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- Dependência das redes sociais : qual o impacto na autoestima e manipulação de fotografias?Publication . Sobral, Patrícia; Patrao, Ivone; Costa, Rui Miguel
- Frequência sexual e variabilidade da frequência cardíaca numa amostra não-clínica: Resultados preliminaresPublication . Gomes, Sabrina; Costa, Rui Miguel; Mangia, Paula Galvão; Pestana, José; Coelho, Mafalda Pinto; Correia, CatarinaMaior frequência coital tem-se associado a maior desvio padrão da frequência cardíaca, um parâmetro da variabilidade da frequência cardíaca (VFC) que pode expressar maior actividade simpática e parassimpática. No presente estudo examinaram-se associações de diversos parâmetros da VFC com a satisfação sexual e a frequência de vários comportamentos sexuais. Sessenta homens e 85 mulheres relataram a sua satisfação sexual com a respectiva subescala da LiSat (Life Satisfaction) scale e qual a frequência em dias no mês precedente de coito vaginal, sexo não coital e masturbação. Os parâmetros da VFC foram calculados a partir de cinco minutos de ECG em repouso (desvio padrão da frequência cardíaca, desvio padrão dos intervalos entre batidas cardíacas, potência de alta frequência, potência de baixa frequência e razão entre baixa e alta frequência). A frequência coital associou-se a maior desvio padrão da frequência cardíaca na amostra feminina, mas não na masculina. A frequência coital não se correlacionou com nenhum outro parâmetro da VFC. A satisfação sexual não se correlacionou com nenhum parâmetro da VFC. A frequência coital poderá ser facilitada por maior actividade parassimpática a par duma moderadamente elevada actividade simpática cardíaca.
- Prayer as a pain intervention: protocol of a systematic review of randomised controlled trialsPublication . Ferreira-Valente, Maria Alexandra; Jarego, Margarida; Queiroz-Garcia, Inês; Pimenta, Filipa; Costa, Rui Miguel; Day, Melissa A; Pais Brito, José Luis; Jensen, MarkBackground Pain is a universal experience and the most common reason for seeking healthcare. Inadequate pain management negatively impacts numerous aspects of patient health. Multidisciplinary treatment programmes, including psychosocial interventions, are more useful for pain management than purely biomedical treatment alone. Recently, researchers showed increasing interest in understanding the role of spirituality/religiosity and spiritual/religious practices on pain experience, with engagement in religious practices, such as prayer, showing to positively impact pain experience in religious individuals. This systematic review will seek to summarise and integrate the existing findings from randomised controlled trials assessing the effects of prayer and prayerbased interventions on pain experience. Methods The systematic review procedures and its report will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Electronic searches in nine databases (Web of Science Core Collection, MEDLINE, SCIELO Citation Index, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trial, PsycINFO, Scopus, LILACS and Open-SIGLE) will be performed to identify randomised controlled trials of prayer-based interventions. Two independent researchers will assess studies for inclusion and extract data from each paper. Risk of bias assessment will be assessed independently by two reviewers based on the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement. Qualitative synthesis of the body of research will be conducted using a narrative summary synthesis method. Meta-analysis will be limited to studies reporting on the same primary outcome. Formal searches are planned to start in June 2021. The final report is anticipated to be completed by September 2021. Discussion Findings will be useful to (1) understand the condition of our knowledge in this field and (2) provide evidence for prayer effectiveness in reducing pain intensity and pain-related stress and increasing pain tolerance in adults experiencing acute or chronic pain.
- The power of Dionysus—Effects of red wine on consciousness in a naturalistic settingPublication . Costa, Rui Miguel; Madeira, Arlindo; Barata, Matilde; Wittmann, MarcThere is lack of research on effects of red wine on consciousness when drank in wine bars designed to enhance the pleasurableness of the wine drinking experience. Effects of a moderate dose of red wine (� 40.98 g of ethanol) on consciousness were examined in a naturalistic study taking place in a wine bar located in one of the most touristic areas of Lisbon, Portugal. One hundred two participants drank in one of three conditions: alone, in dyad, or in groups up to six people. Red wine increased pleasure and arousal, decreased the awareness of time, slowed the subjective passage of time, increased the attentional focus on the present moment, decreased body awareness, slowed thought speed, turned imagination more vivid, and made the environment become more fascinating. Red wine increased insightfulness and originality of thoughts, increased sensations of oneness with the environment, spiritual feelings, all-encompassing love, and profound peace. All changes in consciousness occurred regardless of volunteers drinking alone, in dyad or in group. Men and women did not report different changes in consciousness. Older age correlated with greater increases in pleasure. Younger age correlated with greater increases in fascination with the environment of the wine bar. Drinking wine in a contemporaneous Western environment designed to enhance the pleasurableness of the wine drinking experience may trigger changes in consciousness commonly associated with mystical-type states
- Problematic internet use and feelings of lonelinessPublication . Miguel Costa, Rui Costa; Patrão, Ivone Alexandra Martins; Machado, Mariana de Castro Lopes e FigueiraObjectives: Internet addiction or problematic internet use (PIU) has been related to feelings of loneliness and social networking. Research suggests that online communication may cause loneliness. We examined if the association between PIU and loneliness is independent of lack of social support, as indicated by lack of a committed romantic relationship, poor family functioning, and lack of time to interact face-to-face due to time online. Methods: Portuguese adolescents and young adults (N = 548: 16-26 years) completed the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale-2, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the general functioning subscale of the McMaster Family Assessment Device. They also reported if they had a committed romantic relationship, and if being online did not leave them time to be with partner, spend with family and socialise face-to-face with friends. Results: Social networking was reported as among the main preferences by 90.6% of the females and 88.6% of the males. Perceived loneliness was associated with PIU independently of age and indicators of social support. Conclusions: Evolution created neurophysiological mechanisms to recognize satisfying social relationships based on sensory information and bodily feedback present in face-to-face interactions. These are greatly absent in online communication. Hence, online communication likely engenders feelings of loneliness. Keypoints Problematic internet use (PIU) has been related to loneliness and social networking. Online communication was shown to increase loneliness. Lack of romantic relationships did not explain the association of PIU with loneliness. Poorer family environment did not explain the association of PIU with loneliness. Lack of face-to-face interactions due to time online also did not explain it. Lack of adequate sensory cues and bodily feedback in online contacts might facilitate it.
