Sensory-perceptual Experience Research Articles

Dyspnea-Related Dimensions And Self-Efficacy: Associations With Well-Being in Advanced Lung Cancer

ContextDyspnea is a complex, multidimensional symptom comprising sensory-perceptual, affective, and functional domains that commonly persists in patients with lung cancer and impairs mental health and quality of life (QOL). However, data are lacking on how dyspnea's dimensions or self-efficacy to manage dyspnea are associated with patient outcomes. ObjectivesTo assess the associations of dyspnea dimensions (dyspnea-related sensory–perceptual experience, affective distress, and functional impact) and dyspnea self-efficacy with depression, anxiety, and QOL in patients with advanced lung cancer reporting dyspnea. MethodsWe conducted a secondary analysis of baseline clinical trial data testing a supportive care intervention for dyspnea. Patients with advanced lung cancer reporting at least moderate dyspnea (≥2 on the Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale) self-reported dyspnea and patient outcome measures. Hierarchical regressions tested the associations of the dyspnea dimensions with depressive and anxiety symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and QOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung) while adjusting for variables known to affect these outcomes. ResultsThe sensory–perceptual experience of dyspnea (effort) was associated with worse depressive symptoms (b = 0.21, P < 0.01) and QOL (b = −0.53, P = 0.01). Dyspnea self-efficacy was associated with improved depressive (b = −1.26, P < 0.01) and anxiety symptoms (b = −1.72, P < 0.01) and QOL (b = 3.66, P < 0.01). The affective and functional dimensions of dyspnea were not associated with the patient outcomes in the final models. ConclusionsDyspnea-related sensory–perceptual experience and self-efficacy were associated with mental health and QOL outcomes in patients with lung cancer. Examining the individual contributions of dyspnea's multiple dimensions provides a nuanced understanding of its patient impact.

From Cathartic ‘Brain Tingles’ to Scratching Chalkboard Sensations

ASMR is a sensory-perceptual experience in which specific audio-visual or haptic stimuli reliably trigger electro-static-like ‘brain tingles’ extending peripherally from the back of the scalp. While generally an under-studied phenomenon, research is beginning to identify potential therapeutic benefits of immersing in ASMR-content, supported by anecdotal accounts from active online communities. The present mixed-methods online study aimed to explore the phenomenological aspects of ASMR and its potential therapeutic effects. A total of 224 participants watched ASMR-videos and completed scales measuring ASMR response and affect. Participants then completed four open-ended questions about their ASMR experience and use. In line with our hypotheses, quantitative results suggested that participants who experienced ASMR demonstrated significantly higher positive affect and significantly lower negative affect compared to those who did not (or were unsure about whether they did) experience ASMR. The pleasurability and intensity of ASMR also positively correlated with measures of positive affect, and negatively with measures of negative affect. Thematic analysis identified great phenomenological variability in perceived pleasurability and intensity of ASMR experience among individuals as a super-theme present across themes (Psychological, Physical and Social dimensions). Based on these findings, a multi-dimensional model for characterising ASMR is proposed, providing clear opportunities for future research.

Building semantic memory from embodied and distributional language experience.

Humans seamlessly make sense of a rapidly changing environment, using a seemingly limitless knowledgebase to recognize and adapt to most situations we encounter. This knowledgebase is called semantic memory. Embodied cognition theories suggest that we represent this knowledge through simulation: understanding the meaning of coffee entails reinstantiating the neural states involved in touching, smelling, seeing, and drinking coffee. Distributional semantic theories suggest that we are sensitive to statistical regularities in natural language, and that a cognitive mechanism picks up on these regularities and transforms them into usable semantic representations reflecting the contextual usage of language. These appear to present contrasting views on semantic memory, but do they? Recent years have seen a push toward combining these approaches under a common framework. These hybrid approaches augment our understanding of semantic memory in important ways, but current versions remain unsatisfactory in part because they treat sensory-perceptual and distributional-linguistic data as interacting but distinct types of data that must be combined. We synthesize several approaches which, taken together, suggest that linguistic and embodied experience should instead be considered as inseparably entangled: just as sensory and perceptual systems are reactivated to understand meaning, so are experience-based representations endemic to linguistic processing; further, sensory-perceptual experience is susceptible to the same distributional principles as language experience. This conclusion produces a characterization of semantic memory that accounts for the interdependencies between linguistic and embodied data that arise across multiple timescales, giving rise to concept representations that reflect our shared and unique experiences. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Language Neuroscience > Cognition Linguistics > Language in Mind and Brain.

