Autistic persons experience problems with movements and body awareness in everyday functionality, expressed in affected movement quality. Yet, there is a knowledge gap about the effects of interventions targeting these aspects in autistic persons. To evaluate effects of Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) and treatment-as-usual (TAU), compared to TAU alone on movement quality in autistic persons. In this pragmatic RCT, autistic persons with no intellectual disorder, 15-30 years old and in contact with habilitation services, were randomized to an intervention group (IG) (n=28, 22 females) or a control group (CG) (n=29, 21 females). The IG received 12 sessions of individual BBAT and TAU, the CG received TAU. Primary outcome was a person-reported measure of an individualized movement quality problem, using a numeric rating scale (NRS). Secondary outcome was Body Awareness Scale Movement Quality (BAS MQ), i.e., scored physiotherapist observations. Between- and within-group analyses, and individual one-sided t-tests were performed. Comparing the between-group changes in NRS and BAS MQ after 12 weeks, the differences were statistically significant in favor of the IG (p<0.001). Within-group analyses: the IG had statistically significant improvements on both outcomes (p<0.001), the CG had not. Individually in the IG, 54% of the participants improved significantly in NRS and 41% in BAS MQ. In the CG, the corresponding numbers were 10% and 7%, respectively. BBAT and TAU were superior to TAU alone for improving movement quality. BBAT is a relevant intervention for autistic young adults to improve everyday functionality. Clinical Trials NCT0323876.

The academic field of Disability studies muses over the rights and representations of disabled individuals and has shown prolific growth in the last decade. Disability studies perceive disability as a social construct, integrating with it the ideas of culture, religion, gender, race and sexuality. The application of an intersectional framework to study disability led to the formation of crip-theory, catering to the need for authentic representation otherwise known as cripistemological representations. Cripistemological representations further enhances the scholarship on disability especially intellectual disability which is convoluted and perplexing in nature. The novel, Forget Me Not, by Ellie Terry, a semi-autobiographical novel unfolds Terry’s journey as a neurodiverse person through the character of Calliope. It stresses upon the need for self-expression as a disabled individual. This research paper focusses on the portrayal of Tourette’s Syndrome, an intellectual disorder and the need for cripistemological representations as found in the novel Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry. Adopting the library research methodology the article will explore the adversities encountered by an intellectually disabled individual and their effort to mask while constructing their personal identity.

Background: The interplay between neuronutrition, physical activity, and mental health for enhancing brain resilience to stress and overall human health is widely recognized. The use of brain mapping via quantitative-EEG (qEEG) comparative analysis enables researchers to identify deviations or abnormalities and track the changes in neurological patterns when a targeted drug or specific nutrition is administered over time. High-functioning mild-to-borderline intellectual disorders (MBID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) constitute leading global public health challenges due to their high prevalence, chronicity, and profound cognitive and functional impact. Objective: The objectives of the present study were twofold: first, to characterize an extremely vulnerable group of children with functioning autism symptoms, disclosing their overall pattern of cognitive abilities and areas of difficulty, and second, to investigate the relevance of the effects of a mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) biomass dietary supplement on improvement on neurocognitive behavior. Methods: This study used qEEG to compare raw data with a normative database to track the changes in neurological brain patterns in 147 children with high-functioning autistic attributes when mushroom H. erinaceus biomass supplement was consumed over 6 and 12 months. Conclusions: H. erinaceus biomass in children with pervasive developmental disorders significantly improved the maturation of the CNS after 6 to 12 months of oral use, decreased the dominant slow-wave activity, and converted slow-wave activity to optimal beta1 frequency. Therefore, despite the lack of randomization, blinding, and risk of bias, due to a limited number of observations, it may be concluded that the H. erinaceus biomass may generate a complex effect on the deficits of the autism spectrum when applied to high-functioning MBID children, representing a safe and effective adjunctive strategy for supporting neurodevelopment in children.

