which led to a higher consumption of SBBs.

Big Five personality factors predict self-rated cognitive reserve: a two-wave online study in a Mexican sample.

Introduction: One of the main contributors to cognitive reserve (CR) is the involvement in cognitively stimulating activities (CSAs), including education, work, leisure, social and physical activities. Personality traits are plausible determinants of CR, influencing the tendency to engage in CSAs. The goal of this study was to evaluate the association between personality and CR, operationalised as self-rated involvement in CSAs, in a sample of individuals aged 18-50 or more. Method: We collected two-wave non-probabilistic online data throughout Mexico. The instruments were the Big Five Inventory-2 for the baseline, its extra-short form for the follow-up and the Self-Rating of Cognitive Reserve (SRCR). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were performed to test the unifactorial structure of the SRCR, and multiple regressions were conducted with personality factors as predictors of CR. Results: For the baseline, 2025 participants were recruited, and 610 for the follow-up, most of them female and aged 18-40. CFAs showed excellent goodness-of-fit, and the regression analyses proved Negative Emotionality and Extraversion to be the main predictors of CR. Conclusions: Our study highlights the need to identify personality profiles at high risk of underdevelopment of CR in ages where it is still feasible to promote engagement in CSAs.

The Big Five Inventory-2: Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Latent Profiles in a Mexican Sample

Introduction: The Big-Five Inventory-2 is a recently developed instrument for the measurement of personality factors and facets, with good psychometric properties cross-culturally. We examined the validity of this test, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency in a Mexican sample. We also aimed to extract latent profiles in order to identify subgroups of individuals based on personality traits. Method: We recruited a two-wave non-probabilistic sample by way of chain referral through social networks. The BFI-2 (60-items version) was administered in the first wave, and the BFI-2-XS (15-items version) in the second wave. The Quality-of-Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form was also administered. The baseline sample included 2,025 participants and the follow-up included 610. Results: Factor models of the BFI-2 and the BFI-2-XS evidenced satisfactory goodness-of-fit, reliability and nomological validity with demographics (e.g., higher negative emotionality in women) and with quality of life. We extracted five latent profiles from the BFI-2; those characterised by High Agreeableness/Low Open-mindedness, High Stability/Low Plasticity, and Average Stability/Plasticity, showed better quality of life. Conclusion: We recommend the use of facets, aiming to reduce measurement error. Further studies with more demographically balanced samples should be performed in order to test the replication of the latent profiles.

Introducción: El Big-Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2) es un instrumento para la medición de factores y facetas de la personalidad desarrollado recientemente y reportado con buenas propiedades psicométricas transculturalmente. Evaluamos la validez de esta prueba, la confiabilidad test-retest y la consistencia interna en una muestra mexicana. Además, obtuvimos perfiles latentes para identificar subgrupos de individuos en función de los rasgos de personalidad. Método: Reclutamos una muestra no probabilística de dos olas mediante muestreo por cadena por medio de redes sociales. El BFI-2 (versión de 60 ítems) se administró en la primera ola y el BFI-2-XS (versión de 15 ítems) en la segunda ola. Al mismo tiempo, aplicamos el cuestionario Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction-Short Form. La muestra inicial incluyó 2025 participantes y el seguimiento 610. Resultados: Los modelos factoriales del BFI-2 y el BFI-2-XS demostraron bondad de ajuste, confiabilidad y validez nomológica satisfactorias en relación con la demografía (e.g., mayor emocionalidad negativa en mujeres) y con la calidad de vida. Obtuvimos cinco perfiles latentes del BFI-2; aquellos caracterizados por alta amabilidad/baja apertura de mente, alta estabilidad/baja plasticidad y moderada estabilidad/plasticidad, mostraron mejor calidad de vida. Conclusiones: Recomendamos el uso de facetas, con el objetivo de reducir el error de medición. Se deben realizar más estudios con muestras más equilibradas demográficamente para probar la replicación de los perfiles latentes.

Mental Health Changes in Older Adults in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study in Mexico.

