The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) follows the UK Brain Bank Criteria, which demands bradykinesia and one additional symptom, i.e. rigidity, resting tremor or postural instability. The latter is not a useful sign for the early diagnosis of PD, because it does not appear before Hoehn and Yahr stage 3. Early symptoms of PD which precede the onset of motor symptoms are hyposmia, REM sleep behavioral disorder, constipation, and depression. In addition, an increasing number of patients whose PD is related to a genetic defect are being described. Thus, genetic testing may eventually develop into a tool to identify at-risk patients. The clinical diagnosis of PD can be supported by levodopa or apomorphine tests. Imaging studies such as cranial CT or MRI are helpful to distinguish idiopathic PD from atypical or secondary PD. SPECT and PET methods are valuable to distinguish PD tremor from essential tremor if this is clinically not possible. Using all of these methods, we may soon be able to make a premotor diagnosis of PD, which will raise the question whether early treatment is possible and ethically and clinically advisable. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

La schizophrénie découle d’une modification du fonctionnement du cerveau et entraîne divers symptômes qui ont pour conséquence une altération de la perception de la réalité, des troubles cognitifs, et des dysfonctionnements sociaux et comportementaux. En plus des observations cliniques de jour, la schizophrénie montre également des signes nocturnes qui peuvent se manifester durant le rêve. Cette thèse vise à caractériser les rêves dans la schizophrénie et cherche à explorer les relations qui existent entre les caractéristiques du contenu onirique des personnes atteintes de schizophrénie et les symptômes de cette maladie. Pour ce faire, nous avons comparé diverses mesures de l’activité onirique recueillies auprès de 14 participants atteints de schizophrénie traités sous antipsychotiques atypiques et 15 participants témoins par le biais de questionnaires et de collectes de rêves en laboratoire à la suite d’éveils provoqués en sommeil paradoxal (SP) et en sommeil lent (SL). Les résultats obtenus au questionnaire révèlent que les participants atteints de schizophrénie rapportent un nombre de cauchemars plus élevé comparativement aux participants témoins. Les collectes en laboratoire démontrent une fréquence de rappel de rêves équivalente au sein des deux groupes de participants, indépendamment du stade de sommeil durant lequel elles sont effectuées. Les récits de rêves du SL des deux groupes de participants sont généralement plus courts et comprennent un nombre moins élevé d’items quantifiables comparativement à ceux du SP. Les récits de rêves recueillis en SP et en SL chez les participants atteints de schizophrénie s’avèrent plus courts que ceux des participants témoins et, lorsque le nombre de mots est pondéré, la plupart des différences observées dans le contenu de rêve entre les deux groupes tendent à disparaître. En comparaison aux participants témoins, ceux atteints de schizophrénie évaluent leurs rêves comme étant moins bizarres, en dépit d’un nombre équivalent d’éléments bizarres dans leurs récits. Finalement, bien qu’il n’y ait pas de différence dans la densité des mouvements oculaires rapides (MORs) entre les deux groupes de participants, seuls les participants témoins montrent une corrélation positive entre les MORs et certaines variables du contenu onirique. Les résultats de la présente thèse suggèrent que les caractéristiques du contenu onirique des personnes atteintes de schizophrénie peuvent refléter certaines des manifestations psychopathologiques de cette maladie. / Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disease which is characterized by symptoms which cause altered reality perception, cognitive deficits, and impairment in social or vocational functioning. In addition to clinical symptoms, schizophrenia can be accompanied with nocturnal characteristics which could manifest during dreaming. Using both questionnaire-based measures and laboratory REM sleep and non-REM sleep awakenings, we sought to characterize the dream content of 14 participants with schizophrenia under atypical antipsychotic medication. Results were compared with those from 15 healthy individuals. The relationship between dream content and daytime functioning in schizophrenia was also explored. Questionnaire data revealed that when compared to controls, patients with schizophrenia report experiencing a greater number of nightmares. Laboratory awakenings revealed that there was no significant difference between the two groups in the number of dream reports with reportable content, regardless of the sleep stage in which dreams were collected. In addition, when compared to their REM dream counterparts, both groups’ non-REM dream reports were shorter and included significantly fewer reportable items on several content scales. Laboratory REM and non-REM dream narratives from the patients were shorter and, after controlling for report length, most significant differences in dream content between the two groups disappeared. Patients with schizophrenia spontaneously rated their dream reports as being less bizarre than did controls, despite a similar density of bizarre elements as scored by external judges. Finally, both groups had a comparable density of rapid eye movements during REM sleep but a significant positive correlation between eye-movement density and dream content variables was only found in controls. Taken together, these findings suggest that dream content characteristics in schizophrenia may reflect psychopathological parameters specific to this disorder.