The article is devoted to the theoretical justification of social enterprise as an innovative mechanism for the socio-professional integration of persons with disabilities due to intellectual disabilities. In the context of the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine and the sharp increase in the number of persons with disabilities of various nosologies, the low efficiency of traditional approaches to employment, which are based on the "medical model of disability", requires the search for innovative approaches. The purpose of the article is to build a theoretical model that would outline how a social enterprise, based on the "social model of disability", provides a systemic solution for overcoming barriers that prevent the full socio-professional integration of persons with disabilities due to intellectual disabilities. The main objectives of the study are theoretical synthesis and analysis of current scientific works, which allowed to classify the main barriers (stigma of society, lack of skills, attitude of employers), and to describe innovative practical models of social entrepreneurship, in particular "Social Enterprises for Integration into the Labor Market" (WISE) and "Customized Employment" (CE). The scientific novelty is the construction of a conceptual framework that combines the problem of barriers with its practical solution. The article substantiates that innovative mechanisms of social entrepreneurship are aimed at systematically overcoming the identified barriers. It is described how "holistic support" and hybrid models of resilience are able to solve the problems of social isolation of a person with a disability and the economic "unprofitability" of the enterprise itself. The study findings confirm that the successful implementation of state policy and promotion of the social entrepreneurship sector (in particular, the draft Law No. 14156) requires support not for just any “social initiatives”, but for evidence-based, theoretically grounded models (“Social Enterprises for Integration into the Labor Market” and “Customized Employment”) that are capable of ensuring decent wages and real integration of a person with a disability into society.

Cerebral palsy in children is a condition that arises as a result of brain damage occurring in the prenatal, perinatal, or postnatal periods due to various causes. It is usually identified in early childhood and is characterized by motor impairments such as paralysis, muscle weakness, coordination disorders, and involuntary movements. Children with this condition may also experience epileptic seizures, delayed mental development, difficulties with perception and learning, as well as visual, auditory, speech, and intellectual disorders. Although a child with cerebral palsy often gives the impression of being mentally retarded, this is by no means always the case. Conditions similar to cerebral palsy can also occur at any age after infectious diseases, stroke, or traumatic brain injury.

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to describe the use of visual psychotechniques to actualize cognitive actions of primary school children with mild mental retardation. Methods. The following theoretical methods of the research were used to solve the tasks formulated in the article: a categorical method, structural and functional methods, the methods of the analysis, systematization, modeling, generalization. The experimental method was the method of organizing empirical research. Results. We proved, that all mentally retarded children are characterized by reduced activity of mental processes and a weak regulatory role of thinking and speech. Mentally retarded children of primary school age with intellectual disorders usually perform activity without listening to instructions, without understanding the goals and tasks, without having an internal plan of actions, and their actions are always accompanied by weak self-control of cognitive activity. The perception and understanding of educational material by children of primary school age with intellectual disorders are inextricably linked with the characteristics of their memory. The main memory processes are preservation and memorization and storage. So, mentally retarded children have some of their own specific features, since they are formed under conditions of abnormal personal development. Conclusions. Primary school children with intellectual disabilities better remember external perceived signs. It is more difficult for them to understand and remember internal logical connections and schemes. Mentally retarded children later than their normal peers, arbitrarily memorize educational material, which is still being formed, while the advantage of deliberate memorization in mentally retarded children is expressed as clearly as in schoolchildren with normal intelligence. The greatest problems are currently caused by the reproduction of verbal material by primary school children with intellectual disabilities. The mediated sensory memory of mentally retarded children is also poorly developed.

BackgroundAntiemetics are commonly prescribed for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP), affecting up to 80% of pregnant women. However, data on their long-term neurodevelopmental effects are limited. We therefore aimed to assess the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders and delays in children exposed to antiemetics commonly prescribed during pregnancy.MethodsThis nationwide cohort study, designed to emulate a pragmatic trial, used South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service mother–child linked database, 2009–2023. The primary exposure of interest was metoclopramide, while pyridoxine, doxylamine, dimenhydrinate, domperidone, and ondansetron were included in secondary analyses. Non-exposed pregnancies within the cohort served as comparators. The outcomes included seven neurodevelopmental disorders—autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, communication disorder, intellectual disorder, movement disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and epilepsy—as well as neurodevelopmental delays assessed using the validated Korean Developmental Screening Test. Overlap weights based on potential confounders were applied to a Cox proportional hazard model to estimate hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).ResultsAmong 630,904 children included, 281,476 (44.6%) were exposed to metoclopramide during pregnancy, while 131,837 (20.9%), 1383 (0.2%), 12,013 (1.9%), 14,531 (2.3%), and 5673 (0.9%) were respectively exposed to pyridoxine, doxylamine, dimenhydrinate, domperidone, and ondansetron. There was no substantial association between antiemetic exposure during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders and delays. Findings were consistent across various subgroup and sensitivity analyses, except for a slightly elevated risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.06–1.18) in children exposed to metoclopramide during the second half of pregnancy and neurodevelopmental delays in those exposed to metoclopramide for ≥ 7 days.ConclusionsThis large-scale study found no association between antiemetic exposure during pregnancy and the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders or delays in children, providing reassurance for the use of antiemetics in pregnancy to treat nausea and vomiting. However, the slightly elevated risks observed in certain subgroups warrant further investigation. Meanwhile, these findings may assist in guiding decisions when considering antiemetic treatment during pregnancy.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12916-025-04497-x.

