Field Of Perception Research Articles

Feasibility of hemispatial neglect rehabilitation with virtual reality-based visual exploration therapy among patients with stroke: randomised controlled trial.

Hemispatial neglect (HSN) was diagnosed using a virtual reality-based test (FOPR test) that explores the field of perception (FOP) and field of regard (FOR). Here, we developed virtual reality-visual exploration therapy (VR-VET) combining elements from the FOPR test and visual exploration therapy (VET) and examined its efficacy for HSN rehabilitation following stroke. Eleven participants were randomly assigned to different groups, training with VR-VET first then waiting without VR-VET training (TW), or vice versa (WT). The TW group completed 20 sessions of a VR-VET program using a head-mounted display followed by 4 weeks of waiting, while the WT group completed the opposite regimen. Clinical HSN measurements [line bisection test (LBT), star cancellation test (SCT), Catherine Bergego Scale (CBS), CBS perceptual-attentional (CBS-PA), and CBS motor-explanatory (CBS-ME)] and FOPR tests [response time (RT), success rate (SR), and head movement (HM) for both FOP and FOR] were assessed by blinded face-to-face assessments. Five and six participants were allocated to the TW and WT groups, respectively, and no dropout occurred throughout the study. VR-VET considerably improved LBT scores, FOR variables (FOR-RT, FOR-SR), FOP-LEFT variables (FOP-LEFT-RT, FOP-LEFT-SR), and FOR-LEFT variables (FOR-LEFT-RT, FOR-LEFT-SR) compared to waiting without VR-VET. Additionally, VR-VET extensively improved FOP-SR, CBS, and CBS-PA, where waiting failed to make a significant change. The VR-VET made more improvements in the left hemispace than in the right hemispace in FOP-RT, FOP-SR, FOR-RT, and FOR-SR. The observed improvements in clinical assessments and FOPR tests represent the translatability of these improvements to real-world function and the multi-dimensional effects of VR-VET training. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03463122, identifier NCT03463122.

Introduction

Introduction

FOPR test: a virtual reality-based technique to assess field of perception and field of regard in hemispatial neglect

BackgroundWe previously proposed a novel virtual reality-based method to assess human field of perception (FOP) and field of regard (FOR), termed the FOPR test. This study assessed the diagnostic validity of the FOPR test for hemispatial neglect (HSN).MethodsWe included 19 stroke patients with a lesion in the right hemisphere and with HSN (HSN+SS), 22 stroke patients with a lesion in the right hemisphere and without HSN (HSN−SS), and 22 healthy controls aged 19–65 years. The success rate (SR) and response time (RT) in the FOPR test for both FOP and FOR were assessed (FOP-SR, FOR-SR, FOP-RT, and FOR-RT, respectively). Using a Bland–Altman plot, agreements between the FOPR test and conventional tests were confirmed, and the FOPR test accuracy was verified using the support vector machine (SVM). Measured values were analysed using ANOVA and Kruskall–Wallis tests for group comparison.ResultsThe Bland–Altman plot showed good agreement between FOPR test and conventional tests; individuals within 95% agreement limits were within the range of 94.8–100.0%. The SVM classification accuracy, using FOP and FOR variables from the left hemispace, ranged from 83.3 to 100.0% in a binary classification (HSN vs non-HSN). The FOPR test demonstrated differences in SR and RT for both FOP and FOR across the groups.ConclusionThe FOPR test was valid for the HSN diagnosis and provided quantitative and intuitive information regarding visuospatial function. Furthermore, it might enhance our understanding of visuospatial function including HSN by applying the time relative component and concepts of perception and exploration, FOP and FOR.Trial registration: NCT03463122. Registered 13 March 2018, retrospectively registered.

Attitudes Toward HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Among African American Men Who Have Sex With Men: Concerns Underlying Reluctance to Test.

Contemporary antiretroviral therapy (ART) can produce viral suppression of HIV, maintain health, and prevent onward HIV transmission from infected persons to their sexual partners, giving rise to the concept of treatment as prevention. Successful implementation of test-and-treat strategies rests on the early detection of HIV infection through voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) followed by entry and retention in care, ART initiation and adherence, and subsequent viral suppression. In the United States, African American men who have sex with men (MSM) bear a disproportionate burden of HIV and have high rates of undetected and untreated HIV infection. However, little research has examined racial minority MSM's views about HIV testing. In this study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 96 key informants knowledgeable about racial minority MSM as well as 100 African American MSM community members in Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Miami. Most men in the sample were aware of the availability of testing and knew testing locations, but many voiced great personal ambivalence about being tested, feared knowing their HIV status, expressed concern about stigma and loss of confidentiality, and held beliefs indicative of medical mistrust. Participants did not spontaneously cite benefits of being tested, risk reduction behavior changes made as a consequence of testing, nor the benefits of testing to get early medical care for HIV infection. There is a gap between the public health field's perception of testing benefits and the beliefs about testing held by racial minority MSM in this sample. To increase the desired outcomes from VCT for minority MSM, VCT promotion should address the concerns of African American MSM and underscore the benefits of early entry into medical care.

Digital Art History: A Community Assessment

In 2011, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, in conjunction with the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, sponsored a survey of the art history community to clarify the field's perceptions about digital art history and its impact on the discipline. The findings reveal uncertainty among community members about the value and role of digital art history and a reticence to embrace it as an emerging aspect of the discipline. The reasons for the uncertainty are embedded in the culture and tradition of art historical research, in infrastructure limitations, in digitization and access challenges, and in concerns about online publishing. Guiding the discipline toward greater acceptance of digital scholarship will require incisive action, starting with greater dialogue across the community about what art history should be in the twenty-first century, and the role that digital art history will play in that scenario.

Toward a Metatheory of Learning Disabilities

The present article provides a rationale for basic research and metatheory development in the field of learning disabilities (LD). A major assumption of the article is that basic research contributes to metatheory development, which in turn (a) allows for the development of a genuine (mature) science, (b) prevents the practice of data collection that does not contribute to an understanding of events, (c) provides an understanding of the complexity and subtlety of simple events, and (d) organizes existing research. Factors that prevent basic research and metatheory development are related to (a) the field's status as a science, (b) the role of theory in directing instructional practice, and (c) the criteria used by researchers for problem selection. At present, LD theory reflects the status of a second (conceptual) language, or at best an intuition. The poor integration of theory and practice is attributed to the field's perception of problem solvability, methodological pluralism, and consumerism. A model for validating a metatheory and some general parameters for such a metatheory are proposed.

Organizational Behavior Management in the Private Sector: A Review of Empirical Research and Recommendations for Further Investigation

A survey of empirical research on organizational behavior management (OBM) organized around the employee behaviors influenced is presented. It is concluded that; OBM methods generally affect organizational behavior positively; OBM researchers must clarify the field's perception of the worker and individual differences; although emphasis should continue in individual (micro) behavior analysis, OBM should become more macro or systems oriented; and OBM researchers must determine if internal states such as cognitions fall within its domain.