This study examined changes in some aspects of mental health, as well as worries and behaviors related to the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample of older adults, during three different moments of the first year of the pandemic in Mexico. The sample consisted of 2,307 older adults (38% men and 62% women). The results indicated that older adults presented less concern about the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as less adherence to preventing procedures in the first wave, compared to subsequent evaluations. In addition, greater depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress were found in older adults in the last wave; however, the proportion of older adults identified with high scores in these variables was lower than that reported in national data.

Developing an App to Screen for Dual Disorders: A Tool for Improving Treatment Services in Mexico.

Background: Previous studies in Mexico undertaken at residential facilities for treating substance use disorders (SUDs) reported that the prevalence of Dual Disorders (DDs) is over 65%. DDs pose a major challenge for the Mexican health system, particularly for community-based residential care facilities for SUDs, due to the shortage of certified professionals to diagnose and treat these patients. Moreover, the lack of standardized algorithms for screening for and evaluating DDs to refer patients to specialized services (whether private or public) hinders timely care, delaying the start of integrated treatment. The use of new technologies provides a strategic opportunity for the timely detection of DDs through the development of standardized digital applications for the timely detection of DDs. Objective: To develop an app to screen for DDs, which will contribute to referral to specialized services in keeping with the level of severity of psychiatric and addictive symptomatology, and be suitable for use by community-based residential care facilities for SUDs. Method: The research project was implemented in two stages. Stage 1 involved obtaining the psychometric properties of the Dual Diagnosis Screening Interview (DDSI). Stage 2 consisted of two steps to test the Beta version of the app and the quality of version 1.0. Results: The DDS obtained sensitivity and specificity scores above 85%. The app and its algorithm to screen for and refer DDs proved to be efficient and easy to apply with satisfactory community acceptance. Conclusion: The app promises to be a useful screening tool at residential addiction treatment centers.

Distress, Depression, Anxiety, and Concerns and Behaviors Related to COVID-19 during the First Two Months of the Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study in Adult MEXICANS.

We examined longitudinal differences in the severity of distress, depression, anxiety, and concerns and behaviors related to COVID-19 during the first two months of this pandemic, correlations between these variables, and interactions of distress with significant sociodemographics across waves. A longitudinal online survey was conducted in the State of Mexico, from 8 April to 27 May, 2020, in a sample of men and women between 18 and 60 years old, using: Impact of Event Scale-6, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disoder-7, and a questionnaire of concerns and behaviors related to COVID-19. Six hundred seventy participants were analyzed. Only a mild difference in distress was observed between the two waves and mild correlations of this variable with contagion in oneself and in a relative. Having a high-risk medical condition proved a considerable effect on distress within both waves. Perception of usefulness of preventive measures, concerns of contagion in a relative, and financial and security situations scored high within our questionnaire but did not change in the follow-up. We hypothesize that habituation to distressful events in the Mexican population (emergent resilience) might explain the absence of meaningful differences. Our research adds to the monitoring of mental health in Mexicans during the COVID-19 pandemic; its findings can serve to perform comparisons in other studies and for further meta-analyses.

Self-reported executive function, and not performance-based measures, strongly associates with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome/premenstrual dysphoric disorder / Autorreporte de funciones ejecutivas, y no medidas de desempeño, fuertemente se asocia con síntomas de síndrome premenstrual/trastorno disfórico premenstrual

Abstract Introduction Premenstrual syndrome/premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMS/PMDD) may be neuropsychologically understood as impairments of executive functions (EF), since these are related to the regulation of complex behavior and cognition. Objective To test the utility of self-report of EF versus performance-based measures, for the understanding of PMS/PMDD, and to analyze interactive effects between symptoms of these pathologies and EF on daily-life functionality. Method Mexican women were recruited through non-probabilistic procedures. The Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST) was used to determine severity of symptoms and functional impairment in daily-life activities, and the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Functions-Adults (BRIEF-A) (short Spanish-translated version) adapted to collect information on EF during luteal versus follicular phases. Performance was evaluated with Stroop, Trail Making Test and Letter-Number Sequencing. Results A total of 157 were analyzed. Three groups were formed: No diagnosis ( n = 78); PMS ( n = 67) and PMDD ( n = 12). Between-group differences were observed for both BRIEF-A-Luteal and BRIEF-A-Follicular. Bivariate correlations between these measures and the PSST were found, with double the magnitude relative to BRIEF-A-Luteal. Only two indicators of performance-based measures were weakly associated to the PSST. The regression model showed high multicollinearity between self-reported EF and PMS/PMDD symptoms, and no interaction was found. Discussion and conclusion Self-report probed a better association than based-performance tests for the assessment of EF in PMS/PMDD. EF deficits and PMS/PMDD symptoms, particularly during luteal phase, may be as closely link as to allow for the consideration of these diagnoses as partial forms of dysexecutive syndrome.