A presente dissertação tem como objeto o estudo das obrigações propter rem e figuras correlatas. Os grandes civilistas dedicaram-se ao tema que será desenvolvido neste trabalho; o assunto não é inédito, muito ao contrário. Contudo, vários pontos permanecem controversos, até mesmo quanto à própria definição e alcance da noção de obrigação real. A importância da matéria não se resume a uma discussão acadêmica, meramente abstrata. Em realidade, o instituto é extremamente recorrente na doutrina e jurisprudência. Ocorre que, considerada a confusão conceitual que caracteriza essa espécie de obrigação, verifica-se que o instituto serve de fundamento a diversas decisões, muitas delas sem precisão técnica necessária. Decerto, criam-se vínculos e deveres sem que exista uma lei específica nesse sentido, sob o simples argumento de que se trata de uma obrigação propter rem. Não bastasse, são atribuídos determinados efeitos a essas obrigações, os quais não são necessariamente essenciais ao instituto. Nesse contexto, consideramos que uma releitura do conceito de obrigação real é oportuna e pode contribuir para um tratamento mais adequado de uma série de questões. / This dissertation discusses the propter rem obligations and related legal aspects. The propter rem obligations are not a new topic and it was studied by all main civil law scholars. However, there are a many unsolved matters related to such obligations, including its exact definition and extension. The relevance of propter rem obligations is not limited to an academic debate; in fact it is a recurring matter by commentators and court precedents. Due to the conceptual misunderstanding as to the correct definition of propter rem obligations, this concept has been mistakenly used in several court decisions. Courts are creating legal obligations without proper legislation, based solely on the argument that such obligations are based on the propter rem principles, including the attribution of supposed legal effects not related to these obligations. In this context, we believe it is important to revisit the concept of the propter rem obligations to promote a better understanding of several issues.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:21:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rubens Carmo Elias Filho.pdf: 1460021 bytes, checksum: c431217bfb26a5874020c5d628143f7f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-10-23 / The study of condominium bylaws and its ensuing restraints to building occupants rights aims to assess the legal grounds for such restrictions, which impose affirmative and negative covenants capable of significantly altering the traditional exercise of ownership rights, particularly the voluntary co-ownership and multi-ownership condominium systems. The validity of such restraints on condominium, brought about by different enjoyment and fruition parameters and limitations on ownership rights, is often disputed in light of the Federal Constitution, on the grounds that ownership constitutes fundamental civil rights. Many quite polemical, however commonplace, restraints addressed in this paper arise from either daily issues in multi-ownership condominia or the different uses of the new shared building facilities. We deem it timely to consider if such restraints indeed impose limitations on ownership rights or rather reveal an incipient understanding on the theme, justifying the research on legal writings and case law intended herein. This paper attempts to present the limitations to the exercise of ownership rights in property held pro indiviso, such as restraints imposed on the owner in either voluntary co-ownership or multi-ownership condominium, two of the most recurring expressions in modern ownership laws. It also assesses what such limitations are, how they are imposed, and what their effectiveness before occupants, third parties and prospective owners can be. To achieve this, we assess the restraints in light of propter rem covenants and speculate whether such type should require the restraints and how they could be routinely imposed both on occupants of multi-ownership condominium, by means of its due inclusion on condominium bylaws, and on holders of voluntary jointly-owned property, about which the law states no registration procedures for condominium bylaws. The study is presented in three modules. The first concerns structural questions on ownership rights, its restrictions and social purpose; the second, the definitions and effects of voluntary co-ownership and multi-ownership condominia; the