This neuropsychological case study examined sensorimotor activation processes, as well as the multisensory integration process, in a 13-year-old male subject (Veer) diagnosed with mild intellectual disorder, whose brain morphology was consistent with that of Homo habilis. In accordance with Dunn’s Sensory Processing framework, this experiment tested auditory cueing, tactile error response, and visuospatial task involvement with the executive and motor learning circuit. Over the course of several days, Veer was exposed to the pre-test, intervention, and post-test phases through various activities and tasks, including flashcards, therapy cards, bead counting, target throwing, and writing. The complexity level of each task was progressively increased. The assessment compared auditory-stimulated and self-initiated motor performance, frequency of errors, and lap efficiency. Neuropsychologically, the study emphasizes the significance of the prefrontal-occipital-thalamic loop in integrating sensory signaling and motor command, with a focus on the roles of the primary auditory cortex, premotor cortex, somatosensory cortex, and the cerebellum. Post-test effectiveness was reflected in a decrease in the number of errors, faster lap times, and self-reliant task performance. The results are implied to support executive-motor integration and procedural learning in structured multisensory training to provide conclusions on the rehabilitation of populations with atypical neural development.

Stunting is a condition of long-term malnutrition that can seriously interfere with children's growth and development. Children aged 6–24 months who are stunted are at risk of brain development delays, intellectual disorders, stunted physical growth, and metabolic problems. This research was conducted in the working area of the Hutaimbaru Health Center, Halongonan District, North Padang Lawas Regency, by involving 100 stunted children under five as respondents. The method used is an analytical survey with a cross-cutting approach. Data analysis included univariate, chi-square, and logistic regression tests. The results showed that knowledge, attitudes, pregnancy checks (ANC), and husband support had a significant effect on stunting incidence. The most powerful factor is the husband's support. Mothers without partner support are 10 times more likely to have stunted children. These findings confirm the importance of the role of the family, especially the husband, in supporting the fulfillment of nutrition and optimal child care.

Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome (WSS) due to KMT2A variant is a rare autosomal dominant genetic heterogeneity disorder associated with short stature, the exact genetic mechanism of which is still unknown. This study aims to define the clinical, therapeutic and molecular findings of three new WSS patients from unrelated families, and to summarize the clinical characteristics and response to recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy. Three male patients with short stature were included, and whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed. All reported patients with WSS worldwide caused by KMT2A variants were reviewed. The average age of the three patients was 8.3 ± 8.9 years, with an average height Z-score of -3.9 ± 1.8. Three KMT2A variants were detected with the aid of WES. A total of 333 cases of WSS have been reported, with 269 types of KMT2A gene variants described. WSS was characterized by intellectual disorder (92.9%, 250/269), developmental delay (87.9%, 175/199), generalized hypertrichosis (76.7%, 66/86) and short stature (70.9%, 61/86). The height Z-score of 14 patients received rhGH treatment significantly increased from -3.3 ± 1.2 to -1.8 ± 1.0 (p < 0.001) after an average treatment duration of 25.7 ± 23.1 months, and was positively correlated with the duration of treatment (r = 0.899, p < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in the height Z-score change between seven growth hormone deficiency (GHD) patients and five non-GHD patients after rhGH treatment. This study provided a comprehensive analysis between phenotypes and genotypes of KMT2A variants and WSS. Our findings indicated that patients with WSS may experience favourable outcomes with rhGH therapy.

<strong>Objective:</strong> Epilepsy is a chronic, noncommunicable brain disorder affecting individuals of all ages, with over 50 million cases worldwide. Advances in next-generation sequencing have enabled the identification of disease-related gene mutations; however, the yield of whole-exome sequencing (WES) for patients with epilepsy remains variable. Given our limited knowledge and the continual updates in genetic databases, reanalysis of older sequencing results may reveal relevant mutations and uncover false negatives. <strong>Materials and Methods:</strong> In this study, we reanalyzed the initial WES data and clinical information for 12 patients with previously negative results. <strong>Results:</strong> New mutations were identified in 5 patients and associated with 5 genes. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> Thus, for patients with a strong suspicion of genetic disease, re-evaluating WES data is recommended even if the initial findings are negative.

