Sensory Demands Research Articles

Musculoskeletal Disorders and Psychosocial Stress at Work: A Comprehensive Study on Indian Nurses

Background Nurses’ physical and mental well-being is crucial for prompt patient-care service. While research has been conducted on the specific causes of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and occupational stress among Indian nurses, a comprehensive picture considering all these variables is still lacking. This study investigated MSD prevalence and psychosocial stress levels among female nurses in West Bengal, India, and the connections between these factors and MSDs. Methods The study was performed in nine different hospitals and nursing homes in West Bengal, India. The modified Nordic questionnaire and Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) were used. The body height, body weight, BMI, pulse rate and blood pressure of the subjects were measured using an anthropometer, a weighing machine and a digital blood pressure monitor, respectively. Results 80.9% of subjects reported that they had discomfort in the past 12 months, with the highest percentage (52.1%) of complaints of low-back pain. From COPSOQ, concerning mean values were found in the demand scales and general health. The presence of different discomforts was found to be significantly related to various scales of COPSOQ. Conclusion Increased cognitive, quantitative and sensorial demands were found to be major contributors to the high prevalence of MSDs among nurses in this study. As the well-being of nurses is pivotal for maintaining well-ordered health systems, regular follow-ups on their physical and psychological health are necessary.

Effects of Temporal Processing on Speech-in-Noise Perception in Middle-Aged Adults.

Auditory temporal processing is a vital component of auditory stream segregation, or the process in which complex sounds are separated and organized into perceptually meaningful objects. Temporal processing can degrade prior to hearing loss, and is suggested to be a contributing factor to difficulties with speech-in-noise perception in normal-hearing listeners. The current study tested this hypothesis in middle-aged adults-an under-investigated cohort, despite being the age group where speech-in-noise difficulties are first reported. In 76 participants, three mechanisms of temporal processing were measured: peripheral auditory nerve function using electrocochleography, subcortical encoding of periodic speech cues (i.e., fundamental frequency; F0) using the frequency following response, and binaural sensitivity to temporal fine structure (TFS) using a dichotic frequency modulation detection task. Two measures of speech-in-noise perception were administered to explore how contributions of temporal processing may be mediated by different sensory demands present in the speech perception task. This study supported the hypothesis that temporal coding deficits contribute to speech-in-noise difficulties in middle-aged listeners. Poorer speech-in-noise perception was associated with weaker subcortical F0 encoding and binaural TFS sensitivity, but in different contexts, highlighting that diverse aspects of temporal processing are differentially utilized based on speech-in-noise task characteristics.

Autistic Women’s Experiences of the Perinatal Period: A Systematic Mixed Methods Review

AbstractThe perinatal period has challenges for autistic women. This review synthesises evidence on the experiences of autistic women during the perinatal period. This mixed methods evidence synthesis followed JBI guidance for mixed methods systematic reviews. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool assessed study quality. Thematic analysis was used to synthesise findings. Thirteen studies were included. Themes identified included sensory demands of the perinatal period are frequently overwhelming; experiencing healthcare as an autistic person is challenging; parenting as an autistic mother has difficulties but also rewards; predictability and control are important in labour and birth. Individualised care with reasonable adjustments can make a difference to the perinatal experiences of autistic women. Despite challenges, autistic women also have many strengths as mothers.

Return-to-Play With R2Play: Protocol for Evaluating Cross-Site Feasibility, Face Validity, and Content Validity of a Multidomain Concussion Assessment Tool for Youth

Context: Clinical concussion assessments do not typically simulate the speed or complexity of sport. Performance changes arising from combined physical, cognitive, and sensory demands of sport may thus remain undetected during rehabilitation. We developed R2Play, a multidomain return-to-play assessment tool for youth with concussions. R2Play involves levels and conditions that vary in physical, cognitive, and sensory load to simulate the multidomain demands of sport. Objectives: To explore cross-site feasibility, face validity, and content validity of R2Play by integrating quantitative and qualitative data. Methods: Convergent mixed-methods feasibility study. Five sites will each recruit 5 clinicians (total nc = 25) and 10 youth sport participants (ages 10–25 y) with a history of concussion in the previous year (total ny = 50). Feasibility will be evaluated using quantitative criteria for acceptability, demand, implementation, practicality, and integration, and qualitative investigated data from content analysis of postassessment interviews with youth and clinician participants. Face validity will be investigated in postassessment interviews. Content validity will be established through (1) changes in performance metrics (time to completion, errors, and heart rate) across R2Play levels, (2) youth-perceived physical and cognitive exertion for each level, and (3) overall clinician perceptions determined through postassessment interviews. Qualitative and quantitative data will be merged through joint display to identify areas of convergence, divergence, and complementarity, and to establish meta-inferences about feasibility, face validity, and content validity. Discussion: This study aims to demonstrate the face and content validity of R2Play, and its feasibility for cross-site implementation. Findings will guide further iteration of R2Play and establish the foundation for a larger multicenter validation study to establish the psychometric properties of R2Play. This work represents an important first step toward the implementation of an ecologically valid multidomain assessment tool designed to support a safe and efficient return-to-play after concussion, ultimately reducing the risk of recurrent concussion and subsequent injury.

