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Several studies have shown how mental health could be affected during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led us to wonder about the psychological impact that the initial period of lockdown could have. We conducted a multicentric study that sought to describe, compare, and analyze the association between perceived stress, coping strategies and sociodemographic characteristics in a snowball-style convenience sample of 1169 participants from Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Italy, and Spain who responded to an online survey. There were differences in perceived stress and coping strategies between countries and depending on sociodemographic characteristics. The variables positively associated with perceived stress were the coping strategies alcohol-drug use, focus on emotions and venting, being a woman, and living in Brazil, Italy, and Spain. The variables negatively associated with perceived stress were planning and active coping, positive reinterpretation, being over 45 years old, and being a worker. These results contribute to understanding the stress responses to lockdown and help identify vulnerability factors in order to design prevention and intervention programs. Keywords: Perceived stress; coping strategies; COVID-19; lockdown; pandemic.

Sport cohesion is a dynamic process that influences the tendency of team mem-bers to remain together until they achieve a goal. To measure task and social sport cohesion among children, the Child Spots Cohesion Questionnaire was developed by Martin et al. in 2012. The present study aimed to assess the psychometric pro-perties of the Brazilian-adapted version of this instrument. Reliability, validity and factorability were assessed in a sample of 280 children. Reliability was measured by Cronbach’s alpha and ranged between 0.80 and 0.87. Convergent validity showed high correlation between the instrument and a visual analogue scale that measured sport cohesion. Latent structure analysis revealed that a bifactor latent structure with a general factor and two independent factors had the best fit of the empirical data. Results support that the Brazilian-adapted version of the Child Spots Cohesion Ques-tionnaire is a good instrument to assess sport cohesion in Brazilian children.

Neurofeedback na Psicologia do Esporte é uma ferramenta utilizada como treino suplementar de habilidades psicológicas em atletas com a finalidade de melhorar os níveis de desempenho esportivo. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo investigar eficácia de uma intervenção utilizando a técnica de Neurofeedback para a melhoria da performance cognitiva e esportiva de um atleta de tiro de pistola de ar de dez metros. Para isso, o método utilizado foi o protocolo individualizado TLC desenvolvido por Peter Van Deusen, em uma versão intensiva adaptada. O protocolo instensivo foi constituído por seis sessões de cinco horas cada com frequência semanal. Os resultados revelaram que a melhoria da performance esportiva inicialmente hipotetizada não foi estatisticamente significativa. Em contrapartida, houve melhora na capacidade cognitiva, especificamente resolução de problemas. Em relação aos dados coletados do eletroencefalograma quantitativo, os dados aferidos e comparados antes, durante e após a intervenção também não apresentaram mudança estatisticamente significativa. A conclusão que esses achados permitem é que, em específico para este atleta, o protocolo TLC intensivo não contribuiu para qualquer modificação de desempenho esportivo e foi limitado em termos cognitivos para este atleta em particular.

As equipes esportivas de alto nível necessitam de uma preparação emocional de excelência para render, visto que a pressão emocional que há em cima destas equipes na busca por vitórias é significativa. A questão que se impõe é o quanto que essas equipes são afetadas emocionalmente, sejam por momentos emocionais positivos ou negativos, o que modifica a dinâmica interna do grupo se houver compartilhamento dessas emoções. Este estudo possui como objetivo entender a dinâmica do contágio emocional em equipes de esporte coletivo, procurando saber os efeitos, sejam positivos ou negativos, que isso pode causar em grupos de atletas e comissões técnicas de equipes. Este tema é de grande relevância para a psicologia esportiva, podendo influenciar a forma com que os times lidam com a questão em seus grupos. A revisão sistemática de literatura foi realizada com fontes de pesquisa em três bases de dados de trabalhos acadêmicos, estritamente: SciELO Brasil, Google Scholar e PubMed. Foram usadas as strings de termos: “emotional contagion” ou “emotional sharing” + “team sports” ou “collective sports”. A pesquisa foi realizada tendo como referência das diretrizes do método do Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (Prisma, 2015). Foram retornados 345 artigos sendo 9 artigos selecionados para análise. Os resultados mostraram relação entre os afetos individuais e os contágios emocionais tanto positivos quanto negativos em times esportivos a partir de cinco variáveis: empatia, humor, coesão, liderança e desempenho esportivo. Discute-se os resultados à luz da escassa literatura disponível.

