Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a set of cardio-metabolic risk factors that includes central obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and dyslipidemias. The syndrome affects 25% of adults worldwide. The definition of MS has evolved over the last 80 years, with various classification systems and criteria, whose limitations and benefits are currently the subject of some controversy. Likewise, hypotheses regarding the etiology of MS add more confusion from clinical and epidemiological points of view. The leading suggestion for the pathophysiology of MS is insulin resistance (IR). IR can affect multiple tissues and organs, from the classic “triumvirate” (myocyte, adipocyte, and hepatocyte) to possible effects on organs considered more recently, such as the central nervous system (CNS). Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may be clinical expressions of CNS involvement. However, the association between MCI and MS is not understood. The bidirectional relationship that seems to exist between these factors raises the questions of which phenomenon occurs first and whether MCI can be a precursor of MS. This review explores shared pathophysiological mechanisms between MCI and MS and establishes a hypothesis of a possible MCI role in the development of IR and the appearance of MS.

The placebo effect can be defined as the improvement of symptoms in a patient after the administration of an innocuous substance in a context that induces expectations regarding its effects. During recent years, it has been discovered that the placebo response not only has neurobiological functions on analgesia, but that it is also capable of generating effects on the immune and endocrine systems. The possible integration of changes in different systems of the organism could favor the well-being of the individuals and go hand in hand with conventional treatment for multiple diseases. In this sense, classic conditioning and setting expectations stand out as psychological mechanisms implicated in the placebo effect. Recent advances in neuroimaging studies suggest a relationship between the placebo response and the opioid, cannabinoid, and monoaminergic systems. Likewise, a possible immune response conditioned by the placebo effect has been reported. There is evidence of immune suppression conditioned through the insular cortex and the amygdala, with noradrenalin as the responsible neurotransmitter. Finally, a conditioned response in the secretion of different hormones has been determined in different studies; however, the molecular mechanisms involved are not entirely known. Beyond studies about its mechanism of action, the placebo effect has proved to be useful in the clinical setting with promising results in the management of neurological, psychiatric, and immunologic disorders. However, more research is needed to better characterize its potential use. This review integrates current knowledge about the psycho-neuro-endocrine-immune basis of the placebo effect and its possible clinical applications.

RESUMEN El estudio tiene como objetivo establecer la relación entre el acompañamiento psicológico y la permanencia estudiantil, mediante el análisis de las variables individuales, académicas y sociodemográficas. El estudio siguió un diseño Ex post-facto, de tipo descriptivo correlacional con un muestreo censal de 520 estudiantes quienes han asistido a acompañamiento psicológico de manera voluntaria. La información fue obtenida mediante un cuestionario que explora características sociodemográficas, académicas y específicas de seguimiento psicológico. Se realizaron análisis comparativos y correlaciónales encontrando una relación positiva entre la permanencia y el acompañamiento psicológico breve ante crisis situacionales. Adicionalmente, se concluyó que la permanencia estudiantil se relaciona con la edad, el género, el semestre, el promedio, el motivo de consulta y el método terapéutico desarrollado en el proceso de acompañamiento psicológico. Se discutieron los resultados a la luz de antecedentes que han explicado los fenómenos de la permanencia y la deserción en contexto escolares.

La salud mental es el principal foco de estudio del psicólogo desde las diferentes áreas, como la educativa, organizacional, clínica, jurídica y social. Dando solución a las diferentes problemáticas sociales a partir del diseño e innovación de programas de prevención, promoción e intervención desde la investigación siendo un elemento fundamental en las Ciencias Humanas; por lo tanto, el libro Fronteras y Salud Mental presenta los resultados de investigaciones a nivel regional y nacional. El libro hace mayor énfasis a una de las principales problemáticas de Colombia, como es el conflicto armado desde diferentes perspectivas de la psicología que llevan al lector a profundizar en el rol del psicólogo en la intervención de las víctimas del conflicto. El libro se divide en seis capítulos en el que profundiza en el estudio exhaustivo del duelo en la niñez a causa de la desaparición forzada de sus padres, convivencia escolar y resolución de conflictos en la escuela, los imaginarios de paz en víctimas del conflicto armado, acompañamiento psicosocial a sobrevivientes, el perfil psicológico en deportistas y las emociones y sentimientos de niños frente al divorcio. Los anteriores escenarios recobran importancia en el contexto fronterizo puesto que las condiciones de migración inciden en el tejido social siendo este último el contexto donde todas las manifestaciones que afectan la salud mental tienen una repercusión. El objetivo de esta obra es enseñar los resultados de las investigaciones que ayuden al lector a comprender diferentes tipos de conflictos en cada uno de los subsistemas donde el individuo se desarrolló desde un enfoque de la psicología.

Seguridad Vial y Procesos Psicológicos: Acciones Preventivas. [ Road Safety and Psychological Processes: Preventive Actions]

Background: Depression is a heavily prevalent mental disorder. Symptoms of depression extend beyond mood, cognition, and behavior to include a spectrum of somatic manifestations in all organic systems. Changes in sleep and neuroendocrine rhythms are especially prominent and disruptions of circadian rhythms have been closely related to the neurobiology of depression. With the advent of increased research in chronobiology, various pathophysiologic mechanisms have been proposed, including anomalies of sleep architecture, the effects of clock gene polymorphisms in monoamine metabolism, and the deleterious impact of social zeitgebers. The identification of these chronodisruptions has propelled the emergence of several chronotherapeutic strategies, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, with varying degrees of clinical evidence. Methods: The fundamental objective of this review is to integrate current knowledge about the role of chronobiology and depression, and to summarize the interventions developed to resynchronize biorhythms both within an individual and with geophysical time. Results: We have found that among the non-pharmacological alternatives, triple chronotherapy—which encompasses bright light therapy, sleep deprivation therapy, and consecutive sleep phase advance therapy—has garnered the most considerable scientific interest. On the other hand, agomelatine appears to be the most promising pharmacological option, given its unique melatonergic pharmacodynamics. Conclusions: Research in chronotherapy as a treatment for depression is currently booming. Novel interventions could play a significant role in the adoption of new options for the treatment of depression with Tripe Cronotherapy standing out as the most promising treatment.