third, an in-depth look at the restraints imposed on occupants and owners, in a range of daily situations of sheer indignation despite its compliance with applicable laws and resonance with the social and economic context in condominia, grounded in social purpose, ethics, and good faith / O estudo da Convenção de Condomínio e das restrições aos direitos dos condôminos, que dela decorrem, teve como objetivo avaliar qual a fundamentação jurídica para as restrições que impõem obrigações de fazer e não fazer capazes de alterar significativamente o exercício tradicional do direito de propriedade, especificamente no regime do condomínio voluntário e edilício. Tais restrições, no condomínio, decorrentes de diferentes parâmetros de uso e fruição, e regras de conduta delimitadoras do direito de propriedade, muitas vezes, são questionadas quanto ao critério de validade à luz da Constituição Federal, sob o fundamento de que o direito de propriedade constitui direito fundamental. Acontece que muitas das restrições desenvolvidas ao longo do trabalho, bastante polêmicas, mas corriqueiras, decorrem de necessidades condominiais ou de diferentes modos de utilização de novas estruturas edilícias, sendo oportuno avaliar se realmente tais delimitações são violadoras do direito de propriedade ou simplesmente ainda não se consolidou um entendimento a respeito do tema, a justificar a pesquisa doutrinária e jurisprudencial que se pretendeu realizar. O trabalho buscou apresentar as delimitações ao direito de propriedade, no regime condominial, como restrições impostas aos proprietários, sejam eles sujeitos ao regime do condomínio voluntário ou do condomínio edilício, duas expressões do direito de propriedade das mais presentes na sociedade moderna, sendo necessário avaliar como tais restrições são e podem ser impostas, e qual a sua eficácia frente aos condôminos, terceiros e futuros adquirentes. Para tanto, foram avaliadas as restrições, à luz do conceito de obrigação propter rem e se tal qualificação contribuiria para a exigibilidade das restrições impostas, assim como a forma pela qual as restrições poderiam ser regularmente impostas aos condôminos, na seara do condomínio edilício, mediante sua inclusão na Convenção de Condomínio, ou ainda, na seara do condomínio voluntário, para o qual não existe previsão legal de registro da Convenção Condominial. O estudo foi desenvolvido em três módulos, sendo o primeiro voltado às questões estruturais do direito de propriedade, suas restrições, e à função social; no segundo, foram desenvolvidos os conceitos e efeitos do condomínio voluntário e edilício; e, no terceiro, adentrou-se na análise das restrições impostas aos condôminos, em diversas situações comuns da vida condominial, de alta indagação, mas que se mostraram legais, quando observadas as normas aplicáveis e em consonância com o contexto social e econômico do condomínio, pautando-se sempre pela função social, pela ética e boa-fé

No description available.

La schizophrénie découle d’une modification du fonctionnement du cerveau et entraîne divers symptômes qui ont pour conséquence une altération de la perception de la réalité, des troubles cognitifs, et des dysfonctionnements sociaux et comportementaux. En plus des observations cliniques de jour, la schizophrénie montre également des signes nocturnes qui peuvent se manifester durant le rêve. Cette thèse vise à caractériser les rêves dans la schizophrénie et cherche à explorer les relations qui existent entre les caractéristiques du contenu onirique des personnes atteintes de schizophrénie et les symptômes de cette maladie. Pour ce faire, nous avons comparé diverses mesures de l’activité onirique recueillies auprès de 14 participants atteints de schizophrénie traités sous antipsychotiques atypiques et 15 participants témoins par le biais de questionnaires et de collectes de rêves en laboratoire à la suite d’éveils provoqués en sommeil paradoxal (SP) et en sommeil lent (SL). Les résultats obtenus au questionnaire révèlent que les participants atteints de schizophrénie rapportent un nombre de cauchemars plus élevé comparativement aux participants témoins. Les collectes en laboratoire démontrent une fréquence de rappel de rêves équivalente au sein des deux groupes de participants, indépendamment du stade de sommeil durant lequel elles sont effectuées. Les récits de rêves du SL des deux groupes de participants sont généralement plus courts et comprennent un nombre moins élevé d’items quantifiables comparativement à ceux du SP. Les récits de rêves recueillis en SP et