Differentiation of workers into soldiers is associated with a size reduction of higher-order brain centers in the neotropical termite Procornitermes araujoi

Comparing the size of functionally distinct brain regions across individuals with remarkable differences in sensory processing and cognitive demands provides important insights into the selective forces shaping animal nervous systems. We took advantage of the complex system of worker-to-soldier differentiation in the termitid Procornitermes araujoi, to investigate how a profound modification of body morphology followed by an irreversible shift in task performance are translated in terms of brain structure and size. This behavioural shift is characterised by a reduction of the once wide and complex behavioural repertoire of workers to one exclusively dedicated to nest defence (soldiers). In accordance with soldier’s reduced cognitive and sensory demands, we show here that differentiation of workers into soldiers is associated with a size reduction of the mushroom body (MB) compartments, higher-order brain regions responsible for multimodal processing and integration of sensory information, as well as learning, memory, and decision-making. Moreover, in soldiers, we found an apparent fusion of the medial and lateral MB calyces likely associated with its volume reduction. These results illustrate a functional neuroplasticity of the MB associated with division of labour, supporting the link between MB size and behavioural flexibility in social insect workers.

Beyond image attributes: A new approach to destination positioning based on sensory preference

This research expands destination positioning theories by introducing a new perspective on destination positioning, namely sensory experience. This can be used to distinguish destinations with otherwise similar images. Through three studies focusing sequentially on positioning, segmenting and targeting (STP), this research for the first time provides a complete analytical procedure for positioning research. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of destination positioning based on sensory preference. For tourists with a particular dominant sensory preference (e.g. taste or smell), promotion of the corresponding type of sensory experience is effective in destination marketing; for tourists with a more balanced set of sensory preferences, promotion of the type of sensory experience in which the destination has a natural advantage proves more attractive to the group of tourists with a moderate level of sensory demand. This new approach to destination positioning thereby supports more effective marketing.

The development of sniffing.

Sniffing is a commonly displayed behavior in rodents, yet how this important behavior adjusts throughout development to meet the sensory demands of the animals has remained largely unexplored. In this issue of Chemical Senses, Boulanger-Bertolus et al. investigates the ontogeny of odor-evoked sniffing through a longitudinal study of rats engaged in several olfactory paradigms from infancy to adulthood. The results of this study yield a cohesive picture of sniffing behavior across three developmental stages, while also providing direct comparisons within subjects between these timepoints. As we discuss herein, these results advance the field in relation to existing literature on the development of odor-evoked sniffing behavior in several important ways.

Architectural Design of Jobs for People with Disabilities in Special Employment Workshops

Special employment centers and occupational centers have enormous relevance for the socio-labor integration of people with disabilities. The following work tried to bring to this type of centers the basic techniques of work study, ergonomics and anthropometry organized in a procedure that contributes to the adjustment of jobs to the capacities of people with disabilities through the architectural design of the same as one more tool that facilitates the aforementioned integration. With the procedure, the physical, psychological and sensory demands that are required for each activity were analyzed and, based on this, an analysis of the necessary adaptations for the performance of these people in their positions was carried out, proceeding to the architectural redesign of the same. Throughout the research, techniques and tools such as checklists, interviews, questionnaires and anthropometric design were used as a fundamental technique to develop the architectural design of the positions under study, taking into consideration the necessary adaptations to the person with a disability.

