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This study aimed to investigate evidence of discriminant validity for the Kinetic Family Drawing test. It also intended to analyze the influence of sociodemographic variables, to evaluate the frequency and discriminatory capacity of each analysis item of this projective technique. Participants were 112 children from 9 to 12 years of age, belonging to two criterion groups, 80 from the normative sample and 32 from the clinical sample (with learning problems). The instruments used were the Kinetic Family Drawing test, its correction sheet and Raven's Progressive and Colored Matrices. Data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics using the SPSS software. The main results showed that the sociodemographic variable age influenced the results obtained; there was a statistically significant difference between the criterion groups, corroborating the evidence of discriminant validity; while only 38.46% of the analysis items obtained statistically significant difference between the criterion groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to perform reliability analyses for the Kinetic Family Drawing, in relation to inter- and intra-rater reliability parameters and temporal/test-retest stability. The instruments used were the Kinetic Family Drawing and the Raven Colored Progressive Matrix Test. Twelve judges and 66 children participated in this study, 16 of whom had learning problems. For the data analysis, Cohen's kappa coefficient, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and the statistical difference between the means of the points through the Wilcoxon test were used. The results showed substantial perfect agreement indices in the inter- and intra-rater reliability analyses for all items of the Kinetic Family Drawing, and in the test-retest there were no statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the two applications. The psychometric robustness of the Kinetic Family Drawing, in terms of reliability indicators, was confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This randomized controlled trial aimed to assess the efficacy of the Homebound Elderly People Psychotherapeutic Intervention (HEPPI), a home-delivered cognitive-emotional intervention, among the homebound older population presenting with mild cognitive impairment and depressive or anxiety symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned either to the intervention group or the treatment-as-usual group and completed baseline, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up assessments. Changes in episodic memory and symptoms of depression and anxiety were the primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes included changes in global cognition, attentional control, subjective memory complaints, functional status, and quality of life. Data were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis employing a linear mixed models approach. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05499767. Compared with the treatment-as-usual group, the HEPPI group reported significant immediate improvement in cognition, mood, and daily functional performance. Positive effects of HEPPI were maintained over the follow-up phase only in depressive symptomatology, perceived incapacity to perform advanced instrumental activities of daily living, and self-reported emotional ability. A significant impact of the intervention on the subjective memory complaints level was observed only three months after the intervention. This study suggests that HEPPI may be a promising home-delivered cognitive-emotional intervention to help homebound older adults improve their mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective Method Results Conclusions This study analyzes the psychometric properties of the two forms (self-report and informant) of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult version (BRIEF-A) in a sample of healthy Portuguese adults.The participants were 608 adults, 304 of whom answered the self-report form (ages 18–59; 137 male and 167 female) and 304 who answered the informant form (ages 18–70; 110 male and 194 female).The internal consistency for the indexes and the Global Executive Composite was very good (≥.90), whereas for the scales they were either acceptable (between .70 and .80) or good (≥.80), except for the Inhibit scale in both forms. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test seven competing factor models for each of the forms. The original two-factor model (Behavioral Regulation and Metacognition Indexes) showed a slightly better model fit than the three-factor model (Behavioral Regulation, Emotional Regulation, and Metacognition Indexes) in both forms. The multiple-group analysis of the two-correlated-factor model across forms was supported (configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance).Overall, the BRIEF-A showed adequate psychometric properties, suggesting that it is a useful instrument to assess everyday executive functioning in healthy Portuguese adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the European Portuguese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Older Adults Module (WHOQOL-OLD). The European Portuguese WHOQOL-OLD includes a new identified facet, Family/Family life.Methods: A convenience sample of older adults was recruited (N = 921). The assessment protocol included demographics, self-perceived health, depressive symptoms (GDS-30), cognitive function (ACE-R), daily life activities (IAFAI), health status (SF-12) and QoL (WHOQOL-Bref, EUROHIS-QOL-8 and WHOQOL-OLD).Results: The internal consistency was excellent for the total 24-item WHOQOL-OLD original version and also for the final 28-item European Portuguese WHOQOL-OLD version. The test-retest reliability for total scores was good. The construct validity of the European Portuguese WHOQOL-OLD was supported in the correlation matrix analysis. The results indicated good convergent/divergent validity. The WHOQOL-OLD scores differentiated groups of older adults who were healthy/unhealthy and without/mild/severe depressive symptoms. The new facet, Family/Family life, presented evidence of good reliability and validity parameters.Conclusion: Comparatively to international studies, the European Portuguese WHOQOL-OLD version showed similar and/or better psychometric properties. The new facet, Family/Family life, introduces cross-cultural specificity to the study of QoL of older adults and generally improves the psychometric robustness of the WHOQOL-OLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing from a diagnostic to a functional approach in making capacity determinations had several consequences. One of these was the demand for specific Forensic Assessment Instruments (FAI) to reach specific and specialised answers in forensic mental health evaluations. Under Portuguese law, there are two