Ana Maria Abreu
My research interests are threefold: Visual processing, motor programs and Affective and Social Neuroscience. I am currently investigating visual perception in high functioning people with autism and the neural correlates of action anticipation in expert basketball players as well as the cognitive, neurophysiological and motor proficiency consequences of action observation. I also mentor MSc students and a PhD student and I lecture on topics as diverse as Motor Expertise, Sports Neuroscience, Motor Retrogenesis, Neuropsychology, The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy, Autism and other Developmental Disorders, and Statistics.
My academic and professional background has been marked by a concern to understand cognition from a layered point of view - from behavior to psychology to the structure and function of the brain:
- Major in Applied Psychology, Developmental Disorders Branch (I.S.P.A., Lisbon);
- Diplome D’Etudes Approfondies (DEA) in Neuropsychology (Paris VI – Paris);
- PhD on Brain, Behavior and Cognition (Paris VI – Paris and KCL - London);
- Post-doc I, investigating the neural correlates of motor expertise using fMRI (La Sapienza University & Santa Lucia Foundation – Rome);
- Post-doc II, investigating the vicissitudes of visual processing in adults with Autism and the consolidation of motor memories using fMRI (I.C.S. - Portuguese Catholic University);
- Post-doc III (present), investigating the neural correlates of expertise, the neurophysiological and behavioral benefits of action observation and the implicit value of religion beliefs on motor resonance using TMS (F.M.H. – Technical University of Lisbon in collaboration with La Sapienza, University of Rome).
Supervisors: Salvatore M Aglioti
My academic and professional background has been marked by a concern to understand cognition from a layered point of view - from behavior to psychology to the structure and function of the brain:
- Major in Applied Psychology, Developmental Disorders Branch (I.S.P.A., Lisbon);
- Diplome D’Etudes Approfondies (DEA) in Neuropsychology (Paris VI – Paris);
- PhD on Brain, Behavior and Cognition (Paris VI – Paris and KCL - London);
- Post-doc I, investigating the neural correlates of motor expertise using fMRI (La Sapienza University & Santa Lucia Foundation – Rome);
- Post-doc II, investigating the vicissitudes of visual processing in adults with Autism and the consolidation of motor memories using fMRI (I.C.S. - Portuguese Catholic University);
- Post-doc III (present), investigating the neural correlates of expertise, the neurophysiological and behavioral benefits of action observation and the implicit value of religion beliefs on motor resonance using TMS (F.M.H. – Technical University of Lisbon in collaboration with La Sapienza, University of Rome).
Supervisors: Salvatore M Aglioti
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Papers by Ana Maria Abreu
its usefulness for diverse other studies, delving into the impact of
game elements on educational outcomes.
to the central nervous system due to vascular injury that can result in loss of
neurological function, lasting brain damage, long-term disability and, in some
cases, death. The literature reports that aerobic physical exercise, as well as dual- task cognitive walking, are used for the cognitive recovery of people with stroke. We aimed to assess whether aerobic physical exercise influences post-stroke cognitive recovery, namely performance on selective and sustained attention. We tested the hypothesis that post-stroke aerobic physical exercise leads to more significant gains than post-stroke dual-task cognitive walking.
Methods: We used a Randomized Clinical Trial, single-blind, parallel group, to
verify the existence of differences between two groups. A total of 34 patients with subacute to chronic stroke were divided into two groups to train three times a week for 12 weeks: the aerobic physical exercise (PE) group engaged in 20 min on a treadmill, 20 min on a stationary bicycle and 5 min on a desk bike pedal exerciser per session; the dual-task (DT) gait exercise group walked for 45 min while simultaneously performing cognitive tasks per session. All participants were assessed on cognitive functioning with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and d2 Test of Attention before acute interventions and post-interventions. We have also applied a Visual Analog Scale to monitor the participants’ perceived difficulty, pre-, post-acute, and post-chronic interventions. Participants also responded to a Borg Scale of perceived exertion following the acute and the final session of chronic training.
Results: A mixed model ANOVA revealed a significant interaction effect with a large effect size for most of the cognitive variables under study. The variables associated with the d2 Test of Attention showed significant differences between the groups, mainly from T0 to T2. Also for MMSE, an ANOVA revealed a significant interaction effect with significant improvements from T0 to T2. Our results strongly suggest that aerobic physical exercise is more beneficial than dual-task cognitive-gait exercise since in the PE group, cognitive attention scores increase, and cognitive impairment and perception of exertion decrease, compared to the DT group.
