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Papers by RUBÉN PÉREZ ELVIRA

Research paper thumbnail of EEG Activation During a Mindfulness Session and Its Effects on Memory Encoding

NeuroRegulation, Jun 27, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Validation and Application of a Factorial Model of Attention in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

NeuroRegulation, Mar 29, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Changes in EEG Activity and Cognition Related to Physical Activity in Older Adults: A Systematic Review

Life, Mar 26, 2024

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of Efectos de normalización del electroencefalograma cuantitativo utilizando neurorretroalimentación de puntuaciones Z de 4 canales en tiempo real para niños con trastornos de aprendizaje: datos preliminares

Psicología conductual = behavioral psychology: Revista internacional de psicología clínica y de la salud, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of State of the art and new directions of Quantitative Electroencephalography use in Differential Diagnosis of ADHD

Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes

Advances in technology in recent years have made the use of quantitative electroencephalogram mor... more Advances in technology in recent years have made the use of quantitative electroencephalogram more accessible to clinicians. The incorporation of normative databases in QEEG studies and the possibility of detecting different electroencephalographic patterns in patients with a given pathology, despite showing an apparent symptomatology homogeneity, make it an interesting source of information. The relationship of these patterns with a possible response to treatment or with prognostic estimates would justify its inclusion as a routine test in the process of the differential diagnosis of ADHD. In this paper, we present the possible benefits of the use of QEEG in the differential diagnosis of ADHD, the different electroencephalographic patterns associated with ADHD most common in the literature, and a case showcasing the use of the technique in a patient with ADHD

Research paper thumbnail of El órgano barroco del antiguo convento de San Vicente Ferrer,de Plasencia

Ars et sapientia: Revista de la asociación de amigos de la Real Academia de Extremadura de las letras y las artes, 2003

Research paper thumbnail of Ancilliary use of transcranial direct current stimulation in neurofeedback interventions: a case study of adult ADHD with depressive symptoms

Research paper thumbnail of Prevalence of comorbidities in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Measured and systematic review of care health studies

Revista Mexicana de Neurociencia, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of sLORETA neurofeedback in fibromyalgia

Neuroscience Research Notes, 2020

Fibromyalgia is a chronic and incapacitating condition that produces, as main symptoms, pain, and... more Fibromyalgia is a chronic and incapacitating condition that produces, as main symptoms, pain, and stiffness. In addition to these physical symptoms, it is also accompanied by psychological symptoms such as cognitive deficits, anxiety, and depression. One of the non-pharmacological treatments that have been used in this pathology in recent years is neurofeedback. In this study, we analyze the efficacy of sLORETA Neurofeedback in the case of fibromyalgia. The experimental subject was a 37-year-old patient. Quantified electroencephalography studies were applied on three occasions, one initial, another after fifteen days of waiting list, and another after treatment. Psychometric scales were also applied at the same time to evaluate the patient's psychological and physical state. The treatment consisted of 5 sessions of Neurofeedback LORETA in Brodmann area 2. After the treatment, a neurometric, psychometric, and clinical improvement were found. The improvement of the patient after 5...

Research paper thumbnail of Correction to Oltra-Cucarella et al. (2016)