- Prevalence of visual snow and relation to attentional absorptionPublication . Costa, Rui Miguel; Campos, Pedro; Wiborg, Madalena; Rebôlo, Catarina; Wittmann, Marc; Kornmeier, JürgenVisual snow is a condition of unclear prevalence characterized by tiny flickering dots throughout the entire visual field. It appears to result from visual cortex hyperactivity and possibly correlates with propensity to be engrossed in sensory and imaginary experiences (absorption). The prevalence and correlates of visual snow, and emotional reactions to it, were explored in the general Portuguese population with three studies with online surveys. In Study 1, 564 participants were shown an animated graphic simulation of visual snow and asked to rate how frequently they have similar percepts on a scale anchored by 0% and 100% of their waking time. They also reported their degree of distress and fascination resulting from visual snow. Absorption was measured with the Modified Tellegen Absorption Scale. 44% of respondents reported they see visual snow at least 10% of the time, and 20% reported seeing it between 80% and 100% of the time. Similar to findings in clinical samples, the frequency of visual snow correlated with tinnitus frequency and entoptic phenomena, but not with ophthalmologic problems. It was confirmed that visual snow is related to absorption. Although distress caused by visual snow was generally absent or minimal in our samples, a substantial minority (28%) reported moderate to high levels of distress. High fascination with visual snow was reported by 9%. In Studies 2 and 3, visual snow was measured by means of verbal descriptions without graphic simulation (“visual field full of tiny dots of light” and “world seen with many dots of light”, respectively). The results were similar to those in Study 1, but seeing visual snow 80%-100% of the time was less frequent (6.5% in Study 2 and 3.6% in Study 3). Visual snow has been insufficiently investigated. More research is needed to uncover underlying neurophysiological mechanisms and psychological and behavioral correlates.
- COPAHS Study: protocol of a randomised experimental study comparing the effects of hypnosis, mindfulness meditation, and spiritual practices on experimental pain in healthy adultsPublication . Ferreira-Valente, Maria Alexandra; Pimenta, Filipa; Costa, Rui Miguel; Day, Melissa; Pais-Ribeiro, José; Jensen, Mark P.There has been an increasing interest in studying the potential benefits of so-called complementary and alternative approaches for pain management, such as hypnosis and mindfulness-based interventions. More recently, researchers have been interested in studying the effects of spiritual practices on pain experience as well. These practices may increase pain tolerance, result in a positive re-appraisal of pain and influence other psychological variables that are known to be associated with pain experience. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare the immediate effects of self-hypnosis, mindfulness meditation, and a spiritual intervention relative to a control condition for increasing pain tolerance and reducing pain intensity and pain-related stress, in response to experimental painful stimulation.
- Heart rate variability and erectile function in younger men: A pilot studyPublication . Miguel Costa, Rui; Mangia, Paula; Pestana, José; Costa, DavidErectile dysfunction (ED) in younger men is an increasing concern. In middle aged and older men, ED was related to lower resting heart rate variability (HRV), but research in younger men is lacking. The present study examined, in a nonclinical sample of 105 men between 18 and 39 years, the association of ED with several parameters of resting HRV. Scores of the 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) below 22 were considered as indicating ED. Eighteen men (17.1%) reported ED (mild in 16, mild to moderate in 2). Welch's tests revealed that ED was associated with lower low-frequency power (LF), lower high-frequency power (HF), lower standard deviation of interbeat intervals, and lower standard deviation of the heart rate, which is influenced by both sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. After removing outliers, ED was unrelated to HF. In younger men, erections might be facilitated by a combination of higher parasympathetic tone and relatively higher sympathetic tone in the heart, as indicated by LF and greater standard deviation of the heart rate, a largely overlooked parameter in HRV research.