Professor of Neurology at Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF). Responsible for the Dementia outpatient clinic at Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro. Physician and Clinical Researcher at D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR).
EDUCATION
M.D. from Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), Brazil
Ph.D. from Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil
Neurology training at Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Rio de Janeiro and Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)
Callous-unemotional traits and attention deficit/hyperactivity symptoms Pilar Erthal, Felipe Kenji Sudo, Raquel Quimas Molina da Costa, Rafael Martins Coelho, Tiago Bortolini, et al. Jornal Brasileiro De Psiquiatria, 2024 Introduction Callous–Unemotional (CU) traits have been identified as important modifiers of conduct problems in children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD and CU traits share overlapping clinical and neurobiological characteristics; however, studies have approached these constructs as completely independent factors. The present study aims to explore the relationship between ADHD and CU traits in a sample of adults. Methods Fifty-seven adults were investigated for the severity of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity through a semi-structured interview based on the ADHD criteria from the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). CU traits were assessed using the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU), whereas impulsivity was measured using the Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS). Results There was a linear relationship between ADHD symptoms and CU traits. Inattention, but not hyperactivity or impulsivity, accounted for this association. Additionally, inattention was significantly related to uncaring symptoms, as measured by the ICU. Conclusions ADHD and CU traits are linked at a phenomenological level, suggesting a continuum of attentional problems and lack of concern about performance and relationships. Future research ought to consider this relationship when assessing social outcomes in ADHD.
Needs assessment for behavioral parent training for ADHD in Brazil Patricia Bado, Raquel da Costa, Camila Bernardes, Gail Tripp, Paulo Mattos, et al. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2023 IntroductionAttention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a debilitating condition affecting children and their families worldwide. Behavioral parent training is a recommended form of empirically supported non-pharmacological intervention for young children with mild to moderate ADHD. However, access to such treatment is limited in many countries. Here we identify the treatment needs of Brazilian families with children demonstrating symptoms of ADHD, and the barriers families face in accessing behavioral treatment.MethodsA qualitative needs assessment was undertaken with parents (n = 23), educators (n = 15), and healthcare providers (n = 16). Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted, and common themes were identified through inductive coding of participants’ responses.ResultsParticipants reported a lack of accessible behavioral treatment, and delays in accessing treatment when available. The majority of parents had not received behavioral parent training, despite it being a recommended form of treatment. Parents, educators and healthcare providers strongly endorsed a need for practical tools to manage the behavior of children with ADHD.ConclusionExisting services might not meet the needs of children with ADHD and their families in Brazil. Easily accessed behavioral parent training programs are recommended to address the identified treatment gap for Brazilian children with ADHD and their families.
Applicability of an immersive virtual reality system to assess egocentric orientation of older adults Juliana Magalhães da Silva, Michelle Didone dos Santos, Raquel Quimas Molina da Costa, Emerson Galves Moretto, Larissa Alamino Pereira de Viveiro, et al. Arquivos De Neuro Psiquiatria, 2023 Background Spatial orientation is a cognitive domain frequently compromised in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and may be one of its first clinical manifestations. Some studies have shown that allocentric integration with egocentric spatial information seems to be impaired in this pathology. There is no consensus on how best to assess spatial orientation and traditional tests lack ecological validity, but, recently, virtual reality (VR) has provided new opportunities for this assessment. Objectives To analyze the applicability and stability of an immersive virtual task developed to assess spatial orientation, the Spatial Orientation in Immersive Virtual Environment Maze Test (SOIVET-Maze) in older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment. Methods Forty-three older adults were included in the study, 24 without cognitive impairment and 19 with mild cognitive impairment. Applicability was assessed by the Witmer and Singer Sense of Presence Questionnaire and a questionnaire for adverse events of cybersickness. To assess stability, participants were assessed twice with an interval of 7 to 14 days, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated between visits. The t test or the Mann-Whitney test was used to compare applicability and stability between groups. Results There was no significant difference between the groups regarding applicability. A strong correlation between the first and second day of testing was found in the mild cognitive impairment group. Conclusion The SOIVET-Maze task showed excellent applicability and good stability, favoring its clinical application for the evaluation of spatial orientation in older adults.
