Primates are known for larger brain size, enhanced handling and cognitive abilities and increasingly complex social behavior. Many studies have been conducted with the neotropical primates of the genus Cebus, known as capuchin monkey, regarding their behavior, tool use, encephalization index and memory. These studies are justified because these primates present high cognitive faculty and other biological characteristics that make them similar to Old World primates. This thesis rendered possible the production of two articles. The first one is entitled Anatomical description of the extensor muscles of the forearm associated with cognition and tool use in Cebus libidinosus . In this article, a comparative analysis between the anatomy of the forearm muscle of this genus and that the one of other primates that, individually or jointly, act in the hands allowing more or less specialized movements of the fingers, relating them to the use of tools and to the cognitive aspects of Cebus spp. described in the literature. There were evident similarities between the extensor muscles in C. libidinosus primates and the correspondent muscles in humans and chimpanzees; however, there were differences when compared to baboons. The structure and differentiation of the forearm muscles of Cebus spp., together with its previously known encephalization index, corroborate the association between its manual ability and cognitive and behavioral aspects in primates. The second article is entitled "Cytoarchitecture of the occipital neocortex of Cebus libidinosus . Its purpose was to analyze the cytoarchitecture of the occipital cortex using the technique of Golgi-Cox, the qualitative and quantitative aspects provided by this technique of impregnation of neurons, and to compare them with data from the literature. Primary and secondary visual areas are located in the occipital neocortex, and in C. libidinosus, the histological organization of these areas is similar to humans and other primates and it is characterized by the predominance of granular neurons and the presence of transversal fibers in the fourth layer. Although the Golgi-Cox method allowed individual observation of neurons and their extensions, the weak distinction between neurons and glial cells impaired neuron counting. These data, nevertheless, will grant further cell density comparison of other cortical areas between Cebus spp. and other primates. Aiming to contribute to the foundations of studies related to the evolution of primate cognition, this study related morphology, as a science, to the numerous observations on the behavior of capuchin monkeys. The comparative approach to study the morphology of the musculoskeletal and neural apparatus of C. libidinosus will allow data inference in areas of cognitive science and related areas.

Diante da lacuna existente na avaliação cognitiva de populações especiais, essa pesquisa teve como objetivo a construção de três subtestes (verbal, memória e lógico-espacial) para avaliação da inteligência de crianças deficientes visuais. Como forma de atingir tal objetivo, quatro estudos foram conduzidos: (1) investigação e conhecimento de metodologias e materiais utilizados na educação de crianças com deficiência visual, com a finalidade de que tais informações pudessem contribuir para a construção dos subtestes; (2) construção dos subtestes, baseados nas teorias atuais de inteligência e nas informações obtidas a partir do Estudo 1; (3) estudo piloto com o objetivo de erificar a adequação dos subtestes e de seus itens junto a 14 crianças deficientes visuais, na faixa etária de 7 a 12 anos (M= 10,28 anos; DP=1,58), sendo seis do sexo feminino e oito do sexo masculino, sendo dessas, dez classificadas com baixa visão, oito com deficiência congênita e duas com doença adquirida, quatro crianças classificadas com cegueira total, sendo duas com deficiência adquirida e duas com deficiência congênita; (4) comparação do desempenho de crianças deficientes visuais com crianças videntes (n=17; M= 9,94 anos; DP=1,43; todas do sexo feminino) em relação às dificuldades encontradas, número de acertos e tempo de execução dos subtestes. Os resultados apontaram, através de testes de diferença de média, de um modo geral, adequação dos subtestes à população alvo, com pequenas necessidades de alteração dos itens. Também encontrou-se melhor desempenho dos videntes em relação às crianças com deficiência visual, bem como, em relação ao tipo de cegueira, crianças com deficiência congênita apresentaram melhores resultados quando comparados com aquelas que apresentam deficiência adquirida. Em relação ao grau de deficiência, crianças com baixa visão tiveram melhor desempenho que as crianças com cegueira. Ainda foi possível notar a influência das variáveis idade e escolaridade no subteste Verbal e da variável sexo no subteste de Memória. Conclui-se que o presente estudo trouxe dados relevantes quanto à importância de um instrumento específico de avaliação da inteligência para crianças com deficiência visual e que, estudos com amostras maiores podem enriquecer e contribuir para a validade do instrumento construído.