While tactical performance in soccer is associated with the players’ and teams’ collective actions in the context of game stimuli, how tactical performance relates to players’ executive functions (EFs) and physical abilities should be examined. In this study, we examined these relationships among 81 Under-15 male soccer players who underwent tactical evaluation (FUT-SAT), EF tests (i.e.,(Stop-Signal Test and Design Fluency Test)), and physical tests (i.e.,(Maturity Offset, Yoyo Endurance Test II, Sargent Jump Test, and Sprint Test)). Multiple linear regression modeling with the stepwise method showed that approximately 48% of overall game tactical performance variance was explained by inhibitory control, biological maturation, and sprint capacity ( p = .004; d = .54; r2 = .479), whereas 35% of offensive tactical performance variance was explained by the same dimensions ( p = .001; d = .91; r2 = .353). In addition, approximately 28% of defensive tactical performance variance was explained by cognitive flexibility and aerobic resistance ( p = .007; d = .39; r2 = .280). These results reflect the combined importance of EFs and physical abilities for tactical performance in young soccer players, suggesting that these abilities may be targets for training when trying to improve young players’ performance.

Background During quarantine, both physical and mental health are a concern. To the same extent that physicians are a scarce resource during this crisis, psychiatrists and psychologists are also limited in number. To help practitioners and public managers decide where to invest their resources, the present research investigated the relationships of stress, depression and state anxiety levels with sociodemographic and behavioural variables. Methods Data were collected in Brazil between March, 18 and 22, 2020 in 1,468 volunteers during quarantine. Participants with a history of or current mental health illnesses were excluded leaving 1,460 individuals in the final sample. The online assessment included instruments for psychological stress, depression and state anxiety. A sociodemographic and behavioural questionnaire with 15 items was used to assess other factors. Multiple linear regression was performed for each psychological outcome to determine a hierarchy of significant predictors. Findings Stress, depression and state anxiety levels were all predicted by gender (women higher than men), quality of nutrition, attendance in tele-psychotherapy, exercise frequency, presence of elderly persons in quarantine with the person, obligation to work outside the home, level of education (more educated, lesser risk for mental illness) and age (younger age, greater risk). Having a perceived risk factor for COVID-19 predicted depression and state anxiety, but not stress. Finally, the presence of children in quarantine with the participant was a protective factor for depression. Interpretation Even though this research is limited by its cross-sectional design, it is possible to infer that mental health varies by demographic attributes, obligations and health behaviours. Those who report higher distress must work outside the home during quarantine, live with an elderly person and carry a risk factor for COVID-19, among other factors. Identifying those who are most vulnerable would help to prioritize those who may need the greatest psychological aid and assist public health practitioners in developing support strategies.

Altruism is a behavior directed towards helping another person at a certain cost to the benefactor. The present study aimed to translate and semantically adapt the Generative Altruism Scale for Brazil. This study had the help of two multidisciplinary panels: one formed by a specialist in Developmental Psychology responsible for assisting in semantic adjustments, and another composed of four specialists in Social and Positive Psychology who evaluated the items regarding the adequacy to the construct, clarity and similarity. The Content Validity Coefficient was used to evaluate the items according to the scores of these judges. All 10 final items presented satisfactory coefficients. It is believed that this mediated has been translated properly, having semantic equivalence with the original scale. Resumen: El altruismo consiste en un comportamiento orientado a ayudar a otra persona, com un determinado costo para el benefactor. El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo traducir y adaptar semánticamente la Escala Generativa de Altruismo para Brasil. Este estudio contó con la ayuda de dos paneles multidisciplinares: uno formado por una especialista de Psicología del Desarrollo responsable por las adecuaciones semánticas, y otro compuesto por cuatro especialistas en Psicología Social y Positiva que evaluaron los ítems en cuanto a la adecuación al constructo, claridad y similitud. Se utilizó el Coeficiente de Validez de Contenido para evaluar los ítems según las puntuaciones de estos jueces. Los 10 elementos finales presentaron resultados satisfactorios. Esto permite considerar que la escala fue adecuadamente traducida y presenta equivalencia semántica con la escala original. Resumo: O altruísmo trata-se de um comportamento direcionado para ajudar outra pessoa a certo custo para o benfeitor. O presente estudo teve como objetivo traduzir e adaptar semanticamente a Escala de Altruísmo Generalizado para o Brasil. Este estudo contou com a ajuda de dois painéis multidisciplinares: um formado por uma especialista de Psicologia do Desenvolvimento responsável por auxiliar nas adequações semânticas, e outro composto por quatro especialistas em Psicologia Social e Positiva que avaliaram os itens quanto à adequação ao construto, clareza e similaridade. Utilizou-se do Coeficiente de Validade de Conteúdo para avaliar os itens segundo os escores destes juízes. Todos os 10 itens finais apresentaram coeficientes satisfatórios. Confia-se que esta medida foi traduzida adequadamente, possuindo equivalência semântica com a escala original.

