Subjective Sensation Research Articles

A Rare Case of Shared Delusion of Pregnancy in a Couple Undergoing Fertility Treatment

Pseudocyesis or phantom pregnancy is a false belief of being pregnant that is associated with objective signs and reported symptoms of pregnancy, which may include abdominal enlargement, reduced menstrual flow, amenorrhea, subjective sensation of fetal movement, nausea, breast engorgement and secretions, and labor. Though it is a very rare condition, it is often seen in women undergoing fertility treatment in developing countries. Isolated pseudocyesis in women and sometimes men have been reported before, but there are very few reports of shared delusions of pregnancy by a couple. No such report has ever been made before from Nepal. Therefore, this case report seeks to associate psychiatric/psychological, gynecological, and neuroendocrine mechanisms leading to the emergence of shared delusion of pregnancy (folie à deux) in a Nepali couple undergoing artificial reproductive techniques for the management of infertility. In this case, the couple firmly believed in their pregnancy against all medical evidence.

The effects of resistance exercise on appetite sensations, appetite related hormones and energy intake in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer survivors

Appetite is a determinant of dietary intake and is impacted by sex hormones, exercise, and body composition among individuals without chronic conditions. Whether appetite is altered by exercise in the context of estrogen suppression and cancer survivorship is unknown. This randomized cross-over study compared appetite and ad libitum energy intake (EI) after acute resistance exercise (REx) versus sedentary (SED) conditions and in relation to body composition and resting metabolic rate (RMR) in breast cancer survivors (BCS). Physically inactive premenopausal females with previous stage I-III estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer completed a single bout of REx or SED 35 minutes after a standardized breakfast meal. Appetite visual analog scales and hormones (total ghrelin and peptide-YY [PYY]) were measured before and 30, 90, 120, 150, and 180 minutes post-meal and expressed as area under the curve (AUC). Participants were offered a buffet-type meal 180 minutes after breakfast to assess ad libitum EI. Body composition (dual X-ray absorptiometry) and RMR (indirect calorimetry) were measured during a separate visit. Sixteen BCS were included (age: 46 ± 2 y, BMI: 24.9 ± 1.0 kg/m2). There were no differences in appetite ratings or EI between conditions. There were no differences in appetite hormone AUC, but REx resulted in lower ghrelin 120 (−85 ± 39 pg/mL, p = 0.031) and 180 (−114 ± 43 pg/mL, p = 0.018) minutes post-breakfast and higher PYY 90 (21 ± 10 pg/mL, p = 0.028) and 120 (14 ± 7 pg/mL, p = 0.041) minutes post-breakfast. Fat-free mass and RMR negatively correlated with hunger and prospective food consumption AUC after SED, but not REx. In sum, a single REx bout temporarily reduces orexigenic and increases anorexic appetite hormones, but not acute subjective appetite sensations or EI.

Tactile perception of textile fabrics based on friction and brain activation

Tactile perception plays a critical role in the interaction of humans and environment. It begins with the mechanical stimulation induced by friction and is processed in the somatosensory cortex. To quantify the tactile perceptions of textile fabrics, the mechanical properties of fabrics and the features extracted from the friction and vibration signals were correlated with the subjective sensation rated by questionnaires. Meanwhile, the technique of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to identify the brain areas responsible for the tactile perception of textile fabrics. The results showed that during the tactile perception of textile fabrics, the coefficient of friction increased with the increasing normal load, indicating that the deformation mechanism of skin was relevant to the friction of skin against fabrics. The features of spectral centroid (SC), coefficient of friction, and diameter and critical buckling force of fiber had a strong correlation with the perceived fineness, slipperiness, and prickliness of fabrics, respectively. The postcentral gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and precentral gyrus, with the corresponding functional regions of the primary somatosensory cortex (SI), secondary somatosensory cortex (SII), primary motor cortex (MI), and secondary motor cortex (MII), were involved with the perceptions of fabric textures. The fiber properties and fabric surface structures that caused the multidimensional feelings tended to induce the large area, intensity, and percent signal change (PSC) of brain activity. This study is meaning for evaluating the tactile stimulation of textile fabrics and understanding the cognitive mechanism in the tactile perception of textile fabrics.