Phychosocial factors and risks in work environments: Case study of employees of MSMEs in Medellin - Colombia

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to determine which are the elements associated with work environments that generate psychosocial risks in employees. The empirical application considers the case of companies located in the city of Medellín. Design/methodology: Exploratory, qualitative research based on the review of literature in documentary sources on psychosocial risk factors and dimensions using the evaluation tool "SUSESO/ISTAS21 Questionnaire short version". The data collected are grouped into dimensions and sub-dimensions and then described by means of factor analysis . Findings: The most relevant findings in relation to general health, mental health, vitality and stress symptoms of workers could be caused by factors such as excessive workload. These factors correspond to psychosocial risks: psychological, cognitive and sensory demands are due to lack of skills and training. Active work and skill development can lead to mechanisation, incompetence and lack of creativity. In the social support dimension lack of direction leads to lack of responsibilities and procedures. In the compensation dimension, risks associated with salary conditions and retention policies are affected, and in the dual presence dimension, risks are consolidated by increased demands and incompatible demands on working time. Originality/value: Through this research, it was possible to identify psychosocial risk factors that may affect psychological health, which reveals a wide field of knowledge for future research.

Caste, Sex, and Parasitism Influence Brain Plasticity in a Social Wasp

Brain plasticity is widespread in nature, as it enables adaptive responses to sensory demands associated with novel stimuli, environmental changes and social conditions. Social Hymenoptera are particularly well-suited to study neuroplasticity, because the division of labor amongst females and the different life histories of males and females are associated with specific sensory needs. Here, we take advantage of the social waspPolistes dominulato explore if brain plasticity is influenced by caste and sex, and the exploitation by the strepsipteran parasiteXenos vesparum.Within sexes, male wasps had proportionally larger optic lobes, while females had larger antennal lobes, which is consistent with the sensory needs of sex-specific life histories. Within castes, reproductive females had larger mushroom body calyces, as predicted by their sensory needs for extensive within-colony interactions and winter aggregations, than workers who frequently forage for nest material and prey. Parasites had different effects on female and male hosts. Contrary to our predictions, female workers were castrated and behaviorally manipulated by female or male parasites, but only showed moderate differences in brain tissue allocation compared to non-parasitized workers. Parasitized males maintained their reproductive apparatus and sexual behavior. However, they had smaller brains and larger sensory brain regions than non-parasitized males. Our findings confirm that caste and sex mediate brain plasticity inP. dominula, and that parasitic manipulation drives differential allocation of brain regions depending on host sex.

Mothers’ perspectives of co-occurring fatigue in children with autism spectrum disorders

ABSTRACT Background Fatigue seems deeply associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) as reflected by the preferred terms ‘autistic fatigue’ and ‘autistic burnout’. In ASD there is also a greater prevalence of sensory and cognitive demands, and medical conditions where persistent fatigue can be a symptom. This may contribute to some of the debilitating levels of fatigue evidenced, impacting on children with ASD and families. Objective As parents caring for a child with ASD experience high levels of stress this study aimed to provide a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of parenting a child with ASD with co-occurring fatigue. Design An interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse semi-structured interviews from six mothers of children with ASD aged 4–19 who also had severe levels of co-occurring fatigue. Results Four superordinate themes were generated: The experience of fatigue; Making sense of their child’s fatigue; Managing fatigue; Accepting needs and limitations. Mothers developed understanding of their child’s fatigue, guiding their child to self-regulate. As mismanagement increased meltdowns and emotional outbursts, managing fatigue was perceived to be a key aspect of living with the phenomenon. Conclusion The findings reflect the impact of extreme fatigue on a child with ASD and families, supporting recent recommendations which state managing energy levels and reducing stressors is essential to prevent burnout in those with ASD and co-occurring fatigue. Better understanding, recognition and diagnosis would support parents, as would greater flexibility in schools to help children with ASD to better manage the demands of the school day.

Is the prefrontal cortex organized by supramodal or modality-specific sensory demands during adolescence?

Attention is inherently biased towards the visual modality during most multisensory scenarios in adults, but the developmental trajectory towards visual dominance has not been fully elucidated. More recent evidence in primates and adult humans suggests a modality-specific stratification of the prefrontal cortex. The current study therefore used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neuronal correlates of proactive (following cues) and reactive (following probes) cognitive control for simultaneous audio-visual stimulation in 67 healthy adolescents (13–18 years old). Behavioral results were only partially supportive of visual dominance in adolescents, with both reduced response times and accuracy during attend-visual relative to attend-auditory trials. Differential activation of medial and lateral prefrontal cortex for processing incongruent relative to congruent stimuli (reactive control) was also only observed during attend-visual trials. There was no evidence of modality-specific prefrontal cortex stratification during the active processing of multisensory stimuli or during separate functional connectivity analyses. Attention-related modulations were also greater within visual relative to auditory cortex, but were less robust than observed in previous adult studies. Collectively, current results suggest a continued transition towards visual dominance in adolescence, as well as limited modality-specific specialization of prefrontal cortex and attentional modulations of unisensory cortex.