Studies assessing the effects of parenting programs have focused on interventions delivered through face-to-face modalities. There is a need for research to evaluate the effects of online parenting programs on child development, such as the BEM Program ('Play Teaches Change' in English), an online play-based parenting program that teaches caregivers on how to introduce playful interactions into their daily household chores.To assess the effects of the BEM Program on child development and the quality of caregiver-child interaction.A two-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted in a socioeconomically disadvantaged district of São Paulo city in Brazil. 129 children aged 12-23 months and their caregiver were randomly assigned to receive either the BEM Program for 8 weeks (intervention,The intervention showed positive effects on child development, by improving language development (Cohen's d = 0.20, 95%CI 0.08-0.47) and reduced intrusiveness (Cohen's d = 0.35, 95%CI 0.06-0.65) of caregiver-child interaction. No significant differences were observed in caregiver's repertoire and engagement in age-appropriate play activities with the child while doing the household chores, parenting sense of competence and perceived stress.Despite the small size and low adherence to the program, such promising results advance evidences for fully remote parenting programs and their effects on child development.

A disease discovered in China, COVID-19, was characterized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic in March 2020. Many countries in the world implemented social isolation as a strategy to contain the virus transmission. The samephysical distancing which protects society from COVID-19 from spreading may have an impact on the mental health and well-being of the population This study aims to shed some light on this phenomenon by assessing the relationship between physical activity and SWB among individuals in the social isolation period of COVID-19. Data were collected in Brazil between March 31st and April 2nd, 2020. All volunteers agreed to participate by digitally checking the option of agreement right after reading the Consent Terms. The inclusion criteria were participants over 18 years old who had been in social isolation for at least one week and agreed to the Consent Terms. Three instruments were used: a questionnaire was built for this study which aimed to assess the participants’ exercise routine. The second instrument called Psychosocial Aspects, Wellbeing and Exercise in Confinement (PAWEC) was also created by these researchers and aimed to assess the relationship between well-being and physical activity during the social isolation period. And the third measure was the Brazilian Portuguese-adapted version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). A total of 592 participants reported being in social isolation for an average of 14.4 (SD=3.3) days. The amount of participants who reported strength training as exercise increased from 31 (5.2%) before isolation to 82 (13.9%) during quarantine. The study shows that well-being related to the practice of physical activity during quarantine is linked to an established routine of physical activity prior to the social isolation period. Interpretation: People who already practiced physical activity feel more motivated to continue practicing during thisperiod and this causes the appearance of positive affects, unlike people who are only now starting to exercise; according to the study, negative aspects can occur for those who are only just starting. In a period of social isolation, it is important that the practice of physical activity is closer to previous habits, also finding that an obligation to exercise during this period when this was not a reality for the person can contribute to an increase in malaise. O COVID-19 foi uma doença descoberta na China, caracterizada pela Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) como uma pandemia em março de 2020. Muitos países do mundo implementaram o isolamento social como estratégia para conter a transmissão do vírus. Entretanto, o mesmo distanciamento físico que protege de uma maior propagação do COVID-19 pode ter um impacto sobre a saúde mental e o bem-estar da população. Este estudo visa elucidar obre esse fenômeno, avaliando a relação entre a prática de exercício físico e o bem estar subjetivo (BES) entre indivíduos no período de isolamento social do COVID-19. Os dados foram coletados por meio de questionário online no Brasil entre os dias 31 de março e 2 de abril de 2020. Os critérios de inclusão foram participantes maiores de 18 anos que estiveram em isolamento social por pelo menos uma semana econcordaram com os Termos de Consentimento. Três instrumentos foram utilizados: primeiro, o questionário sociodemográfico que teve como objetivo caracterizar a amostra e avaliar rotina de exercícios dos participantes. O segundo instrumento chamado de Aspectos Psicossociais do Exercício em Confinamento (PAWEC), criado para esse estudo, objetivou avaliar a relação entre bem-estar e atividade física durante o período de isolamento social. E o terceiro foi a versão adaptada para o português brasileiro da Escala de Afetos Positivos e Negativos (PANAS). Os 592 participantes relataram estar em isolamento social, em média, por catorze dias. O estudo mostra que o bem-estar relacionado à prática de exercícios físicos durante a quarentena, é influenciado diretamente a apresentar uma rotina pré - estabelecida de exercícios físicos anteriores ao período de isolamento social. Pessoas que já praticavam exercícios físicos antes, que em sua maioria relataram dar continuidade a pratica durante esse período, demonstraram maiores efeitos positivos. Ao contrário, as pessoas que incluíram atividade física sem orientação direta apenas no período da quarentena apresentaram maiores escores em afetos negativos. Conclui-se que é importante manter a prática de exercícios físicos mais próximos dos hábitos anteriores ou inclui-la de forma leve e progressiva