Dietary- but not exercise-induced acute iso-energetic deficit result in short-term appetitive compensatory responses in adolescents with obesity

BackgroundProducing negative energy balance rests on the creation of energy deficits that have been shown, depending on their modality, to induce potential appetitive compensatory responses. The aim of this study was to compare energy intake (EI), appetite feelings, and the hedonic responses to equivalent acute energy deficits induced by exercise versus energy restriction in adolescents with obesity. MethodsIn a within-participants design, seventeen adolescents with obesity (12–16 years, Tanner stage 3–5, 9 males) randomly completed three conditions: i) control (CON); ii) deficit induced by diet only (Def-EI); and iii) deficit induced by exercise only (Def-EX). Lunch was calibrated to generate a 400-kcal deficit in Def-EI and remained similar in CON and Def-EX. A 400-kcal deficit was created through a cycling bout set at 65% VO2peak in Def-EX. Ad libitum EI, macronutrient intake and relative EI (REI) were assessed at dinner, subjective appetite sensations taken at regular intervals, and food reward measured before dinner. ResultsFood intake at dinner was greater in Def-EI (1112 ± 265 kcal) compared to CON (983 ± 277 kcal; p = 0.005) and Def-EX (1009 ± 281 kcal; p = 0.025). Absolute protein and lipid intake were significantly higher in Def-EI (52.4 ± 9.5 g and 36.8 ± 8.9 g respectively) compared with both CON (44.9 ± 12.6 g; p = 0.001 and 33.8 ± 10.1 g; p = 0.002 respectively) and Def-EX (47.3 ± 11.8 g, p = 0.018, 35.4 ± 10.1 g, p = 0.036 respectively). Area under the curve (AUC) for hunger, desire to eat and prospective food consumption were significantly higher in Def-EI compared with both CON (p = 0.0001) and Def-EX (p = 0.0001). AUC for fullness was significantly lower on Def-EI compared with CON and Def-EX (p = 0.0001). Implicit wanting for sweet food was significantly lower on Def-EX (p = 0.031), relative to CON. ConclusionAppetitive compensatory responses that are observed after iso-caloric energy restriction in adolescents with obesity are absent with acute exercise, which could contribute to optimize our impact on short-term energy balance.

Xerostomia: Part 2. investigations and management

Xerostomia is the subjective sensation of a dry mouth. It can negatively impact oral health and quality of life. This article reviews the investigations and management of xerostomia. Early recognition and management of xerostomia is important to limit the adverse effects that can be caused by this condition.CPD/Clinical Relevance: Awareness of the possible aetiologies and oral manifestations of xerostomia are important for the general dental practitioner.

Tilt adaptation aftereffects reveal fundamental perceptual characteristics of tactile orientation processing on the hand.

Orientation information contributes substantially to our tactile perception, such as feeling an object's shape on the skin. For vision, a perceptual adaptation aftereffect (tilt aftereffect; TAE), which is well explained by neural orientation selectivity, has been used to reveal fundamental perceptual properties of orientation processing. Neural orientation selectivity has been reported in somatosensory cortices. However, little research has investigated the perceptual characteristics of the tactile TAE. The aim of the current study was to provide the first demonstration of a tactile TAE on the hand and investigate the perceptual nature of tactile TAE on the hand surface. We used a 2-point stimulation with minimal input for orientation. We found clear TAEs on the hand surface: Adaptation induced shifts in subjective vertical sensation toward the orientation opposite to the adapted orientation. Further, adaptation aftereffects were purely based on orientation processing given that the effects transferred between different lengths across adaptor and test stimuli and type of stimuli. Finally, adaptation aftereffects were anchored to the hand: tactile TAE occurred independently of hand rotation and transferred from palm to dorsum sides of the hand, while the effects did not transfer between hands. Our findings demonstrate the existence of hand-centered perceptual processing for basic tactile orientation information. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

An Ergonomic Design Process of the Functional Clothing for Yoga Sports

Abstract Reports attribute many physical, psychological and mental benefits to yoga sports. However, when it comes to actual research, yoga clothing has not attracted the same level of attention. The aim of this study, which involved a questionnaire survey, clothing development and clothing performance evaluation, is to propose an ergonomic design process for the design of yoga functional clothing. Results showed that textile material was rated as the most important factor for yoga clothing. The shoulder and the waist-belly regions were considered as the most important areas for yoga clothing. The newly designed clothing prototype was observed to subject significantly lower pressure to the waist under the forward bending pose (p<0.05), but with significantly higher pressure on the buttocks at the posture of the deep knee bending pose (p<0.05). It also resulted in a lower change rate of clothing vertical displacement, especially at the shoulder and waist regions. The newly designed prototype was rated with a significantly lower tightening sensation and pulling sensation during the deep knee bending posture (p<0.05). Results indicate that proper design of yoga clothing structure and selection of fabric material could reduce clothing deformation, pressure on the skin and improve subjective wearing sensations.

