The co-occurrence between personality disorders and anxiety disorders may have important implications. Multiple diagnoses can give us an idea of the severity of the disorder, functioning impairment and prognosis. The aim of this study was two-fold, to analyze the co-occurrence between personality disorders and anxiety disorders, and to identify personality disorder profiles in different anxiety disorders. A total of 31 patients with anxiety disorders participated in the study. They were divided into four groups: specific pho-bia, social phobia, generalized anxiety and panic with or without the presence of agoraphobia. The assessment instruments used were The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory II and the Anxiety Disorders Interview according to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The specific phobia group presented lower scores on the different scales and lower frequency of personality disorders. On the contrary, the generalized anxiety group had a higher rate of multiple diagnoses of personality disorders. Higher scores were observed in the schizoid, de-pendent, self-defeating, avoidant and compulsive scales. Each anxiety disorder presented a profile of personality disorders. Co-occurrence between disorders may help to understand the success or failure of a treatment, so the systematic evaluation of pathological personality in the clinical setting is recommended.

La coocurrencia entre los trastornos de personalidad y los trastornos de ansiedad puede tener implicaciones importantes. Los diagnósticos múltiples nos pueden dar idea de la gravedad de la alteración, el deterioro del funcionamiento y el pronóstico. El objetivo de este estudio fue doble, analizar la coocurrencia entre trastornos de personalidad y trastornos de ansiedad, e identificar perfiles de trastornos de personalidad en los diferentes trastornos de ansiedad. En este estudio participaron 31 pacientes con trastornos de ansiedad, distribuidos en cuatro grupos: fobia específica, fobia social, ansiedad generalizada y pánico, con y sin presencia de agorafobia. Los instrumentos de evaluación utilizados fueron El Inventario Clínico Multiaxial de Mi-llon II y la Entrevista para los Trastornos de Ansiedad según el Manual diagnóstico y estadístico de los trastornos mentales IV. El grupo de fobia específica presenta puntuaciones más bajas en las distintas escalas y menor frecuencia de trastornos de personalidad. Por el contrario, el grupo de ansiedad generalizada presenta mayor tasa de diagnósticos múltiples de trastornos de personalidad. Las puntuaciones más altas se observan en las escalas esquizoide, dependiente, autodestructiva, evitativa y compulsiva. Cada trastorno de ansiedad presenta un perfil de trastornos de personalidad. Tener en cuenta la coocurrencia entre trastornos puede ayudar a comprender el éxito o no de un tratamiento, por lo que la evaluación sistemática de la personalidad patológica en el ámbito clínico es recomendable.

El objetivo de esta investigación fue comprobar el fenómeno de priming motivacional, observado a través de la modulación del reflejo de sobresalto en población colombiana. Participaron 73 estudiantes universitarios (38 hombres y 35 mujeres), los cuales fueron expuestos a 21 imágenes del Sistema Internacional de Imágenes Afectivas y a un estímulo sonoro de sobresalto de 105 dB. Se midió la electromiografía del músculo orbicular del ojo para evaluar la magnitud del reflejo de sobresalto. A través de un ANOVA de medidas repetidas, se encontró que la valencia de las imágenes modula la magnitud del reflejo de sobresalto (p < 0.0001, η² = 0.41) independientemente del sexo de los participantes. Se concluye que el fenómeno de priming motivacional también se presenta en esta población y que la metodología de la modulación del reflejo de sobresalto puede ser utilizada de forma confiable en ella.

The objective of this research was to test the phenomenon of motivational priming observed through the modulation of the startle reflex in Colombian population, involved 73 university students (38 men and 35 women) who were exposed to 21 pictures of the International Affective Pictures System and a sound startle stimulus of 105 dB. Electromyography of the orbicularis oculi of the eye was measured to assess the magnitude of the startle reflex. Through repeated measures ANOVA we found that the pictures valence modulates the magnitude of the startle reflex (p < 0.0001, η² = 0.41) and that modulation does not depend on the sex of the participants. It is concluded that motivational priming phenomenon occurs also in this population and this methodology can be used reliably in this population.