Objective We aimed to estimate prevalence and incidence of stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms in Brazilians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method We assessed 103 (54 women, 49 men) participants online in three periods of the pandemic: March 2020 (T1), April 2020 (T2), and June 2020 (T3). Estimates of prevalence and incidence were identified when mental health scores were two standard deviations above the mean compared to normative data. Mental health indicators were measured using the Perceived Stress Scale, the Filgueiras Depression Index, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory – State Subscale. Results At T1, 89% of individuals were below cut-off scores for stress, anxiety, and depression, which dropped to 35% by T3. Estimated stress prevalence was 1.9% at T1, 7.8% at T2, and 28.2% at T3. Estimated depression prevalence was 0% at T1, 23.3% at T2, and 25.2% at T3. Estimated state anxiety prevalence was 10.7% at T1, 11.7% at T2, and 45.6% at T3. Stress incidence increased by 7.8% from T1 to T2, and 23.3% from T2 to T3. Depression incidence increased by 23.3% from T1 to T2, and 15.5% from T2 to T3. Anxiety incidence increased by 9.7% from T1 to T2, and 39.8% from T2 to T3. Stress severity scores significantly increased from 16.1 ± 8.7 at T1 to 23.5 ± 8.4 at T2, and 30.3 ± 6.0 at T3. Depression severity scores significantly increased from 48.5 ± 20.5 at T1 to 64.7 ± 30.2 at T2, and 75.9 ± 26.1 at T3. Anxiety increased from 49.0 ± 13.4 at T1 to 53.5 ± 12.5 at T2 and 62.3 ± 13.4 at T3. Females had significantly higher anxiety scores than males by T3 (66.7 ± 11.8 vs. 57.4 ± 13.5). Conclusion Prevalence and incidence of stress, depression, and anxiety significantly increased throughout the pandemic. The largest increase in stress and anxiety occurred between T2 and T3, and between T1 and T2 for depression. Severity of stress, depression, and anxiety increased throughout the study.