Impact of biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch on glucose homeostasis and gut hormones and their correlations with appetite

Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS) results in lifelong changes in gastrointestinal physiology with unclear associations with appetite perception. To explore mixed meal-induced changes in glucose homeostasis and gut hormones and their correlations with appetite perception. University hospital. Of 28 patients studied preoperatively (age: 38.4 ± 11.3 years; body mass index [BMI]: 56.5 ± 5.1 kg/m2; 14 women), 19 (68%) returned for postoperative follow-up. Plasma was sampled for 180 minutes during a 260-kcal standardized mixed meal. Concentrations of leptin, glucose, insulin, triglycerides, active acyl-ghrelin, motilin, total glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), active glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), and total peptide YY (PYY) were measured. Subjective appetite sensations were scored. BPD/DS resulted in 66.1% ± 23.3% excess BMI loss. Leptin was halved. Glucose and insulin levels were reduced, blunting a preoperative peak at 30 minutes, giving a lower homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; 13.9 versus 4.8). In contrast, reduced ghrelin and motilin concentrations were accompanied by pronounced peaks 20-30 minutes prior to meal responses. GIP was reduced, whereas GLP-1 and PYY responses were markedly increased, with an early postprandial peak (P < .05, for all). HOMA-IR correlated with insulin (r = .72) and GIP (r = .57). Postoperatively, satiety correlated with GLP-1 (r = .56), whereas the gastric motility index correlated with the desire to eat (r = .60), percentage excess BMI loss (r = -.55), and percentage total weight loss (r = -.49). Delta insulin, GLP-1, and leptin correlated positively with percentage total weight loss (r = .51, r = .48, and r = .58, respectively). BPD/DS reduces leptin, HOMA-IR, and GIP while markedly increasing GLP-1 and PYY. This study marks the magnitude change in GLP-1 with additional effects of PYY as important factors for weight loss.

Keratolysis pitted: Bacterial mimic of mycosis of feet’s skin (clinical cases and literature review)

Keratolysis pitted (KP) is a poorly studied infectious disease of the skin of the feet, often occurring without subjective sensations. One of the features of the disease is that nine genera of bacteria can cause similar symptoms on the soles. Many dermatologists and general practitioners consider this disease to be mycosis, and prescribe the wrong treatment to the patient for many months. At the same time, against the background of KP, conditions are created for the occurrence of sensitization and the development of microbial eczema.

Analysis of Heat and Moisture Transfer and Thermal Comfort in Green Logistics Storage Space

Regular logistics storage spaces suffer a very high temperature during summer. To build a green logistics storage space, it is truly necessary to optimize the thermal environment in summer. At present, there are few related studies on the energy consumption, thermal environment and human comfort of green logistics storage spaces. Therefore, this paper analyzes the heat and moisture transfer in and studies the impacts of the thermal environment of green logistics storage space. Based on the survey results, a coupled heat-moisture transfer model of green logistics storage space was constructed, which consists of three parts - the envelope structure, the hot and humid indoor environment, and the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Based on the idea of linear regression, a model was established to predict human body’s subjective thermal sensation in green logistics storage space. The experiment showed the analysis results of heat and moisture transfer and thermal comfort in green logistics storage space, and verified the effectiveness of the proposed model.

Sports Bra Pressure: Effect on Body Skin Temperature and Wear Comfort

Sports bras are an essential apparel for active women, but may exert excessive pressure that negatively affects thermoregulation, thermal comfort and wear sensation. This study measures skin temperature changes during short durations of exercise on a treadmill with different bra pressures. The results based on 21 female subjects (age: 27.2 ± 4.5 years old) show that bras with more pressure at the underband or shoulder straps do not cause statistically significant skin temperature changes during exercise (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, compared to the optimal bra fit, significant differences in bra-breast skin temperature are found during running, cooling down and sitting when the bra pressure is increased (p < 0.05), particularly under bra cup (T1) in this study. The FLIR thermal images can visualize the skin temperature changes at abdomen throughout the four activity stages. Subjective sensations of bra thermal comfort, pressure and breast support are assessed. Despite the increased pressure on the shoulders and chest wall, perceptions towards thermal comfort remain unchanged. The perceived pressure comfort and support sensation amongst the 4 bra conditions are comparable. Interestingly, positive sensations of pressure comfort and breast support are perceived with a tight-fitting sports bra during treadmill exercise. High pressures induced by sports bras (>4 kPa) that habitually considered harmful to the human body may not lead to wear discomfort but enhance bra support sensation and a sense of security to the wearers.

