Search

The cDNA encoding S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) synthetase was isolated from giant leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala subsp. glabrata) root tissue mRNA. Transcriptome data and 5'-RLM-RACE were used to obtain the transcript sequence and clone into the T

Purpose: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome with a strong impact on quality of life (QoL). Treatment of this condition remains a challenge, due to the scarce evidence for the effectiveness of the therapeutic approaches available. Current attention is focused on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which has yielded promising results for pain treatment. Rather than focusing only on pain relief, in this study, we aimed to determine how active or sham tDCS (over three cortical targets -the primary motor cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the operculo-insular cortex-) affect QoL in patients with FM. Methods: Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, we applied fifteen tDCS sessions of 20’ to initial 130 participants (randomized to any of the four treatment groups). We evaluated the QoL (assessed by SF-36) and the symptoms’ impact (assessed by FIQ-R) in baseline, after treatment and at 6 months follow-up. Results All groups were comparable as regards age, medication pattern and severity of symptoms before the treatment. We found that QoL and symptoms’ impact improved in all treatment groups (including the sham) and this improvement lasted for up to 6 months. However, we did not observe any group effect nor group*treatment interaction. Conclusions: After the intervention, we observed a non-specific effect that may be due to placebo, favoured by the expectations of tDCS efficacy and psychosocial variables inherent to the intervention (daily relationship with therapists and other patients in the clinic). Therefore, active tDCS is not superior to sham stimulation in improving QoL in FM Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. The Spanish Government (Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad; number PSI2016-75313-R) supported this research. Moreover, AJG-V was supported by a grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of the Individual Call for Stimulus to Scientific Employment 2017. NS-V was benefited from a grant from the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; grant number BES-2017–082684) SI

Metal uptake, transport and storage in plants depend on specialized ligands with closely related functions. Individual studies differing by species, nutrient availability, tissue type, etc. are not comprehensive enough to understand plant metal homeostasis in its entirety. A thorough review is required that distinguishes the role of ligands directly involved in chelation from the myriad of plant responses to general stress. Distinguishing between the functions of metal chelating compounds is the primary focus of this review; reactive oxygen species mediation and other aspects of metal homeostasis are also discussed. High molecular weight ligands (polysaccharides, phytochelatin, metallothionein), low molecular weight ligands (nicotianamine, histidine, secondary metabolites) and select studies which demonstrate the complex nature of plant metal homeostasis are explored.

Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) is a promising psychophysical biomarker of central pain mechanisms because it significantly discriminates patients with chronic pain from healthy controls. Nevertheless, it is unclear in what extent CPM assessed experimentally is correlated with clinical manifestations of pain. To assess the concurrent validity of CPM, we performed a systematic review of the literature reporting correlations between CPM responses and pain intensity, disability, duration, and area in patients with different chronic pain conditions. We included 32 studies that altogether encompassed data from 1958 patients and provided 62 correlations. The majority of the results (69%) reported nonsignificant correlations between CPM efficiency and clinical manifestations of pain, whereas the remaining results showed a correlation between CPM reduction and worse clinical symptoms of pain. The modality of stimulation, the type of pain, and the stimulation site appear to be critical variables that influenced the pattern of results. Given that most of the studies were conducted with highly heterogeneous methodologies and unclear risk of bias, the findings highlight the need for future studies using standardized measures of clinical and experimental pain before considering CPM as a valid biomarker of pain. We discuss some guidelines to overcome the constraints in this promising line of research.

The ability to inhibit incorrect behaviors is crucial for survival. In real contexts, cues that require stopping usually appear intermixed with indications to continue the ongoing action. However, in the classical Stop-signal task (SST), the unpredictable stimuli are always signals that require inhibition. To understand the neural mechanisms activated by low-probability nonstop cues, we recorded the electroencephalography from 23 young volunteers while they performed a modified SST where the unpredictable stimuli could be either Stop or confirmatory Go signals (CGo). To isolate the influence of motor output, the SST was performed during overt and covert execution. We found that, paradoxically, CGo stimuli activated motor inhibition processes, and evoked patterns of brain activity similar to those obtained after Stop signals (N2/P3 event-related potentials and midfrontal theta power increase), though in lesser magnitude. These patterns were also observed during the imagined performance. Finally, applying machine learning procedures, we found that the brain activity evoked after CGo versus Stop signals can be classified above chance during both, overt and imagined execution. Our results provide evidence that unpredictable signals cause motor inhibition even when they require to continue an ongoing action This work was supported by funding from the Galician Government (Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria; Axudas para a consolidación e Estruturación de unidades de investigación competitivas do Sistema universitario de Galicia; grant number Ref:: ED431C 2021/04.); and from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia––Scientific Employment Stimulus (CEECIND/02639/2017 to A.G.V.) SI

Unique plants and their properties, once considered synonymous to medicine, remain a potent source for new compounds in modern science. Plant polyphenols and natural products continue to be investigated for effective treatments for the most persistent of human ailments. In this review, fifty novel plant phenolic compounds have been compiled and briefly described from the previous five years. Select compounds and notable plant species from genus Morinda and Sophora are further expanded on. Traditional medicine plants often contain rich and diverse mixtures of flavonoids, from which rare compounds should receive attention. The bioactivity of crude plant extracts, purified compounds and mixtures can differ greatly, requiring that these interactions and mechanisms of action be investigated in greater detail. Novel applications of uncommon natural products, namely mimosine and juglone, are explored within this review. The 2019 coronavirus pandemic has resulted in abrupt spike of related scientific publications: speculation is made regarding plant natural products and future of antiviral drug discovery.

Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) is a promising psychophysical biomarker of central pain mechanisms because it significantly discriminates patients with chronic pain from healthy controls. Nevertheless, it is unclear in what extent CPM assessed experimentally is correlated with clinical manifestations of pain. To assess the concurrent validity of CPM, we performed a systematic review of the literature reporting correlations between CPM responses and pain intensity, disability, duration, and area in patients with different chronic pain conditions. We included 32 studies that altogether encompassed data from 1958 patients and provided 62 correlations. The majority of the results (69%) reported nonsignificant correlations between CPM efficiency and clinical manifestations of pain, whereas the remaining results showed a correlation between CPM reduction and worse clinical symptoms of pain. The modality of stimulation, the type of pain, and the stimulation site appear to be critical variables that influenced the pattern of results. Given that most of the studies were conducted with highly heterogeneous methodologies and unclear risk of bias, the findings highlight the need for future studies using standardized measures of clinical and experimental pain before considering CPM as a valid biomarker of pain. We discuss some guidelines to overcome the constraints in this promising line of research.

Leucaena leucocephala (leucaena) is one of the 22 Leucaena species that originated in Central America. There are two major subspecies of leucaena, L. leucocephala subsp. glabrata (giant leucaena) and L. leucocephala subsp. leucocephala (common leucaena). Giant leucaena is a medium size fast-growing tree important for agroforestry while common leucaena is a small bushy shrub that is considered to be an invasive weed. Giant leucaena can be grown as a woody tree of up to ~ 20 m in height or maintained as a bushy fodder legume by repeated harvest of its foliage several times a year. Giant leucaena grown for fodder can produce forage dry mater yield of up to 34 Mg ha−1 year−1. High forage yield together with high protein content makes leucaena an ideal fodder legume for the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Although mimosine present in the leucaena foliage has toxicity, it should not be a big concern because ruminants can be successfully inoculated with the mimosine-metabolizing rumen bacterium Synergistis jonesii. Alternatively, mimosine present in the leucaena foliage can be removed easily and inexpensively through simple processing. Giant leucaena cultivars are generally free from diseases and are highly tolerant to drought. Although infestation by psyllids may be a problem, a number of psyllid-resistant cultivars of giant leucaena have been developed through interspecies hybridization. The wood of giant leucaena can be used for timber, paper pulp, or biofuel production. Leucaena foliage and wood may serve as raw materials for development of new industry for production of phytochemicals such as mimosine, tannins and anthocyanins, wood products, and high-protein animal feed for farm animals in the future.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex seem to improve pain and other symptoms of fibromyalgia (FM), although the evidence on the effectiveness of tDCS and the optimal stimulation target is not robust enough. Our main objective was to establish the optimal area of stimulation, comparing the 2 classical targets and a novel pain-related area, the operculo-insular cortex, in a sham-controlled trial. Using a double-blind design, we randomly assigned 130 women with FM to 4 treatment groups (M1, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, operculo-insular cortex, and sham), each receiving fifteen 20-minute sessions of 2 mA anodal tDCS over the left hemisphere. Our primary outcome was pain intensity. The secondary outcomes were the other core symptoms of FM (fatigue, mood, cognitive and sleep disorders, and hyperalgesia measured by the pressure pain threshold). We performed the assessment at 3 time points (before, immediately after treatment, and at 6 months follow-up). The linear mixed-model analysis of variances showed significant treatment effects across time for clinical pain and for fatigue, cognitive and sleep disturbances, and experimental pain, irrespective of the group. In mood, the 3 active tDCS groups showed a significantly larger improvement in anxiety and depression than sham. Our findings provide evidence of a placebo effect, support the use of tDCS for the treatment of affective symptoms, and challenge the effectiveness of tDCS as treatment of FM., This study has been funded by the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; ref PSI2016-75313-R). In addition, A.J. González-Villar was supported by a grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of the Individual Call for Stimulus to Scientific Employment 2017. N. Samartin-Veiga was supported by a grant from the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; grant number BES2017-082684).

Objectives The present pilot study aims to investigate DNA methylation changes of genes related to fibromyalgia (FM) development and its main comorbid symptoms, including sleep impairment, inflammation, depression and other psychiatric disorders. Epigenetic modifications might trigger or perpetuate complex interplay between pain transduction/transmission, central pain processing and experienced stressors in vulnerable individuals. Methods We conducted DNA methylation analysis by targeted bisulfite NGS sequencing testing differential methylation in 112 genomic regions from leukocytes of eight women with FM and their eight healthy sisters as controls. Results Tests for differentially methylated regions and cytosines brought focus on the GRM2 gene, encoding the metabotropic glutamate receptor2. The slightly increased DNA methylation observed in the GRM2 region of FM patients may confirm the involvement of the glutamate pathway in this pathological condition. Logistic regression highlighted the simultaneous association of methylation levels of depression and inflammation-related genes with FM. Conclusions Altogether, the results evidence the glutamate pathway involvement in FM and support the idea that a combination of methylated and unmethylated genes could represent a risk factor to FM or its consequence, more than single genes. Further studies on the identified biomarkers could contribute to unravel the causative underlying FM mechanisms, giving reliable directions to research, improving the diagnosis and effective therapies.

