Although dopaminergic systems are more commonly associated with the reinforcing effects of various stimuli, numerous reports have demonstrated a relationship between changes in dopaminergic transmission and aversive situations. In the present study, we examined the involvement of D1-like and D2-like receptors in the expression of conditioned freezing using the context as the conditioned stimulus. Intraperitoneal injections of the D1 agonist SKF38393 or the D1 antagonist SCH23390 did not change the conditioned freezing in rats subjected to the contextual fear paradigm. In contrast, intraperitoneal injections of the D2 agonist quinpirole and the D2 antagonist sulpiride caused a significant dose-dependent reduction in the expression of contextual conditioned freezing. As these data may reflect that the systemic manipulations acted on dopaminergic receptors in different brain areas, the effects of administration of quinpirole and sulpiride into the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the basolateral amygdala complex (BLA) on the expression of contextual conditioned freezing were also evaluated. Intra-VTA quinpirole and intra-BLA sulpiride injections reduced the conditioned freezing response; intra-VTA sulpiride and intra-BLA quinpirole injections had no significant effects. These data suggest that D2-like receptors, but not D1-like receptors, play an important role in the expression of contextual conditioned freezing. Quinpirole may act at D2 presynaptic receptors located in the VTA, decreasing dopamine levels in the terminal fields of the mesolimbic pathway. The effects of sulpiride, in contrast, appear to be triggered by an action on postsynaptic dopaminergic receptors located in the BLA. However, it cannot be totally excluded that the injected solutions did not also affect neighboring amygdalar regions. Together with previous findings, the present data suggest the need to consider dopaminergic mechanisms in the mesolimbic circuit as novel targets for the pharmacological treatment of fear-related disorders, especially post-traumatic stress disorder.

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OpenBU http://open.bu.edu Psychological and Brain Sciences BU Open Access Articles 2018-09-01 Trial-based cognitive therapy: efficacy of a new CBT approach for treating social anxiety disor...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the student's perception about the skills acquired with the Problem Based Learning (PBL) methodology in two subjects, which belong to the undergraduate course in Psychology of a public university in the interior of the state of São Paulo. This study has a quantitative nature with an exploratory and cross-sectional design. Thirty-one undergraduates from 19 to 27 years of age participated in an online self-report questionnaire that asked them about the retention of knowledge, the development of study skills and critical reflection, the formulation and comparison of diagnostic possibilities, the application of knowledge in professional practice and the possibility of applying the PBL in any discipline. The study is justified due to the current challenge for higher education in Psychology to improve effective teaching practices that result in the development of skills to apply knowledge critically and dynamically, stimulating an active attitude towards their own learning process. The exploratory descriptive analyzes indicated a positive perception of the students in several aspects related to the application of the PBL method and the inferential analyzes showed that the course taken can influence this perception. It is concluded that the initiative given with the subjects of the Psychology course expresses the potential of the method for the development of significant learning in students.

The aim of this study was to evaluate anxiety, stress and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) among a sample of participants that practice choir singing as a recreational activity. As the literature shows the positive effects of choir singing on mental and physical health, we hypothesized that anxiety, stress and TMD symptoms would be less frequent in the choir group when compared to participants from the general population. The choir group included 33 adults who participated weekly in a choral singing group as a recreational activity and the comparison group included 40 participants from the general population. Choir singers had significantly lower levels of anxiety and TMD. A significant positive correlation was observed between anxiety and TMD scores. The groups did not differ regarding the presence of stress symptoms. It seems that choir singing was associated with better mental and physical outcomes. This study reinforces the promising benefits of choir singing as a recreational activity. Although we only included amateur singers in our sample, the literature shows that singing as a professional may be an etiologic factor for developing TMD. Future studies should explore differences between professional and amateur choir singers regarding TMD symptoms.

À minha família: à minha mãe, Ilzete, por ser um exemplo de força, determinação e luta pelos sonhos que se acredita; ao meu pai Paulo, por todo apoio e suporte; e à minha irmã Ana Paula, por ser um exemplo em tantas áreas na minha vida. Vocês contribuíram não só para a execução deste trabalho, mas para a minha existência enquanto indivíduo.Aos amigos de laboratório, em especial à Isabela Ferreira, Thaís Benedetti e Caroline Pavan pelos momentos de alegria e convivência ao longo dos últimos anos. Em especial à amiga Priscila Palma: o desenvolvimento deste trabalho tornou-se muito mais leve e divertido com sua amizade! Obrigada por todo apoio e companheirismo dado ao longo desses últimos quase cinco anos.

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RESUMO | Objetivo:Considerando os inúmeros benefícios a saúde física e mental proporcionados pelas atividades artísticas, o objetivo deste estudo é avaliar a relação entre a prática recreativa de instrumentos musicais e as disfunções temporomandibulares (DTM) e os distúrbios do sono (DS) em uma amostra de músicos integrantes de orquestras do interior de São Paulo que praticam instrumentos musicais como forma de lazer. Método: Trata-se de um estudo transversal constituído por dois grupos. O grupo controle, com indivíduos da comunidade em geral, apresentou idade média de 28,35 anos (±4,867), enquanto o grupo de músicos instrumentistas, 28,37 anos (±6,712). Ambos os grupos foram constituídos por 43 voluntários, sendo 14 mulheres e 29 homens. Os participantes responderam ao questionário anamnésico de Fonseca e ao questionário de Fletcher e Luckett para avaliar sintomas de DTM e distúrbios do sono, respectivamente. Resultados: Foi encontrada uma forte associação entre a presença de DTM e o tempo de prática musical, de modo que os participantes com pouca prática possuem 8,57 (p=0,002) vezes mais chances de apresentarem DTM do que os participantes com muita prática. Os grupos não diferiram quanto aos sintomas de DTM e DS e quanto a variáveis demográficas. Conclusão: A prática recreativa de instrumentos musicais em longo prazo pode diminuir as chances de desenvolvimento de disfunção temporomandibular. Este estudo reforça que tocar um instrumento musical por lazer traz benefícios para a saúde física, especificamente como fator de proteção ao desenvolvimento de disfunção temporomandibular. ABSTRACT | Effect of music instruments practice in temporomandibular joint dysfunction and sleep disorders • Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation among recreational practice of musical instruments, temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), and sleep disturbances in a sample of musicians that are members of orchestras in a southeast area of Brazil. The participants practice playing instruments as a leisure activity. Method: this was a cross-sectional study with two groups. The comparison group included members from the general population. Both group included 43 adults, being 14 women and 29 men. The mean age of comparison group is 28.35 (±4.867), and the mean age of musician group is 28.37 (±6.712). The participants completed self-rated questionnaires to assess TMDs symptoms and sleep disturbance. Results: the groups did not differ regarding the presence of TMDs symptoms, sleep disturbance, and demographic variables. A strong and negative correlation was observed between TMDs and time of playing a musical instrument. The participants with less practice in years in playing a musical instrument have 8.57 more chance of having TMDs than the musicians with a long history of playing an instrument. Conclusion: it seems that a long history of practicing a musical instrument as a leisure activity is associated with a lower chance of developing TMDs. This study reinforces the benefits of playing a musical instrument as a leisur...