Rare case of cutaneous collagenous vasculopathy in a patient with chronic HCV infection 1b subtype

The article is devoted to a rare disease of cutaneous collagenous vasculopathy (CCV), which is characterized by common leather telangiectasias and specific histological signs: extended capillaries in the surface layers of the dermis, the walls of which are thickened due to hyaline deposits containing type IV collagen. According to literature, there are no publications about CCV in Russian sources. In foreign literature, only 60 cases are described, the first of which is mentioned in 2000. The patient turned to the EXCLUSIVE medical clinic to resolve the issue of the tactics of treatment of chronic HCV-infection 1b subtype and complaints of common telangiectasia on the skin and mucous membrane of both sclera, without subjective sensations. The first rashes appeared in 2008 and gradually progressed. When performing histological examination, expanded capillaries were found in the surface layers of the dermis, the walls of which are thickened due to protein deposits containing type IV collagen. The described case of CCV is the first in Russian literature and shows the need for histological and immunohistologycal studies to establish a final diagnosis.

Research on the influence of indoor thermal environment and activity levels on thermal comfort in protective clothing

With the outbreak of infectious diseases such as Corona Virus Disease 2019, medical staff work intensively in isolated plots, medical disposable protective clothing (MDPC) has poor air condition and humidity permeability, which seriously reduces the thermal comfort of medical staff. In this paper, the effect of indoor thermal environment and activity levels on thermal comfort inside MDPC was studied by experiment. Five parts of the body were measured inside MDPC and the appropriate movements were chosen to simulate different levels of labor intensity. Meanwhile, physiological parameters and subjective thermal sensation were statistically analyzed. The results showed the influence range of different indoor temperatures on the temperature and humidity inside MDPC was about 1 °C and 10 %, respectively; it indicated that the environment inside MDPC could be improved by reducing indoor temperature, that is, a cross intelligent adjustment mode was proposed. The effect of labor intensity on the temperature inside MDPC was significantly less than that of humidity. Within 20 min, the humidity changes under moderate and heavy labor intensity were even more than 10 %, and the subjective discomfort threshold of the subjects increased by nearly 50 %. Furthermore, the maximum benefit could be obtained by concentrating cooling on back, forehead, chest and upper arm. Theoretical models of working time, labor intensity, and temperature and humidity inside MDPC under different indoor temperatures and different parts were given. In addition, acceptable regions inside MDPC which were approximately parallelogram in the enthalpy-humidity chart. These conclusions could be a reference for future thermal comfort inside MDPC research.

Study on indoor adaptive thermal comfort evaluation method for buildings integrated with semi-transparent photovoltaic window

Semi-Transparent Photovoltaic (STPV) windows have the potential of active energy-saving and have attracted more attention in recent years. Due to the selective absorption effect of solar cells on solar radiation, the indoor thermal environment and human thermal comfort of buildings integrated with STPV windows are considerably different from that with clear glass windows, and there are few studies on this. In this paper, the indoor human thermal comfort of buildings integrated with STPV window was investigated. Firstly, experiments and subjective questionnaires for the indoor environment were conducted in STPV and clear glass window buildings respectively. Secondly, the influence of illuminance on thermal sensation was statistically analyzed, with the consideration of visual effect, non-visual effect, as well as visual and non-visual coupling effect respectively. On this basis, an innovative thermal comfort evaluation method was provided. The thermo-physiological effect, light-physiological effect and light-psychological effect were comprehensively considered in this method. Finally, the reliability was verified by comparing with TSV. According to tests and questionnaires, it was found that the indoor thermal environment of the STPV window was an uneven thermal environment, and the subjective thermal sensation was more inclined to be slightly warm. When investigating the effect of illuminance on thermal sensation considering visual and non-visual coupling effect, it was found that illuminance had a significant influence on thermal sensation in different illuminance ranges. Meanwhile, it indicated the coupled effect of thermal environment and daylight environment on the thermal comfort of human.