Background Diagnostic follow-up of women with an abnormal Pap test is necessary to resolve the risk developing cervical cancer. The purpose of this study is to describe patient characteristics associated with timely receipt of a diagnostic colposcopy after an abnormal Pap test among Hispanic women in El Paso, a Texas-Mexico border city. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of Hispanic patients seen at an academic colposcopy clinic following an abnormal Pap test. An optimal diagnostic interval to colposcopy was based on a National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) quality indicator and was defined as receipt of colposcopy within 90 days or less from the date of an abnormal Pap test. Risk ratios (RR) were calculated by building a generalized linear model fit using a Poisson distribution, log link, and robust variance. Results Overall, 177 of the 270 women (65.6%) received follow-up within an optimal diagnostic interval. After adjusting for other variables in the model, women who were 30 years of age or older were 32% more likely to have an optimal interval than younger women (adjusted RR = 1.32, P P Conclusions Compared with women with greater educational attainment, high school graduates were less likely to receive follow-up within an optimal diagnostic interval, as were younger (

Fibromyalgia (FM) has been associated to an increased processing of somatosensory stimuli, but its generalization to other sensory modalities is under discussion. To clarify this, we studied auditory event-related potentials (AEPs) to stimuli of different intensity in patients with FM and healthy controls (HCs), considering the effects of attention mechanisms and medication. We performed two experiments: In study 1 (n = 50 FM, 60 HCs), the stimuli were presented randomly within the sequence; in study 2 (n = 28 FM, 30 HCs), they were presented in blocks of the same intensity. We analyzed intensity and group effects on N1-P2 amplitude and, only for the FM group, the effect of medication and the correlation between AEPs and clinical variables. Contrary to the expectation, the patients showed a trend of reduced AEPs to the loudest tones (study 1) or no significant differences with the HCs (study 2). Medication with central effects significantly reduced AEPs, while no significant relationships between the N1-P2 amplitude/intensity function and patients' symptoms were observed. The findings do not provide evidence of augmented auditory processing in FM. Nevertheless, given the observed effect of medication, the role of sensory amplification as an underlying pathophysiological mechanism in fibromyalgia cannot be discarded., Spanish Government (Ministerio de ciencia e Innovación; ref PSI2009-14555 and, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; ref PSI2013-45818-R) and from the Galician Government (Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria; axudas para a consolidación e Estruturación de unidades de investigación competitivas do Sistema universitario de Galicia; grant number GPC 2014/047). A.G.V. was supported by a grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of the Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus 2017. N.S.V. was supported by a grant from Spanish Government (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; grant number BES-2017-082684)

Few initiatives have been proposed to mitigate the strong impact of COVID-19 on the physical and psychological health of chronic pain patients in Spain., The COVID-19 outbreak has been a great challenge in the management of chronic pain patients. We have conducted a rapid scoping review to assess the impact of the pandemic (and the associated public health measures) on the health status and management practices of chronic pain patients in Spain. To this end, we performed a bibliographic search in LitCOVID and PubMed, and reviewed official websites and documents, and expert reports. The review showed that (1) the studies consistently indicate that the pandemic has had a very negative impact on the physical and psychological health of chronic pain patients; (2) there are scarce data on how the pandemic affected pain unit consultations and a lack of protocols to organize health care in the face of future waves of contagion, with little implementation of telehealth. We make proposals to improve management of chronic pain patients in pandemic situations, which should pivot around 3 axes: (1) a coordinated response of all the relevant stakeholders to define a future roadmap and research priorities, (2) a biopsychosocial approach in pain management, and (3) development and implementation of novel telemedicine solutions.

Women with an abnormal Pap smear are often referred to colposcopy, a procedure during which endocervical curettage (ECC) may be performed. ECC is a scraping of the endocervical canal lining. Our goal was to compare the performance of a naïve Poisson (NP) regression model with that of a zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) model when identifying predictors of the number of distress/pain vocalizations made by women undergoing ECC. Data on women seen in the colposcopy clinic at a medical school in El Paso, Texas, were analyzed. The outcome was the number of pain vocalizations made by the patient during ECC. Six dichotomous predictors were evaluated. Initially, NP regression was used to model the data. A high proportion of patients did not make any vocalizations, and hence a ZIP model was also fit and relative rates (RRs) and 95% CIs were calculated. AIC was used to identify the best model (NP or ZIP). Of the 210 women, 154 (73.3%) had a value of 0 for the number of ECC vocalizations. NP identified three statistically significant predictors (language preference of the subject, sexual abuse history and length of the colposcopy), while ZIP identified one: history of sexual abuse (yes vs no; adjusted RR=2.70, 95% CI 1.47 to 4.97). ZIP was preferred over NP. ZIP performed better than NP regression. Clinicians and epidemiologists should consider using the ZIP model (or the zero-inflated negative binomial model) for zero-inflated count data.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic syndrome involving widespread pain of unclear pathophysiology. FM patients frequently complain about cognitive symptoms that interfere with their daily life activities. Several studies have reported attentional deficits and working memory impairment in FM patients. Nevertheless, the mechanisms involved in these alterations are still poorly understood. In this study we recorded electroencephalographic activity in 32 women with FM and 30 matched controls while they performed a 2-back working memory task. We analyzed behavioural data, posterior alpha and midfrontal theta frequency power, and theta phase synchronization between midfrontal locations and the remaining scalp-recorded areas. Task performance was similar in patients and controls; however, time-frequency analysis showed a smaller decrease in the amplitude of the posterior alpha (related to attentional processing) and a smaller increase in midfrontal theta power (related to mental effort) in FM patients than in healthy controls. The FM patients also showed lower functional connectivity between midfrontal locations and rest of the scalp-recorded areas in the theta band (related to information transfer across distant brain regions when top-down control is required). To our knowledge, this is the first study relating alterations in oscillatory activity and impaired connectivity to attentional working memory complaints in FM patients. Reduced power in the theta band during performance of the task suggests that the medial frontal cortex may play an important role in the attentional deficits reported in FM.