Two Immersive Virtual Reality Tasks for the Assessment of Spatial Orientation in Older Adults with and Without Cognitive Impairment: Concurrent Validity, Group Comparison, and Accuracy Results Raquel Quimas Molina da Costa, José Eduardo Pompeu, Emerson Moretto, Juliana Magalhães Silva, Michelle Didone dos Santos, et al. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 2022 Objective:Spatial disorientation is common in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and preclinical individuals with AD biomarkers. However, traditional neuropsychological tests lack ecological validity for the assessment of spatial orientation and to date, there is still no gold standard. The current study aimed to determine the validity and accuracy of two virtual reality tasks for the assessment of spatial orientation.Methods:We adapted two spatial orientation tasks to immersive virtual environments: a “survey to route” task in which participants had to transfer information from a map to their body position within a maze [Spatial Orientation in Immersive Virtual Environment Test (SOIVET) Maze], and an allocentric-type, route learning task, with well-established topographic landmarks (SOIVET Route). A total of 19 MCI patients and 29 cognitively healthy older adults aged 61–92 participated in this study. Regular neuropsychological assessments were used for correlation analysis and participant performances were compared between groups. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed for accuracy.Results:The SOIVET Maze correlated with measures of visuoperception, mental rotation, and planning, and was not related to age, educational level, or technology use profile. The SOIVET Route immediate correlated with measures of mental rotation, memory, and visuoconstruction, and was influenced only by education. Both tasks significantly differentiated MCI and control groups, and demonstrated moderate accuracy for the MCI diagnosis.Conclusion:Traditional neuropsychological assessment presents limitations and immersive environments allow for the reproduction of complex cognitive processes. The two immersive virtual reality tasks are valid tools for the assessment of spatial orientation and should be considered for cognitive assessments of older adults.
Applicability of an immersive virtual reality system for assessing route learning in older adults Michelle Didone dos Santos, Juliana Magalhães da Silva, Raquel Quimas Molina da Costa, Larissa Alamino Pereira de Viveiro, Emerson Galves Moretto, et al. Dementia E Neuropsychologia, 2022 Spatial orientation is defined as the ability to find one’s way around an environment, follow familiar routes, recognize places, and learn new routes. Spatial disorientation is one of the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and traditional cognitive evaluation lacks ecological validity. Therefore, new assessment methods are needed for the early identification of this cognitive impairment. Objective: This study aimed to compare the applicability and stability of an immersive virtual reality (VR) system developed to assess route learning between older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: The study sample included 43 older adults: 22 without MCI and 23 with MCI. Applicability was assessed based on the recording of adverse events and the sense of presence reported through questionnaires. The Mann–Whitney U test was applied to compare the applicability of the Spatial Orientation in Immersive Virtual Environment Test (SOIVET)-Route task between older adults with and without MCI. Both short- and long-term stabilities of the task were evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The mean age of participants was 71.4 years (SD=5.5). A minimum number of adverse events (mean=1.46; SD=2.11) and high levels of presence (mean=138.04; SD=14.80) were reported, and there was no difference between groups with and without MCI. A good to excellent correlation was found for short-term stability (CCI 0.78) and a reasonable correlation was found for long-term stability (CCI 0.58). Conclusions: The VR system was applicable for older adults and showed a good to excellent correlation for short-term stability.
Spatial orientation tasks show moderate to high accuracy for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment: A systematic literature review Raquel Quimas Molina da Costa, José Eduardo Pompeu, Larissa Alamino Pereira de Viveiro, Sonia Maria Dozzi Brucki Arquivos De Neuro Psiquiatria, 2020 Spatial disorientation has been observed in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and is associated with a higher risk of progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, there is no gold standard assessment for spatial orientation and paper-and-pencil tests lack ecological validity. Recently, there has been an increasing number of studies demonstrating the role of spatial disorientation as a cognitive marker of pathological decline, shedding new light on its importance for MCI. This systematic review aimed to investigate the accuracy of spatial orientation tasks for the diagnosis of MCI by comparison with cognitively healthy elderly. The search was conducted in the databases Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE/PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, Excerpta Medica Database (Embase), Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (Lilacs) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). Only original studies reporting spatial orientation assessment in MCI patients compared to a healthy control group were included. Studies were excluded if the MCI classification did not follow well described criteria and/or if accuracy results of spatial orientation assessment were not provided. Seven studies met the eligibility criteria, describing a variety of spatial orientation assessments including questionnaires, paper-and-pencil, office-based route learning, and computer-based and virtual reality tasks. Spatial orientation tasks demonstrated moderate to high accuracy in detecting elderly with MCI compared to cognitively healthy elderly, with areas under the curve (AUC) ranging from 0.77 to 0.99. However, important methodological issues were found in the selected studies which should be considered when interpreting results. Although the inclusion of spatial orientation assessments in MCI evaluations seems to have significant value, further studies are needed to clarify their true capacity to distinguish pathological from non-pathological aging.