Com o aumento da idade média da população houve incremento de prevalência de afecções neurológicas crônicas, degenerativas, como a Doença de Alzheimer (DA). O aprofundamento do conhecimento dos processos do estilo de vida no que se refere ao estado nutricional e de suas relações com a cognição são de importância para orientação e conduta desses idosos. O objetivo desse trabalho foi analisar o estado nutricional de idosos com DA e sua relação com aspectos clínicos, neurocognitivos, comportamentais e de estilo de vida. Foram avaliados 43 idosos procedentes do ambulatório de Neurologia Clínica do Hospital e Maternidade Celso Pierro (PUC-Campinas) com diagnóstico de DA leve, moderado e grave, segundo o Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) e 51 controles pareados por idade, gênero, escolaridade e nível socioeconômico, sem história de declínio cognitivo. Os procedimentos foram avaliação clínica, Mini-Exame do estado mental, memória do desenho simples, Fluência Verbal, desenho do relógio, capacidade funcional, Inventário Neuropsiquiátrico (INP), CDR, avaliação socioeconômica, atividade física (Questionário Internacional de Atividade Física – IPAQ versão curta) e sociais, Mini Avaliação Nutricional (MAN), Índice de Massa Corpórea (IMC), Circunferência da Cintura (CC), Circunferência do Braço (CB), Circunferência da Panturrilha (CP), Dobra Cutânea Tricipital (DCT), Dobra Cutânea Subescapular (DCSE), Circunferência Muscular do Braço (CMB), Área Muscular do Braço corrigida (AMBc), Músculo Adutor do Polegar (MAP), Força de Preensão Palmar (FPP) e Impedância Bioelétrica. Foi realizada a comparação entre Grupo Doença de Alzheimer (GDA) e Grupo Controle (GC) com aspectos sociodemográficos, estilo de vida, cognitivos, comportamentais, MAN, indicadores nutricionais e indicadores nutricionais por gênero. Foram feitas comparações entre GC e estágios da DA de acordo com CDR com as variáveis nutricionais, também foram realizadas correlações entre FPP com variáveis antropométricas no GDA e GC e entre variáveis cognitivas e antropométricas no GDA. Com testes estatísticos adequados a situação e nível de significância de 5% em todos os casos. Foi observado que o GDA desenvolve menos atividade social e tem rede de relacionamento menor, é fisicamente menos ativo e tem desempenho inferior nas Atividades de Vida Diária, principalmente nas atividades instrumentais. O GDA apresentou desnutrição com diminuição da ingestão alimentar total e maior ingestão diária de alguns alimentos, na MAN. Entre os gêneros, as mulheres apresentaram diferença em mais medidas antropométricas, com valores menores no GDA. Na comparação entre GC e fases do GDA, houve diferença em algumas medidas com valores menores no GDA grave e maior no GC. Na comparação entre GC e GDA, GC versus GDA leve e moderado e GDA leve e moderado versus GDA grave houve diferença para algumas medidas antropométricas. Não houve diferença entre os estágios leve e moderado. As medidas de composição de Massa Magra (MM) foram menores no GDA. CC e Reatância não apresentaram diferença em nenhuma comparação. Houve correlações entre FPP e variáveis antropométricas nos GDA e não houve entre variáveis nutricionais com aspectos socioeconômicos, comportamentais, INP, atividades sociais e físicas. Os achados da literatura sugerem uma associação significativa entre atividades sociais e de lazer durante a velhice e o menor risco de demência. Na MAN a menor pontuação indica maior deterioração do estado mental. Quanto a alimentação, foi observado que possivelmente o GDA se alimenta com menor quantidade e maior qualidade, sugerindo uma melhor seleção dos alimentos pelo cuidador. Os autores relatam diferença significativa entre IMC nas fases da DA, com redução no IMC no estágio grave comparado ao leve e moderado. No estudo houve maior presença de idosos em risco de desnutrição no grupo com DA quando comparados ao GC, sugerindo que a desnutrição é um fator de risco para a progressão da demência. As variáveis nutricionais foram progressivamente mais comprometidas com o avançar dos déficits cognitivos, pois houve uma tendência a redução de MM com a progressão da DA, sendo mais evidente na transição da fase moderada para o grave.