The Multisource Interference Task (MSIT) was developed to test cognitive control in normal and pathological conditions and has become a reliable tool for exploring the integrity of cingulo-frontal-parietal cognitive/attentional networks in fMRI studies. Analysis of EEG recordings made during performance of the MSIT may provide additional information about the temporal dynamics of cognitive control. However, this has not yet been investigated in depth. In this study, we analyzed the ERPs and carried out time-frequency decomposition of EEG recorded during control and interference conditions of the MSIT. The N2 ERP component and midfrontal theta power (both considered neural signatures of conflict processing) were significantly larger in interference than in control trials. Theta also showed higher phase synchronization between midfrontal and right frontolateral scalp locations in the interference condition, supporting the view that this frequency band entrains additional brain resources when a need for greater control arises. In interference trials, we also observed longer P3 latency, larger P3 amplitude, and greater reduction of posterior alpha (modulations related to allocation of attentional resources), in addition to a greater reduction of central beta power (related to motor preparation). In conclusion, the MSIT reliably modulated brain electrical activity related to cognitive control and attention. The EEG indices obtained during the performance of this task may be useful for exploring the functioning of cognitive/attentional networks in healthy and clinical populations.

9 páginas.- 11 tablas.- 43 referencias, Sustainability is a feature that most companies adopt in order to improve their profits, even when their activity is not sustainable or the definition in their sector is not clear. This concept actually relates to the management of natural resources. Agriculture, and particularly irrigation scheduling, is strongly linked to a sustainable management; however, it is not clear what defines a sustainable management. Several efforts have been made to improve the conservation of water resources, but most of them have not involved growers at the orchard level; and consequently, they have lost their opportunity to create a real improvement in terms of sustainability. The aim of this work was to design a “hydroSOStainable index” (or “hydroSOS index”) that evaluates different aspects at orchard level to improve the sustainability of the water resources. The hydroSOS index considers 16 indicators grouped in 4 areas: (i) hydraulic indicators, (ii) horticultural indicators not related to irrigation scheduling, (iii) horticultural indicators related to the moment when deficit irrigation is applied (when?), and (iv) horticultural indicators related to the way deficit irrigation is applied (how?). Each indicator provides different marks or scores, and their sum allows classifying orchard management into four labels. The weight of each indicator and each group is not in itself enough to obtain a maximum label. Groups allow to easily identify the main limitations for the orchard to achieve a sustainable irrigation management. This index was used to evaluate water management of two cases of study. © 2019 Elsevier B.V., This research was supported by the Agencia Española de Investigación (AEI) and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo (FEDER) projects AGL2013-45922-C2-1-R and AGL2016-75794-C4-4-R . It also received the financial support of the Galpagro company (Fundación para la investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla project PRJ201702989 ).

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a generalized chronic pain condition associated with multiple cognitive impairments, including altered inhibitory processes. Inhibition is a key component of human executive functions and shares neural substrate with pain processing, which may explain the inhibitory deficits in FM. Here, we investigated the integrity of brain inhibitory mechanisms in these patients., Galician Government (Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria; axudas para a consolidación e estruturación de unidades de investigación competitivas do Sistema Universitario de Galicia; grant number GPC2014/047) and funding from the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; grant number PSI2013-45818-R). A.G.V. was partially supported by a grant from the Xunta de Galicia (Axudas de apoio á etapa de formación posdoutoral 2018) and by a research grant from the Diputación da Coruña

