Sensory Abilities Research Articles

Comparison of combined virtual reality combined with standing balance training vs. standard practice in patients with hemiplegia: A single-blinded, randomized controlled trial.

To determine whether virtual reality (VR)-based dynamic standing balance training improves three elements of sensory integration and investigate whether VR-based dynamic standing balance training results in improved outcomes, especially regarding balance and gait, compared to the standard training method. This single-blinded, randomized, controlled trial involved 30 patients with hemiplegia. The experimental (EG, n = 15) and control (CG, n = 15) groups received VR augmented-standing balance training or standard standing balance training, respectively, for 20 minutes, 5 days a week, for 3 weeks. The patients were assessed for primary (Sensory Organization Test [SOT] and the Berg balance scale [BBS]) and secondary (the functional reaching test and timed up-and-go test [TUG]) outcomes before and after training. From preintervention to postintervention, the BBS score (F = 26.295, p < 0.05), TUG score (F = 18.12, p < 0.05), mean score of conditions 2 (F = 4.36, p < 0.05) and 6 (F = 5.61, p < 0.05), and composite score of the SOT (F = 5.385, p < 0.05) in both groups were significantly improved. However, there was no significant difference between EG and CG (time*group p > 0.05). VR combined with standing balance training improved sensory integration, postural control, balance, and gait ability in patients with hemiplegia, reducing fall risk. However, outcomes were comparable to general balance training regarding balance and gait.

COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATIONAL-REHABILITATION APPROACH IN A PERSON POST-STROKE: A CASE STUDY

A stroke occurs due to a disruption in brain circulation, leading to partial or complete loss of motor, sensory, perceptual, or cognitive abilities. This can result in disability and reduced rehabilitation potential. Therefore, the approach to working with individuals who have experienced a stroke is crucial, adapting to their individual needs in a holistic manner. In this context, the aim of this study was to present a comprehensive rehabilitation approach for an 88-year-old patient following a stroke through the implementation of educational-rehabilitation treatment, achieving gradual improvements in the recovery process. Tests such as the Mini-Mental State Examination, Motor Evaluation Scalefor Upper Extremity in Stroke patients, The Barthel Index for Activities of Daily Living, Aphasic Depression Rating Scale, and The Modified Rankin Scale were applied to assess the set goal. The educational-rehabilitation treatment was conducted daily for 45 minutes, for two months within clinical rehabilitation and nine months in home conditions. The treatment was based on the principles of brain neuroplasticity and motor learning, involving cognitive training, motor training, adaptive skills training, relaxation, education and counseling, motivational training, and the promotion of metacognitive abilities. The research data underwent analysis through descriptive statistics, and the findings were visually illustrated in graphical representations. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that there is noticeable functional progress in the patient across all evaluated areas.Keywords:stroke, rehabilitation, educational-rehabilitation treatment

Checking the fitness to drive of senior citizens under German law-pending corrective measures to ensure road safety

German driving licence law takes areactive approach to dealing with suitability deficiencies of senior citizens. If the driver is no longer fit to drive and nevertheless participates in traffic, an administrative offence has been committed. If this endangers or injures other people or causes significant damage to property, it may even be acriminal offence. In addition to prosecuting these offences, the driving licence authority may restrict or even withdraw the licence issued. In this respect, senior citizens have ahigh degree of personal responsibility when assessing their fitness to drive. This article presents the current driving license law and discusses the need for changes.Legally, various corrections are required to the current Driving Licence Ordinance and its annexes. At present, there is no clear regulation regarding the general reduction in performance in old age for an event-related assessment of fitness to drive. In addition, in the event of doubts about fitness to drive, the driving licence authority should be expressly granted the power to order standardised driving tests. Furthermore, the legislator must take preventive measures to ensure road safety. He must no longer ignore the current accident situation. In view of the fact that senior citizens aged75 and over are disproportionately involved in traffic accidents with personal injury in terms of their culpable behaviour, it is important to impose moderate restrictions on the personal responsibility of driving licence holders. This is especially true for sensory abilities, which are particularly important in road traffic. Seniors should therefore be required to undergo eye tests from the age of75. From this age onwards, it also seems sensible to introduce compulsory advice on fitness to drive, preferably from your family doctor.

