This study analyzes the factorial validity and reliability of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman-Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA-PQ/SF) in Uruguay. The scale, composed of 80 items, evaluates Zuckerman's alternative five-factor model. The sample for the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) included 490 participants. A five-factor structure with four facets per factor was confirmed, explaining 32% of the variance with high factor loadings. In the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), conducted with 380 participants, seven structural models were tested, with the hierarchical ESEM model showing the best fit. Across all evaluated indices, the results were adequate. Overall, the ZKA-PQ/SF demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties comparable to the original version, supporting its use in the Uruguayan population.
The aim of the study was to validate two complementary instruments for the Argentine population: the Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ) and the Mind Wandering and Emotional Valence Scale (EDMVE), and to examine their relationships with creative personality, imagination, and executive functions. Participants were 201 Argentine adults (74.1% women, M = 32.5 years). Scales of creative personality (EPC), imagination (FFIS), inhibition and working memory (ADEXI), and cognitive flexibility (CFS) were administered. Confirmatory Factor Analyses with robust DWLS estimator and Spearman correlations were performed. The MWQ maintained a unifactorial structure (CFI = 1.00, RMSEA = .00, omega = .89). The EDMVE confirmed a two-factor structure (CFI = .997, RMSEA = .020, omega = .77-.93). Evidence of convergent validity between MWQ and negative mind wandering, discriminant validity between EDMVE factors, and concurrent validity with external variables were obtained. Valid and reliable Argentine versions of both instruments were obtained, providing complementary tools to assess mind wandering from general and emotional perspectives.
An increase in dementia is projected in the coming years, with Latin America being one of the most affected regions. Given this situation, new and improved tests for early detection are needed. The objective of this study was to obtain normative data for a recently developed test, the Verbal Auditory Screening of Cognitive Alterations Test (CAVAC), and to investigate the potential effects of demographic variables on its performance. 363 Argentinians from the general population (mean age: 66.2 years) were assessed using the CAVAC. Bivariate and regression analyses were performed to determine the influence of education, age, and sex on CAVAC performance. Education had a positive and significant influence on CAVAC performance. Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between age and CAVAC performance, and women showed better performance; however, these analyses for age and sex did not reach statistical significance. Argentinian norms were developed according to educational level. Further normative studies are suggested that include a larger number of adults with low educational attainment and a higher proportion of men.
Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is strongly associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD). This cross-sectional study investigated clinical and neurocognitive differences in 193 women aged 20 to 39 years diagnosed with BPD, comparing those with a history of CSA (n = 78) and those without (n = 115). Participants completed standardized psychometric and neuropsychological assessments focused on impulsivity, core BPD symptoms, and cognitive functioning. Women with CSA showed greater clinical severity, including higher rates of self-harm, suicide attempts, dissociative and psychotic symptoms, along with elevated impulsivity and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related traits. Neuropsychological testing revealed significant deficits in attention, processing speed, and cognitive flexibility, along with lower performance on Stroop tasks assessing divided attention and interference control. While working memory and verbal fluency differences remained within normative ranges, age-stratified analysis revealed marked long-term memory impairments in the CSA group aged 30-39. These results suggest that neurocognitive deficits in BPD are not universal but may reflect the cumulative impact of early trauma and age. Trauma-informed assessment and tailored cognitive interventions may support more accurate profiling and inform tailored therapeutic strategies in this high-risk subgroup.
Objective: To characterize the topographic distribution, density, and interhemispheric synchrony of sleep spindles in children with Down syndrome using retrospective analysis of polysomnographic data. Methods: Polysomnographic recordings from 13 children with Down syndrome were analyzed. Spindle detection was performed using bandpass filtering, Hilbert transform, and amplitude thresholding during N2 sleep. Spindle density, symmetry between hemispheres, and topographic patterns were assessed. Results: Children with Down syndrome exhibited increased slow-wave sleep (N3) and reduced REM sleep compared to normative values. Sleep spindles showed a predominance in posterior and left-hemisphere regions. Fast spindles (14-16 Hz) were more densely distributed than slow spindles (10-13 Hz), and statistical differences in spindle density were found across channels. Interhemispheric synchrony was moderate but not statistically significant. Conclusions: Alterations in sleep spindle architecture and distribution were observed in children with Down syndrome. These findings suggest a potential link between spindle patterns and neurodevelopmental processes in this population, warranting further investigation.