Este trabalho apresenta uma revisão sobre a desordem informacional, incluindo as chamadas “fake news”. Conteúdos falsos ou maliciosos, por seu potencial de propagação nos meios digitais, impactam a vida política e social, sendo associados desde a rejeição de recomendações de saúde até a distúrbios violentos. Nessa revisão, em primeiro lugar, caracterizamos a desordem informacional, elencando distinções conceituais entre suas diferentes manifestações. Em segundo lugar, tratamos dos processos produção e divulgação desses conteúdos, abordando os agentes e canais envolvidos. Na sequência, debatemos o processo de recepção de conteúdos falsos. São apresentados trabalhos que, a partir de mecanismos de ordem cognitiva e psicológica, buscam responder por que se acredita e se socializa esses materiais.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to measure the prevalence and incidence of stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms in Brazilians during the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodWe assessed 103 (54 women, 49 men) participants online in three periods of the epidemic curve: time 1 (T1; first cases of community transmission; March 20 to 25, 2020), time 2 (T2; acceleration; April 15 to 20, 2020) and time 3 (T3; continued acceleration; June 25 to 30, 2020). The criteria adopted for calculating prevalence and incidence was identifying participants with scores two standard deviations above the mean compared to normative data. Stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), depression was measured using the Filgueiras Depression Index (FDI), and anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - State Subscale (STAI-S). ResultsInitially, 89% of individuals were free of severe stress, anxiety, and depression, which dropped to 35% by T3. Prevalence of stress increased from 1.9% (95% CI [0.5, 6.8]) at T1 to 7.8% (95% CI [4.0, 14.6]) at T2, and 28.2% (95% CI [20.4, 37.5]) at T3. Depression prevalence increased from 0% (95% CI [0, 3.6]) at T1 to 23.3% (95% CI [16.2, 32.3]) at T2 and 25.2% (95% CI [17.8, 34.4]) at T3. The prevalence of severe anxiety-state symptoms increased from 10.7% (95% CI [6.1, 18.1]) at T1 to 11.7% (95% CI [6.8, 19.3]) at T2 and 45.6% (95% CI [36.3, 55.2]) at T3. Stress incidence increased by 7.8% (95% CI = [4, 14.6]) from time 1 to time 2, 23.3% (95% CI [16.2, 32.3]) from time 2 to time 3, and 26.2% (95% CI [18.7, 35.5]) from time 1 to time 3. Depression incidence increased by 23.3% (95% CI [16.2, 32.3]) from T1 to T2, 15.5 (95% CI [9.8, 23.8]) T2 to T3, and 25.2% (95% CI [17.8, 34.4]) from T1 to T3. Anxiety incidence increased by 9.7% (95% CI [5.4, 17]) from T1 to T2, 39.8% (95%CI [30.9, 49.5]) from T2 to T3, and 35.9% (95% CI [27.3, 45.5]) from T1 to T3. The severity of stress significantly increased from 16.1{+/-}8.7 at T1 to 23.5{+/-}8.4 at T2, and 30.3{+/-}6.0 at T3. Depression severity significantly increased from 48.5{+/-}20.5 at T1 to 64.7{+/-}30.2 at T2, and 75.9{+/-}26.1 at T3. Anxiety increased from 49.0{+/-}13.4 at T1 to 53.5{+/-}12.5 at T2 and 62.3{+/-}13.4 at T3. Females and individuals without comorbidities that increased COVID-19 lethality had higher anxiety scores than males and individuals with comorbidities. Age was inversely associated with mental health outcomes at baseline. ConclusionThe prevalence and severity of stress, depression, and anxiety significantly increased throughout the course of the pandemic. Anxiety seems to be sensitive to gender and risk status, where females and individuals without pre-existing comorbidities had higher anxiety by the final collection point. Depression and stress increased throughout time but were not different between genders or risk status. HighlightsO_LIPerceived stress, depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed in 103 participants at three points in the COVID-19 pandemic C_LIO_LIParticipants showed higher prevalence of depression, stress, and anxiety throughout progression of the pandemic C_LIO_LIOnly 35% of individuals were free of severe stress, anxiety, and depression the third data collection point - even though 89% were free of these conditions at the start C_LIO_LIFemale and individuals without a comorbidity that increased risk of COVID-19 fatality had greater anxiety by the third time point compared to males, and those with a comorbidity C_LI

Motivational climate can be defined as the environmental status of sport that influences motivation levels. The present study aimed to systematically identify the most widely used measures examining motivational climate. The databases for searching were PsycNET, PubMed and ScienceDirect. The search returned a total of 378 studies of which 8 met the inclusion criteria for analysis. The results show that the most used instruments for evaluation of motivational climate have good psychometric characteristics of reliability, validity and factorial structure. On the other hand, there was a lack of studies that analyzed invariance of measures, which may be a critical consideration. Finally, the review points out the need for development of new theoretical perspectives, potential new instruments that extend beyond the socio-cognitive approach and instruments that allow the measurement of other environmental, personal and structural variables other than parents, coaches and athletes.

Physical Education and Psychology have been sister sciences from a long time. Although body and mind seem yet distant concepts, there is enough evidence that those two instances of human existence actually are complementary parts of a single unity: the human being. Professionals from either fields tend to collaborate in the effort to build strong bridges between the psychological and the physical knowledge, however, few books tried to develop a pedagogical strategy to teach Psychology for Physical Education students. This work is the sum of the effort of several Brazilian researchers in both areas who wanted to provide a novel, yet relevant, source of information and to create a stronger connection between the science of movement and the science of mind.