Enhancing brain health: Swimming-induced BDNF release and epigenetic influence in MS female mouse models

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition characterized by inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS), impacting sensory, motor, and cognitive abilities. Globally, around three million individuals are affected by MS, with up to 97,000 cases in Iran attributed to genetic predispositions along with various environmental factors like smoking. Cognitive impairment affects a significant portion of patients, ranging from 45% to 70%. This study investigates the impact of regular aerobic swimming exercise for four weeks, mild cognitive impairment induced by encephalomyelitis, and their combination on the expression of microRNA-142-3p and its correlation with the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in relation to spatial memory. Twenty-one C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups. RT-PCR was used for microRNA expression analysis, and BDNF levels were assessed via western blotting. Clinical scores and animal weights were monitored daily. EAE induction led to an increase in microRNA-142-3p expression and a decrease in BDNF levels compared to the control group. Exercise inversed them significantly, and improved spatial memory. Our findings indicate that engaging in regular swimming exercise can counteract the up-regulation of miR-142-3p in brain tissue, which likely contributes to mild cognitive impairment induced by MS. Additionally, the increase in BDNF following exercise appears to be associated with miR-142-3p and the enhancement of cognitive function. Thus, the therapeutic benefits of exercise, particularly in releasing BDNF to improve cognitive function in MS patients, warrant consideration. Lifestyle modifications have the potential to effectively modulate environmental influences and ethnicity, underscoring their significance in MS management.

Designing Equity and Accessibility into AI for Services

Artificial intelligence (AI) holds enormous potential for inclusive digital services because it can rapidly modify affordances and help communication by adapting to individuals’ sensory and cognitive abilities. But it can also compromise privacy and amplify discrimination. How can we strike a balance to design AI-based services that are accessible and equitable to everyone?

Protocol for the San Diego Nathan Shock Center Clinical Cohort: a new resource for studies of human aging

IntroductionWhile it is well recognised that aging is a heterogeneous process, our understanding of the determinants of biological aging and its heterogeneity remains unclear. The San Diego Nathan Shock Center...

Variations in touch representation in the hummingbird and zebra finch forebrain

Somatosensation is essential for animals to perceive the external world through touch, allowing them to detect physical contact, temperature, pain, and body position. Studies on rodent vibrissae have highlighted the organization and processing in mammalian somatosensory pathways.1,2 Comparative research across vertebrates is vital for understanding evolutionary influences and ecological specialization on somatosensory systems. Birds, with their diverse morphologies, sensory abilities, and behaviors, serve as ideal models for investigating the evolution of somatosensation. Prior studies have uncovered tactile-responsive areas within the avian telencephalon, particularly in pigeons,3,4,5,6 parrots,7 and finches,8 but variations in somatosensory maps and responses across avian species are not fully understood. This study aims to explore somatotopic organization and neural coding in the telencephalon of Anna's hummingbirds (Calypte anna) and zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) by using invivo extracellular electrophysiology to record activity in response to controlled tactile stimuli on various body regions. These findings reveal unique representations of body regions across distinct forebrain somatosensory nuclei, indicating significant differences in the extent of areas dedicated to certain body surfaces, which may correlate with their behavioral importance.

Enhancing music rhythmic perception and performance with a VR game

This study analyzes the effect of using a virtual reality (VR) game as a complementary tool to improve users’ rhythmic performance and perception in a remote and self-learning environment. In recent years, remote learning has gained importance due to various everyday situations; however, the effects of using VR in such situations for individual and self-learning have yet to be evaluated. In music education, learning processes are usually heavily dependent on face-to-face communication with a teacher and are based on a formal or informal curriculum. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of gamified VR learning and its influence on users’ rhythmic sensory and perceptual abilities. We developed a drum-playing game based on a tower defense scenario designed to improve four aspects of rhythmic perceptual skills in elementary school children with various levels of music learning experience. In this study, 14 elementary school children received Meta Quest 2 headsets for individual use in a 14-day individual training session. The results showed a significant increase in their rhythmical skills through an analysis of their rhythmic performance before and after the training sessions. In addition, the experience of playing the VR game and using the HMD setup was also assessed, highlighting some of the challenges of currently available affordable headsets for gamified learning scenarios.