The Five-Point Test (FPT) and the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) and Taylor Complex Figure Test (TCFT) are widely used instruments in neuropsychological assessment of executive functions and visuospatial abilities. Despite their frequent use in clinical practice, no studies have directly examined the association between these measures. This study investigated the associations between performance on the FPT and the copy stage of the ROCF and TCFT, exploring the relationship between nonverbal fluency and visuospatial planning in healthy adults from Southern Brazil. The sample included 188 adults, distributed into two groups: Group 1 (ROCF; n = 91) and Group 2 (TCFT; n = 97). All participants also completed the FPT. Associations between the number of unique designs and perseverations on the FPT and the copy scores of the figures were examined using Spearman's correlation coefficient. A moderate correlation was observed between the number of unique designs on the FPT and ROCF copy performance (r = 0.45, p < 0.001) and TCFT (r = 0.32, p = 0.002). The comparison between correlation coefficients using Fisher's z transformation did not indicate a statistically significant difference (z = 1.03, p = 0.30). Perseverations were not significantly associated with copy scores. These findings suggest partially shared cognitive demands related to visuospatial organization and graphic planning. Stratified data by age and education are also presented, updating parameters for clinical interpretation.
Stroke generates motor, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional deficits that impact the quality of life of those affected. Within the cognitive sphere, alterations in so-called social cognition can be observed. This study analyzes the ability of a group of 24 people with a subacute stroke to recognize the mental state of others through their gaze (mean age: 54.5 years; SD: 6.8). To this end, their performance on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) was compared with that of a control group of 50 people without neurological history (mean age: 56.6 years; SD: 12.6). The results show that people with stroke performed significantly worse on the RMET than people without neurological history (M: 21.79; SD: 7.12 vs. M: 26.56; SD: 3.82; p=0.005). These findings show that people with stroke experience difficulty recognizing the mental state of others through their gaze and highlight the need to include tests that assess social cognition in neuropsychological examination protocols.
In the early school years, reading comprehension emerges from the interaction between sublexical phonological processes and lexical skills. The relative importance of these processes varies according to the stage of development and level of reading performance. This study aimed to describe the differential profile of phonological and lexical skills in second-grade elementary school students with transparent spelling, according to their reading comprehension performance. A quantitative, cross-sectional, comparative study was conducted with 75 Chilean schoolchildren, who were classified into three groups based on their scores on the Global Reading Comprehension Index of the ELFE II test. Computerised language skills tasks were administered and non-parametric comparative analyses were performed. The results showed that grapheme-to-phoneme conversion was the most effective skill for distinguishing between the groups, followed by phonemic synthesis and initial phoneme identification; meanwhile, vocabulary was most effective at distinguishing the lowest-performing group. These findings provide evidence on reading development in Spanishspeaking populations and highlight the importance of neuropsychological assessments with a dimensional approach for identifying early risk profiles.
This article provides a thoughtful exploration of how recent advances in cognitive neuropsychology are transforming our understanding of personality. Taking a cognitive-integrative perspective, it delves into the evolution of major personality theories and bridges these ideas with the neuroanatomical foundations of essential cognitive functions, such as memory, attention, executive skills, and social cognition. It emphasizes the dynamic, two-way relationship between cognitive functions and personality-a relationship deeply shaped by each person's cultural and socio-historical experiences. The discussion also introduces epigenetics as a critical piece of this puzzle, showing how environmental factors like stress, nutrition, and formative life experiences can influence brain development, emotional regulation, and, ultimately, how personality traits are expressed. By humanizing these connections, the article underscores that personality is not static; it is a living, adaptive phenomenon, constantly evolving through the interaction of biology, environment, and experience. This integrated view offers a richer, more empathetic understanding of what makes each individual unique.
Digital technologies are ever-present in everyday life. Growing concern about the emergence of problematic use patterns in children has driven the development of assessment instruments, yet validated tools are still lacking in Argentina. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a brief scale to assess indicators of problematic technology use in Argentine children. A total of 323 children (age M = 10.33, SD = 0.86) between 8 and 12 years old participated. The scale consists of 9 items, grouped into a single factor according to exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Evidence of adequate internal consistency (alpha = .87) and criterion validity was found through associations with frequency and time of technology use, school engagement, academic performance, socioemotional skills, and psychopathological symptoms. This study provides evidence of the validity and reliability of a brief scale for detecting indicators of problematic technology use in Argentine children.