(BMJ. 2024;385:e076885. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2023-076885) Neurodevelopmental disorders are increasingly recognized as a major public health issue in children due to their significant long-term impacts on individuals and society. The global prevalence of conditions such as autism spectrum disorders has been steadily rising. While the exact causes of these disorders remain unclear, potential risk factors include advanced maternal age, preterm birth, and environmental influences. Emerging evidence suggests that changes in the gut microbiome could play a role in the development of neurodevelopmental disorders, with antibiotics—commonly used during pregnancy and infancy—potentially disrupting the microbiome.

Introduction: women with intellectual disabilities are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence and its consequences. However, little is known about the pregnancy resulting from this crime and outcomes for these women. Objective: to compare the characteristics of sexual crime and pregnancy outcomes resulting from sexual violence between women with and without intellectual disabilities. Methods: cross-sectional study with 1,478 pregnant women due to a sexual crime aged ≥14 years who requested a legal abortion, treated at Hospital Pérola Byington, São Paulo, Brazil, between 1994-2015. A total of 88 pregnancies of women with and 1,390 without intellectual disabilities were compared regarding sociodemographic variables, sexual crime, aggressor, pregnancy and abortion. For statistical analysis, Person’s chi-square, adjusted binary logistic regression and Student’s t test for independent samples were used, with significant p&lt;0.05 and a 95% Confidence Interval. Research approved by the Pérola Byington Hospital Research Ethics Committee, opinion 1,396,893. Results: pregnant women with intellectual disabilities had less education than those without (84.1% versus 23.4%) (p&lt;0.001), declared less religion (68.2% versus 85.0%) (p&lt;0.001), and they were not married or in a relationship (96.6% versus 81.1%) (p&lt;0.001). Domestic sexual crime was more frequent (57.8% versus 18.8%) (p&lt;0.001), related aggressor (44.9% versus 11.2%) (p&lt;0.001), referral by public security (80, 7% versus 50.4%) (p&lt;0.001), police report (86.4% versus 65.3%) (p&lt;0.001), and medical-legal examination (83.0% versus 61.5%) (p&lt;0.001). There was no difference in abortion, but in pregnant women with intellectual disabilities, the medical method was more frequent (55.6% versus 34.2%) (p=0.03) due to higher gestational age. Conclusion: pregnant women with intellectual disorders are more vulnerable to domestic sexual violence perpetrated by related aggressors, with greater involvement of public security, and later seeking abortion.

What is known?: The mutant Gαq-R183Q in endothelial cells activates phospholipase β3, contributing to increased angiopoietin-2, a pro-angiogenic, proinflammatory molecule that contributes to vascular permeability.Endothelial Gαq-R183Q is sufficient to drive formation of enlarged blood vessels akin to what is observed in CM. ANGPT2 shRNA knockdown prevented the enlarged vessel phenotype in a xenograft model.An EC-specific GNAQ p.R183Q mouse model showed permeability in brain vessels, detected by perfusion of Evans Blue dye, indicating reduced vascular integrity.What New Information Does This Article Contribute?: Reduced vascular integrity in CM is confirmed by Martius Scarlet Blue staining and longitudinal MRI imaging of SWS brain. GNAQ p.R183Q EC form a weaker endothelial barrier in vitro compared to control ECs. The weakened endothelial barrier in the mutant ECscan be rescued by Gαq inhibitor, YM254890, confirming the compromised barrier is a consequence of the mutant Gαq. Titration experiments modeling the mosaic nature of the GNAQ p.R183Q in CMshow that 5- 10% GNAQ p.R183Q EC in the monolayer is sufficient to reduce endothelial barrier formation. Knockdown of ANGPT2 or MEK1,2 inhibition partially restored the endothelial barrier in GNAQ p.R183Q EC. Combining knockdown of ANGPT2 and addition of a MEK inhibitor, Trametinib, restored the endothelial barrier to near what is seen in wild type ECs.What is the translational message?: Sturge Weber Syndrome (SWS) is a neurocutaneous disorder that involves atypical blood vessel overgrowth in the skin, brain and eye. It is associated with facial CM (aka port wine birthmark), leptomeningeal CM in the brain visible with MRI, and glaucoma. Theneurological sequalae involve seizures, cerebral atrophies and calcification, and intellectual disorders. Currently there are no molecularly targeted therapies for non-syndromic CM or SWS. Our study shows the involvement of MAPK pathway and the proinflammatory molecule ANGPT2 in endothelial permeability and suggests a path to target GNAQ p.R183Q driven CM.

