Amalia Guadalupe Gómez Cotero

The use of virtual reality (VR) for therapeutic purposes has expanded rapidly; however, few studies have specifically addressed amaxophobia, or driving-related fear, using immersive exposure techniques. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of an immersive VR-based exposure intervention for pre-drivers with elevated driving fear. Five participants completed a five-session exposure program within a technically stable VR environment designed to support perceptual continuity and reduce cybersickness risk. Driving fear was assessed before and after the intervention using the Cuestionario para la Evaluación del Miedo a Conducir en Preconductores (CEMICP). Results showed a statistically significant reduction in fear, supported by both a one-tailed paired-samples t-test and the exact Wilcoxon signed-rank test, each revealing a large effect size. Reliable and clinically significant change analyses indicated that all participants experienced meaningful improvement, with 60% achieving clinically significant reduction in driving-related fear. These findings suggest that immersive VR exposure may offer a promising and acceptable approach to mitigate amaxophobia in young adults. Given the small single-group sample, further research is required to establish long-term effects, explore behavioral performance outcomes, and determine the mediating role of presence and emotional engagement. Future controlled trials with larger and more diverse samples are warranted to validate the clinical utility of this VR intervention.

Cognitive decline among older people is a growing concern worldwide since it impacts quality of life and independence. Recently, we reported that an epicatechin-enriched product improves cardiometabolic status, physical performance/mobility, and quality of life (QoL) in over-60-year-old subjects. Here, we explored the effects of an (−)-epicatechin-enriched cacao supplement on the cognitive conditions of older and sedentary individuals residing in a community center. Twelve persons with the inclusion criteria were included in this proof-of-concept study. We evaluated reasoning, memory, attention, coordination, and perception using CogniFit software, version 4.6.18. Patients received a mixture of cacao flour and 15 mg of free (−)-epicatechin twice daily for 3 months. The main results from the trial suggested a positive and significant improvement in perception, coordination, reasoning, attention, and memory.

University women are vulnerable to engaging in risky sexual behaviors (RSBs), which are related to academic stress, alcohol, and tobacco consumption. The aim of this study was to identify profiles of university women who associate RSBs with alcohol consumption, tobacco consumption level, and frequency of academic stress. A total of 534 female university students from Mexican universities answered an online questionnaire with five instruments related to their sexual behavior, alcohol consumption, tobacco consumption, and academic stress. They were studying to become professionals in health sciences, administration and social sciences, engineering, and “others” with grade point averages ranging from 5.7 to 10/10. They had to sign an informed consent and acknowledge having had at least one sexual relationship with anal or vaginal penetration before participating. A multiple correspondence analysis yielded a parsimonious solution with the following three dimensions that explained 38.60% of the variance: 1 “pregnancy”; 2 “number of sexual partners”; 3 “substance use”. Using a point cloud clustering strategy based on the Euclidean distance between categories in a two-dimensional space, five profiles were identified: Conservative and Prudent, Active Promiscuous, Vulnerable Reproductive Health, STI Risk, and Moderate Risk Behaviors. The estimation of ellipses with 95% confidence from the calculation of centroids allowed for the integration of two profiles: Lower probability of RSB and Higher probability of RSB. The contribution of academic stress was null with respect to the model solution, so this variable was discarded. The results identified particular risk profiles in female university students. These findings are useful for the development of differentiated intervention strategies to reduce RSB in this vulnerable group.