This research explores the psychological effects that sustained mindfulness practice exerts on the communicative dimension of the human being, with particular emphasis on discursive authenticity, emotional coherence, and expressive integrity. Far from reducing communication to a strategy of persuasion or performance, this work proposes a deeper and more transformative perspective, wherein communication becomes an act of lucid presence, human connection, and shared truth. Mindfulness practice not only enhances self-regulation and verbal fluency but also transforms the subject's relationship with their own speech. By developing greater awareness of the mental and emotional processes preceding verbal expression, defensive patterns, linguistic automatisms, and expressions conditioned by the need to please, compete, or persuade begin to dissolve. A cleaner, non-reactive, and present-rooted mode of communication emerges. This investigation analyzes how mindfulness fosters the disidentification from the discursive ego and facilitates the emergence of a more coherent "communicative self," less conditioned by external judgment and more connected to inner experience. It also examines the psychological processes involved in the transition from communication based on masks toward a more honest, ethical, and transpersonal expression, where words arise unadorned and become gestures of relational care. The methodology is based on a critical review of recent studies on mindfulness, authenticity, psychological transformation, and conscious communication, integrating insights from neuroscience, humanistic psychology, and transpersonal psychology. Special attention is given to the internal mechanisms of change that allow the subject to inhabit communicative acts with full, non-reactive awareness. In essence, communicating mindfully is not about speaking better, but about speaking truthfully. It does not seek to impress, but to be present. It does not pursue impact, but connection. This research thus proposes a shift from strategic discourse to genuine expression-one that arises from inner silence and reaches the other without interference, armor, or pretension.
Chiari malformation type I (CM-I) is a congenital neurological condition that can significantly impact patients' quality of life. Several studies have reported cognitive and emotional dysfunctions in individuals with CM-I, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of its symptomatology. The aim of this study was to assess executive functioning and trait anxiety in three adult patients diagnosed with CM-I. A case study design was employed using a mixed-methods approach. Participants were three adult women aged between 28 and 55 years. The results revealed variability in cognitive profiles, showing that patients with low executive performance reported active physical symptoms that interfered with daily functioning, while the patient with higher executive functioning was clinically asymptomatic. Emotionally, all three cases exhibited elevated trait anxiety scores. These findings underscore the importance of a comprehensive assessment of CM-I that includes not only physical symptoms but also cognitive and emotional factors, in order to guide more holistic and personalized interventions.
This article analyzes how emotional perception and neurocommunicative variables such as engagement, empathy, communicative self-efficacy, and cognitive load influence university teachers' intention to use teaching strategies. The study is based on the need to understand how teachers' emotions condition methodological adoption. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional approach with a correlational-explanatory scope was used. The sample consisted of 86 university teachers, and data were collected using the psychometrically validated PE-ENDU questionnaire. The analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression developed in Python. The results show positive relationships between intention to use and valence, activation, and emotional relevance, as well as engagement and empathy-emotional regulation. Cognitive load did not have any significant negative effects. The predictive model explained 65% of the variance in intention to use. It is concluded that emotional and neurocommunicative processes are determinants in the adoption of active strategies, highlighting the importance of emotional well-being and communicative self-efficacy for pedagogical innovation.
This study examines the factors influencing the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a sample of 67 children from Veracruz, Mexico. The analysis focused on the age at which the first symptoms were detected, the key agents involved in the identification process, and the time elapsed until diagnostic confirmation. Findings revealed an average delay of 4.35 years between the initial suspicion and the formal diagnosis. Preschool teachers were the primary identifiers of early warning signs (29.49%), followed by parents and physicians (27.86% each). The most commonly reported symptoms were language impairments (29.14%), behavioral problems (17.72%), and lack of eye contact (16.18%). These results highlight the urgent need to implement training strategies for educators and to strengthen screening protocols within the healthcare system, in order to reduce the diagnostic gap and promote early intervention, thereby improving the prognosis and quality of life of children with ASD and their families.
Calculus, a cornerstone of mathematics that explores continuous change through differentiation and integration, is pivotal for higher education in engineering and STEM careers. Yet, its instruction presents challenges, with many students grappling with its complexity, accentuating the need for innovative teaching strategies. Grounded in the nexus between calculus and higher cognitive functions, this research evaluates the outcomes of a student-centered approach in enhancing understanding and applying calculus and seeks to determine its impact on broader cognitive functions. Employing a pretest-retest design with control and intervention groups, we merge cognitive evaluations, including subtests from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, with calculus performance assessments. Our results revealed the intervention group exhibited enhanced calculus performance and improvement in the perceptual reasoning index, especially in block design subtest, reflecting enhanced visuospatial skills. This study offers valuable perspectives for improving calculus instruction and potentially improving students' cognitive capabilities by implementing a student-centered approach.