Adapting services for autism: Recommendations from a specialist multidisciplinary perspective using freelisting

The guidance available for tailoring mental health services for autistic people is limited and dispersed. Practitioners attempting to appropriately adapt mental healthcare and therapy provision report low confidence and inconsistency in their approach. This study contributes to the guidance by providing a shortlist of usable and priority adaptations for diagnostic and therapy services as described by multidisciplinary staff members responsible for the design and delivery of a specialist autism service in the UK. Individual freelisting interviews were conducted with 15 staff, who were asked to list the ways that they adapt their practice individually, within therapy, and collectively as a service. Salience and cultural consensus analyses demonstrated the following agreed priority service adaptations: ensuring the suitability of the service environment with consideration of sensory demands, adapting communication, knowing individual gender identity preferences and minimising client uncertainty. Detailed examples are given for flexibly adapting therapy to individual needs to inform general and specialist services. The findings require replication and evaluation.

A Qualitative Exploration into the Sensory Experiences of Autistic Mothers

Research has found 96% of autistic individuals experience sensory processing difficulties, and being a parent presents many sensory demands that may be especially challenging for autistic mothers. Despite the high prevalence, no research exists exploring the sensory experiences of autistic mothers, highlighting the gap in current knowledge. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 autistic mothers, data were analysed using thematic analysis identifying 5 major themes: antenatal experiences, sensory experiences in motherhood, the impact of sensory processing difficulties, strategies and needs, diagnosis. This research provides greater insight and understanding into the sensory experiences of autistic mothers which can influence earlier diagnosis and inform appropriate support and adaptations for autistic mothers in a variety of different sectors and highlights a possible emerging role for Occupational Therapists.

Sensory acquisition functions of the cerebellum in verbal working memory

Several fMRI studies have shown that the superior cerebellum exhibits load-dependent activations during encoding of letters in a Sternberg verbal working memory (VWM) task. It has been hypothesized that the cerebellum regulates the acquisition of sensory data across all modalities, and thus, that VWM load activations may reflect high- vs low-load differences in sensory acquisition demands. Therefore, increased difficulty in sensory data acquisition should elicit greater activation in the cerebellum. The present fMRI study manipulated sensory acquisition in VWM by presenting visually degraded and non-degraded stimuli with high and low memory loads, thereby identifying load-dependent regions of interest in the cerebellum, and then testing if these regions showed greater activation for degraded stimuli. Results yielded partial support for the sensory acquisition hypothesis in a load-dependent region of the vermis, which showed significantly greater activation for degraded relative to non-degraded stimuli. Because eye movements did not differ for these stimulus types, and degradation-related activations were present after co-varying eye movements, this activation appears to be related to perceptual rather than oculomotor demands. In contrast to the vermis, load-sensitive regions of the cerebellar hemispheres did not show increased activation for degraded stimuli. These findings point to an overall function of association-based prediction that may underlie general cerebellar function, with perceptual prediction of stimuli from partial representations occurring in the vermis, and articulatory prediction occurring in the hemispheres.

Making sense of neural development by comparing wiring strategies for seeing and hearing.

The ability to perceive and interact with the world depends on a diverse array of neural circuits specialized for carrying out specific computations. Each circuit is assembled using a relatively limited number of molecules and common developmental steps, from cell fate specification to activity-dependent synaptic refinement. Given this shared toolkit, how do individual circuits acquire their characteristic properties? We explore this question by comparing development of the circuitry for seeing and hearing, highlighting a few examples where differences in each system's sensory demands necessitate different developmental strategies.

Visual Adaptations in Predatory and Scavenging Diurnal Raptors

Ecological diversity among diurnal birds of prey, or raptors, is highlighted regarding their sensory abilities. While raptors are believed to forage primarily using sight, the sensory demands of scavengers and predators differ, as reflected in their visual systems. Here, I have reviewed the visual specialisations of predatory and scavenging diurnal raptors, focusing on (1) the anatomy of the eye and (2) the use of vision in foraging. Predators have larger eyes than scavengers relative to their body mass, potentially highlighting the higher importance of vision in these species. Scavengers possess one centrally positioned fovea that allows for the detection of carrion at a distance. In addition to the central fovea, predators have a second, temporally positioned fovea that views the frontal visual field, possibly for prey capture. Spatial resolution does not differ between predators and scavengers. In contrast, the organisation of the visual fields reflects important divergences, with enhanced binocularity in predators opposed to an enlarged field of view in scavengers. Predators also have a larger blind spot above the head. The diversity of visual system specializations according to the foraging ecology displayed by these birds suggests a complex interplay between visual anatomy and ecology, often unrelatedly of phylogeny.