Diagnostic follow-up of women with an abnormal Pap test is necessary to resolve the risk developing cervical cancer. The purpose of this study is to describe patient characteristics associated with timely receipt of a diagnostic colposcopy after an abnormal Pap test among Hispanic women in El Paso, a Texas-Mexico border city.We conducted a retrospective chart review of Hispanic patients seen at an academic colposcopy clinic following an abnormal Pap test. An optimal diagnostic interval to colposcopy was based on a National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) quality indicator and was defined as receipt of colposcopy within 90 days or less from the date of an abnormal Pap test. Risk ratios (RR) were calculated by building a generalized linear model fit using a Poisson distribution, log link, and robust variance.Overall, 177 of the 270 women (65.6%) received follow-up within an optimal diagnostic interval. After adjusting for other variables in the model, women who were 30 years of age or older were 32% more likely to have an optimal interval than younger women (adjusted RR = 1.32, P 0.01). High school graduates were less likely than more educated women to have an optimal interval (adjusted RR = 0.68, P 0.01). Participation in the NBCCEDP was not associated with receipt of follow-up within an optimal diagnostic interval.Compared with women with greater educational attainment, high school graduates were less likely to receive follow-up within an optimal diagnostic interval, as were younger (≤ 30 years) women compared with older women. Participation in the NBCCEDP was not associated with receipt of care within an optimal diagnostic interval.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain of unknown etiology associated with alterations in the central nervous system. Although previous studies demonstrated altered patterns of brain activity during pain processing in patients with FM, alterations in spontaneous brain oscillations, in terms of functional connectivity or microstates, have been barely explored so far. Here we recorded the EEG from 43 patients with FM and 51 healthy controls during open-eyes resting-state. We analyzed the functional connectivity between different brain networks computing the phase lag index after group Independent Component Analysis, and also performed an EEG microstates analysis. Patients with FM showed increased beta band connectivity between different brain networks and alterations in some microstates parameters (specifically lower occurrence and coverage of microstate class C). We speculate that the observed alterations in spontaneous EEG may suggest the dominance of endogenous top-down influences; this could be related to limited processing of novel external events and the deterioration of flexible behavior and cognitive control frequently reported for FM. These findings provide the first evidence of alterations in long-distance phase connectivity and microstate indices at rest, and represent progress towards the understanding of the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia and the identification of novel biomarkers for its diagnosis., Spanish Government (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; grant number PSI2016-75313-R) and from the Galician Government (Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria; axudas para a consolidación e Estruturación de unidades de investigación competitivas do Sistema universitario de Galicia; grant number GRC GI-1807-USC; REF: ED431-2017/27). A.G.V. was partially supported by a grant from Xunta de Galicia (Axudas de apoio á etapa de formación posdoutoral 2018) and by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of the Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus 2017

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a generalized chronic pain syndrome of unknown aetiology. Although FM patients frequently complain of cognitive dysfunction, this is one of the least studied symptoms. Research on brain activity associated with the perceived cognitive impairment is particularly scarce. To address this gap, we recorded the brain electrical activity in participants during a cognitive control task., This study was supported by funding from from the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad; grant number PSI2013-45818-R] and from the Galician Government (Conselleria de Cultura, Educacion e Ordenacion Universitaria; axudas para a consolidacion e Estruturacion de unidades de investigacion competitivas do Sistema universitario de Galicia; grant number GPC 2014/047). A.G.V. was supported by a grant from Xunta de Galicia (Axudas de apoio a etapa de formacion posdoutoral 2018).

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a generalized chronic pain condition associated with a variety of symptoms, including altered cognitive and emotional processing. It has been proposed that FM patients show a preferential allocation of attention to information related to the symptoms of the disease, particularly to pain cues. However, the existing literature does not provide conclusive evidence on the presence of this attentional bias, and its effect on cognitive functions such as inhibitory control. To clarify this issue, we recorded the electroencephalographic activity of 31 women diagnosed with FM and 28 healthy women, while performing an emotional Go/NoGo task with micro-videos of pain, happy, and neutral facial expressions. We analyzed behavioral data, performed EEG time-frequency analyses, and obtained the event-related potentials (ERPs) N2 and P3 components in NoGo trials. A series of self-reports was also administered to evaluate catastrophic thinking and the main symptoms of fibromyalgia. Pain expressions were associated with longer reaction times and more errors, as well as with higher theta and delta power, and P3 amplitude to NoGo stimuli. Thus, behavioral and psychophysiological data suggest that increased attention to pain expressions impairs the performance of an inhibitory task, although this effect was similar in FM patients and healthy controls. N2 amplitude was modulated by type of facial expression (larger to pain faces), but only for the control group. This finding suggests that the presentation of pain faces might represent a smaller conflict for the patients, more used to encounter pain stimuli. No main group effects were found significant for N2 or P3 amplitudes, nor for time-frequency data. Using stimuli with greater ecological validity than in previous studies, we could not confirm a greater effect of attentional bias toward negative stimuli over inhibitory performance in patients with FM. Studying these effects allow us to better understand the mechanisms that maintain pain and develop intervention strategies to modify them., Galician Government (Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria; axudas para a consolidación e estruturación de unidades de investigación competitivas do Sistema Universitario de Galicia [grant number GPC2014/047] and funding from the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad) [grant number PSI2013-45818-R]. AG-V was supported by a grant from the Deputación da Coruña (Bolsas de investigación en ciencias da saúde 2017) and Xunta de Galicia

To clarify how the modality of stop signals affects the ability to suppress ongoing actions, we compared behavioural indices and event-related potentials (ERPs) recorded in healthy volunteers performing visual and auditory stop-signal tasks. Auditory stop signals were associated with faster reaction times and shorter stop-N2 and stop-P3 latencies. Given that the tasks did not differ in attentional/arousal processes (go-P3 or stop-P3 amplitudes) or motor preparation (LRP amplitude, onset or latency), our results suggest that stop signal modality mainly affects bottom-up sensory processes (faster auditory processing). The ERP waveform obtained by subtracting successfully stopped from unsuccessfully stopped trials showed similar amplitude and topography in both tasks, indicating that the strength of top-down processes related to inhibition was independent of modality. The findings contribute further knowledge about the variables associated with efficient inhibition and have practical implications for the design of settings or interventions to improve reactive inhibition., This work was supported by funding from the Galician Government (Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria; axudas para a consolidación e Estruturación de unidades de investigación competitivas do Sistema universitario de Galicia [grant number GPC2014/047]. A.J. G-V was supported by a grant from the Deputación da Coruña (Bolsas de investigación en ciencias da saúde 2017) and Xunta de Galicia (Axudas de apoio á etapa de formación posdoutoral 2018).