Objetivo. Esta investigación tuvo por objetivo crear y validar un conjunto de imágenes relacionadas con el consumo de tabaco que fueran capaces de generar, en los consumidores, la activación del sistema motivacional apetitivo y un nivel alto de activación, con el fin de que puedan ser utilizadas en la evaluación de las respuestas emocionales asociadas al consumo de tabaco. Método. Se siguió el protocolo de visualización de imágenes afectivas. Participaron 60 personas consumidoras frecuentes de tabaco con baja motivación para abandonar el consumo. Se utilizó una encuesta para evaluar la historia de consumo de tabaco, la escala breve para evaluar estadios de cambio, 28 imágenes de tabaco creadas por los investigadores, 46 imágenes de la adaptación colombiana del Sistema Internacional de Imágenes Afectivas y el Self-Assessment Manikin (Lang, Bradley y Cuthbert, 1997). Resultados. Los resultados muestran que 26 de las 28 imágenes desarrolladas se encuentran ubicadas en el polo positivo del espacio afectivo bidimensional, compuesto por una valencia positiva y un nivel medio-alto de activación. No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre hombres y mujeres. Conclusión. Los resultados indican que estas imágenes activan el sistema motivacional apetitivo y generan un nivel de activación significativo, por lo que pueden ser utilizadas para evaluar la respuesta emocional en consumidores de tabaco.

Objective. The aim of this research was to create and validate a set of tobacco-related images that would be capable of activating in the consumer the appetitive motivational system (positive valence) and a high level of arousal, so that they could be used in the assessment of emotional responses associated with tobacco consumption. Method. The affective picture viewing protocol was followed. The participants were 60 frequent cigarette consumers with low motivation to stop smoking. A survey was used to assess the history of tobacco consumption, along with the brief scale for assessing stages of change, 28 tobacco images created by the researchers, 46 images from the Colombian adaptation of the International Affective Picture System and Self-Assessment Manikin (Lang, Bradley & Cuthbert, 1997). Results. The results show that 26 out of the 28 images are located in the positive pole of the two-dimensional affective space consisting of a positive valence and a medium-high level of arousal. No significant differences between men and women were found. Conclusión. These results indicate that these images activate the appetitive motivational system and generate a significant level of arousal, and can therefore be used to assess emotional response in tobacco consumers.

Escopo. Esta pesquisa teve por escopo criar e validar um conjunto de imagens relacionadas com o consumo de tabaco que foram capazes de gerar, nos consumidores, a ativação do sistema motivacional apetitivo e um nível alto de ativação, com o fim que possam ser usadas na avaliação das respostas emocionais associadas ao consumo de tabaco. Metodologia. Foi seguido o protocolo de visualização de imagens afetivas. Participaram 60 pessoas consumidoras frequentes de tabaco com baixa motivação para abandonar o consumo. Foi usada uma sondagem para avaliar a história de consumo de tabaco criadas por pesquisadores, 46 imagens da adaptação colombiana do Sistema Internacional de Imagens Afetivas e o Self Assesment Mankin (Lang, Bradley e Cuthbert, 1997). Resultados. Os resultados mostram que 26 das 28 imagens desenvolvidas estão no polo positivo do espaço afetivo bidimensional composto por uma valência positiva e um nível medio-alto de ativação. Não foram achadas diferencias significativas entre homens e mulheres. Conclusão. Os resultados indicam que estas imagens ativam o sistema motivacional apetitivo e geram um nível de ativação significativo, pelo que podem ser usadas para avaliar a resposta emocional em consumidores de tabaco.

Dentre os efeitos associados ao consumo alcoólico, destaca-se a modulação sobre funções cognitivas, como atenção e memória, bem como sobre as emoções, comportamento de risco e agressividade. No presente estudo apresentamos uma revisão crítica da literatura propondo uma reinterpretação para os efeitos comportamentais do álcool com base na teoria da Miopia Alcoólica. Durante a intoxicação, existiria uma redução de recursos atencionais, os quais seriam direcionados para eventos mais relevantes. A repercussão, então, seria um aumento do foco atencional para situações emocionais, quando estas fossem suficientemente relevantes ou, em contrapartida, uma diminuição para tais situações na presença de uma tarefa-alvo demandante. A reinterpretação dos efeitos do álcool, com base na teoria da Miopia Alcoólica, fornece subsídios para a mudança de paradigma na intervenção clínica.

