Biomedical subjects

M Salamero

Publications and source records attributed to M Salamero.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Impaired response inhibition in obsessive compulsive disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigates different three inhibitory control functions in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Selective motor response inhibition was tested in a GO/NO-GO paradigm, the inhibition of a triggered motor response in a STOP paradigm and the ability to inhibit cognitive interference in a motor STROOP paradigm. METHODS: 27 patients who met DSM-IV criteria for OCD and 25 age, handedness and IQ-matched healthy control subjects were tested in the GO/NO-GO, STOP and motor STROOP tasks. RESULTS: OCD patients performed significantly worse than controls in the selective inhibition of their motor responses (GO/NO-GO) and in the inhibition of cognitive interference (STROOP), and also showed worse performance in suppressing previously triggered motor responses (STOP). CONCLUSION: Patients with OCD are impaired in motor and cognitive inhibitory mechanisms. The findings are consistent with psychobiological and neuropsychological models of OCD suggesting impairment of frontostriatal circuitries that mediate functions of inhibitory control.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Eating disorders in Spanish female athletes.

The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of eating disorders and risk factors for their development in female athletes. Two hundred and eighty-three elite sportswomen, competing in 20 different sports, were administered the EAT, the CETCA (the Eating Disorders Assessment Questionnaire, based on DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria), and two other inventories which evaluated 1) the possible influence on eating disorders of exposure of the body in public and 2) pressure from coaches regarding eating habits, weight, physical appearance and performance. More than 11% of subjects had scores above the cut-off point (>30) on the EAT questionnaire, a proportion similar to that found in a general female population in Spain. On the basis of the CETCA score, AN was putatively diagnosed in 2.5% of the sample, and BN in 20.1%. Though some of these cases may have been EDNOS (eating disorders not otherwise specified), the proportion of athletes suffering from some kind of eating disorder was five times higher than in the general population (22.6% vs. 4.1%). No differences were found between the sportswomen and the general population in terms of specific risk behaviours and attitudes, but a substantial subgroup of athletes presented two or more of these risk behaviours. Exposure of the body in public seems to be a risk factor for eating disorders in general, and pressure from coaches seems to be a risk factor for bulimia.

Attitude↗

PubMed2004

Neuropsychological markers of dementia in patients with memory complaints.