en SL chez les participants atteints de schizophrénie s’avèrent plus courts que ceux des participants témoins et, lorsque le nombre de mots est pondéré, la plupart des différences observées dans le contenu de rêve entre les deux groupes tendent à disparaître. En comparaison aux participants témoins, ceux atteints de schizophrénie évaluent leurs rêves comme étant moins bizarres, en dépit d’un nombre équivalent d’éléments bizarres dans leurs récits. Finalement, bien qu’il n’y ait pas de différence dans la densité des mouvements oculaires rapides (MORs) entre les deux groupes de participants, seuls les participants témoins montrent une corrélation positive entre les MORs et certaines variables du contenu onirique. Les résultats de la présente thèse suggèrent que les caractéristiques du contenu onirique des personnes atteintes de schizophrénie peuvent refléter certaines des manifestations psychopathologiques de cette maladie. / Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disease which is characterized by symptoms which cause altered reality perception, cognitive deficits, and impairment in social or vocational functioning. In addition to clinical symptoms, schizophrenia can be accompanied with nocturnal characteristics which could manifest during dreaming. Using both questionnaire-based measures and laboratory REM sleep and non-REM sleep awakenings, we sought to characterize the dream content of 14 participants with schizophrenia under atypical antipsychotic medication. Results were compared with those from 15 healthy individuals. The relationship between dream content and daytime functioning in schizophrenia was also explored. Questionnaire data revealed that when compared to controls, patients with schizophrenia report experiencing a greater number of nightmares. Laboratory awakenings revealed that there was no significant difference between the two groups in the number of dream reports with reportable content, regardless of the sleep stage in which dreams were collected. In addition, when compared to their REM dream counterparts, both groups’ non-REM dream reports were shorter and included significantly fewer reportable items on several content scales. Laboratory REM and non-REM dream narratives from the patients were shorter and, after controlling for report length, most significant differences in dream content between the two groups disappeared. Patients with schizophrenia spontaneously rated their dream reports as being less bizarre than did controls, despite a similar density of bizarre elements as scored by external judges. Finally, both groups had a comparable density of rapid eye movements during REM sleep but a significant positive correlation between eye-movement density and dream content variables was only found in controls. Taken together, these findings suggest that dream content characteristics in schizophrenia may reflect psychopathological parameters specific to this disorder.

La douleur est une expérience subjective multidimensionnelle pouvant être modulée par plusieurs facteurs cognitifs. L’impact des attentes liées à une expérience douloureuse imminente a été largement étudié dans un contexte d’analgésie placebo et il a été suggéré que la présence d’attentes conscientes de soulagement est nécessaire à la production d’une réduction de douleur. Par ailleurs, certaines études cliniques ont observé une amélioration thérapeutique après l’administration d’un placebo, même lors du sommeil, ce qui suggère qu’un effet placebo peut être rencontré même en absence d’attentes explicites de soulagement. La première étude de cette thèse vise donc à examiner si une réduction de douleur, ainsi qu’une diminution des perturbations du sommeil associées à des stimulations nociceptives expérimentales, peuvent être rencontrées suite à l’induction d’attentes de soulagement nocturne. Les résultats démontrent qu’une réduction de douleur et des perturbations du sommeil a effectivement été rapportée rétrospectivement suite à l’application d’un placebo, De plus, le traitement placebo semble moduler la réactivité à la douleur expérimentale durant le sommeil, en fonction des stades de sommeil dans lesquelles les stimulations sont présentées. Bien que le développement d’une analgésie placebo repose sur la génération d’attentes de soulagement, il semble que l’exposition préalable à un traitement efficace augmente l’ampleur de l’effet, ce qui suggère que des phénomènes d’apprentissage associatif puissent également être impliqués dans la genèse de ces effets. Comme un rôle du sommeil à été montré