Behavioral and Transcriptomic Analyses in the Indoxacarb Response of a Non-Target Damselfly Species.

Ischnura senegalensis, which widely spreads in paddy fields, has the potential to be used as a natural predator of insect pests. However, the application of insecticides in the field could pose a threat to the survival of I. senegalensis. Among these pesticides, indoxacarb, an oxadiazine insecticide, is renowned for its broad-spectrum efficacy against numerous insect pests. In this study, we examined the toxicity of indoxacarb towards the larvae of I. senegalensis. Behavioral experiments and transcriptome analyses were conducted under indoxacarb treatments. Results revealed that indoxacarb induced abnormal body gestures and significant locomotory impairments, which could ultimately reduce the survival rate of the larvae in their natural habitat. Moreover, transcriptome analyses indicated that genes related to muscle function were significantly affected. Interestingly, at lower concentrations of indoxacarb (0.004 mg/L), the larvae seem to detoxify the indoxacarb with the aid of the cytochrome P450 gene. However, under higher concentrations (0.4 mg/L), the sensory abilities of the larvae were significantly diminished, and they were unable to degrade the toxicity of indoxacarb. Our study underscores the importance of carefully evaluating the impact of insecticides on non-target predatory insects before their widespread application.

The Impact of Orienteering Sports in Universities on the Psychological Cognition of College Students

Orienteering, as an emerging sport, has developed rapidly in China. In addition to the continuous emergence of a large number of orienteering clubs, major universities across the country are also gradually popularizing and offering this course. Through research, it has been found that the mental health status of contemporary college students is not optimistic, especially for some students whose cognitive abilities such as attention, perception, and thinking need to be improved. Orienteering can effectively improve the attention ability of college students, with a significant promoting effect on attention allocation, attention breadth, and attention stability. Orienteering is beneficial for the development of sensory perception ability among college students, with significant improvements and improvements in time perception, distance perception, and height perception.

Smell throughout the life course.

The sense of smell is an important mediator of health and sociality at all stages of life, yet it has received limited attention in our lineage. Olfaction starts in utero and participates in the establishment of social bonds in children, and of romantic and sexual relationships after puberty. Smell further plays a key role in food assessment and danger avoidance; in modern societies, it also guides our consumer behavior. Sensory abilities typically decrease with age and can be impacted by diseases, with repercussions on health and well-being. Here, we critically review our current understanding of human olfactory communication to refute outdated notions that our sense of smell is of low importance. We provide a summary of the biology of olfaction, give a prospective overview of the importance of the sense of smell throughout the life course, and conclude with an outline of the limitations and future directions in this field.

A Relook at Cerebral Palsy Beyond Motor Pathology: A Cross-Sectional Study of Sensory Processing Abilities

Background: Sensory processing refers to receiving, organizing, and interpreting sensory stimuli from the sensory system. Unlike other neurodevelopmental disorders, knowledge about the sensory processing abilities of children with cerebral palsy (CP) is lacking. Objective: To study the difference in sensory processing abilities of children with cerebral palsy in comparison to age matched typically developing children (TDC). Methods and Material: A cross-sectional analysis of sensory processing abilities of children with CP and TDC was performed from July 2018 through February 2020. The child sensory profile2 (CSP2) caregiver questionnaire was used to detect sensory processing differences (SPD) across nine sensory domains and four sensory processing patterns. A comparison was made between the two study groups as well as between the CP subtypes. Result: Around 226 children with CP and 58 TDC were screened. Finally, 150 children with CP and 50 TDC were enrolled. Probable SPD (&gt;1SD) was observed in (121/150) 80.7% of children with CP compared to (13/50) 26% in TDC (p &lt; 0.001). Definite SPD (&gt;2SD) was seen in 40.7% (61/150) of children with CP vs. none in TDC (p &lt; 0.001). The body position domain which tests the vestibular and proprioceptive processing was primarily affected in CP. Most children with CP fell under the “bystander” pattern suggesting poor registration of sensory stimuli. No significant difference in the pattern of sensory processing was observed between the CP subtypes. Prevalence of definite SPD positively correlated with the gross motor functional classification system level. Conclusion: Sensory processing abilities of children with CP differ significantly from TDC. Proprioceptive and vestibular sensory processing is primarily affected in CP.