From chaos to Caravaggio: technical considerations in the psychoanalysis of autisto-psychotic states in relation to sensory-perceptual fragmentation

ABSTRACT In this article, I describe the psychoanalysis of a girl on the Autisto-Psychotic Spectrum and her struggle to emerge out of a severe autistic pathological organisation. At the beginning of her analysis, the girl was in a state of autistic confusion, which was manifested as a sensorial lack of colour differentiation. Following interpretative working-through of her deep anxieties-of-being, she established a sensorial-emotional ‘wall’, leading to a consolidation of a previously precarious primary splitting. This, in turn, led to a better capacity for emotional perception and differentiation. Further interpretation of her paranoid-schizoid anxieties enabled a gradual emergence of relatedness, communication, concern, and some integration and reparation. Moreover, as the girl’s linking functions, psychic space, object relations and integration improved, her sensory, perceptual and motor skills and integrative capacities improved as well. She eventually emerged into the emotional and sensorial ‘land of colours’. Thus, psychoanalytic psychotherapy, with its linking and mantling functions, proved to be indispensable for both her development, as well as for structural changes in her sensory-perceptual experience.

Sensory Perceptual Experience in Balata Refugee Camp

Wars and conflicts have caused millions of people to seek asylum outside their homelands and the issue of refugee camps has become a pressing subject in international policy discussions. Conflicts continue to escalate in different parts of the world, especially in Middle Eastern countries. In 1948, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict forced displacement of many Palestinian people. The resulting camps have developed into cluster camp shelters of three to four stories in the West Bank, Gaza, and other regions around historical Palestine; some are perceived to be like gated communities. Being self-sufficient environments, refugee camps have rarely been approached from the perspective of urban psychology. This research deals with sensory perceptual analysis of Balata, the largest refugee camp in the West Bank of Palestinian Territories. Balata is situated in Nablus and has raised four generations of refugees since its establishment. In order to explore the spatial characteristics of such specific environmental experiences, the research adopted a mixed-method approach – systematically evaluating the related literature on sensory perceptual spaces and applying content analysis methods. The study modified the sensory slider tool of Malnar and Vodvarka according to the framework matrix based on the content analysis. Moreover, the case study analysis consisted of observation of the chosen area and 30 in-depth interviews with refugees who were forced out of their homes and settled in the camp as well as some who were born in the camp. The research results show that investigating what camp residents perceive of the five senses can capture meaningful sensory perceptual experiences and can generate a holistic mental image of the refugee camp. Particularly, perceptions of the built environment reflect the difficulty of life experiences. The study concludes that the characteristics of camps in this seventy-year-old conflict environment may not be found in other parts of the world.

Systemic corticosteroids for the management of cancer-related breathlessness (dyspnoea) in adults.

