Visuo-Haptic information processing in patients suffering of anorexia nervosa

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S558-S559
Author(s):  
G. Risso ◽  
R.M. Martoni ◽  
M.C. Cavallini ◽  
S. Erzegovesi ◽  
G. Baud-Bovy
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Sensory Input ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Haptic Information ◽  
Multimodal Information ◽  
Sensory Modalities ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
First Time

IntroductionSeveral studies recently investigated how Anorexia Nervosa patients (ANp) process multimodal information. Longo (2015) hypothesized that ANp might be less reliant on visual perception of bodies than healthy controls (HC). Case et al. showed that processing of multimodal information might be disrupted in ANp. Literature lacks of studies that measure precisely and compare directly the contributions of each sensory input.ObjectiveTo investigate the integration of visual and haptic inputs in ANp compared with HC and measure the weight of each input.MethodWe used a visuo-haptic integration task with a setup adapted from Gori et al. (2008) to measure each sensory input's when judging the size of a cube according to Maximum Likelihood Estimation theory which describes the optimal multimodal integration behaviour (Ernst and Banks, 2002). Fifteen ANp and 16 HCs were recruited.ResultsRegardless the group, we found considerable individual variability about the integration processes; moreover, many participants did not integrate optimally. Correlation analysis suggested that ANp rely less on visual information then HC.ConclusionsDespite using a setup previously validated with children, the observation that many HC did not integrate optimally is not in line with the results of previous studies, making it difficult the comparison with the AN group. The setup might not be adapted to adults and it needs to be improved. Our study shows for the first time how it might be possible to measure and compare directly the contribution of two different sensory modalities. This could provide precious information to deeply investigate the pathology.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Investigation of Salivary Cortisol Response to Awakening in Underweight and Weight-Restored Patients with Anorexia Nervosa

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S283-S283
Author(s):  
F. Pellegrino ◽  
A.M. Monteleone ◽  
M. Nigro ◽  
V. Ruzzi ◽  
M. Cimino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Cortisol Awakening Response ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
State Trait Anxiety Inventory ◽  
State Dependent ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
First Time ◽  
Primary Phenomenon

IntroductionAnorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by dysregulated eating that leads to chronic malnutrition, which may be responsible for several physical complications, including endocrine alterations, such as hyperactivity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.ObjectivesSeveral studies have shown a dysregulation of the cortisol awakening response (CAR) in symptomatic AN patients. However, it has not been established if the deranged CAR of underweight AN patients is a primary phenomenon or an alteration secondary to malnutrition.AimsThe aim of this study was to explore the salivary CAR in both underweight and weight-restored patients with AN.MethodsWe recruited 59 women: 18 undernourished AN patients, 15 weight-restored AN women and 26 normal-weight healthy controls. Saliva samples were collected in the morning, immediately after awakening and after 15, 30 and 60 minutes, in order to measure saliva levels of cortisol. Participants filled in the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) to test their anxiety levels in the morning of the test.ResultsCompared to healthy controls, underweight AN patients showed an enhanced CAR whereas the weight recovered patients had a normal CAR. These results were not correlated with levels of anxiety.ConclusionsFor the first time, our results demonstrate that the deranged CAR found in acute AN patients is not present in weight-restored ones, suggesting that altered activity of the HPA axis of symptomatic AN patients is a state-dependent phenomenon.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Oxytocin secretion in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: Investigation of its relationships to temperament personality dimensions

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S161-S162
Author(s):  
M. Nigro ◽  
A.M. Monteleone ◽  
L. Steardo ◽  
G. Patriciello ◽  
V. Di Maso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Bulimia Nervosa ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Novelty Seeking ◽  
Personality Dimensions ◽  
Character Inventory ◽  
Underweight Patients ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
First Time

IntroductionSome temperament characteristics of personality seem to be modulated by oxytocin. Patients suffering from eating disorders (EDs) display aberrant personality traits.Objectives and aimsWe investigated the relationships between plasma oxytocin levels and personality dimensions of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) and compared them to those of healthy controls.MethodsPlasma oxytocin levels were measured in 23 women with AN, 27 women with BN and 19 healthy controls and assessed their personality traits by means of the Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R).ResultsAN patients showed plasma levels of the hormone significantly lower than BN and healthy controls. In healthy women, plasma oxytocin levels resulted significantly correlated negatively with novelty seeking scores and positively with both harm avoidance (HA) scores and the attachment subscale scores of the reward dependence: these correlations explained 82% of the variability in circulating oxytocin. In BN patients, plasma oxytocin resulted negatively correlated with HA, whereas no significant correlations emerged in AN patients.ConclusionsThese findings confirm a dysregulation of oxytocin secretion in AN but not in BN and show, for the first time, that the association of circulating oxytocin to patients’ temperament traits is totally lost in underweight patients with AN and partially lost or even inverted in women with BN. These findings suggest a role of oxytocin in certain deranged behaviours of ED patients, which are influenced by the subjects’ personality traits.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Cortisol awakening response in binge-purging and restrictive anorexia nervosa