OBJECTIVES: To identify neuropsychological markers able to predict evolution towards dementia, through the detection of differential neuropsychological characteristics in a group of subjects complaining of memory loss, in a longitudinal, two-year follow-up study. METHODS: Longitudinal and retrospective comparisons of neuropsychological performance in: (a) subjects complaining of memory loss who, after a two-year period, met neurological and clinical diagnostic criteria for probable AD, and (b) subjects from the same group who did not progress towards dementia. A sample of 43 subjects were administered a comprehensive neuropsychological battery evaluating orientation, logical-verbal and visuoperceptive reasoning, immediate and delayed verbal and visual memory, attention, learning, executive functions and semantic and phonemic verbal fluency. RESULTS: Of the 43 subjects evaluated and then re-evaluated two years later, ten (23%) progressed to dementia according to the NINCS-ADRDA criteria for probable Alzheimer's disease. The neuropsychological performance of the rest of the subjects (n=33) over the two examinations was stable. In the retrospective analysis the principal differences between the two groups were found in the intensity of the initial memory deficits (WMS-R) and in the impairment of other cognitive areas in the dementia group: formation of concepts, vocabulary and similarities (WAIS), learning (WMS-R) and several executive functions. CONCLUSIONS: The deficits in cognitive areas other than memory are significant in subjects with memory complaints who progress towards dementia within two years. Memory complaints represent a risk factor that is at least as important as actual memory loss. Recent proposals for adding descriptive labels to the diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in order to reflect the neuropsychological functions impaired in addition to memory (Petersen, 2001a), may be decisive from the prognostic viewpoint.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Cognitive impairment in euthymic bipolar patients: implications for clinical and functional outcome.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder may be a stable characteristic of the illness, although discrepancies have emerged with regard to what dysfunctions remain during remission periods. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether euthymic bipolar patients would show impairment in verbal learning and memory and in executive functions compared with healthy controls. Secondly, to establish if there was a relationship between clinical data and neuropsychological performance. METHODS: Forty euthymic bipolar patients were compared with 30 healthy controls through a battery of neuropsychological tests assessing estimated premorbid IQ, attention, verbal learning and memory, and frontal executive functioning. The effect of subsyndromal symptomatology was controlled. RESULTS: Remitted bipolar patients performed worse than controls in several measures of memory and executive function, after controlling for the effect of subclinical symptomatology, age and premorbid IQ. Verbal memory impairment was related to global assessment of function scores, as well as to a longer duration of illness, a higher number of manic episodes, and prior psychotic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide evidence of neuropsychological impairment in euthymic bipolar patients, after controlling for the effect of subsyndromal depressive symptoms, suggesting verbal memory and executive dysfunctions. Cognitive impairment seems to be related to a worse clinical course and poor functional outcome.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Residual cognitive impairment in late-life depression after a 12-month period follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated cognitive impairment in late-life depression in a follow-up design. The main objective was to assess the most important cognitive domains implicated in late-life depression, in patients who underwent pharmacological treatment, in the acute phase and twelve months after. METHODS: Neuropsychological and clinical data were used from the baseline of patients and controls, to determine the cognitive impairment in the acute phase. Patients repeated the neuropsychological assessment at twelve months. RESULTS: There were significant differences between patients and controls at baseline. But in the patients there was no change over twelve months. There were no differences between remitted and non-remitted patients on neuropsychological scores. CONCLUSIONS: The cognitive impairment seen in the elderly depressed patients seems to be a trait characteristic of this mental disease, even when the depressive episode has remitted.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Pattern of cognitive dysfunction in depressive patients during maintenance electroconvulsive therapy.

BACKGROUND: Objective data regarding adverse cognitive deficits associated with maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (M-ECT) are lacking. This study examined the cognitive state of depressive patients during M-ECT. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 11 depressive patients in remission, all with a DSM-IV diagnosis of major depressive disorder. The mean number of previous ECT sessions was 36.1, and the mean intersession interval was 52.7 days. A group of 11 patients who had not received ECT was selected for comparison and matched for diagnosis, sex, age and years of schooling. All subjects were assessed using a complete neuropsychological battery including memory, attention and frontal function tests. RESULTS: Groups did not present differences in long delay verbal recall. Encoding of new information and results on the frontal function tests were significantly lower in the M-ECT patients. CONCLUSION: Depressed patients preserve long-term memory, but suffer short-term memory impairment and frontal function alteration during M-ECT. Further longitudinal studies are necessary to determine the influence of M-ECT on non-memory functions and different memory subtypes.

Cognition Disorders↗

PubMed2002

Could the hypofrontality pattern in schizophrenia be modified through neuropsychological rehabilitation?

OBJECTIVE: The effects of neuropsychological treatment on cognitive hypofrontality were examined in schizophrenic patients through the score activation. METHOD: Eight subjects (six men and two women) with persistent negative symptoms and cognitive impairments were evaluated with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) procedures and neuropsychological battery before and after a neuropsychological treatment group. RESULTS: After treatment an enhancement in neuropsychological performance was found, especially in executive functions. The activation score showed an increase over baseline levels and no cognitive-dependent hypofrontality after treatment was found. Although the prefrontal blood flow changes were small and non-specific, they suggest a reduction of the cognitive hypofrontality after neuropsychological treatment. CONCLUSION: Cognitive improvements after neuropsychological treatment would possibly be related with the diminution of the functional hypoactivity in the prefrontal areas.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Neuropsychological performance in depressed and euthymic bipolar patients.