Resumen Introducción El síndrome premenstrual/trastorno disfórico premenstrual (SPM/TDPM) pueden entenderse neuropsicológicamente como alteraciones de las funciones ejecutivas (FE), ya que éstas permiten la regulación del comportamiento complejo y la cognición. Objetivo Evaluar la utilidad del autorreporte de las FE versus pruebas de desempeño para comprender el SPM/TDPM, y analizar los efectos interactivos entre los síntomas de estas patologías y las FE sobre el funcionamiento diario. Método Mujeres mexicanas fueron reclutadas por medio de procedimientos no probabilísticos. El Instrumento de Detección de Síntomas Premenstruales (PSST) se utilizó para determinar la gravedad de los síntomas y el deterioro funcional en las actividades de la vida diaria, y el Inventario de Evaluación Conductual de la Función Ejecutiva-Adultos (BRIEF-A) (versión breve traducida al español) para recopilar información sobre EF durante las fases lútea versus folicular. Se emplearon también las pruebas de desempeño: Stroop, Trail Making Test y Secuencia de Letras y Números. Resultados Se analizó un total de 157 participantes. Se formaron tres grupos: sin diagnóstico ( n = 78); SPM ( n = 67) y TDPM ( n = 12). Se observaron diferencias entre los grupos para BRIEF-A-Lútea y BRIEF-A-Folicular. Se encontraron correlaciones bivariadas entre estas medidas y el PSST, con el doble de magnitud en relación con BRIEF-A-Lútea. Solo dos indicadores de medidas basadas en el desempeño mostraron una asociación débil con el PSST. El modelo de regresión mostró alta multicolinealidad entre el autorreporte de FE y SPM/TDPM, y no se encontró la interacción esperada. Discusión y conclusión El autorreporte mostró una mejor asociación que las pruebas de rendimiento para la evaluación de FE en SPM/TDPM. Los déficits de EF y los síntomas de SPM/TDPM, particularmente durante la fase lútea, pueden estar tan estrechamente vinculados como para permitir la consideración de estos diagnósticos como formas parciales de síndrome disejecutivo.

Decision-Making Under Risk and Uncertainty by Substance Abusers and Healthy Controls.

Cognitive impairment characterized by high impulsivity and risk-taking has been correlated with substance-related disorders. However, it is unclear if the decision-making process is well known upon consideration of factors such as uncertainty environments, risk, and time manipulation in different decision-making procedures. The main objective of this study was to identify behavioral differences between substance abusers and healthy control participants in a behavioral test battery, including (1) two uncertainty decision-making tasks, the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT, trial 1-40); (2) three risk-taking tasks, the Columbia Card Task Hot version (CCT-hot), Columbia Card Task Cold version (CCT-cold), and the IGT (trial 41-100); and (3) an impulsivity task, the Delay Discounting task (DD). The second objective looked at how the six behavioral tests correlate. We worked with a sample of 54 adult participants (Substance abusers: n = 28; Healthy controls: n = 26). An anonymous survey website was created to execute all the cognitive tasks. The results showed no statistically significant differences between the groups in any of the tasks. However, the results showed an upward trend of impulsive (i.e., steeply discounting curve) and risk-taking behaviors (i.e., a low learning curve in IGT) in substance abuse participants. The factor analysis results showed four different main factors: (1) risk-taking task in the IGT (trial 40-100), (2) uncertainty task in BART, (3) impulsivity in DD, IGT (trial 1-40), and (4) deliberate process in the Columbia card task (cold and hot). We conclude that factors such as the uncertainty tasks in the BART and the first block of IGT trials, the risk cues in the CCT tasks (i.e., number of loss, number of gains, and loss cards), and the time to delivery in the DD task, can affect the complex decision-making process in both clinical and healthy groups.

