BackgroundMothers of preterm infants often have symptoms of anxiety and depression, recognized as risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases and associated with low rates of heart rate variability (HRV). This study aimed to evaluate the influence of music therapy intervention on the autonomic control of heart rate, anxiety, and depression in mothers.MethodsProspective randomized clinical trial including 21 mothers of preterms admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary hospital, recruited from August 2015 to September 2017, and divided into control group (CG; n = 11) and music therapy group (MTG; n = 10). Participants underwent anxiety and depression evaluation, as well as measurements of the intervals between consecutive heartbeats or RR intervals for the analysis of HRV at the first and the last weeks of hospitalization of their preterms. Music therapy sessions lasting 30–45 min were individually delivered weekly using receptive techniques. The mean and standard deviation of variables were obtained and the normality of data was analyzed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The paired sample t-test or Wilcoxon test were employed to calculate the differences between variables before and after music therapy intervention. The correlations anxiety versus heart variables and depression versus heart variables were established using Spearman correlation test. Fisher’s exact test was used to verify the differences between categorical variables. A significance level of p < 0.05 was established. Statistical analysis were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 20.ResultsParticipants in MTG had an average of seven sessions of music therapy, and showed improvement in anxiety and depression scores and autonomic indexes of the time domain (p < 0.05). Significant correlations were found between depression and parasympathetic modulation using linear (r = − 0.687; p = 0.028) and nonlinear analyses (r = − 0.689; p = 0.027) in MTG.ConclusionMusic therapy had a significant and positive impact on anxiety and depression, acting on prevention of cardiovascular diseases, major threats to modern society.Trial registrationBrazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (no. RBR-3x7gz8). Retrospectively registered on November 17, 2017.

Aging is characterized by functional decline in homeostatic regulation and vital cellular events. This process can be linked with the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In this review, we discussed aging-induced biological alterations that are associated with CVDs through the following aspects: (i) structural, biochemical, and functional modifications; (ii) autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation; (iii) epigenetic alterations; and (iv) atherosclerosis and stroke development. Aging-mediated structural and biochemical modifications coupled with gradual loss of ANS regulation, vascular stiffening, and deposition of collagen and calcium often disrupt cardiovascular system homeostasis. The structural and biochemical adjustments have been consistently implicated in the progressive increase in mechanical burden and functional breakdown of the heart and vessels. In addition, cardiomyocyte loss in this process often reduces adaptive capacity and cardiovascular function. The accumulation of epigenetic changes also plays important roles in the development of CVDs. In summary, the understanding of the aging-mediated changes remains promising towards effective diagnosis, discovery of new drug targets, and development of new therapies for the treatment of CVDs.

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O estudo da Anatomia busca compreender os componentes motores e funcionais a partir de diversas expressões do movimento humano.O presente trabalho buscou realizar apresentações artísticas e esportivas, além de identificar os principais movimentos anatômicos envolvidos. O trabalho foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa (n° 1.007.285) e desenvolvido por acadêmicos de Educação Física Licenciatura,em escolas/creches/centros de treinamento/parques em Goiânia-GO entre os dias 10/06/2016 a 20/07/2017. Foram realizadas apresentações artísticas: Ballet/Pole Dance/Zumba e esportivas: Futevôlei/UltimateFrisbee/Judô/BodyWeight Training/Kravmagá. Em todos os exercícios, os maiores grupos musculares trabalhados foram os membros inferiores e superiores. Em menor frequência, foi observado a ativação da musculatura do abdome. Pode-se concluir que o ensino dos componentes motores aplicados às práticas esportivas e artísticas promoveu a construção do conhecimento para além da sala de aula contribuindo para a formação acadêmica dos estudantes e promoveu uma aproximação entre a comunidade e a Universidade.

Empathy has gained prominence within Evolutionary Psychology. It consists of sharing emotions and understanding the other's point of view and tends to differ between men and women. However, it is still unclear what are its evolutionary advantages. Clinical and mental health factors may also influence the expression of empathy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare empathy between male and female undergraduate students, as well as the clinical and mental health profiles in individuals with low and high empathy scores. We applied online the “Escala Multidimensional de Reatividade Interpessoal” (EMRI), to measure empathy, and the "ConVid - Pesquisa de Comportamentos'' to assess the emotional states and clinical profile of 155 students from the Federal University of Goiás. In total, there were 69 male participants (23.85 ± 3.72 years) and 86 female participants (24.29 ± 5.55 years). The scores of the empathy subscales were compared between genders using Student's t-test (p<0.05). Higher scores of Empathic Concern (p<0.0001), Personal Distress (p=0.0051) and Global Empathy Score (p=0.0002) were found for women compared to men. Moreover, more empathic people have higher levels of self-perception of their emotional states (p=0.0026). The results confirm the findings in the literature, which indicate that women tend to be more empathic than men. The study of the subject in other contexts are still important for a more precise understanding of the evolutionary phenomenon of empathy.

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The pandemic of COVID-19 was accompanied by losses in emotional, eating habits, and physical activity. University students were uncertain about their academic life, with the paralyzation of face-to-face activities in universities. The study aimed to compare the profile (emotional states, physical activity and eating habits) of university students with self-perception of sleep quality affected by the pandemic (QSA) with those with self-perception of unaffected sleep quality (n-QSA) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 01/2021 and 04/2021, students at the Universidade Federal de Goiás completed, via an online tool, an adaptation of the questionnaire Convid-Pesquisa de Comportamentos. 173 students answered this instrument. Data were tabulated and organized, individuals were divided into two groups: the QSA (103) and the n-QSA (70), and comparison was made between the two using Student's t-test and x2 test. For significance, the criterion adopted was p<0.05. The QSA group showed higher demand for mental health care (0.0431*), higher self-perception of high anxiety/nervousness (0.0095*), sadness (0.0040*), and affective isolation (0.0038*) in the pandemic. The QSA group also had a lower level of physical activity (0.0306*) during the pandemic. Furthermore, the QSA group had a lower frequency of whole food consumption before COVID-19 than the n-QSA group. This indicated greater impairment in the emotional states of the QSA group. Good habits are important for proper health.