protective legal measures for incapacitated adults: interdiction and inhabilitation. In those legal proceedings, a forensic evaluation by mental health professionals is important and includes an examination of financial capacity. The main purpose of this study was to develop the Financial Capacity Assessment Instrument (IACFin), a FAI to assess financial abilities. The experimental version of the IACFin was developed by reviewing the literature and other assessment instruments and procedures, analysing interdiction and inhabilitation judicial processes, and having discussions with legal and clinical experts. This experimental version was tested using qualitative research methods with focus groups. The final version of the IACFin contains three modules: (1) screening, which assesses orientation, sensory function, motor function, attention and consciousness, and language; (2) general financial, which covers eight domains, including values and preferences, basic skills, shopping, bill payment, banking, decision-making, risk of crime against the estate and supply will instruments; and (3) estate disposition, which covers estate determination, donations and wills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the Homebound Elderly People Psychotherapeutic Intervention (HEPPI) among homebound older adults with mild cognitive impairment and depressive or anxious symptomatology. Fifty-one participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group or to the wait-list control group and completed baseline and post-intervention assessments. Feasibility and acceptability were the primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes included changes in cognitive function, depressive and anxiety symptoms, subjective memory complaints, functional status, and quality of life. Intervention effects were assessed both at a group level (two-way mixed ANOVA) and at an individual level (Reliable Change Index). The HEPPI was a feasible and acceptable non-pharmacological intervention. Compared to the wait-list control group, the intervention group showed significant improvement in cognitive, emotional, and functional domains at post-intervention. Differences between groups in the distributions by clinical change categories were observed. Results provide evidence of the HEPPI's feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy in increasing the cognitive and functional performance of homebound older adults and reducing their psychological symptomatology. Home-delivered cognitive-emotional interventions may be a promising and acceptable mental health approach for homebound older adults, improving their cognitive and emotional functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work several pre-treatment methods were studied for metal (Na, K, Mg, Cu and Ca) determination in Orujo spirit samples using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Dilution, digestion, evaporation, and cryogenic desolvatation techniques were comparatively evaluated. Because of their analytical characteristics, digestion and evaporation with nitrogen current were found to be appropriate procedures for the determination of metals in alcoholic spirit samples. Yet, if simplicity and application time are to be considered, the latter—evaporation in a water bath with a nitrogen current—stands out as the optimum procedure for any further determinations in Orujo samples by ICP-AES. Low detection levels and wide linear ranges (sufficient to determine these metals in the samples studied) were achieved for each metal. The recoveries (in the 97.5–100.5% range) and the precision (R.S.D. lower than 5.6%) obtained were also satisfactory. The selected procedure was applied to determine the content of metals in 80 representative Galician Orujo spirit samples with and without a Certified Brand of Origin (CBO) which had been produced using different distillation systems. The metal concentrations ranged between 0.37 and 79.7mgL−1 for Na,

• A home-delivered non-pharmacological intervention contributed to reducing the immediate total and social loneliness of homebound older adults. • The decrease in perceived social loneliness mediated the improvement of depressive symptom levels. • Social loneliness may be a relevant target of intervention to improve depressive symptomatology. The present study aimed to explore whether the Homebound Elderly People Psychotherapeutic Intervention (HEPPI), a home-delivered ten-week cognitive-emotional intervention, was effective in reducing self-reported loneliness among homebound older adults presenting mild cognitive impairment and psychological symptomatology. Effects of HEPPI in total, social, and emotional loneliness, compared with a treatment-as-usual group, were investigated at post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. In addition, the potential role of social and emotional loneliness as mediators of the HEPPI impact on episodic memory and symptoms of depression and anxiety was examined. This study built upon the data of a previously conducted randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to the HEPPI group (n = 98) or the treatment-as-usual group (n = 101) and completed baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up assessments, including measures of loneliness (UCLA - Loneliness scale), episodic memory (Wechsler Memory Scale-III), depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale-30), and anxiety symptoms (Geriatric Anxiety Inventory). Data were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis employing linear mixed models and mediation analyses for repeated measures. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05499767. Compared with usual care controls, the HEPPI participants reported a significant immediate decrease in total and social loneliness, but these effects were not maintained at a 3-month follow-up. The reduction in immediate perceived social loneliness significantly mediated the improvement of depressive symptoms. The current findings suggest that HEPPI potentially reduced total and social loneliness of the homebound older population immediately post-intervention, and such decrease in social loneliness may be a relevant mechanism for improving their short-term depressive symptomatology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the influence of chronotype and time of day (TOD) on cognitive performance, especially in children, is limited. We explored potential interactive effects, hypothesizing that performance differs when comparing preferred vs. non-preferred TOD. In total, 76 morning-type (MT = 37) or evening-type (ET = 39) children from the third and fourth grades (48.7% girls; M age = 8.05; SD age = 0.51), identified through the Children Chronotype Questionnaire, completed two 30-min neuropsychological assessment sessions via videoconference on the first (9:00) or last hour (16:00) of the school day. The protocol