dans l’apprentissage et la mémorisation de plusieurs aptitudes, l’objectif de la seconde étude était d’examiner la possibilité que la présence d’un épisode de sommeil entre l’induction et l’évaluation d’un effet placebo puisse renforcer l’intégration des attentes et par conséquent, favoriser la production d’effets dépendants des attentes. Les résultats ont effectivement montré que le sommeil augmente l’association entre les attentes et le soulagement, et que celles-ci semblent liées à la durée relative de sommeil REM mesurée suite à l’induction. Dans l’ensemble cette thèse démontre que le sommeil peut influencer la production d’une analgésie placebo, et ce, à plusieurs niveaux. / Pain is a multidimensional experience which can be modulated by many cognitive factors. The impact of expectations associated with an impending painful experience was largely studied in the context of placebo analgesia, and it was suggested that the presence of conscious relief expectation was necessary for the production of pain reduction. On the other hand, some clinical studies have observed therapeutic improvements following the administration of a placebo, even during sleep, which suggest that a placebo effect can be seen even in the absence of explicit relief expectation. The first study of this thesis aims at examining if a pain reduction, as well as a decrease in sleep disturbances associated with the experimental pain stimuli, can be seen following the induction of night-time expectations. The results indeed showed a significant reduction in pain and associated sleep disturbances evaluated retrospectively following the application of a placebo. In addition, placebo treatment appears to modulate responses to experimental pain during sleep, in a manner dependent of the sleep stage in which they are presented. Although the development of placebo analgesia relies on the production of relief expectations, previous exposure to efficient treatment appears to augment the magnitude of the effect. This suggests that associative learning processes might also be implicated in the genesis of these effects. As a role of sleep was shown in the learning of different aptitudes, the objective of the second study was to examine whether the presence of a sleep episode between the placebo induction and the evaluation of the effect can reinforce the integration of expectations and consequently, favour the production of expectation-dependent effects. The results show that sleep increases the association between expectation and relief, and that the level of expectation appears to be linked to the relative duration of REM sleep measured after the induction. Globally, this thesis demonstrates that sleep can influence placebo analgesia at many levels.

Physikalische und chemische Charakterisierung von Lithiumionenzellen

Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-22T20:49:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-05-27 / Associação Fundo de Incentivo à Psicofarmacologia (AFIP) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Atualmente no mundo, a cirrose hepática é um problema clínico grave, além de ser considerada uma doença muito comum e com grande impacto na saúde pública. As alterações na cito-arquitetura do fígado nesta patologia provoca perda das funções deste órgão, com várias conseqüências ao paciente. As manifestações clínicas da cirrose hepática são diversas e produzem alterações nas funções biológicas, como sono e vigília. Objetivo do estudo: Caracterizar os parâmetros do sono e sonolência diurna através do uso de questionários e de estudo polissonográfico completo em um grupo de cirróticos e compará-los com grupo de voluntários sem hepatopatia e verificar a possível influência da gravidade da doença hepática sobre parâmetros do sono e sonolência diurna. Casuistica e metodologia: O estudo foi caso-controle; os pacientes foram provenientes do ambulatório de cirrose hepática, do departamento de gastroenterologia do Hospital São Paulo, com diagnóstico confirmado de cirrose hepática. Foi selecionados 42 pacientes com cirrose e 42 controles sem hepatopatia. Todos os voluntarios fizeram polissonografia de noite inteira e também responderam questionários sobre o sono e a Escala de Sonolência de Epworth. A gravidade da doença foi verificada pelo modelo prognóstico de Child-Turcotte-Pugh e MELD. Resultados: Não houve diferença na idade, gênero e IMC entre os pacientes e os voluntários. No entanto, os achados polissonográficos mostraram menor eficiência do sono, maior latência do sono, e também um aumento