Non-invasive spinal cord electrical stimulation for arm and hand function in chronic tetraplegia: a safety and efficacy trial

Cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to permanent impairment of arm and hand functions. Here we conducted a prospective, single-arm, multicenter, open-label, non-significant risk trial that evaluated the safety and efficacy of ARCEX Therapy to improve arm and hand functions in people with chronic SCI. ARCEX Therapy involves the delivery of externally applied electrical stimulation over the cervical spinal cord during structured rehabilitation. The primary endpoints were safety and efficacy as measured by whether the majority of participants exhibited significant improvement in both strength and functional performance in response to ARCEX Therapy compared to the end of an equivalent period of rehabilitation alone. Sixty participants completed the protocol. No serious adverse events related to ARCEX Therapy were reported, and the primary effectiveness endpoint was met. Seventy-two percent of participants demonstrated improvements greater than the minimally important difference criteria for both strength and functional domains. Secondary endpoint analysis revealed significant improvements in fingertip pinch force, hand prehension and strength, upper extremity motor and sensory abilities and self-reported increases in quality of life. These results demonstrate the safety and efficacy of ARCEX Therapy to improve hand and arm functions in people living with cervical SCI. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04697472.

Greater utilization of executive functions networks when listening to stories with visual stimulation is related to lower reading abilities in children

Narrative comprehension relies on basic sensory processing abilities, such as visual and auditory processing, with recent evidence for utilizing executive functions (EF), which are also engaged during reading. EF was previously related to the “supporter” of engaging the auditory and visual modalities in different cognitive tasks, with evidence of lower efficiency in this process among those with reading difficulties in the absence of a visual stimulus (i.e. while listening to stories). The current study aims to fill out the gap related to the level of reliance on these neural circuits while visual aids (pictures) are involved during story listening in relation to reading skills. Functional MRI data were collected from 44 Hebrew-speaking children aged 8–12 years while listening to stories with vs without visual stimuli (i.e., pictures). Functional connectivity of networks supporting reading was defined in each condition and compared between the conditions against behavioral reading measures. Lower reading skills were related to greater functional connectivity values between EF networks (default mode and memory networks), and between the auditory and memory networks for the stories with vs without the visual stimulation. A greater difference in functional connectivity between the conditions was related to lower reading scores. We conclude that lower reading skills in children may be related to a need for greater scaffolding, i.e., visual stimulation such as pictures describing the narratives when listening to stories, which may guide future intervention approaches.

Sensory Factors Influence Dynamic and Static Bi-Manual Finger Grip Strength in a Real-World Task Context