Psychological impact of sociodemographic factors and medical conditions in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico / Impacto psicológico de factores sociodemográficos y condiciones médicas en adultos mayores durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en México

Abstract Introduction Older adults are not only at a higher medical risk during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they may also be a group particularly vulnerable to mental health diminishing. Objective To analyze the effect of some sociodemographic factors (sex and age) and medical conditions (diabetes and hypertension) on mental health and concerns about COVID-19 in a sample of older adults. Method A non-probabilistic sample of 2,992 older adults (37.7% men and 62.3% women) was selected, with an average age of 70.45 years (SD = 7.31). Participants were given the Impact of Event Scale-6 (IES-6), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), a questionnaire of concerns about COVID-19, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Participants' answers were captured via Google Forms. Results The results showed that women had greater concerns about COVID-19 than men. The findings in general showed significant effects, with women showing higher scores in depressive symptoms, anxiety, and greater stress generated in addition by the impact of the event. Differences concerning event-related stress and depression were found in relation to subgroups by age. Discussion and conclusion These finding could serve for the planning and development of strategies that provide attention to the mental health of this population group.

Resumen Introducción Los adultos mayores no sólo presentan un mayor riesgo médico durante la pandemia de COVID-19, sino que también pueden ser particularmente vulnerables a la disminución de la salud mental. Objetivo Analizar el efecto de algunos factores sociodemográficos (sexo y edad) y condiciones médicas (diabetes e hipertensión) sobre la salud mental y las preocupaciones sobre COVID-19 en una muestra de adultos mayores. Método Se seleccionó una muestra no probabilística de 2,992 adultos mayores (37.7% hombres y 62.3% mujeres), con una edad promedio de 70.45 años (DE = 7.31). Los participantes recibieron la Estala de Impacto de Evento-6, el Cuestionario de Salud del Paciente-9, el Trastorno de Ansiedad Generalizada-7, un cuestionario de preocupaciones sobre COVID-19 y un cuestionario sociodemográfico. Resultados Las mujeres presentaron mayores preocupaciones por COVID-19 que los hombres. Las respuestas de los participantes se capturaron en Google Forms. Resultados En general, los hallazgos mostraron efectos significativos, siendo las mujeres quienes presentaron puntuaciones más altas en síntomas depresivos y ansiedad, así como mayor estrés asociado a evento. Además, se encontraron efectos diferenciados por subgrupos de edad en relación con estrés asociado a evento y síntomas depresivos. Discusión y conclusión Estos hallazgos pudieran ser útiles para planificar y desarrollar estrategias que brinden atención a la salud mental de este grupo de población.

Testing whether cognitive reserve as measured by self-rating of stimulating activities moderates the association of polysubstance use and neurocognitive disorder.

Introduction: The objectives were to identify a latent factor of cognitive reserve (CR) assessed by self-rating of cognitively stimulating activities, to analyze the association between this factor and educational attainment, and to test whether CR moderates the association between polysubstance use and neurocognitive disorder (NCD). Methods: Cross-sectional data of 753 participants was collected in Mexico City. A questionnaire for self-rating of stimulating activities (work/education, leisure, physical, social, usual- and current environments) was designed. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test unifactoriality. This CR factor was then used within a structural equation model of moderation between recent- and years of substance use and indicators of NCD (Montreal Cognitive Assessment and an interview for subjective cognitive deficits). Results: We found acceptable goodness-of-fit values for the unifactorial model, but no association of this factor with educational attainment, nor with recent- and years of substance use (suggesting independence of CR and severity of neuropathology). We did not find a moderation effect of CR between substance use and indicators of NCD; CR was negatively associated with subjective cognitive deficits only. Conclusions: Moderation effect of self-rated CR should be further tested using direct measures of substance-induced neuropathology. Measurement of self-rated CR may complement self-reported cognitive examination.