This article contributes to the perception that the users’ learning process plays a key role in order to apply an accounting concept and this involves a presentation that fits its informative potential, free of previous accounting fixations. Deprival value is a useful measure for managerial and corporate purposes, it may be applied to the current Conceptual Framework of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). This study analyzes its utility, taking into account cognitive aspects. Also known as value to the business, deprival value is a measurement system that followed a path where it was misunderstood, confused with another one, it faced resistance to be implemented and fell into disuse; everything that a standardized measurement method tries to avoid. In contrast, deprival value has found support in the academy and in specific applications, such as those related to the public service regulation. The accounting area has been impacted by sophistication of the measurement methods that increasingly require the ability to analyze accounting facts on an economic basis, at the risk of loss of their information content. This development becomes possible only when the potential of a measurement system is known and it is feasible to be achieved. This study consists in a theoretical essay based on literature review to discuss its origin, presentation, and application. Considering the concept’s cognitive difficulties, deprival value was analyzed, as well as its corresponding heteronym, value to the business, in order to explain some of these changes. The concept’s utility was also explored through cross-analysis with impairment and the scheme developed was applied to actual economic situations faced by a company listed on stock exchange.

Teaching students to learn how to learn is a challenge for schools that intend to form autonomous people who are capable of taking decisions. These are essential aspects for health professionals who are permanently confronted with complex situations and a multiplicity of problems to be solved by professional actions. The desire for changes, which is explicit in educators' discourse, does not guarantee substantial changes in the form teaching is being developed. The question about how to promote these alterations still remains unanswered. Studies developed in the last two decades about cognition and metacognition seem to indicate a possible strategy to transform knowledge into relevant professional behavior, since it favors thinking about the thinking process as well as the development and control of mental abilities that are capable of maximizing the use of the individual potentialities necessary for a nurse to solve health problems.

The self-efficacy belief relates to pain perception and physical and psychiatric functionality. The goal of this study was to validate to the Portuguese language the Chronic Pain Self-efficacy Scale (CPSS). The subjects were 132 chronic pain patients with pain from several etiologies. The scale validity in the Portuguese language was confirmed by factor analyzis, which maintained the 3 factors and 22 items of the original scale; the accounted variance was 60,8%. The reliability, analyzed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient, were 0,76 - 0,92 to the factors and 0,94 to the total scale. The convergent validity, verified by the comparison with the Portuguese version of the Chronic Pain Self-efficacy Scale and Beck Depression Inventory (IDB) showed significantly negative correlation. This study made available to the Portuguese language a valid and reliable instrument to assess self-efficacy in chronic pain patients.