Background. Throughout the time of martial law in Ukraine, the number of military service members with mild degrees of intellectual impairment has increased, which requires significant attention to nursing support during the period of diagnostic, medical, therapeutic, and rehabilitation medical practice. The importance of nursing support for military personnel with mild intellectual disorders during exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases in the process of medical rehabilitation should be better investigated, which is due to the increase in the number of military personnel with this nosology and the need to select methodological recommendations for improving nursing support for patients in the process of medical rehabilitation. The relevance of this study will be maintained during warfare and in the first years after the war. It will also help medical professionals better understand the specifics of supporting patients with intellectual and cognitive developmental disorders. Aim. Analysis the degree of quality of nursing support for military personnel with mild intellectual impairment with gastrointestinal diseases during medical rehabilitation. Materials and Methods. Bibliosemantic methods and system analysis were used. PubMed, Google Scholar sources, orders of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine were analyzed. The article is written in the form of a short scientific report. Results &amp; Conclusions. Nursing support for military personnel with intellectual disabilities cannot be implemented qualitatively and effectively without prior training of specialists. Nurses often cannot choose the right approach to these patients due to a lack of relevant experience and understanding of the needs of people with intellectual disоrders. Our conclusion proposed possible solutions to this problem through various and specific ways to improve the skills of medical professionals. Keywords: military medicine, cognitive developmental disorders, warfare regions, advanced training, behavioral disorders.

Objectives: ‘Neurodevelopmental disorders’ (NDD) and their related emotional, behavioural, and intellectual disorders (NDEBIDs) include ASD, ADHD and tic disorders. Co-occurrence of NDEBID with each other and with other mental health disorders is the norm. We aimed to review recent research up to March 2024, reporting on the comorbidity of discrete NDEBIDs in general and focus more specifically on the co-occurrence of ADHD and ASD. Methods: This is a narrative review of recent research up to March 2024, reporting on the comorbidity of discrete NDEBIDs in general and focus more specifically on the co-occurrence of ADHD and ASD. Results: Four alternative hypotheses are reviewed to conceptualise how co-occurring NDDs are described. These are concepts of Neuroconstructivism, ‘Neurodevelopmental Disability’, ‘Overarching Spectrum of ASD-ADHD disorder’ and ‘Severe ASD Spectrum’.Neuroconstructivism argues that the brain gradually acquires specialised functions over its developmental period. The term ‘Neurodevelopmental Disability’ has been proposed as an alternative generic term for all NDEBIDs instead of separate discrete diagnoses. An ‘overarching Spectrum of ASD-ADHD disorder’ has been proposed for children and young people (CYP) presenting with range of symptoms across both diagnostic categories. Other researchers have conceptualised the idea of co-occurring ASD and ADHD as a form of ‘severe Autism’ with a unique attentional trait and associated functional impairments, rather than two separate diagnoses. Conclusion: The clinical and therapeutic implications for the ADHD-ASD co-occurrence are discussed. A unified description of NDEBID would buttress their common aetiologies. This would also encourage practitioners not to restrict individuals into constrained diagnostic boxes but to consider the full range of their difficulties, even if they do not meet the seemingly arbitrary threshold levels for diagnosis of the individual conditions.Further research is needed to help analyse important peculiar neuropsychological features among individuals with the co-occurring ASD/ADHD features.

Investigating the disparities in brain activity between healthy individuals and those with intellectual and developmental disorders (IDD) is pivotal in biomedical research. In this study, we delved into these differences by employing a complexity-based analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. Specifically, we computed the fractal dimension (FD), approximate entropy, and sample entropy (SampEn) of EEG signals for both control (healthy) subjects and IDD individuals during rest and stimulation with music. Our findings revealed that IDD subjects exhibited higher complexity in both rest and stimulation scenarios compared to control subjects, indicative of heightened brain activity complexity among IDD individuals. This analysis not only sheds light on the variations in brain activity associated with IDD, but also underscores its potential applicability in assessing brain activity alterations across various disorders compared to healthy counterparts.