included neuropsychological tests targeting memory, language, and attention/executive domains. The results revealed an interactive effect of medium size between chronotype and TOD on a Rapid Alternating Stimulus (Naming) Task. MT and ET performed faster in asynchrony conditions (morning for ET; afternoon for MT). Additionally, ET outperformed MT in a Backward Digit Span Task, irrespective of TOD. TOD also influenced performance on an Alternating Verbal Fluency Task, with both MT and ET children performing better in the morning. These results underscore the importance of chronotype and TOD in children's cognitive performance, particularly in working memory and verbal fluency. Children assessed during non-preferred TOD exhibited better performance on some cognitive tasks, challenging the assumption that optimal times always yield superior results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The BANC is an individually administered battery designed to assess a wide range of neurocognitive functions (memory, language, attention, executive functions, motor functions, and laterality) in children aged 5 to 15 years old. This study aimed to obtain regression-based norms for 16- and 17-years old. The standardization sample of the BANC was used (Simões et al., 2016), and it comprises 1104 children and adolescents stratified by age (5 – 15 years, n ≈ 100 per age group), gender, school grade, residential and geographic zones. Regression analyses found a significant predictive effect of age and they allowed the calculation of algorithms for estimating normative data for adolescents aged 16 and 17 years. The regression-based norms revealed adequate accuracy and their application makes it possible to extend the assessment of neurocognitive functioning until the end of adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the factor structure and the measurement invariance across gender of the BRIEF2 Parent Form in Portuguese typically developing children. Participants were 700 typically developing children (n = 352 girls and n = 348 boys) aged 6–16 years. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test five competing factor models. Consistent with the BRIEF2 original dimensional structure, the three-factor model demonstrated the most adequate fit to the data. The measurement invariance of the three-factor model across gender was supported (configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance). Overall, the BRIEF2 Parent Form showed adequate psychometric properties, suggesting that it is a useful instrument to assess everyday executive functioning based on reports of behaviors observed by parents in healthy Portuguese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homebound older adults who rarely or never leave home due to multiple physical, psychological, and social vulnerabilities benefit from home healthcare services to support home-based living. This study explored the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the Homebound Elderly People Psychotherapeutic Intervention (HEPPI), a 10-week cognitive-emotional intervention program for homebound older adults with mild cognitive impairment and depressive or anxiety symptoms. A pilot randomized two-arm controlled trial was conducted. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions: HEPPI (n = 27) and wait-list control (n = 24). Outcome measurements were conducted at baseline and post-intervention. Primary outcomes included the feasibility and acceptability of the HEPPI. Secondary outcomes were changes in cognitive function, depressive and anxiety symptoms, subjective memory complaints, functional status, and quality of life. Intervention effects were assessed both at a group level (two-way mixed ANOVA) and an individual level (Reliable Change Index). HEPPI was feasible as demonstrated by recruitment and retention rates of 82% and 100%, respectively. Acceptability of the HEPPI was high, with all participants expressing willingness to use it again. No differences were found between groups at baseline. The intervention group reported significant increases in cognitive, emotional, and functional domains from baseline to post-intervention, compared to the control group. Clinical change data showed differences between groups in the distributions by clinical change categories. These results point out the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the HEPPI in improving the cognitive and functional performance of homebound older adults and reducing their psychological symptomatology. Our findings call attention to the mental health needs of the homebound population and highlight the importance of providing these older adults with a home-delivered evidence-based multi-component non-pharmacological intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional assessment methods are an important element in multidimensional neuropsychological evaluations, particularly in older adults. The Adults and Older Adults Functional Assessment Inventory is a new measure of basic and instrumental activities of daily living. Rasch model analyses were used to analyze the psychometric characteristics of the instrument in a sample of 803 participants. The original categories did not provide an optimal assessment of functional incapacity. The scale was dichotomized to achieve a better reliability score and item fit. The final 50 items revealed a moderately high variability in item difficulty, acceptable fits to items and persons, and a good Person Separation Reliability score. The scores were able to discriminate between normal controls and clinical patients. None of the items showed Differential Item Functioning associated with age, gender, or education. The instrument is able to achieve measures of functional incapacity with the useful properties of the Rasch model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the factor structure of the Coimbra Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (BANC), which is an individually administered battery designed to assess a wide range of neurocognitive functions in children. Method: Using the standardization sample of the BANC, a confirmatory factor analysis and a multiple-group analysis were conducted to examine the factor structure and the measurement invariance of three main domains (Memory, Language, and Attention/Executive Functions) in 833 children aged 7-15 years. Results: Consistent with the BANC's conceptualization, the three-correlated-factor model demonstrated the most adequate fit to the data. The measurement invariance of the three-correlated-factor model across two age-groups (7-9 years and 10-15 years) was supported (configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance). Conclusion: Overall, the BANC shows adequate psychometric properties and provides useful information regarding the children's neuropsychological functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]