Conclusion: These findings support that PE provides more significant benefits for patients post-stroke when compared to DT.
in the form of serious games or gamification. In this qualitative research, we aimed to investigate the purpose of games used
in the work context. To accomplish this, we conducted six semi-structured interviews and analyzed the discourses of the
heads of the companies that produce serious games or gamification projects for work environments. Based on these statements,
we assessed the views of the work context, the workers, and the projects the companies produce. We found that games
have acquired different purposes, such as employee control to increase organizational results or enhance workers’ happiness
and wellbeing. Although these purposes seemed to stand out in all the analyzed speeches, several other different purposes
emerged, according to the conditions of entry into the market and the type of projects produced.
to the processing and/or organization of sensory information, this
disability affects functional participation in routines and activities of
daily living. Participation is defined as involvement in life situations, it
is essential to promote life experiences and the development of sensorimotor,
cognitive, and social skills. Improving these skills, in turn,
allows children to fully participate in age-appropriate activities and
occupations. This study aimed to investigate the putative association
between sensory processing and occupational participation in children
with neurotypical development. Parents or caregivers of 186
children, aged between 6 and 10 years old, completed the Sensory
Profile Caregiver Questionnaires (SPCQ) and the Participation in
Childhood Occupations Questionnaire (PICO-Q). Surprisingly, 80 children
(43%) presented atypical sensory integration. This sub-group
presented several associations between the SPCQ and the areas evaluated
by PICO-Q, suggesting an association between sensory processing
and occupational participation. We suggest that it is important to
carry out screenings for sensory integration in preschool children, to
promote better occupational participation in school-aged children.
its usefulness for diverse other studies, delving into the impact of
game elements on educational outcomes.
to the central nervous system due to vascular injury that can result in loss of
neurological function, lasting brain damage, long-term disability and, in some
cases, death. The literature reports that aerobic physical exercise, as well as dual- task cognitive walking, are used for the cognitive recovery of people with stroke. We aimed to assess whether aerobic physical exercise influences post-stroke cognitive recovery, namely performance on selective and sustained attention. We tested the hypothesis that post-stroke aerobic physical exercise leads to more significant gains than post-stroke dual-task cognitive walking.
Methods: We used a Randomized Clinical Trial, single-blind, parallel group, to
verify the existence of differences between two groups. A total of 34 patients with subacute to chronic stroke were divided into two groups to train three times a week for 12 weeks: the aerobic physical exercise (PE) group engaged in 20 min on a treadmill, 20 min on a stationary bicycle and 5 min on a desk bike pedal exerciser per session; the dual-task (DT) gait exercise group walked for 45 min while simultaneously performing cognitive tasks per session. All participants were assessed on cognitive functioning with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and d2 Test of Attention before acute interventions and post-interventions. We have also applied a Visual Analog Scale to monitor the participants’ perceived difficulty, pre-, post-acute, and post-chronic interventions. Participants also responded to a Borg Scale of perceived exertion following the acute and the final session of chronic training.
Results: A mixed model ANOVA revealed a significant interaction effect with a large effect size for most of the cognitive variables under study. The variables associated with the d2 Test of Attention showed significant differences between the groups, mainly from T0 to T2. Also for MMSE, an ANOVA revealed a significant interaction effect with significant improvements from T0 to T2. Our results strongly suggest that aerobic physical exercise is more beneficial than dual-task cognitive-gait exercise since in the PE group, cognitive attention scores increase, and cognitive impairment and perception of exertion decrease, compared to the DT group.
Conclusion: These findings support that PE provides more significant benefits for patients post-stroke when compared to DT.
in the form of serious games or gamification. In this qualitative research, we aimed to investigate the purpose of games used
in the work context. To accomplish this, we conducted six semi-structured interviews and analyzed the discourses of the
heads of the companies that produce serious games or gamification projects for work environments. Based on these statements,
we assessed the views of the work context, the workers, and the projects the companies produce. We found that games
have acquired different purposes, such as employee control to increase organizational results or enhance workers’ happiness
and wellbeing. Although these purposes seemed to stand out in all the analyzed speeches, several other different purposes
emerged, according to the conditions of entry into the market and the type of projects produced.