Individual grip strength provides a functional window into somatosensory processes and their effects on motor behaviour in healthy, impaired, and ageing individuals. Variations in grip strength during hand–tool interaction are therefore exploited in a variety of experimental tasks to study the effects of pathology or ageing-related changes on sensory, motor, and cognitive ability. However, many different factors may influence individual grip strength systematically in a given task context without being explicitly identified and controlled for. Grip strength may vary as a function of the location of the measurement device (sensor) on the fingers/hand, the shape, weight and size of object(s) being gripped, the type of grip investigated (static versus dynamic grip), and the hand (dominant versus non-dominant) used for gripping. This study tests for additional factors such as sight, sound, and interactions with/between any of the other factors in a complex task context. A wearable biosensor system, designed for measuring grip strength variations in operators gripping cylindrical objects bi-manually, was used. Grip force signals were recorded from all sensors of the wearable (glove) system, including three directly task-relevant sensors for bi-manually gripping cylindrical objects with the dominant and non-dominant hands. Five young male participants were tested for the effects of sound, movement, and sight on grip strength. The participants had to pick up two cylindrical objects of identical size and weight, then hold them still (static grip) or move them upwards and downwards (dynamic grip) for ten seconds while listening to soft or hard music, with their eyes open or blindfolded. Significant effects of sensor location, hand, movement, sight, and sound on bi-manual grip strength were found. Stronger grip force signals were produced by task-relevant sensors in the dominant hand when moving the cylindrical handles (dynamic grip) in comparison with the static grip condition, depending, as expected, on whether grip signals were measured from the dominant or the non-dominant hand. Significantly stronger grip strength was produced blindfolded (sight condition), and grips were significantly stronger with exposure to harder music (sound factor). It is concluded that grip strength is significantly influenced by sensory factors and interactions between the other factors tested for, pointing towards the need for identifying and systematically controlling such potential sources of variation in complex study task contexts.

Respiratory Physiotherapy in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review

Background: A spinal cord injury is a trauma or lesion to the spinal cord, which is made up of white matter (ascending and descending tracts) and grey matter (sensory neuron and motor neuron). It causes muscle paralysis and affects sensory abilities and other bodily processes below the level of the injury. Between 2,50,000 and 5,00,000 people worldwide experience spinal cord injuries each year, according to the WHO. In India, the prevalence of SCI is 0.15 million, with an average yearly incidence of 15,000 cases. Objective- To study the effect of respiratory physiotherapy in spinal cord injury patients. Method: A Systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines was conducted on 20 articles through different databases like PubMed, google scholar which were identified, sorted and screened according to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria post which the studies were assessed for quality. Result: Data from the selected studies were extracted under the headings of title /author, type of study design, intervention /device /technique elaborated in the study, and key highlights of the study and was tabulated systematically Conclusion: This study concludes that respiratory physiotherapy improves respiratory muscle strength and function in SCI Patients.

Designing and validating of a questionnaire measuring perceived self-care ability (PSCA) in chronic stroke patients at home

BackgroundPatients with a stroke often cannot care for themselves after hospital discharge. Assessment of their self-care ability is the first step in planning post-discharge home care. This study aimed to design and validate a measure of perceived self-care ability (PSCA) in stroke patients.MethodsA sequential-exploratory mixed method was conducted in Tehran, Iran, in 2020–2021. The qualitative phase involved in-depth semi-structured interviews with 12 participants. Transcripts were content analyzed. The results guided the development of 81 items. psychometric properties such as face validity (Impact Score > 1.5), content validity ratio (CVR > 0.63), content validity index (Item Content Validity Index: ICVI > 0.78, Scale Content Validity Index/Average: SCVI/Ave > 0.8) and Kappa value (Kappa > 0.7), internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.7), relative reliability (ICC: inter class correlation coefficient), absolute reliability (Standard Error of Measurement: SEM and Minimal Detectable Changes: MDC), convergent validity (Correlation Coefficient between 0.4–0.7), interpretability, responsiveness, feasibility, and ceiling and floor effects were assessed.ResultsContent analysis of the qualitative interviews yielded 5 major categories and 9 subcategories that reflected "Perceptual stability", "Cognitive fluctuations", "Sensory, Motor and Physical health",” The subjective nature" and "The dynamic nature” of PSCA. Results of face and content validity reduced the number of items to 32, capturing three dimensions of PSCA in chronic stroke patients; these dimensions included perceptual ability, threatened health status, and sensory, motor, and cognitive ability. The findings supported the reliability and validity of the measure.ConclusionsThe PSCA questionnaire was developed and validated within the Iranian culture. It is useful in assessing the self-care of patients with stroke and in informing practice.