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies have suggested that the presence of persistent cognitive dysfunctions in bipolar patients is not restricted to acute episodes, but they persist even during remission states. Nevertheless, there are several methodological pitfalls in most studies, such as unclear remission criteria, diagnostic heterogeneity or small sample sizes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Several domains of cognitive function were examined in 30 depressed bipolar patients [DSM-IV criteria for major depression, Hamilton Depression Scale (HDRS) > or =17] and 30 euthymic bipolar patients (at least 6 months of remission, HDRS < or =8 and Young Mania Rating Scale, YMRS < or =6). Psychosocial functioning was assessed through General Assessment of Functioning. RESULTS: The two groups showed a similar pattern of neuropsychological performance. However, the depressed group was significantly impaired on the Controlled Oral Word Association Test, FAS (COWAT), a measure of verbal fluency, compared with the euthymic group. On the other hand, functional outcome in euthymic patients was related to verbal fluency, even after controlling for residual depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Neuropsychological performance was similar in both groups, except for verbal fluency, which was lower in the depressed group. Poor verbal fluency was related to a poor social outcome in euthymic patients. Further research including longitudinal designs aimed at evaluating changes in cognition in these patients is warranted.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Double-blind olanzapine vs. haloperidol D2 dopamine receptor blockade in schizophrenic patients: a baseline-endpoint.

The aim of this study was to compare in vivo striatal D2 dopamine receptor occupancy induced by olanzapine and haloperidol in schizophrenic patients using a baseline-endpoint [(123)I]IBZM single photon computed emission tomography (SPECT) design. The relationships of striatal D2 receptor occupancy with clinical efficacy and extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) were also assessed. Twenty-seven inpatients with schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder were included in a 4-week prospective, randomized, double-blind, parallel and comparative clinical trial. Thirteen patients were treated with haloperidol (10 mg/day) and 14 with olanzapine (10 mg/day). Ratings of clinical status and EPS were obtained weekly. The percentage of D2 receptor occupancy was estimated by using basal ganglia (striatum)/frontal cortex IBZM uptake ratios obtained from each patient before and after 4 weeks of maintained antipsychotic treatment. Olanzapine led to a mean striatal D2 receptor occupancy of 49% (range 28-69%), which was significantly lower than that induced by haloperidol (mean 64%, range 46-90%). The baseline-endpoint SPECT design used in this study revealed lower antipsychotic D2 occupancy percentage values than those reported in the literature, using other approaches. The degree of striatal D2 receptor occupancy correlated to the EPS, which predominantly appeared in patients on haloperidol. No relationship was found between the striatal D2 receptor occupancy and clinical improvement. Olanzapine induced a lower striatal D2 occupancy than haloperidol. This low striatal D2 occupancy, together with the lower incidence of EPS in olanzapine-treated patients, contributed to confirm the atypical behavior of this new antipsychotic drug. Nevertheless, conclusions based on SPECT-estimated percentages of antipsychotic D2 occupancy should be cautious, since the SPECT design could influence the results. In this regard, SPECT studies including baseline and endpoint examinations should be encouraged.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Psychometric properties of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) questionnaire in a Spanish psychiatric population.

OBJECTIVE: The psychometric properties of the Spanish version of Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) were examined in a psychiatric population. METHOD: Internal consistency, factor structure and concurrent validity were studied in a sample of 416 psychiatric patients. RESULTS: A moderate to high internal consistency for all personality dimensions was found, except for Persistence. A confirmatory factor analysis of the TCI performed at the subscale level revealed an uncertain factor structure. However, when analysed separately, both the 11 temperament subscales (plus Persistence) and the 13 character subscales shaped four and three factors, respectively, in agreement with the biosocial model of personality. Finally, concurrent validity analyses were conducted using EPQ, SPSR and SSS questionnaires showing results consistent with theory. CONCLUSION: The Spanish version of the TCI is a reliable and valid instrument, although the Persistence dimension might require further revision.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Subtypes of memory dysfunction associated with ECT: characteristics and neurobiological bases.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment for a variety of psychiatric syndromes. However, one of its adverse secondary effects is neurocognitive dysfunction. The aim of this paper is to review different subtypes of memory dysfunction associated with ECT from a neuropsychological perspective. Declarative memory is clearly impaired after ECT. Immediate memory, however, is broadly preserved. Few studies have addressed procedural and incidental memory. Selective memory is impaired, probably due to the disruption of specific brain regions. Some of the possible neurobiological bases of ECT memory dysfunction are discussed in this paper. Synaptic plasticity, the cerebral neurotransmission system, and cerebral metabolism are examined in relation to the dysfunction and subsequent recovery of each memory subtype.