In neuropsychological diagnosis, there are two approaches that can be characterized as psychometric neuropsychology and qualitative neuropsychology, depending on the emphasis each one places on how difficulties are assessed during task performance. Psychometric neuropsychology focuses on quantifying correct or incorrect responses, and in some cases, a small numerical scale is assigned to performance (0, 1, 2). In qualitative neuropsychology, the emphasis is on analyzing the nature of errors and identifying under what conditions of activity regulation task performance improves or worsens. Qualitative analysis should be understood as a flexible and systematic process that allows for the diagnosis of alterations in the organization of psychological activity and provides insight for its reorganization. The objective of this study is to describe the syndromic analysis process in a case of ischemic stroke whose severity made it impossible to use psychometric tests or standardized protocols. A single-case observational design was used. The results made it possible to identify the syndrome of sequential motor organization, according to the model of A.R. Luria. The systemic effect of the primary defect on the patient's verbal activity is presented. The study concludes that qualitative analysis of signs and symptoms leads to an accurate diagnosis, thus laying the groundwork for the reorganization of the impaired functional systems.
The advancement of the cosmetics industry-marked by constant innovation and increasingly discerning consumers- underscores the importance of studying how sensory stimuli influence purchasing decisions. This study focuses on examining the impact of sensory marketing, applied both to products and retail environments, on product choice and store loyalty. To this end, a questionnaire was developed for cosmetic users, including questions about the perception of scent, touch, color, and other stimuli. The results show that smell is the most influential sense in purchase decisions, followed by touch; however, the importance of each stimulus varies by product category, highlighting the need for tailored strategies. The research demonstrates a direct relationship between sensory marketing and buying behavior: by engaging the senses, brands create meaningful experiences, increase perceived value, and differentiate themselves from competitors, thereby greatly enhancing their chances of becoming the consumer's preferred choice and strengthening customer loyalty.
Introduction. Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is a neurodegenerative disorder with distinctive motor and cognitive alterations. Objective. To synthesize the scientific literature on CBS, its neuroimaging report and neuropsychological profile. Methods. was structured as a subject review, where a search of scientific articles in indexed journals was carried out. Results. highlighted that cognitive dysfunction is characterized by apraxias, aphasias and sometimes executive dysfunction, it is also found that motor symptoms tend to intensify with the progression of the disease. Regarding neuroimaging, the main atrophy and hypometabolism evidenced is presented in frontal, temporal, parietal and striate nuclei. Discussion. These results offer comprehensive framework for understanding the development of CBS, providing a reference point for differential diagnosis, due to the heterogeneity of the underlying neuropathological diseases, being Corticobasal Dementia, the most common, not the only one. Conclusions. A treatment is evidenced, with pharmacological and non-pharmacological is mainly symptomatic that alleviate the impact on the daily life of patients with CBS, but of which future research is needed.
It remains a challenge to systematically and quantitatively assess the pragmatic performance of severely aphasic patients and determine severity levels. To this end, the ICRA-R Battery was designed based on the concepts of the Minimal Communication Circuit and the pragmatic features of the ICRA Method (Abraham & Brenca, 2013, 2016). It consists of four instruments. The psychometric analysis of the validation and reliability of Instrument 1 (Record and Script) and the expert-level validity of the CCA and CCP Questionnaires, which assess caregivers' perceptions of the patient's current and premorbid communicative competence, are described. Severity levels were established, and the developmental profile was graphed. Validity was analyzed by experts (> 93.1%), factor analysis and principal components extraction, analysis of agreement between evaluators (Fleiss's Kappa > 85%; Cohen's Kappa > 95.0%, inter-observer analysis applying intraclass correlation = 0.900 (95% CI: 0.791-0.957) and repeated measures ANOVA from means and confidence intervals) and internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha 0.966).
This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the alcohol consumption landscape in Uruguay, highlighting that the country ranks among the highest in consumption levels both globally and regionally. Various international and national sources reveal high prevalence rates across the general population, high school students, and university students, alongside an early age of onset, approximately 13 years old. Among the adult population, more than half report habitual consumption, and nearly three out of ten consumers exhibit problematic patterns, representing approximately 373,000 individuals. The study identifies multiple challenges for public policy. Regarding the regulatory framework, although Uruguay made progress with Law No. 19,855 in 2018-which proposes a holistic and preventive approach-its implementation and enforcement remain weak. Regulation is more robust in traffic safety-through the "zero alcohol" policy-than in areas such as advertising, commercial availability, and marketing control, particularly within digital environments. Especially vulnerable cohorts are analyzed: childhood and adolescence, pregnancy, older adults, and individuals with problematic consumption. The article concludes that Uruguay faces a complex scenario characterized by high consumption levels and fragmented regulatory frameworks. It emphasizes the need to strengthen the enforcement of existing laws, improve oversight, expand targeted prevention, and consolidate monitoring systems to facilitate the design of evidence-based public policies.