Examination of sensory reception and integration abilities in children with and without Prader-Willi syndrome

BackgroundGood postural stability control is dependent upon the complex integration of incoming sensory information (visual, somatosensory, vestibular) with neuromotor responses that are constructed in advance of a voluntary action or in response to an unexpected perturbation. AimsTo examine whether differences exist in how sensory inputs are used to control standing balance in children with and without Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). Methods and ProceduresIn this cross-sectional study, 18 children with PWS and 51 children categorized as obese but without PWS (without PWS) ages 8–11 completed the Sensory Organization Test®. This test measures the relative contributions of vision, somatosensory, and vestibular inputs to the control of standing balance. The composite equilibrium score (CES) derived from performance in all sensory conditions, in addition to equilibrium scores (EQs) and falls per condition were compared between groups. Outcomes and ResultsThe CES was lower for children with PWS compared to children without PWS (M=53.93, SD=14.56 vs. M=66.17, SD=9.89, p = .001) while EQs declined in both groups between conditions 1 and 4 (F (1.305, 66.577) = 71.381, p < .001). No group differences in the percent of falls were evident in condition 5 but more children with PWS fell in condition 6 (χ2 (1) = 7.468, p = .006). Group differences in frequency of repeated falls also approached significance in conditions 5 (χ2 (3) = 4.630, p = .099) and 6 (χ2 (3) = 5.167, p = .076). Conclusions and ImplicationsChildren with PWS demonstrated a lower overall level of postural control and increased sway when compared to children with obesity. Both the higher incidence and repeated nature of falls in children with PWS in conditions 5 and 6 suggest an inability to adapt to sensory conditions in which vestibular input must be prioritized. Postural control training programs in this population should include activities that improve their ability to appropriately weight sensory information in changing sensory environments, with a particular focus on the vestibular system. What does this study add?This study shows that children with PWS demonstrate a lower level of postural stability. The results suggest that children with PWS show inability to adapt to sensory conditions that require prioritizing vestibular information to maintain postural control. This information can be used to help guide training programs in this population.

Behind the wheel: exploring gray matter variations in experienced drivers.

Driving is a complex skill involving various cognitive activities. Previous research has explored differences in the brain structures related to the navigational abilities of drivers compared to non-drivers. However, it remains unclear whether changes occur in the structures associated with low-level sensory and higher-order cognitive abilities in drivers. Gray matter volume, assessed via voxel-based morphometry analysis of T1-weighted images, is considered a reliable indicator of structural changes in the brain. This study employs voxel-based morphological analysis to investigate structural differences between drivers (n = 22) and non-drivers (n = 20). The results indicate that, in comparison to non-drivers, drivers exhibit significantly reduced gray matter volume in the middle occipital gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and cerebellum, suggesting a relationship with driving-related experience. Furthermore, the volume of the middle occipital gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus, is found to be marginally negative related to the years of driving experience, suggesting a potential impact of driving experience on gray matter volume. However, no significant correlations were observed between driving experiences and frontal gray matter volume. These findings suggest that driving skills and experience have a pronounced impact on the cortical areas responsible for low-level sensory and motor processing. Meanwhile, the influence on cortical areas associated with higher-order cognitive function appears to be minimal.

Upaya penanaman karakter rajin pada anak usia dini

For four days, community service activities were given to early childhood children at Rainbow Kiddy Kindergarten, Surabaya. Eight children participated, and all of them were kindergarten B students. The aim of holding this activity was to provide understanding and instill habits for productive and diligent living. The learning method is done through puppet stages that present educational stories, block assembly games, drawing on scratch paper, puzzle games, and coloring fans and piggy banks. The results of this community service activity show that the socialization activity has made children understand the importance of being diligent. Puzzle games and assembling blocks train children's motoric, sensory, and mental cognitive abilities to make efforts. Drawing activities on scratch paper and coloring fans encourage children to be more expressive and creative. Coloring piggy banks encourages creativity and the intention to start saving.