da latência do REM, e porcentagem de REM reduzida, no grupo cirrótico, quando comparado aos controles. Os pacientes também mostraram maior frequência de movimentos periódicos de membros que os controles. Em relação à gravidade da doença hepática, os pacientes foram classificados em Child A (16 indivíduos) Child B (17 indivíduos) e Child C (9 indivíduos). Houve diferença entre os grupos Child em relação à porcentagem do sono REM, significativamente menor no grupo C quando comparado ao grupo B e A e aumento da latência do REM, significativamente maior no grupo C. Conclusão: Os resultados sugerem que os pacientes com cirrose tinham um sono de pior qualidade quando comparados ao grupo-controle e maior ocorrência de movimentos periódicos de membros inferiores durante o sono. Foi observada também uma influência da gravidade da cirrose hepática nos resultados polissonográficos. / Hepatic cirrhosis is a serious public health issue in the world, since it was a very common disease, with a great impact. The occurrence of liver structural alterations has various consequences, including neurological ones. The patient with cirrhosis presents several clinical manifestations that involve alterations on his biological functions such as sleep and waking. Study objective: The aim of this study was to characterize sleep parameters and sleepiness in cirrhotic patients and to assess a possible influence the severity level of this disease on these parameters. Design: It was a case-control study. Setting: The hepatology outpatient service of Hospital São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM) and Sleep Institute and diagnostic center of Associação Fundo de Incentivo à Psicofarmacologia (AFIP). 42 cirrhotic patients and 42 volunteers without hepatic disease were submitted to an all night polysomnographic evaluation. They also answered sleep questionnaires as well as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The severity of the illness was assessed by the prognostic model of Child-Turcotte-Pugh and MELD scores. Results: There was no difference in age, gender and BMI between cirrhotic patients and volunteers. However, the polysomnographic findings showed lower sleep efficiency, as well as an increase in the REM sleep latency and a lower REM sleep percentage in the cirrhotic group when compared with the control group. The cirrhotic patients also showed higher frequency of Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep than the controls. There was a significant difference among Child-Turcotte-Pugh groups in regard to REM sleep percentage, significantly lower in group C when compared to group B and group A. No significant differences were detected between the scores of both groups in the Epworth Scale. Conclusion: The findings suggest that cirrhotic patients had a worse quality of sleep when compared with the control group and higher occurrence of PLMS. There was also an influence of the severity of liver failure in some sleep parameters. / FAPESP/CEPID: 95/14303-3 / TEDE / BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertações

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:36:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 SergioAMR_TESE_1-152.pdf: 4687573 bytes, checksum: d13791598d6a440077f9a5703901fe3b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-06-19 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / Lucid dreaming (LD) is a mental state in which the subject is aware of being dreaming while dreaming. The prevalence of LD among Europeans, North Americans and Asians is quite variable (between 26 and 92%) (Stepansky et al., 1998; Schredl & Erlacher, 2011; Yu, 2008); in Latin Americans it is yet to be investigated. Furthermore, the neural bases of LD remain controversial. Different studies have observed that LD presents power increases in the alpha frequency band (Tyson et al., 1984), in beta oscillations recorded from the parietal cortex (Holzinger et al., 2006) and in gamma rhythm recorded from the frontal cortex (Voss et al., 2009), in comparison with non-lucid dreaming. In this thesis we report epidemiological and neurophysiological investigations of LD. To investigate the epidemiology of LD (Study 1), we developed an online questionnaire about dreams that was answered by 3,427 volunteers. In this sample, 56% were women, 24% were men and 20% did not inform their gender (the median age was 25 years). A total of 76.5% of the subjects reported recalling dreams at least once a week, and about two-thirds of them reported dreaming always in the first