Physical activity, and likely the motivation for it, varies throughout the day. The aim of this investigation was to create a short assessment (CRAVE) to measure motivation states (wants, desires, urges) for physical activity and sedentary behaviors. Five studies were conducted to develop and evaluate the construct validity and reliability of the scale, with 1,035 participants completing the scale a total of 1,697 times. In Study 1, 402 university students completed a questionnaire inquiring about the want or desire to perform behaviors “at the present moment (right now)”. Items related to physical activity (e.g., “move my body”) and sedentary behaviors (e.g., “do nothing active”). An exploratory structural equation model (ESEM) revealed that 10 items should be retained, loading onto two factors (5 each for Move and Rest). In Study 2, an independent sample (n= 444) confirmed these results and found that Move and Rest desires were associated with stage-of-change for exercise behavior. In Study 3, 127 community-residing participants completed the CRAVE at 6-month intervals over two years-two times each session. Across-session interclass correlations (ICC) for Move (ICC = .72-.95) and Rest (ICC = .69-.88) were higher than when when they were measured across 24-months (Move: ICC = .53; Rest: ICC = .49), indicating wants/desires have state-like qualities. In Study 4, a maximal treadmill test was completed by 21 university students. The CRAVE was completed immediately pre and post. Move desires decreased 26% and Rest increased 74%. Changes in Move and Rest desires were moderately associated with changes in perceived physical fatigue and energy. In Study 5, 41 university students sat quietly during a 50-minute lecture. They completed the CRAVE at 3 time points. Move increased 19.6% and Rest decreased 16.7%. Small correlations were detected between Move with perceived energy and tiredness, but not calmness or tension. In conclusion, the CRAVE scale has good psychometric properties. Data also support tenets of the WANT model of motivation states for movement and rest (Stults-Kolehmainen et al., 2020). Future studies need to explore how desires to move/rest relate to dynamic changes in physical activity and sedentarism.

This aim of this investigation was to track changes and risk factors for mental health outcomes during state-mandated quarantine in Brazil. Adults residing in Brazil (n = 360, 37.9 years old, 68.9% female) were surveyed at the start of quarantine and approximately three weeks later. Outcomes assessed included perceived stress, state anxiety and symptoms of depression. Aside from demographics, behaviours and attitudes assessed included exercise, diet, use of tele-psychotherapy and number of COVID-19 related risk factors, such as perceived risk of COVID-19, information overload, and feeling imprisoned. Overall, all mental health outcomes worsened from Time 1 to time 2, although there was a significant gender x time interaction for stress. 9.7% of the sample reported stress above the clinical cut-off (2 SD above mean), while 8.0% and 9.4% were above this cut-off for depression and anxiety, respectively. In repeated measures analysis, female gender, worsening diet and an excess of COVID-19 information was related to all mental health outcomes. Positive dietary changes were associated with decreases in depression and anxiety. Exercise frequency was positively related to state anxiety and perceived stress (0 days/week > 6 days/week). Those who did aerobic exercise did not have significantly increase in depression. Use of tele-psychotherapy predicted lower levels of depression and anxiety. In multiple regression, anxiety was predicted by the greatest number of COVID-19 specific factors. In conclusion, mental health outcomes worsened for Brazilians within the first month of quarantine and these changes are associated with a variety of risk factors.

Background: During quarantine, both physical and mental health are a concern To the same extent that physicians are a scarce resource during this crisis, psych

The rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) is a critical brain structure related to defensive behavior. However, still unclear is whether the rACC also plays a role in defensive behavior induced by electrical stimulation of the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG). In the present study, rats were implanted with electrodes into the dPAG to determine freezing and escape response thresholds after sham or bilateral electrolytic lesions of the rACC. The duration of freezing behavior that outlasted electrical stimulation of the dPAG was also measured. The next day, these animals were subjected to contextual fear conditioning using footshock as an unconditioned stimulus. Lesions of the rACC did not change aversive freezing and escape response thresholds but disrupted post-dPAG stimulation freezing. The lesions also disrupted defensive freezing behavior and analgesia in the formalin test in response to contextual cues previously associated with footshock. These results indicate that the rACC is involved in some but not all aspects of defensive behavior generated at the level of the dPAG. The rACC also appears to play an important role in contextual fear conditioning.