Dyspnoea is a common symptom in advanced cancer, with a prevalence of up to 70% among patients at end of life. The cause of dyspnoea is often multifactorial, and may cause considerable psychological distress and suffering. Dyspnoea is often undertreated and good symptom control is less frequently achieved in people with dyspnoea than in people with other symptoms of advanced cancer, such as pain and nausea. The exact mechanism of action of corticosteroids in managing dyspnoea is unclear, yet corticosteroids are commonly used in palliative care for a variety of non-specific indications, including pain, nausea, anorexia, fatigue and low mood, despite being associated with a wide range of adverse effects. In view of their widespread use, it is important to seek evidence of the effects of corticosteroids for the management of cancer-related dyspnoea. To assess the effects of systemic corticosteroids for the management of cancer-related breathlessness (dyspnoea) in adults. We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Science Citation Index Web of Science, Latin America and Caribbean Health Sciences (LILACS) and clinical trial registries, from inception to 25 January 2018. We included randomised controlled trials that included adults aged 18 years and above. We included participants with cancer-related dyspnoea when randomised to systemic corticosteroids (at any dose) administered for the relief of cancer-related dyspnoea or any other indication, compared to placebo, standard or alternative treatment. Five review authors independently assessed trial quality and three extracted data. We used means and standard deviations for each outcome to report the mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). We assessed the risk of bias and quality of evidence using GRADE. We extracted primary outcomes of sensory-perceptual experience of dyspnoea (intensity of dyspnoea), affective distress (quality of dyspnoea) and symptom impact (burden of dyspnoea or impact on function) and secondary outcomes of serious adverse events, participant satisfaction with treatment and participant withdrawal from trial. Two studies met the inclusion criteria, enrolling 157 participants (37 participants in one study and 120 in the other study), of whom 114 were included in the analyses. The studies compared oral dexamethasone to placebo, followed by an open-label phase in one study. One study lasted seven days, and the duration of the other study was 15 days.We were unable to conduct many of our predetermined analyses due to different agents, dosages, comparators and outcome measures, routes of drug delivery, measurement scales and time points. Subgroup analysis according to type of cancer was not possible.Primary outcomesWe included two studies (114 participants) with data at one week in the meta-analysis for change in dyspnoea intensity/dyspnoea relief from baseline. Corticosteroid therapy with dexamethasone resulted in an MD of lower dyspnoea intensity compared to placebo at one week (MD -0.85 lower dyspnoea (scale 0-10; lower score = less breathlessness), 95% CI -1.73 to 0.03; very low-quality evidence), although we were uncertain as to whether corticosteroids had an important effect on dyspnoea as results were imprecise. We downgraded the quality of evidence by three levels from high to very low due to very serious study limitations and imprecision.One study measured affective distress (quality of dyspnoea) and results were similar between groups (29 participants; very low-quality evidence). We downgraded the quality of the evidence three times for imprecision, inconsistency, and serious study limitations.Both studies assessed symptom impact (burden of dyspnoea or impact on function) (113 participants; very low-quality evidence). In one study, it was unclear whether dexamethasone had an effect on dyspnoea as results were imprecise. The second study showed more improvement for physical well-being scores at days eight and 15 in the dexamethasone group compared with the control group, but there was no evidence of a difference for FACIT social/family, emotional or functional scales. We downgraded the quality of the evidence three times for imprecision, inconsistency, and serious study limitations.Secondary outcomesDue to the lack of homogenous outcome measures and inconsistency in reporting, we could not perform quantitative analysis for any secondary outcomes. In both studies, the frequency of adverse events was similar between groups, and corticosteroids were generally well tolerated. The withdrawal rates for the two studies were 15% and 36%. Reasons for withdrawal included lost to follow-up, participant or carer (or both) refusal, and death due to disease progression. We downgraded the quality of evidence for these secondary outcomes by three levels from high to very low due to serious study limitations, inconsistency and imprecision.Neither study examined participant satisfaction with treatment. There are few studies assessing the effects of systemic corticosteroids on cancer-related dyspnoea in adults with cancer. We judged the evidence to be of very low quality that neither supported nor refuted corticosteroid use in this population. Further high-quality studies are needed to determine if corticosteroids are efficacious in this setting.

Figures and the senses

AbstractIt is usually taken for granted that synaesthesia (e.g.,sweet voice) is a metaphor. However, the fact that partly different interpretations have also been proposed suggests that further research is needed. Based on a critical review of the alternative positions on the topic and on a detailed analysis of relevant data, I argue in this paper that synaesthesia (in both its conventional and living instances) is indeed a metaphor, displaying a conflict between separate sensory concepts that cannot be connected in terms of a consistent conceptual relationship. The clearer and more explicit account of synaesthesia proposed in this paper in turn fosters clearer understanding of (a) the relationship with other figures that can involve the senses, such as metonymy, hypallage, and simile, and (b) the possible role of (multi)sensory perceptual experience in conditioning association preferences in linguistic synaesthesia (e.g.,loud colourvs. a less likely to occurcoloured loudness).