person, i.e. when the dreamer observes the dream from within itself, not as another dream character. Dream reports typically depicted actions (93.3%), known people (92.9%), sounds/voices (78.5%), and colored images (76.3%). The oneiric content was related to plans for upcoming days (37.8%), and memories of the previous day (13.8%). Nightmares were characterized by general anxiety/fear (65.5%), feeling of being chased (48.5%), and non-painful unpleasant sensations (47.6%). With regard to LD, 77.2% of the subjects reported having experienced LD at least once in their lifetime (44.9% reported up to 10 episodes ever). LD frequency was weakly correlated with dream recall frequency (r = 0.20, p <0.001) and was higher in men (?2=10.2, p=0.001). The control of LD was rare (29.7%) and inversely correlated with LD duration (r=-0.38, p <0.001), which is usually short: to 48.5% of the subjects, LD takes less than 1 minute. LD occurrence is mainly associated with having sleep without a fixed time to wake up (38.3%), which increases the chance of having REM sleep (REMS). LD is also associated with stress (30.1%), which increases REMS transitions into wakefulness. Overall, the data suggest that dreams and nightmares can be evolutionarily understood as a simulation of the common situations that happen in life, and that are related to our social, psychological and biological integrity. The results also indicate that LD is a relatively common experience (but not recurrent), often elusive and difficult to control, suggesting that LD is an incomplete stationary stage (or phase transition) between REMS and wake state. Moreover, despite the variability of LD prevalence among North Americans, Europeans and Asians, our data from Latin Americans strengthens the notion that LD is a general phenomenon of the human species. To further investigate the neural bases of LD (Study 2), we performed sleep recordings of 32 non-frequent lucid dreamers (sample 1) and 6 frequent lucid dreamers (sample 2). In sample 1, we applied two cognitive-behavioral techniques to induce LD: presleep LD suggestion (n=8) and light pulses applied during REMS (n=8); in a control group we made no attempt to influence dreaming (n=16). The results indicate that it is quite difficult but still possible to induce LD, since we could induce LD in a single subject, using the suggestion technique. EEG signals from this one subject exhibited alpha (7-14 Hz) bursts prior to LD. These bursts were brief (about 3s), without significant change in muscle tone, and independent of the presence of rapid eye movements. No such bursts were observed in the remaining 31 subjects. In addition, LD exhibited significantly higher occipital alpha and right temporo-parietal gamma (30-50 Hz) power, in comparison with non-lucid REMS. In sample 2, LD presented increased frontal high-gamma (50-100 Hz) power on average, in comparison with non-lucid REMS; however, this was not consistent across all subjects, being a clear phenomenon in just one subject. We also observed that four of these volunteers showed an increase in alpha rhythm power over the occipital region, immediately before or during LD. Altogether, our preliminary results suggest that LD presents neurophysiological characteristics that make it different from both waking and the typical REMS. To the extent that the right temporo-parietal and frontal regions are related to the formation of selfconsciousness and body internal image, we suggest that an increased activity in these regions during sleep may be the neurobiological mechanism underlying LD. The alpha rhythm bursts, as well as the alpha power increase over the occipital region, may represent micro-arousals, which facilitate the contact of the brain during sleep with the external environment, favoring the occurrence of LD. This also strengthens the notion that LD is an intermediary state between sleep and wakefulness / O sonho l?cido (SL) ? um estado mental no qual o sujeito est? consciente de estar sonhando durante o sonho. A preval?ncia do SL em Europeus, Norte-Americanos e Asi?ticos ? bastante vari?vel (entre 26 e 92%) (Stepansky et al., 1998; Erlacher & Schredl, 2011; Yu, 2008) e em Latino-Americanos ainda n?o foi investigada. Al?m disso, as bases neurais do SL permanecem controversas. Diferentes estudos observaram um aumento da pot?ncia na frequ?ncia alfa (Tyson et al., 1984), na oscila??o beta na ?rea parietal (Holzinger et al., 2006) e no ritmo gama na regi?o frontal (Voss et al., 2009) durante o SL em rela??o ao n?o l?cido. Assim, para investigar a