Neuropsychology, 2016

UNLABELLED Reports an error in "Are Cognitive Interventions Effective in Alzheimer's Dis... more UNLABELLED Reports an error in "Are Cognitive Interventions Effective in Alzheimer's Disease? A Controlled Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Bias" by Javier Oltra-Cucarella, Rubén Pérez-Elvira, Raul Espert and Anita Sohn McCormick (Neuropsychology, Advanced Online Publication, Apr 7, 2016, np). In the article the first sentence of the third paragraph of the Source of bias subsection in the Statistical Analysis subsection of the Correlational Meta-Analysis section should read "For the control condition bias, three comparison groups were differentiated: (a) a structured cognitive intervention, (b) a placebo control condition, and (c) a pharma control condition without cognitive intervention or no treatment at all." (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2016-16656-001.) OBJECTIVE There is limited evidence about the efficacy of cognitive interventions for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, aside from the methodological quality of the studies analyzed, the methodology used in previous meta-analyses is itself a risk of bias as different types of effect sizes (ESs) were calculated and combined. This study aimed at examining the results of nonpharmacological interventions for AD with an adequate control of statistical methods and to demonstrate a different approach to meta-analysis. METHOD ESs were calculated with the independent groups pre/post design. Average ESs for separate outcomes were calculated and moderator analyses were performed so as to offer an overview of the effects of bias. RESULTS Eighty-seven outcomes from 19 studies (n = 812) were meta-analyzed. ESs were small on average for cognitive and functional outcomes after intervention. Moderator analyses showed no effect of control of bias, although ESs were different from zero only in some circumstances (e.g., memory outcomes in randomized studies). Cognitive interventions showed no more efficacy than placebo interventions, and functional ESs were consistently low across conditions. CONCLUSIONS cognitive interventions delivered may not be effective in AD probably due to the fact that the assumptions behind the cognitive interventions might be inadequate. Future directions include a change in the type of intervention as well as the use of outcomes other than standardized tests. Additional studies with larger sample sizes and different designs are needed to increase the power of both primary studies and meta-analyses. (PsycINFO Database Record

Research paper thumbnail of Deterioro cognitivo asociado a radioterapia en tumores cerebrales

Research paper thumbnail of Neurofeedback de puntuaciones z (live z-score training neurofeedback). Regulación y control del patrón eeg en poblaciones clínicas

Tesis Doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Depart... more Tesis Doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Departamento de Psicología Biológica y de la Salud. Fecha de Lectura: 16-07-202

Research paper thumbnail of Individual Alpha Peak Frequency, an Important Biomarker for Live Z-Score Training Neurofeedback in Adolescents with Learning Disabilities

Brain Sciences, 2021

Learning disabilities (LDs) have an estimated prevalence between 5% and 9% in the pediatric popul... more Learning disabilities (LDs) have an estimated prevalence between 5% and 9% in the pediatric population and are associated with difficulties in reading, arithmetic, and writing. Previous electroencephalography (EEG) research has reported a lag in alpha-band development in specific LD phenotypes, which seems to offer a possible explanation for differences in EEG maturation. In this study, 40 adolescents aged 10–15 years with LDs underwent 10 sessions of Live Z-Score Training Neurofeedback (LZT-NF) Training to improve their cognition and behavior. Based on the individual alpha peak frequency (i-APF) values from the spectrogram, a group with normal i-APF (ni-APF) and a group with low i-APF (li-APF) were compared in a pre-and-post-LZT-NF intervention. There were no statistical differences in age, gender, or the distribution of LDs between the groups. The li-APF group showed a higher theta absolute power in P4 (p = 0.016) at baseline and higher Hi-Beta absolute power in F3 (p = 0.007) pos...

Research paper thumbnail of A Decision-Tree Approach to Assist in Forecasting the Outcomes of the Neonatal Brain Injury

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021

Neonatal brain injury or neonatal encephalopathy (NE) is a significant morbidity and mortality fa... more Neonatal brain injury or neonatal encephalopathy (NE) is a significant morbidity and mortality factor in preterm and full-term newborns. NE has an incidence in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 per 1000 live births carrying a considerable burden for neurological outcomes such as epilepsy, cerebral palsy, cognitive impairments, and hydrocephaly. Many scoring systems based on different risk factor combinations in regression models have been proposed to predict abnormal outcomes. Birthweight, gestational age, Apgar scores, pH, ultrasound and MRI biomarkers, seizures onset, EEG pattern, and seizure duration were the most referred predictors in the literature. Our study proposes a decision-tree approach based on clinical risk factors for abnormal outcomes in newborns with the neurological syndrome to assist in neonatal encephalopathy prognosis as a complementary tool to the acknowledged scoring systems. We retrospectively studied 188 newborns with associated encephalopathy and seizures in the peri...