Background Cognitive dysfunction in fibromyalgia (FM) encompasses objective cognitive difficulties, as measured in neuropsychological tests, and self-reported cognitive complaints. Although it has been suggested that FM patients display problems in working memory, the data are inconsistent, and the overall working memory status of the patients is unclear. It is also not clear whether the working memory problems are related to cognitive complaints or how the dyscognition is affected by the characteristic clinical symptoms of FM. Methods To clarify these aspects, we explored the neuropsychological performance for different components of working memory and the subjective self-perception of cognitive status in a sample of 38 women with FM. They were compared with a matched group of 32 healthy women. Results Our findings suggested that the FM patients do not differ from healthy controls in their overall working memory functioning. Only a poor performance was found in a single task of visuospatial working memory, mediated by the presence of depressive symptoms, fatigue and pain. The FM patients also displayed a higher level of perception of cognitive difficulties than healthy controls, and this difference was mediated by depression and fatigue. Furthermore, cognitive complaints in FM patients were only associated with a lower verbal WM capacity. Discussion FM patients have a subtle specific impairment in their working memory functioning, as well as elevated concern about their cognitive status. These findings suggest a disconnection between neuropsychological performance and subjective complaints. In FM patients, clinical variables such as pain, fatigue, and depression play an important role in dyscognition, as assessed by both objective and subjective measures, and should be taken into account in future research This work was supported by funding from the Galician Government (Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria; axudas para a consolidación e Estruturación de unidades de investigación competitivas do Sistema universitario de Galicia [grant number GPC2014/047] and funding from the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad) [Grant Number PSI2013-45818-R]. Alberto González-Villar was supported by a grant from the Fundación Ramón Domínguez SI

To study the characteristics of temporal summation (TS) and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) in fibromyalgia (FM) patients, we systematically searched Pubmed and EMBASE for studies using TS or CPM comparing FM patients with healthy controls. We computed Hedges' g, risk of bias, sensitivity analysis, and meta-regression tests with 10,000 Monte-Carlo permutations. Twenty-three studies (625 female and 23 male FM patients and 591 female and 81 male healthy controls) were included. The meta-analyses showed an effect size of .53 for TS (P .001; 95% confidence interval = .23-.83), which is a 68% relative difference between patients and controls, and of .57 for CPM (P .001; 95% confidence interval = -.88 to -.26), representing a 65% relative difference between the groups. The qualitative analyses revealed large heterogeneity between study protocols. Although studies were of low risk of bias, lack of blinding was substantial. Sensitivity analysis and meta-regression identified type and site of stimulation, age, lab, sample size, and medication control as important sources of between-study variability. We showed a significant alteration of pain modulation mechanisms in FM patients.This novel meta-analysis provides evidence for defective endogenous pain modulation in FM patients. We explored the effect of covariates on between-study variability in these paradigms. These biomarkers may aid in diagnosis, and treatment of patients. However, validation requires further investigation under strict methodological settings, and into individual patient covariates.

The efficacy and safety of subcutaneous immunotherapy with modified, high-dose, major allergen house dust mite extract is widely supported by double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. However, little is known regarding patient-perceived efficacy and satisfaction. An observational, retrospective, multicentre study in patients treated with Acaroid

Fibromyalgia (FM) and other chronic pain syndromes are associated with cognitive dysfunction and attentional deficits, but the neural basis of such alterations is poorly understood. Dyscognition may be related to high levels of neural noise, understood as increased random electrical fluctuations that impair neural communication; however, this hypothesis has not yet been tested in any chronic pain condition. Here we compared electroencephalographic activity (EEG) in 18 FM patients -with high self-reported levels of cognitive dysfunction- and 22 controls during a cognitive control task. We considered the slope of the Power Spectrum Density (PSD) as an indicator of neural noise. As the PSD slope is flatter in noisier systems, we expected to see shallower slopes in the EEG of FM patients. Higher levels of neural noise should be accompanied by reduced power modulation and reduced synchronization between distant brain locations after stimulus presentation. As expected, FM patients showed flatter PSD slopes. After applying a Laplacian spatial filter, we found reduced theta and alpha power modulation and reduced midfrontal-posterior theta phase synchronization. Results suggest higher neural noise and impaired local and distant neural coordination in the patients and support the neural noise hypothesis to explain dyscognition in FM This work was supported by funding from the Galician Government (Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria; axudas para a consolidación e Estruturación de unidades de investigación competitivas do Sistema universitario de Galicia [grant number GPC2014/047] and funding from the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad) [grant number PSI2013-45818-R]. A.G.V. was supported by a grant from the Fundación Ramón Dominguez SI

Background It has been suggested that fibromyalgia (FM) patients show increased sensory processing of nociceptive and non-nociceptive stimuli and also reduced habituation. Although this pattern of increased reactivity has been established for the somatosensory modality, its generalization to other sensory modalities remains controversial. Methods Auditory evoked potentials were obtained using a paired-stimuli paradigm from a sample of 52 FM female patients and 55 healthy women matched for age and socio-economic status. Sensory gating of the P50 component, as indicated by P50 suppression rates to the second identical stimuli, was analysed in relation to clinical indices of FM, including algometry of tender points and a number of self-reported questionnaires. Results Sensory gating mechanisms in FM patients proved to be normal, robust and as efficient as those recorded in control subjects. There was no correlation between P50 suppression rates and indices of clinical or experimental (threshold or tolerance) pain. In addition, P50 sensory gating was not related to the other main symptoms of FM, including fatigue, sleep dysfunction or co-morbid depression, nor to hypersensitivity to noise or headache. Conclusions The results indicate that FM patients do not present significant deficits in early sensory gating when processing auditory stimuli, and therefore challenge the ‘generalized hypersensitivity’ hypothesis of FM.