to the processing and/or organization of sensory information, this
disability affects functional participation in routines and activities of
daily living. Participation is defined as involvement in life situations, it
is essential to promote life experiences and the development of sensorimotor,
cognitive, and social skills. Improving these skills, in turn,
allows children to fully participate in age-appropriate activities and
occupations. This study aimed to investigate the putative association
between sensory processing and occupational participation in children
with neurotypical development. Parents or caregivers of 186
children, aged between 6 and 10 years old, completed the Sensory
Profile Caregiver Questionnaires (SPCQ) and the Participation in
Childhood Occupations Questionnaire (PICO-Q). Surprisingly, 80 children
(43%) presented atypical sensory integration. This sub-group
presented several associations between the SPCQ and the areas evaluated
by PICO-Q, suggesting an association between sensory processing
and occupational participation. We suggest that it is important to
carry out screenings for sensory integration in preschool children, to
promote better occupational participation in school-aged children.
We suggested a genetic basis (extension of the deletion) in WS to account for the variability found. To explain the variability in ASD we suggested that low level visual deficits might be correlated with the placement on the social spectrum (Study 2). If deficits in visual perception exist at an early developmental stage they might hinder the correct processing of very fine social signs that involve motion or visual attention change (e.g. ocular saccades, facial expressions, etc.). We developed five computer-generated tasks to assess sensitivity to different motion speeds, attention shifting, motion coherence, ecological motion and form through motion. We tested 23 children with ASD, 36 children with moderate to severe learning disabilities (MLD) and 70 TDC. A social cognition score was also attributed to the children in the clinical groups, assessed by means of a parent interview. Indeed, visual processing deficit patterns were correlated with social cognition in ASD, but also in MLD and TD. However, the stronger deficit patterns in ASD allowed prediction of a stronger pattern of deficits in processing of social concepts. Moreover, detection of human made motion was no different than detection of a single mobile moving at a speed of 400pix/sec for all groups. But speed seems to affect children with ASD when processing socially embed targets. We discussed these results by revisiting the importance of low-level motion signals in the processing of social signs. A correlation between low level visual deficits and the position on the autistic social spectrum could help in predicting future social deficits at an early age and contribute to an adapted early intervention.
In another study (Study 3), we investigated the nature of one specific visual processing deficit in WS – visual processing bias to local elements composing a global shape. Impairments in visuospatial processing exhibited by individuals with WS have been ascribed to a local processing bias. We developed three computergenerated and pen and paper experiments investigating visual processing of geometric Navon stimuli. Thirteen children with WS exhibited the same sensitivity to global figures as 22 matched controls, confirming no local bias in perception. In a reproduction task the children with WS did show a local bias with respect to controls, but only when the target being copied was present. When drawing from memory, subjects with WS produced a heterogeneous pattern of answers. We proposed that subjects with WS are unable to disengage their attention from local elements during the planning stage of reproduction (visual-conflict hypothesis).
With these three studies we aimed to contribute to the specification of the importance of low level visual processing in the development of the unique behavioral and social phenotypes that characterize these two clinical groups.
Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Williams Syndrome, visual perception, visual motion deficits, local-global
deficits, social cognition.
The case presented by Bedny et al. (2008) charters new ground and answers very pertinent questions concerning the different views on grounding cognition. It sheds new light and provides new insights concerning the way concepts are organized and retrieved. We hope that our suggestion might contribute to the better understanding of this theme.
informação e comunicação (TIC) têm levado a uma desfoque da fronteira trabalho/família e à ausência de tempo de lazer que se esbate e dilui ao longo da jornada. A literatura indica a urgência de recuperar o tempo de lazer e atividades físicas e desportivas, como forma de profilaxia contra as doenças mentais.
" O que o corpo consegue fazer no desporto é sabido desde a antiguidade dos Jogos Olímpicos. Hoje começamos compreender como é que o consegue fazer sob o comando dos mecanismos cerebrais. Neste livro dá-se notícia destes avanços, abrindo a porta para um domínio científico que interessa desenvolver. " ALEXANDRE CASTRO CALDAS
" Este livro reveste-se de uma grande inovação no âmbito da literatura existente em Educação Física e Desporto. De fato, nas últimas décadas, a influência das Neurociências vieram dar um contributo fundamental na compreensão do estudo do movimento humano e a sua influência no desenvolvimento de competências cognitivas, emocionais e sociais. A complexidade do fenómeno abre novas portas para o ensino e investigação científica. Recomendo a leitura obrigatória desta nova publicação a todos os estudantes, professores, investigadores universitários, bem como todos os profissionais de Educação Física e Desporto. " CARLOS NETO