Research paper thumbnail of Enhancing the Effects of Neurofeedback Training: The Motivational Value of the Reinforcers

Brain Sciences, 2021

The brain activity that is measured by electroencephalography (EEG) can be modified through opera... more The brain activity that is measured by electroencephalography (EEG) can be modified through operant conditioning, specifically using neurofeedback (NF). NF has been applied to several disorders claiming that a change in the erratic brain activity would be accompanied by a reduction of the symptoms. However, the expected results are not always achieved. Some authors have suggested that the lack of an adequate response may be due to an incorrect application of the operant conditioning principles. A key factor in operant conditioning is the use of reinforcers and their value in modifying behavior, something that is not always sufficiently taken into account. This work aims to clarify the relevance of the motivational value versus the purely informational value of the reinforcer. In this study, 113 subjects were randomly assigned two different reinforcer conditions: a selected reinforcer—the subjects subjectively selected the reinforcers—or an imposed reinforcer—the reinforcers were ass...

Research paper thumbnail of Comparing Live Z-Score Training and Theta/Beta Protocol to Reduce Theta-to-Beta Ratio: A Pilot Study

NeuroRegulation, 2020

Objective/Background: Theta-to-Beta ratio is one of the most studied electroencephalography findi... more Objective/Background: Theta-to-Beta ratio is one of the most studied electroencephalography findings in ADHD in the neurotherapy field, alongside the neurofeedback (NF) protocols whose objective is reducing it. The NF field has developed to a great level in the last decade. One of the approaches that became of particular interest to the clinicians has been Z-score training (ZT). In general, there are still a few studies about the efficacy of ZT and even fewer that compare this technique with the classic protocols. This study aimed to check the efficacy of ZT in reducing Theta-to-Beta ratio. Participants: 15 patients diagnosed with combined type ADHD aged 7 to 18, recruited in retrospect. Methods: The participants were divided in two groups. One of the groups was provided with the ZT intervention and the other one, the Theta/Beta (T/B) protocol. Both groups went through ten 30-min NF sessions using videos selected by themselves as a reinforcement. The main outcomes of this study were the patients' Theta-to-Beta ratio metrics. Results: Both groups showed a decrease in Theta-to-Beta ratio; the ZT group showed a decrease of 1.02 points average and the T/B group showed a decrease of 0.15 points average, only being statistically significant for the ZT group.

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring Inflammatory Status in Febrile Seizures Associated with Urinary Tract Infections: A Two-Step Cluster Approach

Proceedings, 2021

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are considered common facilitating factors along with... more Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are considered common facilitating factors along with other infections in triggering febrile seizures (FS). The main purpose of our study was to identify specific patterns of UTIs, using a combination of inflammatory biomarkers, in order to differentiate UTIs from other bacterial diseases triggering FS. Method: This study included a number of 197 distinct FS events from patients hospitalized in the Pediatric Clinical Hospital Sibiu, among which 10.2% were diagnosed with UTIs. Results: In one-third of the patients with UTI, the symptoms were limited to fever and FS. Using Two-Step cluster analysis, a distinct inflammatory pattern has emerged: higher platelet distribution of the population (PDW), platelet large cell ratio (P-LCR), mean platelet volume (MPV), C-Reactive Protein (CRP), and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR). This pattern was associated mainly with bacterial lower respiratory infections. UTIs were highly unlikely in the patie...

Research paper thumbnail of Neurometric Results of a Case Series Using live Z-Scores Neurofeedback

International Journal of Psychophysiology, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Benefits of deep encoding in Alzheimer's disease. Analysis of performance in a memory task using the Item Specific Deficit Approach

Neurología (English Edition), 2014

ABSTRACT Introducción El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo comprobar la hipótesis del déficit ... more ABSTRACT Introducción El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo comprobar la hipótesis del déficit de codificación en la enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) mediante el uso de una reciente metodología de corrección de test de memoria. Para ello, una adaptación española del Free and Cued Selective Reminder Test fue interpretada mediante el Item Specific Deficit Approach (ISDA), el cual proporciona 3 índices: Índice de déficit de codificación, Índice de déficit de consolidación e Índice de déficit de recuperación. Métodos Se comparó el rendimiento de 15 pacientes con EA y 25 sujetos sanos, y los resultados se analizaron mediante las instrucciones originales de la prueba y mediante el enfoque ISDA. Resultados Los participantes con EA codificaron de manera deficitaria más de la mitad de la información, pero aquella bien codificada fue recordada posteriormente utilizando las claves semánticas proporcionadas individualmente durante la codificación. Prácticamente la totalidad de la información recordada a largo plazo fue la recuperada con claves semánticas. La codificación fue el proceso más alterado, seguido de la recuperación de la información y del almacenamiento. Los análisis discriminantes mostraron que los índices ISDA son más sensibles y específicos que las puntuaciones brutas para la detección de alteraciones mnésicas en la EA. Conclusiones Los resultados indican que las personas con EA presentan alteraciones en la codificación de la información, pero se benefician de ayudas semánticas para la recuperación a largo plazo de la información previamente aprendida, lo que debería ser utilizado en las intervenciones centradas en las alteraciones de memoria en la EA.