(1) To assess the degree of convergence between the 1990 and 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) diagnostic criteria; (2) To evaluate the validity and reliability of the 2010 ACR criteria; (3) To validate the Spanish version of the Fibromyalgia Survey Questionnaire (FSQ); and (4) To assess the utility of the FSQ to differentiate fibromyalgia (FM) subgroups by disease severity. In the first study, agreement between the 1990 and 2010 ACR criteria for FM diagnosis was analyzed in a sample of 80 FM patients and 59 healthy controls. Algometry (mean threshold and tender points count) and the 2010 ACR indices [Symptom Severity Scale (SSS), Widespread Index (WPI) and Polysymptomatic Distress Scale (PSD)] were correlated with the key symptoms of FM and with indices of disease interference and quality of life. In a second study, we evaluated the validity and internal consistency of the Spanish version of the FSQ, as well as its ability to discriminate between groups of FM patients with low and high symptom severity. There is good agreement between the 1990 and 2010 ACR criteria for FM diagnosis. The 2010 ACR indices (SSS, WPI and PSD) demonstrated very adequate construct validity and appeared to be useful in the assessment of disease severity and global impact of FM. The FSQ had good internal consistency and validity and showed 100 % concordance with 2010 ACR criteria applied by a clinician. In addition, the FSQ proved to be useful in differentiating FM severity subgroups.

Resumen Todas las actuaciones médicas tienen una curva de aprendizaje, pero el razonamiento clínico se mantiene como un elemento clave en cualquiera de ellas. Los médicos experimentados manejan una gran cantidad de información en cualquier proceso clínico. Para conseguir la máxima eficiencia en la utilización de esta información, los clínicos emplean una serie de estrategias que les permiten combinar datos y sintetizarlos en un número reducido de hipótesis diagnósticas, evaluar los riesgos y los beneficios de realizar nuevos procedimientos diagnósticos y aplicar determinados tratamientos, y formular planes en el manejo del paciente. Uno de los objetivos principales de cualquier docente médico es promover el desarrollo de una forma de razonar experta en sus estudiantes. Sin embargo, enseñar estas habilidades cognitivas no es tarea sencilla porque no existe una teoría completa y ampliamente aceptada acerca de los procesos de razonamiento clínico, e incluso los médicos más experimentados a menudo no son conscientes de los métodos de razonamiento que utilizan para alcanzar un diagnóstico. Desde hace más de cuarenta años se ha investigado en este campo. En este artículo se revisan las bases científicas y las teorías propuestas a lo largo de este período acerca del modo de razonar de los clínicos. También se analiza la evolución de las estructuras del conocimiento y se examinan algunos errores frecuentes en razonamiento diagnóstico. Por último, se proponen algunas recomendaciones prácticas específicas para ayudar a los principiantes a fortalecer sus habilidades de razonamiento diagnóstico.

Early neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies suggested that motor imagery recruited a different network than motor execution. However, several studies have provided evidence for the involvement of the same circuits in motor imagery tasks, in the absence of overt responses. The present study aimed to test whether imagined performance of a stop-signal task produces a similar pattern of motor-related EEG activity than that observed during real performance. To this end, mu and beta event-related desynchronization (ERD) and the Lateralized Readiness Potential (LRP) were analyzed. The study also aimed to clarify the functional significance of the Stop-N2 and Stop-P3 event-related potential (ERPs) components, which were also obtained during both real and imagined performance. The results showed a common pattern of brain electrical activity, and with a similar time course, during covert performance and overt execution of the stop-signal task: presence of LRP and Stop-P3 in the imagined condition and identical LRP onset, and similar mu and beta ERD temporal windows for both conditions. These findings suggest that a similar inhibitory network may be activated during both overt and covert execution of the task. Therefore, motor imagery may be useful to improve inhibitory skills and to develop new communicating systems for Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) devices based on inhibitory signals This research was funded by Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Reference PSI2013-43594-R). AJG-V was supported by a research grant from the Fundación Ramón Dominguez. The authors would like to thank Fermín Pintos for his support developing a script for extracting the behavioral data SI

The Multisource Interference Task (MSIT) was developed to test cognitive control in normal and pathological conditions and has become a reliable tool for exploring the integrity of cingulo-frontal-parietal cognitive/attentional networks in fMRI studies. Analysis of EEG recordings made during performance of the MSIT may provide additional information about the temporal dynamics of cognitive control. However, this has not yet been investigated in depth. In this study, we analyzed the ERPs and carried out time-frequency decomposition of EEG recorded during control and interference conditions of the MSIT. The N2 ERP component and midfrontal theta power (both considered neural signatures of conflict processing) were significantly larger in interference than in control trials. Theta also showed higher phase synchronization between midfrontal and right frontolateral scalp locations in the interference condition, supporting the view that this frequency band entrains additional brain resources when a need for greater control arises. In interference trials, we also observed longer P3 latency, larger P3 amplitude, and greater reduction of posterior alpha (modulations related to allocation of attentional resources), in addition to a greater reduction of central beta power (related to motor preparation). In conclusion, the MSIT reliably modulated brain electrical activity related to cognitive control and attention. The EEG indices obtained during the performance of this task may be useful for exploring the functioning of cognitive/attentional networks in healthy and clinical populations.