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S558-S558
Author(s):  
M. Nigro ◽  
A.M. Monteleone ◽  
F. Pellegrino ◽  
M. Cimino ◽  
V. Di Maso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Cortisol Awakening Response ◽  
Eating Disorder Inventory ◽  
Severe Restriction ◽  
Healthy Women ◽  
Stress Response System ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
Hpa Axis Functioning ◽  
First Time

IntroductionAnorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex psychiatric disorder characterized by severe restriction of food intake and aberrant behaviours. The endogenous stress response system, including the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, may have a role in the pathophysiology of AN.ObjectivesIt has been shown that specific clinical traits of AN, such as binge-purging behaviours, may be associated with higher psychopathology and poorer outcomes. Therefore, the HPA axis functioning could differ between patients with restrictive AN (ANR) and those with binge-purging AN (ANBP).AimsIn order to evaluate whether HPA axis functioning differs between the two subtypes of AN, we assessed the cortisol awakening response (CAR) of symptomatic ANR and ANBP patients.MethodsOur sample included 17 ANBP and 18 ANR patients, and 42 healthy women. All of them filled in the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2). For CAR assessment, participants collected saliva samples at home. Saliva cortisol concentrations were measured by an enzyme immunoassay method.ResultsANR and ANBP patients exhibited a CAR significantly higher than healthy women. Furthermore, the CAR of ANBP women was higher than that of ANR women and positively correlated with the bulimia subitem score of the EDI-2.ConclusionsPresent findings show, for the first time, differences in the CAR between ANBP and ANR subtypes supporting the idea that binge-purging behaviours may have a specific connection with HPA axis.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Counseling during Real Ear Measurements: The Clients' Perspective

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Ryall ◽  
Lorienne M. Jenstad ◽  
John Pumford ◽  
Tami Howe ◽  
Garnet Grosjean
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
First Time

Abstract Background When dispensing hearing aids, audiologists must follow validated fitting and verification procedures to ensure that the hearing aids are properly fitted to the client's hearing. Real ear measurements (REMs) are best practice for verifying hearing aids. Prior literature regarding REMs has mainly focused on the clinicians' perspective. Purpose This study investigated informational counseling throughout REMs by gathering perspectives of first-time hearing aid users regarding the content and format of counseling. Research Design The study used an interpretive description approach with focus groups. Study Sample There were 16 adult participants (4 males, 12 females) who were first-time hearing aid users and who all had memory of REMs occurring during their own hearing aid verification. Intervention We investigated the addition of informational counseling during REM verification. Data Collection and Analysis Four focus groups were conducted to elicit feedback on a demonstration of informational counseling during REM hearing aid verification. The data from the focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results Analysis revealed positive aspects, negative aspects, and suggested changes in relation to the verbal and visual information presented during the REM verification demonstration. These data fell into two broad categories: the interaction and transaction of informational counseling. Conclusion Most clients were interested in learning more about REMs if the information was accessible. Results provide recommendations for clinical audiologists and REM system manufacturers to make the information presented during informational counseling more client-friendly and individualized for client-centered care. To continue exploring this new inquiry, further experimental research is required to determine if there is any added value of incorporating informational counseling during REMs.

Anxiety, Stress And Depression: a Comparison Between Anorexic, Obese And Healthy Control Women

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S425-S426
Author(s):  
G. Botteon
Keyword(s):  
Bariatric Surgery ◽  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
General Population ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Obese Women ◽  
Obese People ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Competing Interest