Research paper thumbnail of Beneficios de la codificación profunda en la enfermedad de Alzheimer. Análisis del rendimiento en una tarea de memoria mediante el Item Specific Deficit Approach

Benefits of deep encoding in Alzheimer's Disease. Analysis of performance on a memory task using ... more Benefits of deep encoding in Alzheimer's Disease. Analysis of performance on a memory task using the Item Specific Deficit approach Abstract Introduction: the aim of this study is to test the encoding deficit hypothesis in Alzheimer disease (AD) using a recent method for correcting memory tests. To this end, a Spanish-language adaptation of the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test was interpreted using the Item Specific Deficit Approach (ISDA), which provides three indices: Encoding Deficit Index, Consolidation Deficit Index, and Retrieval Deficit Index. Methods: We compared the performances of 15 patients with AD and 25 healthy control subjects and analysed results using either the task instructions or the ISDA approach. Results: patients with AD displayed deficient encoding of more than half the information, but items that were encoded properly could be retrieved later with the help of the same semantic clues provided individually during encoding. Virtually all the information recalled at long-term was retrieved by using semantic clues. Encoding was shown to be the most impaired process, followed by retrieval and consolidation. Discriminant function analyses showed that ISDA indices are more sensitive and specific for detecting memory impairments in AD than are raw scores. Conclusions: These results indicate that patients with AD present impaired information encoding, but they benefit from semantic hints that help them recover previously learned information. This should be taken into account for intervention techniques focusing on memory impairments in AD.

Research paper thumbnail of EEG Activation During a Mindfulness Session and Its Effects on Memory Encoding

NeuroRegulation, Jun 27, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Validation and Application of a Factorial Model of Attention in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

NeuroRegulation, Mar 29, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Changes in EEG Activity and Cognition Related to Physical Activity in Older Adults: A Systematic Review

Life, Mar 26, 2024

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of Efectos de normalización del electroencefalograma cuantitativo utilizando neurorretroalimentación de puntuaciones Z de 4 canales en tiempo real para niños con trastornos de aprendizaje: datos preliminares

Psicología conductual = behavioral psychology: Revista internacional de psicología clínica y de la salud, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of State of the art and new directions of Quantitative Electroencephalography use in Differential Diagnosis of ADHD

Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes

Advances in technology in recent years have made the use of quantitative electroencephalogram mor... more Advances in technology in recent years have made the use of quantitative electroencephalogram more accessible to clinicians. The incorporation of normative databases in QEEG studies and the possibility of detecting different electroencephalographic patterns in patients with a given pathology, despite showing an apparent symptomatology homogeneity, make it an interesting source of information. The relationship of these patterns with a possible response to treatment or with prognostic estimates would justify its inclusion as a routine test in the process of the differential diagnosis of ADHD. In this paper, we present the possible benefits of the use of QEEG in the differential diagnosis of ADHD, the different electroencephalographic patterns associated with ADHD most common in the literature, and a case showcasing the use of the technique in a patient with ADHD

Research paper thumbnail of El órgano barroco del antiguo convento de San Vicente Ferrer,de Plasencia

Ars et sapientia: Revista de la asociación de amigos de la Real Academia de Extremadura de las letras y las artes, 2003

Research paper thumbnail of Ancilliary use of transcranial direct current stimulation in neurofeedback interventions: a case study of adult ADHD with depressive symptoms

Research paper thumbnail of Prevalence of comorbidities in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Measured and systematic review of care health studies

Revista Mexicana de Neurociencia, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of sLORETA neurofeedback in fibromyalgia