quest?o epidemiol?gica (Estudo 1), elaboramos um question?rio online sobre sonhos que foi respondido por 3427 volunt?rios. Em nossa amostra, 56% s?o mulheres, 24% s?o homens e 20% n?o responderam o g?nero; a mediana de idade foi de 25 anos. Um total de 76,5% dos indiv?duos refere que lembra dos sonhos pelo menos uma vez por semana. Cerca de dois ter?os dos sujeitos observam o sonho em primeira pessoa, ou seja, vendo o sonho da pr?pria perspectiva e n?o como mais um dos personagens do sonho. Os elementos mais comuns nos sonhos s?o movimentos/a??es (93,3%), pessoas conhecidas (92,9%), sons/vozes (78,5%) e imagens coloridas (76,3%). O conte?do on?rico se relaciona principalmente com planos para o dia seguinte (37,8%) e mem?rias do dia anterior (13,8%). Os pesadelos apresentam principalmente ansiedade/medo (65,5%), ser perseguido (48,5%) e sensa??es desagrad?veis que n?o envolvem dor (47,6%). Assim, sonhos e pesadelos podem ser evolutivamente entendidos como uma simula??o das situa??es frequentes que acontecem na vida e que se relacionam com a nossa integridade social, psicol?gica e biol?gica. Observamos tamb?m que a maioria dos indiv?duos (77,2%) relata ter tido pelo menos um SL, tendo experimentado na sua maior parte at? 10 epis?dios (44,9%). A frequ?ncia do SL foi fracamente correlacionada com a frequ?ncia de lembran?a dos sonhos (r=0,20, p<0,001) e foi tamb?m maior em homens (?2=10,2, p= 0,001). O controle do SL ? raro (29,7%) e inversamente correlacionado com o tempo de dura??o do SL (r=- 0,38, p<0,001), que normalmente ? curto: para 48,5% dos sujeitos o SL dura menos que 1 minuto. A ocorr?ncia do SL ? principalmente facilitada pela possibilidade de dormir sem hora para acordar (38,3%) que aumenta a chance de ter sono REM (SREM), e estresse (30,1%) que aumenta tamb?m as transi??es do SREM para a vig?lia. Como conclus?o, nossos resultados indicam que o SL ? uma experi?ncia relativamente comum (mas n?o recorrente), geralmente fugaz e dif?cil de controlar, o que sugere que o SL ? um est?gio intermedi?rio, incompleto e estacion?rio (ou fase de transi??o) entre o SREM e a vig?lia. Al?m disso, apesar das popula??es Europeias, Norte-Americanas e Asi?ticas terem uma preval?ncia de SL bastante vari?vel, nossos dados de uma amostra de Latino-Americanos fortalecem a no??o de que o SL ? um fen?meno universal da esp?cie humana. Para investigar as bases neurais do SL (Estudo 2), realizamos registros de sono em 32 sujeitos que n?o apresentam SL de forma frequente, e investigamos 6 sujeitos que apresentam SL recorrentemente. A primeira amostra foi submetida a duas t?cnicas cognitivo-comportamentais para induzir o SL: sugest?o pr?- sono (n = 8) e incuba??o de est?mulos do ambiente (pulsos de luz) no sonho durante o SREM (n = 8). Um grupo controle n?o foi submetido a nenhuma das duas t?cnicas (n = 16). Os resultados indicam que ? muito dif?cil induzir SL em laborat?rio, uma vez que conseguimos obter apenas um SL em um sujeito, que era do grupo em que aplicamos a t?cnica de sugest?o pr?-sono. O sinal eletroencefalogr?fico deste volunt?rio apresentou pulsos de ritmo alfa (7-14Hz) anteriores ao SL, de forma breve (aproximadamente 3s), sem altera??o significativa do t?nus muscular e independente da presen?a de movimentos oculares r?pidos. O SL desse sujeito apresentou tamb?m uma maior pot?ncia do ritmo alfa (7-14Hz) na regi?o occipital e um aumento de atividade gama (20- 50Hz) na regi?o temporo-parietal direita. Nos 6 sujeitos que frequentemente t?m SL, o mesmo apresentou em m?dia um aumento de pot?ncia em gama alto (50-100Hz) na regi?o frontal em compara??o com o SREM n?o-l?cido; no entanto, isso aconteceu de forma clara para apenas um dos indiv?duos. Observamos tamb?m que quatro desses volunt?rios apresentaram um aumento da pot?ncia do ritmo alfa na regi?o occipital, pouco antes do SL, ou durante o mesmo. Dessa forma, nossos resultados preliminares sugerem que o SL apresenta diferentes caracter?sticas neurofisiol?gicas dos estados t?picos de SREM e vig?lia: 1) Os pulsos de ritmo alfa, bem como o aumento da pot?ncia dessa oscila??o na regi?o occipital, podem ser micro-despertares. Estes facilitam o contato do c?rebro durante o sono com o meio externo, favorecendo a ocorr?ncia do SL e fortalecendo a ideia de que o SL seria um estado intermedi?rio entre o sono e a vig?lia. 2) Como as regi?es temporoparietal direita e frontal se relacionam com a forma??o da auto-consci?ncia e da imagem corporal, sugerimos que um aumento de atividade nessas regi?es durante o sono pode ser o mecanismo neurobiol?gico subjacente ao SL