Neck and upper extremity pain in sonographers \u2013 a longitudinal study

BackgroundSonographers have reported a high occurrence of musculoskeletal pain for more than 25 years. Assessments of occupational risk factors have previously been based on cross-sectional surveys. The aim of this longitudinal study was to determine which factors at baseline that were associated with neck/shoulder and elbow/hand pain at follow-up.MethodsA questionnaire was answered by 248 female sonographers at baseline and follow-up (85% of the original cohort). 208 were included in the analyses. Physical, visual, and psychosocial work-related conditions were assessed at baseline. Pain in two body regions (neck/shoulders and elbows/hands) was assessed at both baseline and follow up.ResultsPain at baseline showed the strongest association with pain at follow-up in both body regions [prevalence ratio (PR) 2.04; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.50–2.76], for neck/shoulders and (PR 3.45; CI 2.29–5.22) for elbows/hands. Neck/shoulder pain at follow-up was associated with inability of ergonomic adjustments at the ultrasound device (PR 1.25; CI 1.05–1.49), a high mechanical exposure index (PR 1.66; CI 1.09–2.52), and adverse visual conditions (PR 1.24; CI 1.00–1.54) at baseline. Moreover, among participants with no neck/shoulder pain at baseline, high job demands (PR 1.78; CI 1.01–3.12), and a high mechanical exposure index (PR 2.0; CI 0.98–4.14) predicted pain at follow-up. Pain in the elbows/hands at follow-up was associated with high sensory demands at baseline (PR 1.63; CI 1.08–2.45), and among participants without pain at baseline high sensory demands predicted elbow/hand pain at follow-up (PR 3.34; CI 1.53–7.31).ConclusionPain at baseline was the strongest predictor for pain at follow-up in both body regions. We also found several occupational factors at baseline that were associated with pain at follow-up: inability to adjust equipment, adverse visual conditions, a high MEI, high job demands and high sensory demands. These results point at a possibility to influence pain with better ergonomics.

Multisensory Analysis of Consumer-Product Interaction During Ceramic Tile Shopping Experiences.

The need to design products that engage several senses has being increasingly recognised by design and marketing professionals. Many works analyse the impact of sensory stimuli on the hedonic, cognitive, and emotional responses of consumers, as well as on their satisfaction and intention to purchase. However, there is much less information about the utilitarian dimension related to a sensory non-reflective analysis of the tangible elements of the experience, the sequential role played by different senses, and their relative importance. This work analyses the sensorial dimension of consumer interactions in shops. Consumers were filmed in two ceramic tile shops and their behaviour was analysed according to a previously validated checklist. Sequence of actions, their frequency of occurrence, and the duration of inspections were recorded, and consumers were classified according to their sensory exploration strategies. Results show that inspection patterns are intentional but shifting throughout the interaction. Considering the whole sequence, vision is the dominant sense followed by touch. However, sensory dominance varies throughout the sequence. The dominance differences appear between all senses and within the senses of vision, touch and audition. Cluster analysis classified consumers into two groups, those who were more interactive and those who were visual and passive evaluators. These results are very important for understanding consumer interaction patterns, which senses are involved (including their importance and hierarchy), and which sensory properties of tiles are evaluated during the shopping experience. Moreover, this information is crucial for setting design guidelines to improve sensory interactions and bridge sensory demands with product features.

Exploring the autistic and police perspectives of the custody process through a participative walkthrough

BackgroundResearch suggests that autistic individuals may be more likely to come into contact with police and have more negative experiences in police custody. However, limited information about the difficulties they experience during the custody process is available. AimsThis study explores the experiences of autistic individuals and officers during a walkthrough of the custody process to identify specific difficulties in these encounters and what support is needed to overcome these. Methods and proceduresA participative walkthrough method was developed to provide autistic individuals and officers an interactive opportunity to identify areas where further support in the custody process was needed. Two autistic participants and three officers took part in the study. Outcomes and resultsAutistic participants reported negative experiences due to: i) the emotional impact of the physical setting and custody process ii) communication barriers leading to increased anxiety and iii) exposure to sensory demands. Officers highlighted three factors which limit their ability to support autistic individuals effectively: i) the custody context ii) barriers to communication and iii) knowledge and understanding of autism. Conclusions and implicationsAdjustments are needed to the custody process and environment to support interactions between autistic individuals and officers and improve the overall wellbeing of autistic individuals.