Neuroscience Research Notes, 2020

Fibromyalgia is a chronic and incapacitating condition that produces, as main symptoms, pain, and... more Fibromyalgia is a chronic and incapacitating condition that produces, as main symptoms, pain, and stiffness. In addition to these physical symptoms, it is also accompanied by psychological symptoms such as cognitive deficits, anxiety, and depression. One of the non-pharmacological treatments that have been used in this pathology in recent years is neurofeedback. In this study, we analyze the efficacy of sLORETA Neurofeedback in the case of fibromyalgia. The experimental subject was a 37-year-old patient. Quantified electroencephalography studies were applied on three occasions, one initial, another after fifteen days of waiting list, and another after treatment. Psychometric scales were also applied at the same time to evaluate the patient's psychological and physical state. The treatment consisted of 5 sessions of Neurofeedback LORETA in Brodmann area 2. After the treatment, a neurometric, psychometric, and clinical improvement were found. The improvement of the patient after 5...

Research paper thumbnail of Correction to Oltra-Cucarella et al. (2016)

Neuropsychology, 2016

UNLABELLED Reports an error in "Are Cognitive Interventions Effective in Alzheimer's Dis... more UNLABELLED Reports an error in "Are Cognitive Interventions Effective in Alzheimer's Disease? A Controlled Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Bias" by Javier Oltra-Cucarella, Rubén Pérez-Elvira, Raul Espert and Anita Sohn McCormick (Neuropsychology, Advanced Online Publication, Apr 7, 2016, np). In the article the first sentence of the third paragraph of the Source of bias subsection in the Statistical Analysis subsection of the Correlational Meta-Analysis section should read "For the control condition bias, three comparison groups were differentiated: (a) a structured cognitive intervention, (b) a placebo control condition, and (c) a pharma control condition without cognitive intervention or no treatment at all." (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2016-16656-001.) OBJECTIVE There is limited evidence about the efficacy of cognitive interventions for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, aside from the methodological quality of the studies analyzed, the methodology used in previous meta-analyses is itself a risk of bias as different types of effect sizes (ESs) were calculated and combined. This study aimed at examining the results of nonpharmacological interventions for AD with an adequate control of statistical methods and to demonstrate a different approach to meta-analysis. METHOD ESs were calculated with the independent groups pre/post design. Average ESs for separate outcomes were calculated and moderator analyses were performed so as to offer an overview of the effects of bias. RESULTS Eighty-seven outcomes from 19 studies (n = 812) were meta-analyzed. ESs were small on average for cognitive and functional outcomes after intervention. Moderator analyses showed no effect of control of bias, although ESs were different from zero only in some circumstances (e.g., memory outcomes in randomized studies). Cognitive interventions showed no more efficacy than placebo interventions, and functional ESs were consistently low across conditions. CONCLUSIONS cognitive interventions delivered may not be effective in AD probably due to the fact that the assumptions behind the cognitive interventions might be inadequate. Future directions include a change in the type of intervention as well as the use of outcomes other than standardized tests. Additional studies with larger sample sizes and different designs are needed to increase the power of both primary studies and meta-analyses. (PsycINFO Database Record

Research paper thumbnail of Deterioro cognitivo asociado a radioterapia en tumores cerebrales

Research paper thumbnail of Neurofeedback de puntuaciones z (live z-score training neurofeedback). Regulación y control del patrón eeg en poblaciones clínicas

Tesis Doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Depart... more Tesis Doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Departamento de Psicología Biológica y de la Salud. Fecha de Lectura: 16-07-202

Research paper thumbnail of Individual Alpha Peak Frequency, an Important Biomarker for Live Z-Score Training Neurofeedback in Adolescents with Learning Disabilities

Brain Sciences, 2021

Learning disabilities (LDs) have an estimated prevalence between 5% and 9% in the pediatric popul... more Learning disabilities (LDs) have an estimated prevalence between 5% and 9% in the pediatric population and are associated with difficulties in reading, arithmetic, and writing. Previous electroencephalography (EEG) research has reported a lag in alpha-band development in specific LD phenotypes, which seems to offer a possible explanation for differences in EEG maturation. In this study, 40 adolescents aged 10–15 years with LDs underwent 10 sessions of Live Z-Score Training Neurofeedback (LZT-NF) Training to improve their cognition and behavior. Based on the individual alpha peak frequency (i-APF) values from the spectrogram, a group with normal i-APF (ni-APF) and a group with low i-APF (li-APF) were compared in a pre-and-post-LZT-NF intervention. There were no statistical differences in age, gender, or the distribution of LDs between the groups. The li-APF group showed a higher theta absolute power in P4 (p = 0.016) at baseline and higher Hi-Beta absolute power in F3 (p = 0.007) pos...