MECP2 variants cause X-chromosome-linked rare developmental syndromes. Typically, the mutation is sporadic, occurs in females and is fatal in men. Accurate genetic and clinical diagnostics are considered essential for the management of symptoms and the development of new treatments. These aims may be difficult to reach before more is known about factors resulting in highly variable clinical pictures among patients carrying the same MECP2 variant. We describe the clinical picture of two brothers carrying the same MECP2 variant and compare them with cases published in the literature. Most of the MECP2 mutations are known to be de novo mutations, which is why the recurrence of the mutation in the couple's other children is unlikely. Unexpectedly, our routine genetic testing revealed a 23-year-old man (P1) and his younger brother (P2) to carry the same hemizygous pathogenic missense variant c.419C>T, p.(Ala140Val) (transcript NM_004992.3) of MECP2, which was found to be inherited from their presumably asymptomatic mother. Thus, further clinical evaluation and comparison with literature cases was considered necessary. The P1 has a severe syndromic intellectual disorder (ID), whereas his brother has a substantially milder ID predominantly limited to problems in verbal skills. Neither P1 nor his younger brother has been diagnosed with Rett syndrome. The P1 (unlike his younger brother) has several lingual, social and motor difficulties; disruptive behavior was the most difficult symptom to treat. P1's response to several medical and non-medical treatment trials has remained inadequate, thus requiring the patient to be hospitalised for a long time. The literature review revealed that apart from our family, there are five other families with more than one male carrying the same MECP2 p.Ala140Val mutation, such as P1 and P2. The phenotypes of all 24 men from us (n = 2) and others (n = 22) carrying the same, presumably non-lethal mutation show great variability. The p.Ala140Val mutation of MECP2 in males is associated with a rare X-chromosomal developmental disorder with highly variable phenotypes. Further studies are needed to better understand all those influencing factors that can explain phenotypic differences within the same genotype to find optimal medicinal therapies.

Sleep quality is crucial for the health of individuals with disabilities. Care farming, also known as social farming, offers health, social, and educational care services to individuals with diverse needs, including those with disabilities and disorders. This study quantitatively examined the relationship between care farming activities and sleep quality among individuals with and without (control) disorders using secondary data provided by a national institution. The dataset was not collected by the research team but included sleep measurements recorded through a validated non-wearable device. Within the group with psychological disorders, this study compared three subgroups (mental, neurodevelopmental, and intellectual disorders) to understand the specific relationship of care farming with sleep quality. Sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and wake after sleep onset (WASO) were analyzed. Compared to those in the control group, individuals with psychological disorders exhibited significantly greater variance in sleep latency and WASO scores. Notably, the group with psychological disorders experienced decreased WASO following farm work compared to non-working days, whereas the control group showed no significant changes. Significant differences in sleep efficiency between the groups were observed on non-working days, suggesting that the gap in sleep performance narrowed after workdays. Sleep quality varied across psychological disorder subgroups: neurodevelopmental disorders were strongly associated with differences in sleep latency and efficiency, whereas individuals with mental and intellectual disorders showed a 6.5-min reduction in WASO on working days. Using quantitative data, the findings indicate a a relatively positive association between farming practices and sleep quality in individuals with psychological disorders who participated in these activities. These findings highlight the importance of considering both psychological disorder types and distinguishing between working and non-working days when evaluating sleep quality.

In recent years, due to an aging workforce and labor shortages in the agricultural sector, coupled with difficulties in finding work in the welfare sector, agriculture-welfare collaboration has been promoted in Japan. However, owing to a lack of understanding in the agricultural sector about the abilities of individuals with disorders and how to deal with them, it has been assumed that individuals with disorders are unable to perform agricultural work. To address this lack of knowledge, in this study, 45 participants with intellectual disorders (Medical Rehabilitation Handbook A: 6 and B: 39) and 12 with mental disorders (Mental Disability Certificate Level 1: 1, Level 2: 8, and Level 3: 3) were asked to perform three tasks of varying difficulty levels in citrus orchards (bagging, harvesting, and fruit thinning). Their work abilities were evaluated based on measurements of work efficiency and observations of their work. The results showed that 96%, 50%, and 40% of the participants with disorders were able to comprehend the bagging (low difficulty), harvesting (medium difficulty), and fruit thinning (high difficulty) tasks, respectively. The average efficiencies of participants with disorders who comprehended the tasks were 55%, 71%, and 111% of those without disorders for bagging, harvesting, and fruit thinning, respectively. For fruit-thinning, six participants were more efficient than all participants without disorders. As described above, some aspects of the work efficiency of individuals with disorders at the start of the initiative were clarified. In the future, it will be necessary to clarify the negative effects of long work hours on physical strength and concentration, as well as on efficiency gains, through further experience and work process innovations.