Browsing by Author "Costa, Paulo"
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- Development of an HPLC method for the quantification of riluzolePublication . Teixeira, Maria Inês; Lopes, Carla Martins; Amaral, Maria Helena; Costa, Paulo
- Efficacy of reminiscence in cognition, depressive symptoms and quality of life in institutionalized elderly: a systematic reviewPublication . Gil, Isabel; Costa, Paulo; Parola, Vítor; Cardoso, Daniela; Almeida, Maria; Apóstolo, JoãoObjective: To identify the best available evidence on the efficacy of Reminiscence Therapy in cognition, depressive symptoms and quality of life in elderly individuals with cognitive impairment. Method: The methodology proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute was used. Studies focused on group Reminiscence Therapy aimed at institutionalized elderly people with cognitive impairment aged 65 or over were considered. The critical analysis, extraction and synthesis of results was performed by two independent researchers. Results: Four randomized clinical trials and two quasi-experimental studies (n=296) were included. Given the heterogeneous characteristics of studies found, it was impossible to perform a meta-analysis. Of the six studies included, two presented statistically significant results for efficacy in cognition, and three for efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms. In none of the studies was evaluated the elderly’s quality of life. Conclusion: Reminiscence Therapy has potential efficacy for maintaining cognition and decrease of depressive symptomatology in the target population.
- Eficácia da reminiscência na cognição, sintomas depressivos e qualidade de vida em idosos na comunidade: revisão sistemáticaPublication . Gil, Isabel; Costa, Paulo; Cardoso, Daniela; Parola, Vítor; Bobrowicz-Campos, Elzbieta; de Almeida, Maria de Lurdes; Apóstolo, JoãoContexto: Na literatura, a terapia de reminiscência (TR) destaca-se enquanto intervenção não-farmacológica comummente implementada em grupos de idosos com compromisso cognitivo. Objetivo: Identificar a melhor evidência disponível sobre a eficácia da TR na cognição, sintomas depressivos e qualidade de vida em idosos que frequentam estruturas de apoio comunitário. Método de revisão: Seguiu-se a metodologia proposta pelo Joanna Briggs Institute. Foram considerados estudos centrados na TR em grupo, que incluíram idosos (≥ 65 anos) com compromisso cognitivo, a frequentar estruturas de apoio comunitário. A análise crítica, extração e síntese de resultados foram desenvolvidas por 2 investigadores independentes. Apresentação e interpretação dos resultados: Incluídos 2 ensaios clínicos randomizados e 2 estudos quase-experimentais (n = 502); as características heterogéneas dos estudos impossibilitaram meta-análise. Dois estudos evidenciaram os benefícios da TR na cognição. Nenhum dos estudos demonstrou o impacto positivo da intervenção relativamente à sintomatologia depressiva. Na qualidade de vida, os resultados revelaram-se inconsistentes. Conclusão: A TR parece ter um efeito benéfico na melhoria da cognição em idosos com compromisso cognitivoem contexto comunitário.
- Lactoferrin functionalized NLC for Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisPublication . Teixeira, Maria Inês; Lopes, Carla Martins; Amaral, Maria Helena; Costa, Paulo
- Recent developments in microfluidic technologies for central nervous system targeted studiesPublication . Teixeira, Maria Inês; Amaral, Maria Helena; Costa, Paulo; Lopes, Carla Martins; Lamprou, Dimitrios A.Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) bear a lot of weight in public health. By studying the properties of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and its fundamental interactions with the central nervous system (CNS), it is possible to improve the understanding of the pathological mechanisms behind these disorders and create new and better strategies to improve bioavailability and therapeutic efficiency, such as nanocarriers. Microfluidics is an intersectional field with many applications. Microfluidic systems can be an invaluable tool to accurately simulate the BBB microenvironment, as well as develop, in a reproducible manner, drug delivery systems with well-defined physicochemical characteristics. This review provides an overview of the most recent advances on microfluidic devices for CNS-targeted studies. Firstly, the importance of the BBB will be addressed, and different experimental BBB models will be briefly discussed. Subsequently, microfluidic-integrated BBB models (BBB/brain-on-a-chip) are introduced and the state of the art reviewed, with special emphasis on their use to study NDs. Additionally, the microfluidic preparation of nanocarriers and other compounds for CNS delivery has been covered. The last section focuses on current challenges and future perspectives of microfluidic experimentation.
- Riluzole-loaded lipid nanoparticles for brain targeted deliveryPublication . Teixeira, Maria Inês; Lopes, Carla Martins; Amaral, Maria Helena; Costa, Paulo
- Screening of lipids by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for the production of lipid nanoparticlesPublication . Teixeira, Maria Inês; Lopes, Carla Martins; Amaral, Maria Helena; Costa, Paulo