Research paper thumbnail of A Decision-Tree Approach to Assist in Forecasting the Outcomes of the Neonatal Brain Injury

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021

Neonatal brain injury or neonatal encephalopathy (NE) is a significant morbidity and mortality fa... more Neonatal brain injury or neonatal encephalopathy (NE) is a significant morbidity and mortality factor in preterm and full-term newborns. NE has an incidence in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 per 1000 live births carrying a considerable burden for neurological outcomes such as epilepsy, cerebral palsy, cognitive impairments, and hydrocephaly. Many scoring systems based on different risk factor combinations in regression models have been proposed to predict abnormal outcomes. Birthweight, gestational age, Apgar scores, pH, ultrasound and MRI biomarkers, seizures onset, EEG pattern, and seizure duration were the most referred predictors in the literature. Our study proposes a decision-tree approach based on clinical risk factors for abnormal outcomes in newborns with the neurological syndrome to assist in neonatal encephalopathy prognosis as a complementary tool to the acknowledged scoring systems. We retrospectively studied 188 newborns with associated encephalopathy and seizures in the peri...

Research paper thumbnail of Enhancing the Effects of Neurofeedback Training: The Motivational Value of the Reinforcers

Brain Sciences, 2021

The brain activity that is measured by electroencephalography (EEG) can be modified through opera... more The brain activity that is measured by electroencephalography (EEG) can be modified through operant conditioning, specifically using neurofeedback (NF). NF has been applied to several disorders claiming that a change in the erratic brain activity would be accompanied by a reduction of the symptoms. However, the expected results are not always achieved. Some authors have suggested that the lack of an adequate response may be due to an incorrect application of the operant conditioning principles. A key factor in operant conditioning is the use of reinforcers and their value in modifying behavior, something that is not always sufficiently taken into account. This work aims to clarify the relevance of the motivational value versus the purely informational value of the reinforcer. In this study, 113 subjects were randomly assigned two different reinforcer conditions: a selected reinforcer—the subjects subjectively selected the reinforcers—or an imposed reinforcer—the reinforcers were ass...

Research paper thumbnail of Comparing Live Z-Score Training and Theta/Beta Protocol to Reduce Theta-to-Beta Ratio: A Pilot Study

NeuroRegulation, 2020

Objective/Background: Theta-to-Beta ratio is one of the most studied electroencephalography findi... more Objective/Background: Theta-to-Beta ratio is one of the most studied electroencephalography findings in ADHD in the neurotherapy field, alongside the neurofeedback (NF) protocols whose objective is reducing it. The NF field has developed to a great level in the last decade. One of the approaches that became of particular interest to the clinicians has been Z-score training (ZT). In general, there are still a few studies about the efficacy of ZT and even fewer that compare this technique with the classic protocols. This study aimed to check the efficacy of ZT in reducing Theta-to-Beta ratio. Participants: 15 patients diagnosed with combined type ADHD aged 7 to 18, recruited in retrospect. Methods: The participants were divided in two groups. One of the groups was provided with the ZT intervention and the other one, the Theta/Beta (T/B) protocol. Both groups went through ten 30-min NF sessions using videos selected by themselves as a reinforcement. The main outcomes of this study were the patients' Theta-to-Beta ratio metrics. Results: Both groups showed a decrease in Theta-to-Beta ratio; the ZT group showed a decrease of 1.02 points average and the T/B group showed a decrease of 0.15 points average, only being statistically significant for the ZT group.