Can phenomenology determine the content of thought?

According to a number of popular intentionalist theories in philosophy of mind, phenomenology is essentially and intrinsically intentional: phenomenal properties are identical to intentional properties of a certain type, or at least, the phenomenal character of an experience necessarily fixes a type of intentional content. These views are attractive, but it is questionable whether the reasons for accepting them generalize from sensory-perceptual experience to other kinds of experience: for example, agentive, moral, aesthetic, or cognitive experience. Meanwhile, a number of philosophers have argued for the existence of a proprietary phenomenology of thought, so-called cognitive phenomenology (CP). There are different ways of understanding the relevant sense of “proprietary,” but on one natural interpretation, phenomenology is proprietary to thought just in case enjoying an experience with that phenomenal character is inseparable from thinking an occurrent, conscious thought. While one may have instances of thought without CP experience, one will never find CP independent of thought. So the former justifiably can be said to “belong to” the latter. The purpose of this paper is to argue that these intentionalist and cognitive phenomenology views make surprisingly uncomfortable bedfellows. I contend that the combination of the two views is incompatible with our best theories of how our concepts are structured. So cognitive phenomenology cannot determine the contents of our thoughts.

ЛЕКСИКОГРАФІЧНА ФІКСАЦІЯ МЕХАНІЗМІВ ТВОРЕННЯ ЕТНОКУЛЬТУРНИХ СТЕРЕОТИПІВ ІЗ СЕНСОРНИМ КОМПОНЕНТОМ

Recognition of modern linguistic studios sensory-perceptual experience of the act, which sets the initial parameters of perception and interpretation of reality, produces interest stereotypes sensory perception of different modes of perception, in particular stereotypes tactile sector, which are based on tactile sensations, with the distinctive mechanisms of creation. Important in this regard is the analysis of the dynamics of formation and development of the latter, which can be done only if the attraction to the analysis of lexicographical works, because it is the dictionaries is a reliable source of verbal representation and regulation of all available knowledge, by which mankind accumulates and transmits the acquired knowledge from previous generations modern humanity.

Linking dispositional mindfulness and positive psychological processes in cancer survivorship: A multivariate path analysis.

237 Background: Research indicates dispositional mindfulness is linked with positive psychological outcomes. This disposition, which is malleable through training, is characterized by the tendency exhibit nonjudgmental and nonreactive awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, and present moment sensory-perceptual experience. Although this trait has been linked with salutary outcomes in the broader mental health literature, less is known about the trait of mindfulness in cancer survivors and how it may be linked with indices of psychological and physical health relevant to cancer survivorship. Methods: We conducted a multivariate path analysis of cross-sectional data from a heterogenous sample of cancer patients (N = 97) to test a conceptual model linking dispositional mindfulness with cancer-related quality of life via positive psychological processes. Results: We found that patients with higher levels of dispositional mindfulness were more likely to pay attention to positive experiences (β = 0.47), a propensity which was associated with positive reappraisal of stressful life events (β = 0.46). Patients who endorsed more frequent positive reappraisal had a greater sense of sense of meaning in life (β = 0.43) and savored rewarding or life affirming events (β = 0.45). In turn, those who engaged in high levels of savoring had better quality of life (β = 0.33) and suffered from less emotional distress (β = -0.54). Overall model fit was excellent, χ2/df= 1.18; CFI = 0.99; RMSEA = 0.04 (0.00, 0.12). Conclusions: The data support our hypothetical model of the processes by which mindfulness promotes psychological flourishing in the face of cancer. Dispositional mindfulness appears to broaden attention from a myopic focus on illness to encompass previously unattended positive features of the social and natural environment. With this broader set of information from which new, more adaptive situational appraisals may be generated, mindfulness may engender positive reappraisals of stressful life events and promote sense of meaning in life. When sustained over time, these processes may propel an upward spiral of positive cognition-emotion interactions with salutary consequences for cancer survivorship.