Moderating effects of executive function between depression severity and work performance: a web-based cross-sectional study / Efecto moderador de las funciones ejecutivas entre sintomatología depresiva y desempeño laboral: un estudio transversal en línea

Abstract Introduction Depression and dysexecutive functioning share several neurocognitive features, and both often impair areas of everyday life functioning, such as work. The effect of their interaction on this outcome, however, is barely known. Objective Was to analyze the moderating effect of executive functioning (EF) on the relation between depression severity and work performance (presenteeism and absenteeism). Method Data was collected through a non-probabilistic web-based survey. Hierarchical linear regression analyzes were used for testing the main hypothesis, with depression severity (PHQ-9) and EFs (BRIEF-A) as predictors, and presenteeism (SPS-6) and absenteeism (HPQ) as independent outcome variables. Results There were 462 participants analyzed. The regression models showed no significant interaction, only additive effects of depression severity and EF on presenteeism, and no effect of these variables on absenteeism. Discussion and conclusion Our main finding disagrees with the moderating effects of EF reported for other psychological variables. We hypothesize that EF alterations may have particular features for depression (e.g., cognitive inflexibility in thought rumination), which are not assessed by the BRIEF-A. Future studies should consider using EF performance tasks to test moderation and using naturalistic indicators of work performance.

Resumen Introducción La depresión y la disfunción ejecutiva comparten varias características neurocognitivas, y ambas a menudo afectan áreas de funcionamiento de la vida cotidiana, como el trabajo. El efecto de su interacción en este desenlace es, sin embargo, apenas conocido. Objetivo Fue analizar el efecto moderador del funcionamiento ejecutivo (FE) en la relación entre la gravedad de depresión y el desempeño laboral (presentismo y ausentismo). Método Los datos se recopilaron no probabilísticamente por medio de una encuesta en línea. Se emplearon análisis de regresión lineal jerárquica para probar la hipótesis principal, con sintomatología depresiva (PHQ-9) y FE (BRIEF-A) como predictores, y presentismo (SPS-6) y ausentismo (HPQ) como variables de desenlace independientes. Resultados Se analizaron 462 participantes. Los modelos de regresión no mostraron interacciones significativas, sólo efectos aditivos de la gravedad de depresión y la FE sobre el presentismo, y no hubo ningún efecto de estas variables sobre el ausentismo. Discusión y conclusión Nuestro hallazgo principal discrepa de otros que reportan efectos moderadores de FE para otras variables psicológicas. Hipotetizamos que las alteraciones de FE pueden tener características particulares para la depresión (por ejemplo, inflexibilidad cognitiva en la rumiación del pensamiento), que no son evaluadas por el BRIEF-A. Es recomendable que estudios futuros empleen tareas de desempeño para medición de efecto moderador de FE, y considerar indicadores naturalistas de desempeño laboral.

Neuropsychiatric characterization of individuals with inhalant use disorder and polysubstance use according to latent profiles of executive functioning.

BACKGROUND: Inhalant use disorder (IUD) is associated with deficits in executive functions (EFs). We described latent profiles of EFs and distribution of neuropsychiatric disorders and patterns of severity of use across these profiles. METHODS: Individuals with IUD were recruited at community-based residential facilities for substance use treatment in Mexico City. Latent profile analysis was conducted with the following tasks: self-ordered pointing, Stroop, Iowa gambling, Wisconsin Card Sorting and Tower of Hanoi. RESULTS: Three latent profiles were extracted from n = 165: lowest performances of inhibition of response and processing speed; lowest performance of self-monitoring, intermediate performance of inhibition of response and relatively spared processing speed; and intermediate performance of processing speed and self-monitoring, and relatively spared inhibition of response. CONCLUSION: Between-group differences were observed mainly for antisocial personality disorder and lifetime suicidal. Findings remark the need for identifying distinct profiles of EFs within these populations to better understand the transdiagnostic heterogeneity of EFs.

Latent Impulsivity Subtypes in Substance Use Disorders and Interactions with Internalizing and Externalizing Co-Occurring Disorders.