The results of several experimental and observational studies suggest that sexual steroids present effects on central nervous system and potentially may affect mood and cognition. The use of estrogens in pre and postmenopausal period is associated to improvement of concentration, mood, memory and sleep pattern. Estrogens are also is associated to a delay in cognitive function decline characteristic of aging process or to the onset of Alzheimer disease. The observational studies indicate that estrogens may improve the mood and act as antidpressive but progesterone and its derivatives have opposite effect. However, randomized controlled trials suggest that the estrogen or estrogen plus progestins not only failed to improove mood, cognition na quality of life but also increase the risk of dementia. Therefore, there is a contradiction between observational and controlled randomized studies. Further investigations must to be done in order to clarify this controversy. However, up to now the data indicate that estrogen therapy is not to be primarily indicated to prevent depression, Alzheimer disease or cognition impairment.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive illness of undetermined cause with characteristic motor findings that include rest tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural disturbance. But cognitive impairment is common even in nondemented. In addition PD has been associated with an increased risk of developing dementia. OBJECTIVES: This review provides an analysis of the cognitive impairment associated with PD, about its aspects, risk factors, pathophysiology, and treatment. METHODS: The current review incorporates articles obtained through Medline. RESULTS: Non-demented and demented patients with Parkinson's disease are impaired in several cognitive tasks. These impairments may be attributed to dysfunction the circuits connecting the frontal cortical regions and the basal ganglia. Mild cognitive dysfunctions may progress to dementia in some patients. Some risk factors for the development of dementia were identified and aspects of pathophysiology were disclosed. CONCLUSION: Neuropsychological profile of PD, which predominantly reflects frontal dysfunction, may be attributed to disruption of the frontoestriatal circuitry. But the pathophysiology underlying dementia in PD is not completely understood. Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine have a modest effect against cognitive symptoms. Early detection of risk factors for development of dementia may help to create preventive strategies.

BACKGROUND: The ability of inferring mental states of others (also named "Theory of Mind" or "ToM" abilitiy) has been developed due an evolution pressure exerted by progressively more complex societies and it might be impaired in schizophrenia and in schizotypal individuals. Such impairment might explain the occurrence of psychotic symptoms in these individuals. OBJECTIVE: To review critically the literature on possible alterations of ToM processing in individuals with schizotypy or subsyndromal psychotic symptoms. METHODS: We performed a search on MedLine database for articles published in English or Portuguese between 1990 and 2008, using the phrase "Schizotypal Personality Disorder [MeSH] AND "Theory of Mind" OR "Mentalising". RESULTS: Fifteen manuscripts have been selected, which used diverse experimental designs and instruments to evaluate schizotypal traits, vulnerability to psychosis and ToM abilities. DISCUSSION: The reviewed articles aimed to establish relationships between vulnerability to psychosis and alterations in ToM processing. Some articles also approached the trait or state dependence character of ToM impairments. The great majority of the selected manuscripts suggested that individuals who scored high in schizotypy scales, as well as schizophrenic relatives, do show problems in ToM processing (which suggests a trait dependence character). However, these results should be interpreted carefully due to methodological problems seen in the majority of the studies.

BACKGROUND: The increase in life expectancy and proportion of elderly in the population is causing an increase in dementia prevalence rates. The correct, early dia gnosis of dementia is very important to clinical treatment and to improved prognosis. Therefore, it is necessary to adapt and develop assessment tools for the differential diagnosis between pathological and normal aging processes. OBJECTIVE: Assess the psychometric properties and the factorial structure of a neuropsychological protocol used in geriatric assessment. METHOD: Subjects (n = 69) with heterogeneous cognitive complaints were assessed at the Geriatric and Gerontologic Clinic at the Clinical Hospital of the Federal University of Minas Gerais using a protocol composed of the Mini-Mental State Examination, Clock Drawing, Corsi Blocks, Verbal Fluency, Digit Span and Token Test. Statistical analyses included factorial analyses of test results, Pearson's correlation between obtained factor, age, years of formal education and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and area under the ROC curve. RESULTS: The factorial analyses of test scores showed a general representative factor that had moderate and significant association with CDR (r = -0.672; p < 0.001) and years of formal education (r = 0.455; p < 0.001), respectively. This factor had weaker and less significant correlation with age (r = -0.282; p < 0.05). DISCUSSION: These results point to the protocol's good construct and criteria validity in assessing cognitive decline in the elderly. Future works concerning applicability and populational norms are needed to improve the clinical use of this assessment protocol.