The use of sedative medications, their prevalence, and their sedation of patients with disorders of consciousness, as well as the stimulating and sedative effects of alcohol

Medicinal sedatives are a class of drugs that reduce brain activity. You can usually utilise them to relax yourself. Sedatives are usually prescribed by doctors to address conditions like anxiety and sleep problems. Additionally, they are used as general anaesthetics. Regulated chemicals include sedatives.Sedatives, which include benzodiazepines, selective benzodiazepine receptor subtype agonists (z-drugs), and barbiturates, are commonly prescribed for anxiety or insomnia. These sedatives are considered banned substances because of the possibility of abuse and misuse. Self-medication (pharmaceutical management) of psychological issues is a common form of addiction, commonly manifested as dose increase and early prescription requests. Sedative abuse can be dangerous because it can have psychoactive effects. A reversal drug called flumazenil can be used to treat some sedative overdoses combined with supportive care. Tapering the sedative is used to treat sedative symptoms of withdrawal, which may require treatment. Counseling need for the long-term treatment of sedative addiction, typically with the help of a specialist in addiction treatment. We realized subjective experiences remembered during responsive and unconscious sedation brought on by oxidative dosages of dexmedetomidine, propofol, sevoflurane, and S-ketamine in order to better understand how anaesthetics with various molecular processes affect consciousness. The quantity or nature of reported experiences were not affected by responsiveness at the conclusion of anaesthesia delivery. These results suggested the prevalence of subjective sensations during responsive and unresponsive sedation as well as the diversity of anaesthetic drugs' molecular structures.Despite the fact that main analysis the variations between medicines were slight, different mechanisms of action may have different effects on the prevalence and complexity of the experiences.Alcohol's sedative properties during the first few drinks have received the majority of attention in studies on those with poor subjective response to alcohol. This study looked at individual responses and to the sedative and stimulating effects of alcohol when first consuming it. Experiences as indicators of the degree of alcoholism in treated teenagers.

Pronator Quadratus: A Preferable Recipient for Targeted Muscle Reinnervation of Neuromas in the Hand.

Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) has emerged as a useful solution to the problem of painful neuromas and is increasingly being applied in many clinical circumstances. Relatively little has been written about TMR for painful neuromas of the hand, and what has been written describes use of the intrinsic muscles as recipients for the nerve transfer. Except in cases of amputation, intrinsic muscle sacrifice carries morbidity. Furthermore, TMR to intrinsic muscles will place the nerve coaptation in areas subject to pressure with loading of the palm. For these reasons, the pronator quadratus may be a preferable target muscle when performing TMR for painful neuromas of the hand. In this report, we describe the rationale for its use and demonstrate the surgical technique and outcomes with case examples.

Expansion of Content in the Phenx Toolkit for Sickle Cell Disease Pain

Background: Common measures and common data elements (CDEs) for sickle cell disease (SCD) are needed to help improve data quality and data comparability necessary for meta-analyses, guidelines development, comparative effectiveness research, and implementation science. In 2014, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) launched the PhenX (consensus measures for Phenotypes and eXposures) Measures for Sickle Cell Disease Research Project to establish a framework for data sharing across different SCD research projects. As a result of this project, a Core Collection and two Specialty Collections (Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, and Renal; Neurology, Quality of Life, and Health Services) of standard measure protocols were added to the PhenX Toolkit. The PhenX Toolkit (https://www.phenxtoolkit.org/) is a Web-based catalog of standard protocols and associated interoperability resources to help investigators improve quality of data collection and identify opportunities for collaborative research. In 2019, NHLBI provided additional funding to expand the collections of sickle cell disease measurement protocols in the PhenX Toolkit. Under the guidance of a Sickle Cell Disease Research and Scientific Panel (SRSP), six additional collections of protocols for use in SCD research will be added to the PhenX Toolkit. One of these collections of protocols relates to research involving SCD Pain. Methods: The SCD Pain Working Group (WG), consisting of 10 SCD experts, was convened to select high priority protocols for inclusion in the Toolkit. The SCD Pain WG selected representative protocols available in published literature using a consensus process which included input from the scientific community. Protocols were selected based on availability, protocol burden, and validity, with emphasis on measures being well established and broadly validated. Several included protocols had been previously validated in populations with SCD. For each measure, the Toolkit provides a description of the measure, the rationale for its inclusion, detailed protocol(s), and supporting documentation. The Toolkit also provides data collection worksheets and data dictionaries to help integrate PhenX measures into their study design. To support investigators who want to collect data via the Web, PhenX protocols are available as REDCap Instrument Zip files. Results: The SCD Pain collection of protocols was released into the Toolkit (https://www.phenxtoolkit.org/sub-collections/view/28) in May 2022. The SCD Pain WG identified a set of 23 protocols that encompass the burden of pain on an individual's day-to-day life, the magnitude of pain experienced by an individual, the location of the pain experienced, the extent to which the pain interferes with the person's daily life, the individual's overall physical mobility, the specific subjective sensations associated with pain, and the coping strategies employed by the individual (Table 1). For many of the measures, separate adult and child protocols were identified. These protocols, including the process, criteria, and rationale for their selection, will be presented. Implications: Consistent use of these protocols in future clinical and epidemiologic studies will allow clinicans and researchers to quantify how SCD impacts a patient's everyday life and develop more effective interventions. For researchers, adoption and use of PhenX protocols will facilitate cross-study analysis domestically and internationally, accelerate translational research, and lead to greater understanding of SCD pain phenotypes. For clinicians, using PhenX measures in routine clinical practice will help improve patient care and quality of life. Consistent use of these standard measures will establish a common currency to help better understand the etiology, progression, and treatment of SCD. Funding was provided by a Genomic Research Grant (U41HG007050) from NHGRI, with current or prior funding support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR); National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH); National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI); National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD); and Tobacco Regulatory Science Program (TRSP). Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Virtual Reality Combined with Artificial Intelligence (VR-AI) Reduces Hot Flashes and Improves Psychological Well-Being in Women with Breast and Ovarian Cancer: A Pilot Study