Cross-Sectional Assessment of the Relationships between Dyspnea Domains and Lung Function in Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease

Background: Activity-related dyspnea is the main contributor to the altered quality of life in diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLD). Instruments pertaining to dyspnea are classified as pertaining to domains of sensory-perceptual experience, affective distress or symptom/disease impact; whether these domains are equally related to lung function impairments remains to be established. Objectives: They were to assess the relationships between two domains of dyspnea (sensory-perceptual experience and symptom impact) and pulmonary function tests according to their evaluation of ventilatory demand, capacity and drive in patients suffering from DPLD. Methods: Fifty patients were prospectively enrolled (median age, 58 years; 25 women) and underwent spirometry, body plethysmography, measurements of lung diffusion for carbon monoxide (DL<smlcap>CO</smlcap>) and nitric oxide, maximal airway pressures (capacity and demand assessments), mouth occlusion pressure at 0.1 s (P_0.1: respiratory drive assessment) and a 6-min walk test with Borg score assessment (dyspnea: sensory domain). The impact domain of dyspnea was evaluated using the baseline dyspnea index. Results: The sensory domain of dyspnea was linked to demand (CO transfer coefficient, k<smlcap>CO</smlcap>) only, while the impact domain was independently linked to demand and capacity (k<smlcap>CO</smlcap> and forced vital capacity, respectively). Among resting pulmonary function tests, both P_0.1 and DL<smlcap>CO</smlcap> allowed the assessment of these two domains of dyspnea. Conclusions: In DPLD, the sensory-perceptual domain of dyspnea is mainly linked to alterations in ventilatory demand while the impact domain is related to both demand and capacity. DL<smlcap>CO</smlcap> that assesses both demand and capacity and P_0.1 were the strongest correlates of dyspnea.

INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF BODY SCHEME TRAINING ON CHILDREN WITH SEVERE CONGENIAL VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

A battery of tests, designed to evaluate movement skills and awareness of body scheme, was administered to a group of children who had just commenced first grade at Narbethong School for Visually Handicapped Children. Visual impairment ranged from total blindness to severe partial impairment. The children were then divided into two matched groups: an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group participated in a period of training specifically aimed at the development of improved body scheme through the provision of increased sensory stimulation, perceptual and motor experience. The control group received no body scheme training. Following the training period, the test battery was readministered to all members of both groups. The hypothesis that a period of body scheme training would result in an improved performance in the areas of movement and body scheme development was supported at a five percent level, with three degrees of freedom, for the overall data. Change in body scheme awareness was significant at a one percent level, with three degrees of freedom, but movement skills failed to show a change that was statistically significant. A group of randomly chosen, fully sighted children, of the same age and school experience were also tested. A difference, significant at the one percent level for six degrees of freedom, was found between the performance of the totally blind children and the fully sighted children.

Teaching and learning clinical perception.

A central task in clinical teaching is organization of the students' experience in clinical perception--the ability to observe, to recognize, to discriminate and to interpret clinical evidence. We cannot teach sensory perceptual experience. Students must experience the clinical phenomena for themselves. But we can ensure that what the student experiences is most likely to be turned into clinical learning. This paper dissects the learning task in order to derive plans for teaching clinical perception. A major purpose is to encourage closer study of physical examination, which has largely been upstaged by investigations. Students learn inductively from their experiences of examining patients, cumulating a 'clinical memory' of images of patients with diseases. Reflection on that experience with the clinical teacher translates the sensory evidence into words. Teachers link the clinical observations of 'disease in patients' with previously learned images of 'diseases in organs', to ensure that clinical features and underlying basic science knowledge are clearly integrated. Perception is an active process, not a passive reception of observational data. Learning and teaching clinical perception uses both the student's direct 'sense' experiences and the teacher's guidance in 'making sense' of them.