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring Inflammatory Status in Febrile Seizures Associated with Urinary Tract Infections: A Two-Step Cluster Approach

Proceedings, 2021

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are considered common facilitating factors along with... more Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are considered common facilitating factors along with other infections in triggering febrile seizures (FS). The main purpose of our study was to identify specific patterns of UTIs, using a combination of inflammatory biomarkers, in order to differentiate UTIs from other bacterial diseases triggering FS. Method: This study included a number of 197 distinct FS events from patients hospitalized in the Pediatric Clinical Hospital Sibiu, among which 10.2% were diagnosed with UTIs. Results: In one-third of the patients with UTI, the symptoms were limited to fever and FS. Using Two-Step cluster analysis, a distinct inflammatory pattern has emerged: higher platelet distribution of the population (PDW), platelet large cell ratio (P-LCR), mean platelet volume (MPV), C-Reactive Protein (CRP), and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR). This pattern was associated mainly with bacterial lower respiratory infections. UTIs were highly unlikely in the patie...

Research paper thumbnail of Neurometric Results of a Case Series Using live Z-Scores Neurofeedback

International Journal of Psychophysiology, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Benefits of deep encoding in Alzheimer's disease. Analysis of performance in a memory task using the Item Specific Deficit Approach

Neurología (English Edition), 2014

ABSTRACT Introducción El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo comprobar la hipótesis del déficit ... more ABSTRACT Introducción El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo comprobar la hipótesis del déficit de codificación en la enfermedad de Alzheimer (EA) mediante el uso de una reciente metodología de corrección de test de memoria. Para ello, una adaptación española del Free and Cued Selective Reminder Test fue interpretada mediante el Item Specific Deficit Approach (ISDA), el cual proporciona 3 índices: Índice de déficit de codificación, Índice de déficit de consolidación e Índice de déficit de recuperación. Métodos Se comparó el rendimiento de 15 pacientes con EA y 25 sujetos sanos, y los resultados se analizaron mediante las instrucciones originales de la prueba y mediante el enfoque ISDA. Resultados Los participantes con EA codificaron de manera deficitaria más de la mitad de la información, pero aquella bien codificada fue recordada posteriormente utilizando las claves semánticas proporcionadas individualmente durante la codificación. Prácticamente la totalidad de la información recordada a largo plazo fue la recuperada con claves semánticas. La codificación fue el proceso más alterado, seguido de la recuperación de la información y del almacenamiento. Los análisis discriminantes mostraron que los índices ISDA son más sensibles y específicos que las puntuaciones brutas para la detección de alteraciones mnésicas en la EA. Conclusiones Los resultados indican que las personas con EA presentan alteraciones en la codificación de la información, pero se benefician de ayudas semánticas para la recuperación a largo plazo de la información previamente aprendida, lo que debería ser utilizado en las intervenciones centradas en las alteraciones de memoria en la EA.

Research paper thumbnail of Beneficios de la codificación profunda en la enfermedad de Alzheimer. Análisis del rendimiento en una tarea de memoria mediante el Item Specific Deficit Approach

Benefits of deep encoding in Alzheimer's Disease. Analysis of performance on a memory task using ... more Benefits of deep encoding in Alzheimer's Disease. Analysis of performance on a memory task using the Item Specific Deficit approach Abstract Introduction: the aim of this study is to test the encoding deficit hypothesis in Alzheimer disease (AD) using a recent method for correcting memory tests. To this end, a Spanish-language adaptation of the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test was interpreted using the Item Specific Deficit Approach (ISDA), which provides three indices: Encoding Deficit Index, Consolidation Deficit Index, and Retrieval Deficit Index. Methods: We compared the performances of 15 patients with AD and 25 healthy control subjects and analysed results using either the task instructions or the ISDA approach. Results: patients with AD displayed deficient encoding of more than half the information, but items that were encoded properly could be retrieved later with the help of the same semantic clues provided individually during encoding. Virtually all the information recalled at long-term was retrieved by using semantic clues. Encoding was shown to be the most impaired process, followed by retrieval and consolidation. Discriminant function analyses showed that ISDA indices are more sensitive and specific for detecting memory impairments in AD than are raw scores. Conclusions: These results indicate that patients with AD present impaired information encoding, but they benefit from semantic hints that help them recover previously learned information. This should be taken into account for intervention techniques focusing on memory impairments in AD.