This study explored the clinical importance of latent impulsivity subtypes within a sample of individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) and high rates of co-occurring disorders (CODs) receiving residential treatment, aiming to assess the heterogeneity of the associations between SUDs and CODs across such impulsivity subtypes. The abbreviated Barratt impulsiveness scale was used to assess motor and cognitive (attentional and nonplanning) impulsivity, a structured interview for diagnosis of SUD and CODs, and other clinimetric measures for severity of substance use. Latent class analysis was conducted to extract subgroups of impulsivity subtypes and Poisson regression to analyze effects of interactions of classes by CODs on severity of substance use. 568 participants were evaluated. Results featured a four-class model as the best-fitted solution: overall high impulsivity (OHI); overall low impulsivity; high cognitive-low motor impulsivity; and moderate cognitive-low motor impulsivity (MC-LMI). OHI and MC-LMI concentrated on most of the individuals with CODs, and individuals within OHI and MC-LMI showed more severity of substance use. The expression of this severity relative to the impulsivity subtypes was modified by their interaction with internalizing and externalizing CODs in very heterogeneous ways. Our findings suggest that knowing either the presence of trait-based subtypes or CODs in individuals with SUDs is not enough to characterize clinical outcomes, and that the analysis of interactions between psychiatric categories and behavioral traits is necessary to better understand the expressions of psychiatric disorders.

Exploración de las propiedades psicométricas de la Batería Montreal de Evaluación de Amusia en una muestra de sujetos con epilepsia de lóbulo temporal / Exploration of the psychometric properties of the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia in a sample with temporal lobe epilepsy

ANTECEDENTES: La Batería Montreal de Evaluación de Amusia (MBEA) es un instrumento de reciente creación, utilizado para evaluar percepción y memoria musical asociadas al funcionamiento de lóbulos temporales. La epilepsia de lóbulo temporal no sintomática (ELTns) es una condición de alta prevalencia en México; esto proporciona una oportunidad para evaluar la MBEA, considerando que las crisis epilépticas pueden producir alteraciones neuropsicológicas específicas según la localización lobular y la lateralización de foco epileptogénico (LFE). OBJETIVO: Explorar las propiedades psicométricas y diagnósticas de la MBEA. MÉTODO: Dos muestras no probabilística de 31 controles y 22 casos de epilepsia ELTns fueron evaluados con la MBEA. Se utilizaron asimismo los datos estandarizados originales de la MBEA para comparación de controles. RESULTADOS: El análisis con prueba t mostró desempeños significativamente menores de los casos en comparación con los controles y significativamente menores entre controles y la norma. No se encontraron diferencias significativas en los puntajes según LFE. El análisis por Curvas ROC mostró propiedades cuestionables de sensibilidad y especificidad en la MBEA utilizando la ELTns como variable de estado. DISCUSIÓN Y CONCLUSIÓN: Se hallaron alteraciones en funciones de percepción musical en los casos; sin embargo, se detectaron inconsistencias teóricas con respecto a la relación de funciones afectadas. Las diferencias entre el grupo control y la norma apuntan a continuar evaluando la MBEA en población mexicana. La MBEA parece ser una medida poco precisa en términos de sensibilidad y especificidad para las alteraciones amúsicas en la ELTns, y su utilidad como medida de apoyo en la determinación de LFE permanece incierta.

BACKGROUND: The Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA) is a newly developed instrument to assess music perception and memory, associated to temporal lobe functioning. The non-symptomatic temporal lobe epilepsy is a prevalent condition in Mexico, and it gives an opportunity to test the MBEA, considering the fact that epileptic seizures can cause neuropsychological impairment according to lobar localization and hemispherical lateralization of the epileptogenic foci. OBJECTIVE: To explore the psychometric and diagnostic properties of the MBEA. METHOD: Two non-probabilistic samples of 31 control subjects and 22 cases with non-symptomatic temporal lobe epilepsy were assessed with the MBEA. Data from the original validation were used to compare with the control group. RESULTS: Analysis with t test showed significantly lower performances in the case group relative to controls, and a general lower performance of controls compared to the norm. There was no significant difference in performance between cases with left epileptogenic foci and cases with right epileptogenic foci. ROC curve analysis showed questionable properties of sensitivity and specificity in the MBEA. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Impairments in music perception were found in cases, although theoretical inconsistences with respect to relation between impaired functions were also detected. The performance of the control group relative to the norm aims to the continuation of the validation process, considering cultural differences. The MBEA seems to be a poor measure in terms of sensibility and specificity for the detection of amusic impairments in subjects with non-symptomatic temporal lobe epilepsy, and its utility for determining hemispheric lateralization of epileptogenic foci remains uncertain.