Among the known effects of alcohol on behavior, the modulation of cognitive functions (such as attention and memory), emotion, risk-taking and aggressive behavior are noteworthy. Here, we performed literature review in order to reinterpret alcohol effects on behavior according to the Alcohol Myopia Theory. According to this construct, there is a reduction of attentional resources during alcohol intoxication, which are primarily allocated to the most salient events in a given situation. The consequence is a hyperfocus directed to emotional situations when they are sufficiently relevant to grab attention, or a reduced attentional focus to emotional events in the presence of a relevant demanding task. The understanding of the mechanism mentioned above support the discussion of propositions toward the prevention of problems related to alcohol consumption. Importantly, the attentional allocation model provides inputs for a discussion on the scientifically-supported public health propositions aimed at preventing problems related to acute alcohol intoxication.

Using a Stroop matching task, we evaluated how alcohol affects the time needed to overcome Stroop conflict and whether practice might reverse the effect of alcohol. Participants (n = 16) performed two sessions in which they had to compare the color of a color-word with the meaning of a color-word in neutral color. The two task stimuli were presented simultaneously or with a Stimulus Onset Asynchrony (SOA) of 200, 500, or 800 ms. For half of the subjects, alcohol was administered in the first session, and for the other half, alcohol was administered in the second session. The results showed that the Stroop effect was significant at the 0 and 200 ms intervals in the sober subjects. Moreover, in untrained intoxicated individuals, interference endured until the 500 ms interval, a result that was abolished in trained intoxicated subjects. In conclusion, alcohol increased the time needed for Stroop matching task conflict resolution. However, this deleterious effect was minimized by a previous practice session.

We studied the influence of attention on the timecourse of Stroop-like conflict. Thirty-two volunteers performed a Stroop matching task in which they had to compare either the color (n = 16) or meaning (n = 16) of two stimuli. The first stimulus was always a color-name printed in yellow, red, or blue (i.e., Stroop stimulus), and the second stimulus was either a color-bar (Experiment 1) or color-word in white ink (Experiment 2). Stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) was varied parametrically. Interference by incongruent Stroop stimuli was clearly modulated by SOA manipulation in both cases. The results are discussed in terms of interactions between translational and attentional models in which the degree of Stroop-like interference is attributed to time implementation of attentional mechanisms during color-to-color and color-to-word matching contexts.

The study of defense reactions has become in the last years one of the most relevant ways to advance knowledge on the psychological and neurophysiological mechanisms of fear and anxiety. The antecedents of these studies are rooted in the work of Pavlov on the unconditioned reflexes of orienting and defense and on the work of Cannon on the fight or flight response, giving rise to two different approaches to defense: the attentional and the motivational. These two approaches have been difficult to reconcile in the past. However, in the last years new data have been accumulated on defense reactions which are facilitating the integration of both traditions. Part of these data refers to the cardiac defense response. Recent research in this area has shown that cardiac defense is a complex pattern of heart rate changes with two accelerative/decelerative sequential components, with both sympathetic and parasympathetic physiological mediation, and with both attentional and motivational significance. In this context, an attentional- motivational model of cardiac defense has been proposed. The model postulates an attentional defense phase - analogous to the freezing response- associated with the first acceleration/deceleration and a motivational defense phase - analogous to the fight/flight response- associated with the second acceleration/deceleration.

El estudio de las reacciones defensivas constituye una de las principales vías de conocimiento de los mecanismos psicológicos y neurofisiológicos del miedo y la ansiedad. Los antecedentes de estas investigaciones se encuentran en los trabajos de Pavlov sobre los reflejos incondicionados de orientación y defensa y en los trabajos de Cannon sobre las respuestas defensivas de lucha o huida, dando lugar a dos aproximaciones diferentes: la aproximación atencional y la aproximación motivacional. Estas dos tradiciones han sido difíciles de reconciliar en el pasado. Sin embargo, en los últimos años se han ido acumulando nuevos datos sobre las respuestas defensivas que están facilitando la integración de ambas tradiciones. Una parte de estos datos se refiere a la respuesta cardíaca. Las investigaciones recientes demuestran que la defensa cardíaca es un patrón complejo de cambios cardíacos con dos componentes acelerativo/desacelerativos secuenciales, con mediación fisiológica tanto simpática como parasimpática, y con significación psicológica tanto atencional como motivacional. En este contexto, se ha propuesto un modelo atencional- motivacional de la defensa cardíaca que postula una fase atencional defensiva - análoga a la respuesta de inmovilidad- asociada a la primera aceleración/desaceleración y una fase motivacional defensiva - análoga a la respuesta de lucha/huida- asociada a la segunda aceleración/desaceleración.