Challenges in public perception highlights from the united kingdom– Brazil dementia workshop Lucas Nogueira de Carvalho Pelegrini, Abigail Hall, Emma Hooper, Déborah Oliveira, Flora Guerra, et al. Dementia E Neuropsychologia, 2020 In July 2019, Belo Horizonte hosted an international workshop for 27 junior researchers, whose participants were from Brazil and the United Kingdom. This three-day meeting organized by the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais and the University of East Anglia addressed challenges in cognitive impairment and dementia, with particular interest in public perceptions, diagnosis and care management. The purpose of this report is to highlight the outcomes of the above-mentioned workshop regarding the topic of public perceptions (part I). Discussions focused on differences and similarities between countries, as well as on identifying main issues that required collaborative and creative solutions. After these group discussions, four core themes emerged: I) cognitive impairment; II) dementia - beyond Alzheimer’s disease; III) prevention; and IV) stigma. National and international initiatives to deal with public misperceptions about cognitive impairment and dementia were discussed.
Body roundness index as a predictor of depression in dementia: A cross-sectional study CPR Fernandes, N Oliveira, R Soares, F Rodrigues, G Bernardes, ... Journal of Health Psychology, 13591053261430499 , 2026 2026
PVA Method-A New Aproach for Phase Velocity Analysis of Rayleigh Waves A Costa, P Pizzuti, R Costa, F Rodrigues, M Tschoepke Second EAGE Data Processing Workshop 2025 (1), 1-5 , 2025 2025
Exploring the Relationship Between Caregiver Burden and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Dementia: A Meta-Regression Analysis (P2-3.015) AMP Laxe, M Leite, L Sena, LL Calazans, C Moura, RQM Costa Neurology 104 (7_Supplement_1), 5771 , 2025 2025
Traços de insensibilidade e afetividade restrita e sintomas de déficit de atenção/hiperatividade P Erthal, FK Sudo, RQM Costa, RM Coelho, T Bortolini, R Oliveira-Souza, ... Jornal Brasileiro de Psiquiatria 73, e20240047 , 2024 2024
Callous-unemotional traits and attention deficit/hyperactivity symptoms P Erthal, FK Sudo, RQM Costa, RM Coelho, T Bortolini, R Oliveira-Souza, ... Jornal Brasileiro de Psiquiatria 73 (4), e20240047 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
Needs assessment for behavioral parent training for ADHD in Brazil P Bado, R da Costa, C Bernardes, G Tripp, P Mattos, E Furukawa Frontiers in Psychiatry 14, 1191289 , 2023 2023 Citations: 3
Aplicabilidade de um sistema de realidade virtual imersivo para avaliar a orientação egocêntrica de idosos JM Silva, MD Santos, RQM Costa, EG Moretto, LAP Viveiro, RD Lopes, ... Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria 81, 19-26 , 2023 2023
Applicability of an immersive virtual reality system to assess egocentric orientation of older adults JM da Silva, MD Dos Santos, RQM da Costa, EG Moretto, LAP de Viveiro, ... Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria 81 (01), 019-026 , 2023 2023 Citations: 10
Reward modality modulates striatal responses to reward anticipation in ADHD: Effects of affiliative and food stimuli E Furukawa, P Bado, RQM da Costa, B Melo, P Erthal, IP de Oliveira, ... Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging 327, 111561 , 2022 2022 Citations: 8
Use of the Brazilian version of the Interpersonal Negotiation Strategies Interview (INSI) in a child and adolescent sample: a pilot study T Figueiredo, D Fortes, V Ayrão, C Bernardes, N Oliveira, R Soares, ... Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy 44, e20200136 , 2022 2022 Citations: 1