Imagery is a widely spread technique in the sport sciences that entails the mental rehearsal of a given situation to improve an athlete's learning, performance and motivation. Two modalities of imagery are reported to tap into distinct brain structures, but sharing common components: kinesthetic and visual imagery. This study aimed to investigate the neural basis of those types of imagery with Activation Likelihood Estimation algorithm to perform a meta - analysis. A systematic search was used to retrieve only experimental studies with athletes or sportspersons. Altogether, nine studies were selected and an ALE meta - analysis was performed. Results indicated significant activation of the premotor, somatosensory cortex, supplementary motor areas, inferior and superior parietal lobule, caudate, cingulate and cerebellum in both imagery tasks. It was concluded that visual and kinesthetic imagery share similar neural networks which suggests that combined interventions are beneficial to athletes whereas separate use of those two modalities of imagery may seem less efficient from a neuropsychological approach.

A mental health evaluation project was conducted in the City of Rio de Janeiro for the entire population of young children who received services in public child daycare centers and preschools. The Brazilian Portuguese version of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE-BR) served as an outcome measure for social-emotional development. Four age intervals of the ASQ:SE-BR were investigated by time period, 2011 and 2012. A total of 76,806 children from 21 to 66 months were evaluated. Three thousand children were randomly selected from each age interval and year for the analyses. The analyses used unidimensional Rasch Partial Credit Model and multidimensional Rasch Partial Credit Model to evaluate the psychometric properties of the ASQ:SE-BR. The model comparisons indicated support for the one-construct model and the two-construct model, indicating adequate evidence for the internal structure for the ASQ:SE-BR. Only one item was found to have misfit. Sound psychometric properties were supported by the results including internal structure, weighted item fit, reliability, and invariance across years. Item difficulty presented an appropriate coverage across intervals. This study provides supportive evidence for the use and interpretation of ASQ:SE scores with urban low-income Brazilian population.

Background: Two developmental screening instruments for infants and young children, the Ages & Stages Questionnaires-Third Edition (ASQ-3) and the Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE), are widely used in the US and internationally. Both tools are sometimes used concurrently but the relation between children’s scores on the two tools is seldom investigated. Methods: The Brazilian versions of ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE, known as the ASQ-BR and ASQ:SE-BR, were used for assessing 13,470 children ages one to four in public child daycare centres in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Four groups were defined according to children’s ages as one, two, three, and four year-olds. Correlation and multiple regression were employed to explore the relation between children’s scores on the ASQ-BR and the ASQ:SE-BR. Results: Results indicated that the domain scores of ASQ-BR, including communication (r = -0.38 to -0.44), gross motor (r = -0.19 to -0.32), fine motor (r = -0.33 to -0.45), problem solving (r = -0.36 to -0.42), and personal-social (r = -0.38 to -0.51) were significantly correlated with ASQ:SE-BR scores. Regression analyses suggested that the communication and personal-social domains were significant predictors of social-emotional scores in most of the age groups. Conclusion: General developmental assessment is suggested to be conducted with social-emotional screening. If the workload is heavy for administers to use both screeners concurrently, social-emotional screening is recommended for children who fail communication or personal-social domains on developmental screening tests.

A Psicologia do esporte é uma área de conhecimento que visa estudar e compreender técnicas que ajudem no desenvolvimento humano nas suas quatro esferas de atuação: iniciação, atividade física, reabilitação e alto rendimento. Focalizando nossa atenção no alto rendimento, o manejo das emoções parece constituir um dos pontos nevrálgicos na melhora da performance e do bem-estar do atleta. O conhecimento adquirido através da psicoeducação é fator fundamental para o empoderamento do desportista acerca das próprias emoções e de como usá-las a seu favor. Propomos nesse estudo bibliográfico levantar de maneira exploratória na literatura científica baseada em evidência como as intervenções de psicoeducação podem auxiliar o atleta de alto rendimento no desenvolvimento de habilidades de manejo eficaz das emoções que potencializem suas valências psicológicas voltadas para seu esporte.

The present study aimed to consolidate the knowledge developed in the last decade regarding the relationship between affect and concussion in sports through a systematic review. A search in PubMed retrieved 3129 articles that dropped to 9 after exclusion criteria. Among this total, 4 (44%) of those studies were correlational, whereas 5 (56%) were quasi-experimental. Almost half, 4 (44%) had a sample of American football players which suggested low heterogeneity of types of sport. Those findings highlight the necessity of further research using other sport types samples beyond American football. Results also showed an association between depression and concussion followed by linear relations with anxiety, which reveals link between concussion and affect impairment in general. This study warns to the need for quantitative research in diverse kinds of sports, standardized measures and experimental designs that allow to infer causality between concussions, depression and other mood impairments.