Brain Mapping↗

PubMed2000

[Neuropsychological pattern of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer type dementia and vascular dementia].

BACKGROUND: Cummings et al, 1987, hypothesized that Alzheimer dementia type (ADT) patients would present poorer performances than vascular dementia (VD) patients on the neuropsychological tests that mainly involve cortical neurological structures, and that VD would perform worse on tests that mainly involve subcortical structures. The main purpose of the research was to identify a cognitive impairment pattern that discriminates the type of dementia in the initial stages. METHOD: Two groups of patients, one affected by mild ADT (n = 30) and the other by multi-infarct dementia (VD, n = 30) were given a neuropsychological battery. The battery was composed by Temporal Orientation (Benton et al.); Vocabulary, Similarities, Digits, Coding and Kohs (WAIS) of Wechsler; the Colour-Form Test of Weigh; the Trail Making Test (A and B) (Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery); Tapping (McQuarrie); Logical Memory, Visual Memory and Paired Association (Wechsler Memory Scale) of Wechsler; Delayed Memory (Russell). The two groups were similar in age and socio-cultural features. The z-score and its statistical significance on the Mann-Whitney test were made and we performed an exploratory discriminant analysis to the classification. RESULTS: In general, results were poorer in the ADT group. But we detected no significant differences in the tests, although some test (Immediate Visual Memory and Kohs' Blocks) almost reached significance. The discriminant analysis reached a classification of the 67% of the subjects into the ADT group and the 70% of the subjects into the VD group. CONCLUSIONS: In the initial stages of dementia it is difficult to differentiate between a cortical pattern of cognitive impairment in ADT and a subcortical pattern in VD, a distinction that the other researchers have reported. When complex tests were used the performance depended on the coordination of multiple related systems. These findings are in agreement with the holistic models of higher mental functions.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

Brain perfusion and neuropsychological changes in schizophrenic patients after cognitive rehabilitation.

The role of cognitive variables was compared in two single cases of schizophrenia hypofrontality. SPECT procedures and neuropsychological tests were used to study frontal brain function. After cognitive rehabilitation, neuropsychological performance were enhanced in both patients, but only one of them showed enhanced the frontal blood flow. The brain perfusion changes after cognitive rehabilitation could be associated with the cognitive-dependent hypofrontality.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Reliability and clinical usefulness of the short-forms of the Wechsler memory scale (revised) in patients with epilepsy.

PURPOSE: The Wechsler Memory Scale-R (WMS-R) is often used for the evaluation of patients with epilepsy, but is time consuming. Two shortened forms of the WMS-R have been published in an effort to reduce the time involved in the test. The purpose of this study is to cross-validate these abbreviated forms in patients with epilepsy. METHODS: We assessed 103 consecutive patients with drug-resistant partial epilepsy being treated in our epilepsy unit. The WMS-R was administered to all patients. The reliability of two shortened versions of the WMS-R were evaluated. The appraisal was performed taking into account the side of the epileptogenic region. The statistical analyses were carried out with the Pearson's correlation and with the intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Both shortened formulas showed good reliability coefficients for predicting the General Memory and Delayed Recall Indices. In the overall accuracy of the predictions by both short forms no significant differences were found among the three study. groups (right, left or bilateral). However, when considering the predictive error only the three-subtest formulas comprising logical memory, verbal paired associates and visual reproduction efficiently predicted performance, regardless of the side of the epileptogenic region. Of the predicted scores in the overall sample, 92 and 97% fell below the standard error of measurement for general and delayed memory index, respectively. Both short forms correctly classified 89-94% of the performances at the average or impaired level. CONCLUSIONS: The short form of the M-MS-R using three subtests (logical memory, verbal paired associates and visual reproduction) is reliable and time-efficient for estimating the General and Delayed Recall Memory indexes in patients with drug-resistant partial epilepsy.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Cognitive dysfunctions in bipolar disorder: evidence of neuropsychological disturbances.