Two immersive virtual reality tasks for the assessment of spatial orientation in older adults with and without cognitive impairment: concurrent validity, group comparison, and … RQM Da Costa, JE Pompeu, E Moretto, JM Silva, MD Dos Santos, ... Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 28 (5), 460-472 , 2022 2022 Citations: 57
Applicability of an immersive virtual reality system for assessing route learning in older adults MD Santos, JM Silva, RQM Costa, LAP Viveiro, EG Moretto, RD Lopes, ... Dementia & neuropsychologia 16, 220-227 , 2022 2022 Citations: 1
APLICABILIDADE DE UM SISTEMA DE REALIDADE VIRTUAL IMERSIVO PARA AVALIAÇÃO DA APRENDIZAGEM DE ROTAS EM IDOSOS MD Santos, JM Silva, RQM Costa, LAP Viveiro, EG Moretto, RD Lopes, ... Dementia & Neuropsychologia 16, 220-227 , 2022 2022
The aftermath of hip fragility fractures-are we missing out on osteoporosis treatment? R Costa, J Romano, A Moreira, D Dantas, P Ribeiro, M Agre, J Correia Acta Reumatológica Portuguesa 46 (4), 328-332 , 2021 2021 Citations: 3
Tarefas de orientação espacial têm acurácia moderada a alta para o diagnóstico de comprometimento cognitivo leve: Uma revisão sistemática. RQM da Costa, JE Pompeu, LAP de Viveiro, SMD Brucki Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria , 2020 2020 Citations: 3
Spatial orientation tasks show moderate to high accuracy for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment: a systematic literature review RQM da COSTA, JE Pompeu, LAP de VIVEIRO, SMD Brucki Arquivos de Neuro-psiquiatria 78 (11), 713-723 , 2020 2020 Citations: 35
Challenges in public perception: highlights from the United Kingdom-Brazil Dementia Workshop LNC Pelegrini, A Hall, E Hooper, D Oliveira, F Guerra, FG Casemiro, ... Dementia & Neuropsychologia 14 (03), 209-215 , 2020 2020 Citations: 9
Challenges in public perception: highlights from the United Kingdom-Brazil Dementia Workshop LN de Carvalho Pelegrini, A Hall, E Hooper, D Oliveira, F Guerra, ... Dementia & Neuropsychologia 14 (3), 209 , 2020 2020 Citations: 3
Wandering and Neuropsychiatric Manifestations in Patients With Cerebellar Lesions PMG Lopes, CSC Prado, FHG Porto, RBF Passos, RQM Costa, ... JOURNAL OF NEUROPSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES 32 (3), E14-E14 , 2020 2020
An Adaptation of Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer (PIT) methodology to examine the energizing effects of reward-predicting cues on behavior in young adults RQM Da Costa, E Furukawa, S Hoefle, J Moll, G Tripp, P Mattos Frontiers in psychology 11, 195 , 2020 2020 Citations: 12
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Two immersive virtual reality tasks for the assessment of spatial orientation in older adults with and without cognitive impairment: concurrent validity, group comparison, and … RQM Da Costa, JE Pompeu, E Moretto, JM Silva, MD Dos Santos, ... Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 28 (5), 460-472 , 2022 2022 Citations: 57
Spatial orientation tasks show moderate to high accuracy for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment: a systematic literature review RQM da COSTA, JE Pompeu, LAP de VIVEIRO, SMD Brucki Arquivos de Neuro-psiquiatria 78 (11), 713-723 , 2020 2020 Citations: 35
Orientação desporto com pés e cabeça A Aires, LC Quinta-Nova, L Santos, N Pires, R Costa, R Ferreira Federação Portuguesa de Orientação , 2011 2011 Citations: 30
Two new virtual reality tasks for the assessment of spatial orientation Preliminary results of tolerability, sense of presence and usability RQM Costa, JE Pompeu, DD Mello, E Moretto, FZ Rodrigues, MD Santos, ... Dementia & neuropsychologia 12 (2), 196-204 , 2018 2018 Citations: 29
Methylphenidate modifies reward cue responses in adults with ADHD: An fMRI study E Furukawa, RQM da Costa, P Bado, S Hoefle, P Vigne, M Monteiro, ... Neuropharmacology 162, 107833 , 2020 2020 Citations: 27