It has been suggested that mental rehearsal activates brain areas similar to those activated by real performance. Although inhibition is a key function of human behavior, there are no previous reports of brain activity during imagined response cancellation. We analyzed event-related potentials (ERPs) and time-frequency data associated with motor execution and inhibition during real and imagined performance of a stop-signal task. The ERPs characteristic of stop trials-that is, the stop-N2 and stop-P3-were also observed during covert performance of the task. Imagined stop (IS) trials yielded smaller stop-N2 amplitudes than did successful stop (SS) and unsuccessful stop (US) trials, but midfrontal theta power similar to that in SS trials. The stop-P3 amplitude for IS was intermediate between those observed for SS and US. The results may be explained by the absence of error-processing and correction processes during imagined performance. For go trials, real execution was associated with higher mu and beta desynchronization over motor areas, which confirms previous reports of lower motor activation during imagined execution and also with larger P3b amplitudes, probably indicating increased top-down attention to the real task. The similar patterns of activity observed for imagined and real performance suggest that imagination tasks may be useful for training inhibitory processes. Nevertheless, brain activation was generally weaker during mental rehearsal, probably as a result of the reduced engagement of top-down mechanisms and limited error processing.

Introducción: la enfermedad de los senos paranasales, particularmente la de los senos maxilares, es común y puede causar sintomatología que simula patología dental. Objetivo: determinar las variaciones anatómicas del seno maxilar y de las estructuras involucradas en su drenaje, utilizando tomografía computarizada de haz de cono (TCHC). Materiales y Métodos: el estudio incluyó los exámenes descriptivos de TCHC en 48 pacientes. En todos los casos analizados se realizó un estudio sistemático de los senos maxilares y de las estructuras anatómicas involucradas en su vía de drenaje, en los planos coronal, sagital y axial. Resultados y Conclusiones: Se identificaron variaciones morfológicas en el septo interno del seno maxilar, la celdilla de Haller, el proceso unciforme y la bulla etmoidal. Se observó presencia de septo interno del seno maxilar y de celdillas de Haller en el 76,74% y 16,28% de los individuos, respectivamente. El proceso unciforme horizontal se observó en el 79,07% de los sujetos y el vertical en el 20,93%. Además, se identificaron bullas etmoidales bilaterales en el 62,79% de los casos. Los senos paranasales presentan variaciones anatómicas marcadas fundamentalmente por su desarrollo prenatal y postnatal, ligados a la neumatización general del neumocráneo y a estructuras que inhiben o permiten su desarrollo. La tomografía computarizada de haz de cono proporciona imágenes que permiten una visualización y evaluación adecuada del seno maxilar y del complejo osteomeatal.

Objective To evaluate the prevalence of and risk factors for asthma and related conditions in the Canaries, Spain. Methods From a randomised sample of 9506 adults aged 20-44 years who answered a short questionnaire, a random sample corresponding to 20% of the original was taken. Subjects classified as symptomatic in the previous survey and who were not included in the random sample were also invited to participate. The subjects completed a respiratory questionnaire, and underwent spirometry, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) test, skin tests and immunoglobulin E (IgE) measurements. Results The random sample included 593 subjects. The prevalence of skin sensitisation to mites was 30.3% (95%CI 26.7-34.2) and the prevalence of IgE to mites 30.5% (95%CI 26.2-35.2). A prevalence of 40.6% (95%CI 35.9-45.5) was found for atopy, 14.1% (95%CI 11.1-17.1) for BHR and 4.2% (95%CI, 2.5-5.9) for asthma. The risk factors most strongly associated with asthma were atopy (OR 4.89, 95%CI 3.07-7.78) and respiratory infection before the age of 5 years (OR 2.78, 95%CI 1.66-4.67). Conclusion This study shows a high prevalence of sensitisation to mites, atopy, BHR and asthma in the Canaries, similar to that observed in English-speaking countries. We suggest that these findings could partially result from climatic conditions.

The motor hierarchy hypothesis and the related debate about the role of the primary motor cortex (MI) in motor preparation are major topics in cognitive neuroscience today. The present study combines the two strategies that have been followed to clarify the role of MI in motor preparation independently from execution: motor imagery and the use of precueing tasks. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while subjects either performed or just imagined sequential finger movements in response to a central target (numbers 1, 2 or 3) which was precued by arrows (at both sides of the screen) that provided information about response side. Both motor imagery and execution elicited Lateralized Readiness Potentials (LRPs) with similar morphology and latency. Given that the LRP is generated in MI, the results show that the primary motor cortex is also active during imagery and give support for the hypothesis of a functional equivalence between motor imagery and execution. Nevertheless, the analysis of the different moments of motor preparation (precue vs. target-induced activity) revealed important differences between both conditions: whereas there were no differences in LRPs nor in brain areas estimated by standardized low resolution tomographies (sLORETA) related to precue presentation, larger LRP amplitudes and higher activation of MI were found during motor execution than imagery in the target-related activity. These results have important implications for the development of brain-computer devices and for the use of motor imagery in neurorehabilitation.