Although cognitive dysfunctions in psychosis have classically been associated with schizophrenia, there is clinical evidence that some bipolar patients show cognitive disturbances either during acute phases or in remission periods. The authors critically review the data on cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder. The main computerized databases (Medline, Psychological Abstracts, Current Contents) have been consulted crossing the terms 'cognitive deficits', 'neuropsychology', 'intellectual impairment', 'mania', 'depression' and 'bipolar disorder'. Changes in the fluency of thought and speech, learning and memory impairment, and disturbances in associational patterns and attentional processes are as fundamental to depression and mania as are changes in mood and behavior. Moreover, a significant number of bipolar patients show persistent cognitive deficits during remission from affective symptoms. However, there are several methodological pitfalls in most studies such as unclear remission criteria, diagnostic heterogeneity, small sample sizes, absence of longitudinal assessment, practice effect and poor control of the influence of pharmacological treatment. Most studies point at the presence of diffuse cognitive dysfunction during the acute phases of bipolar illness. Most of these deficits seem to remit during periods of euthymia, but some of them may persist in approximately one third of bipolar patients. Methodological limitations warrant further research in order to clear up the relationship between neuropsychological functioning and clinical, demographic and treatment variables in bipolar disorder.

Attention↗

PubMed2000

[Neuropsychological changes in schizophrenia and its modification].

The main experimental works about neuropsychological impairments of schizophrenia are reviewed. The underlying mechanisms of the cognitive deficits are set in a framework of the limited capacity model. In second point, the current status of the modificability of the cognitive deficits and the clinical and psychosocial consequences of this deficits are presented. At least, neuropsychological rehabilitation programs are reviewed from a clinical point of view.

Cognition Disorders↗

PubMed1999

The Body Attitude Test: validation of the Spanish version.

A Spanish version of the Body Attitude Test (BAT) is presented. It was validated with 165 eating disorder patients (79 anorexia nervosa, 86 bulimia nervosa) and 220 schoolgirls from the general population. Factor analysis allowed the extraction of four factors, as in the original questionnaire, but with different item loadings on each. Taken together, these four factors accounted for 67.1% of the variance. The alpha reliability coefficient was 0.92 in both groups. The test-retest reliability with a one-week interval was 0.91 in a subgroup of 34 eating disorder patients and in a subgroup of 43 girls from the general population. The difference between the mean scores of the girls from the general population and the anorexics on one hand and the bulimics on the other was highly significant (p < 0.0001). On the basis of the discriminant validity study, the use of a cut-off point of 41--which gives a sensitivity of 75.1% and a specificity of 72.7%--is recommended.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Subjective body-image dimensions in normal and anorexic adolescents.

The subjective body dimensions of adolescent anorexic patients and adolescents from the general population were studied by means of a new technique that combines certain characteristics of the 'body-site estimation' and the 'whole-image adjustment' procedures. The technique used (Subjective Body Dimensions Apparatus-SBDA) reveals the individual's idea of the size of the different parts of his/her body, and produces a life-size global silhouette. Eighty-five female anorexic patients (ages 12 to 18) were compared with 427 adolescents from the general population. The technique showed acceptable test-retest stability. The comparison group overestimated their thorax, waist and hips, and anorexic patients overestimated all parts of their body but their thorax, waist and hips especially. For all parts of the body, the anorexic group showed greater overestimation (p < .0001) than the comparison group.

Adolescent↗