Behavioral adjustment to asymmetric reward availability among children with and without ADHD: Effects of past and current reinforcement contingencies E Furukawa, B Alsop, EM Caparelli-Dáquer, EB Casella, RQM da Costa, ... ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders 11 (2), 149-158 , 2019 2019 Citations: 13
An Adaptation of Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer (PIT) methodology to examine the energizing effects of reward-predicting cues on behavior in young adults RQM Da Costa, E Furukawa, S Hoefle, J Moll, G Tripp, P Mattos Frontiers in psychology 11, 195 , 2020 2020 Citations: 12
Applicability of an immersive virtual reality system to assess egocentric orientation of older adults JM da Silva, MD Dos Santos, RQM da Costa, EG Moretto, LAP de Viveiro, ... Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria 81 (01), 019-026 , 2023 2023 Citations: 10
Dissociation of depression from apathy in traumatic brain injury: A case report RQM Costa, FHG Porto, RP Marrocos Dementia & Neuropsychologia 7 (3), 312-315 , 2013 2013 Citations: 10
Challenges in public perception: highlights from the United Kingdom-Brazil Dementia Workshop LNC Pelegrini, A Hall, E Hooper, D Oliveira, F Guerra, FG Casemiro, ... Dementia & Neuropsychologia 14 (03), 209-215 , 2020 2020 Citations: 9
Reward modality modulates striatal responses to reward anticipation in ADHD: Effects of affiliative and food stimuli E Furukawa, P Bado, RQM da Costa, B Melo, P Erthal, IP de Oliveira, ... Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging 327, 111561 , 2022 2022 Citations: 8
Avaliação da orientação espacial em um ambiente de realidade virtual em pacientes com comprometimento cognitivo leve RQM Costa Universidade de São Paulo , 2020 2020 Citations: 5
Palácio Sotto Mayor: recalçamento de edifício centenário e escavação de grande altura em meio urbano A Pinto, S Ferreira, P Lopes, J Dias, R Costa, F Almeida 2º Ciclo de palestras em Engenharia Civil–Universidade Nova de Lisboa , 2003 2003 Citations: 5
All that glitters is not gold: When motor and vocal tics in a child do not match Tourette syndrome: A case report RQM Costa, RP Marrocos, MAA Leite, FHG Porto Dementia & Neuropsychologia 10, 251-253 , 2016 2016 Citations: 4
Needs assessment for behavioral parent training for ADHD in Brazil P Bado, R da Costa, C Bernardes, G Tripp, P Mattos, E Furukawa Frontiers in Psychiatry 14, 1191289 , 2023 2023 Citations: 3
The aftermath of hip fragility fractures-are we missing out on osteoporosis treatment? R Costa, J Romano, A Moreira, D Dantas, P Ribeiro, M Agre, J Correia Acta Reumatológica Portuguesa 46 (4), 328-332 , 2021 2021 Citations: 3
Tarefas de orientação espacial têm acurácia moderada a alta para o diagnóstico de comprometimento cognitivo leve: Uma revisão sistemática. RQM da Costa, JE Pompeu, LAP de Viveiro, SMD Brucki Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria , 2020 2020 Citations: 3
Challenges in public perception: highlights from the United Kingdom-Brazil Dementia Workshop LN de Carvalho Pelegrini, A Hall, E Hooper, D Oliveira, F Guerra, ... Dementia & Neuropsychologia 14 (3), 209 , 2020 2020 Citations: 3
Callous-unemotional traits and attention deficit/hyperactivity symptoms P Erthal, FK Sudo, RQM Costa, RM Coelho, T Bortolini, R Oliveira-Souza, ... Jornal Brasileiro de Psiquiatria 73 (4), e20240047 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
P1‐348: A COMPARISON BETWEEN AN IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY SPATIAL TASK AND ITS CORRESPONDENT PAPER‐AND‐PENCIL VERSION WITH ONE'S PERCEPTION OF SPATIAL ABILITIES RQM da Costa, JE Pompeu, DD Mello, E Moretto, FZ Rodrigues, ... Alzheimer's & Dementia 14 (7S_Part_8), P427-P427 , 2018 2018 Citations: 2