Breast and ovarian cancers affect the lives of many women worldwide. Female cancer survivors often experience hot flashes, a subjective sensation of heat associated with objective signs of cutaneous vasodilatation and a subsequent drop in core temperature. Breast and Ovarian cancer patients also suffer from sleep difficulties and mental health issues. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of Bubble, a novel artificial intelligence-virtual reality (AI-VR) intervention for the treatment of hot flashes in female breast or ovarian cancer patients. Forty-two women with breast and/or ovarian cancer participated in the study. The mean age was 47 years (range: 25-60 years). Patients suffered from hot flashes at different frequencies. They used Bubble, a virtual reality (VR) mobile psychological intervention based on elements from both cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction. The intervention took place in a VR environment, in a winter wonderland setting called Frosty. Patients were instructed to use Bubble at home twice a day (morning and evening) and when experiencing a hot flash. Participants were asked to use the application for 24 consecutive days. Before and after this 24-day period, patients completed self-report questionnaires assessing hot flashes, general psychiatric distress, perceived stress, illness perception, sleep quality, and quality of life. Between pre- and post-intervention, participants reported a significant reduction in the daily frequency of hot flashes, stress, general psychiatric distress, several domains of QOL, and sleep difficulties, as well as an improvement in illness perception. In addition, they reported very high satisfaction with Bubble. Importantly, both age and baseline levels of psychopathology moderated the effect of Bubble on sleep difficulties. This study showed preliminary evidence for the potential of VR interventions in alleviating hot flashes and accompanying mental distress among those coping with breast and ovarian cancer. VR is a powerful therapeutic tool, able to address mind-body aspects in a direct, vivid way. More studies are needed in order to fully understand the potential of this unique intervention.

Xerostomia. Part 1: aetiology and oral manifestations

Xerostomia is the subjective sensation of a dry mouth. It can negatively impact oral health and quality of life. The underlying aetiology consists of both local and systemic factors. This two-part series aims to comprehensively review the aetiology and oral manifestations involved with xerostomia. CPD/Clinical Relevance: Early recognition and management of xerostomia is important to limit the adverse effects of this condition

Pruritus in cancer patients as a polyetiological symptom

Pruritus is one of the subjective sensations that significantly reduces the quality of life of patients. In patients with malignancies, itch can be caused by different universal or specific pathophysiological factors. This article discusses disorders that cause pruritus in cancer patients: the tumor growth on its own; pathophysiological changes associated with a number of malignancies, paraneoplastic itch, anticancer therapy, concomitant dermatoses, systemic diseases, psychosomatic disorders. Known or proposed mechanisms of the development of pruritus are presented for each of the mentioned provoking factors, and methods of treatment are described, according to the etiological factor. At the end of the article, universal methods for the correction of itching are presented, applicable in cancer patients, regardless of the pruritogenic factor. Special attention is paid to the correction of xerosis as a universal cause of itching in oncological patients.