Simultaneous eye tracking and cerebral hemodynamic monitoring contribute to the understanding of neural responses to stimuli in infants. However, exploring the impact of complex socioeconomic and environmental adversities on neurodevelopment requires transitioning this tool from research laboratories into clinical practice to evaluate its feasibility in outpatient contexts. Background/Objectives: This study aimed to present a protocol for simultaneously integrating functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) with eye tracking (ET) in infants at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders in a clinical setting with limited resources, during a cognitive task. Methods:The protocol was applied to infants in their first 12 months of life. The infants were exposed to tasks involving the processing of social and non-social stimuli, while their brain signals were monitored using fNIRS and their eyes were tracked with ET. The protocol included three main stages: (1) pre-collection, involving the preparation and habituation of the infants and equipment setup (fNIRS and ET); (2) cognitive function monitoring, using social and non-social stimuli to assess preferential processing via fNIRS and ET; and (3) post-collection, with guidelines for data pre-processing and analysis. Results: The application of the protocol allowed for the identification of technical challenges and the adaptation of procedures for clinical use. The main methodological challenges were difficulty using the conventional cap, excessive movement, synchronization issues between fNIRS and ET, and difficulties calibrating both devices across different age groups. Conclusions: The standardization proposed in this protocol enables healthcare professionals to explore different neurocognitive aspects in pediatric clinical settings and expands the scope of neurodevelopmental assessments.

The objective of this study is to integrate and classify electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and galvanic skin response (GSR) signals from a participant exposed to emotional stimuli—happiness, anger, fear, and sadness. We used the LazyPredict library to identify the most effective classification model, leveraging its simplified implementation and wide range of models and performance metrics. The signals were processed in Python following a detailed workflow: (1) normalization, (2) band-pass filtering, (3) epoch extraction and selection, and (4) relative energy extraction using Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). After preprocessing, the data were input into LazyPredict, where the Extra Trees model consistently demonstrated the best performance for binary emotion classification. Our experience with LazyPredict proved to be practical and efficient, facilitating the exploration of high-performing models for emotion classification.

O consumo de álcool pode causar déficits nas funções neurocognitivas, afetando diferentes aspectos da memória. Neste sentido, o presente estudo buscou avaliar as consequências da ingestão crônica de álcool para a memória de curto e longo prazo em indivíduos abstêmios, por meio de uma pesquisa transversal e quase-experimental. Participaram 180 pessoas, sendo 150 alcoolistas, subdivididos em 5 grupos de 30 pessoas, de acordo com o período de abstinência: GE1 (1 a 3 anos), GE2 (4 a 6 anos), GE3 (7 a 9 anos), GE4 (10 a 12 anos), GE5 (13 a 15 anos) e 30 pessoas não alcoolistas, que fizeram parte do Grupo Controle (GC). Utilizaram-se um questionário sociodemográfico, o Teste da Aprendizagem Auditivo-verbal de Rey e o Teste de Dígitos de Ordem Inversa. Encontraram-se diferenças estatisticamente significantes para a memória de longo prazo entre GE1, GE2, GE4 e GE5, em comparação ao grupo controle (p < 0,01) e para a memória de curto prazo entre GE1 e GC e entre GE2 e GC (p < 0,001). No geral, os resultados apontam prejuízos relacionados ao alcoolismo para as memórias de curto e longo prazo ao longo do tempo, sugerindo que o uso de álcool pode causar déficits em diferentes domínios da memória.

The ability to interpret emotional expressions is crucial for human social interactions. Recognizing these expressions during interpersonal interactions allows individuals to identify others' emotional states, providing important cues for appropriate responses in various social contexts. From birth, babies are biologically prepared to rapidly develop emotion-related perceptual skills, extracting vital information from faces and voices. The present study investigated brain activity related to emotions in infants aged 4 to 11 months, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and eye tracking. The study focused on identifying neural responses to emotional stimuli (happy and anger) presented in social (human faces) and nonsocial objects (toys). Brain activity in frontotemporal, parietal, and occipital regions was analyzed. The results offer valuable insights into emotional and social development in infants and contribute to improving early assessment and intervention strategies.