IntroductionSeveral studies have proved that people who suffer from Anorexia Nervosa (AN) experience higher levels of anxiety, stress and depression than general population; while controversial results have been found among obese people (OB); the purpose of this study is to compare levels of anxiety, stress, and depression in AN sample, in OB sample and in Healthy Control Group (HC).MethodsAN sample: 27 anorexic inpatient women in an eating disorder unit. OB sample: 27 obese women evaluated for elegibility of bariatric surgery intervention. HC group: 27 women from different countries had been recruited. DASS 21 and STAI-Y questionnaires had been subministred to evaluate anxiety, stress and depression. The questionnaires had been scores and statistical analysis had been held to determine whether the differences founded in the 3 populations were significant or not (P-value < 0.05).ResultsTable 1. The differences founded were significant.ConclusionAnxiety and stress (DASS21, STAI): AN have reported higher levels than OB and HC that present similar levels. Depression (DASS21): AN have reported higher levels than OB and HC; OB higher levels than HC.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals The Role of Landscapes and Landmarks in Bee Navigation: A Review

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahram Kheradmand ◽  
James C. Nieh
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Input ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Motivational State ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Sensory Modalities ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
The Rich

The ability of animals to explore landmarks in their environment is essential to their fitness. Landmarks are widely recognized to play a key role in navigation by providing information in multiple sensory modalities. However, what is a landmark? We propose that animals use a hierarchy of information based upon its utility and salience when an animal is in a given motivational state. Focusing on honeybees, we suggest that foragers choose landmarks based upon their relative uniqueness, conspicuousness, stability, and context. We also propose that it is useful to distinguish between landmarks that provide sensory input that changes (“near”) or does not change (“far”) as the receiver uses these landmarks to navigate. However, we recognize that this distinction occurs on a continuum and is not a clear-cut dichotomy. We review the rich literature on landmarks, focusing on recent studies that have illuminated our understanding of the kinds of information that bees use, how they use it, potential mechanisms, and future research directions.

scholarly journals Sensorimotor Research Utilising Immersive Virtual Reality: A Pilot Study with Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 259
Author(s):  
Irene Valori ◽  
Rena Bayramova ◽  
Phoebe E. McKenna-Plumley ◽  
Teresa Farroni
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
The Body ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Simulated Environment ◽  
Social Difficulties ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

When learning and interacting with the world, people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) show compromised use of vision and enhanced reliance on body-based information. As this atypical profile is associated with motor and social difficulties, interventions could aim to reduce the potentially isolating reliance on the body and foster the use of visual information. To this end, head-mounted displays (HMDs) have unique features that enable the design of Immersive Virtual Realities (IVR) for manipulating and training sensorimotor processing. The present study assesses feasibility and offers some early insights from a new paradigm for exploring how children and adults with ASD interact with Reality and IVR when vision and proprioception are manipulated. Seven participants (five adults, two children) performed a self-turn task in two environments (Reality and IVR) for each of three sensory conditions (Only Proprioception, Only Vision, Vision + Proprioception) in a purpose-designed testing room and an HMD-simulated environment. The pilot indicates good feasibility of the paradigm. Preliminary data visualisation suggests the importance of considering inter-individual variability. The participants in this study who performed worse with Only Vision and better with Only Proprioception seemed to benefit from the use of IVR. Those who performed better with Only Vision and worse with Only Proprioception seemed to benefit from Reality. Therefore, we invite researchers and clinicians to consider that IVR may facilitate or impair individuals depending on their profiles.

Difficult Turned Easy: Suggestion Renders a Challenging Visual Task Simple

2020 ◽  
pp. 095679762095485
Author(s):  
Mathieu Landry ◽  
Jason Da Silva Castanheira ◽  
Jérôme Sackur ◽  
Amir Raz
Keyword(s):  
Mental Imagery ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Perceptual Experience ◽  
Sensory Input ◽  
Moving Objects ◽  
Visual Stimuli ◽  
Perceptual Information ◽  
Hypnotic Suggestion ◽  
Adult Participants ◽  
The Brain

Suggestions can cause some individuals to miss or disregard existing visual stimuli, but can they infuse sensory input with nonexistent information? Although several prominent theories of hypnotic suggestion propose that mental imagery can change our perceptual experience, data to support this stance remain sparse. The present study addressed this lacuna, showing how suggesting the presence of physically absent, yet critical, visual information transforms an otherwise difficult task into an easy one. Here, we show how adult participants who are highly susceptible to hypnotic suggestion successfully hallucinated visual occluders on top of moving objects. Our findings support the idea that, at least in some people, suggestions can add perceptual information to sensory input. This observation adds meaningful weight to theoretical, clinical, and applied aspects of the brain and psychological sciences.

scholarly journals Spontaneous activations follow a common developmental course across primary sensory areas in mouse neocortex

2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 431-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles G. Frye ◽  
Jason N. MacLean
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Imaging ◽  
Sensory Input ◽  
Primary Auditory Cortex ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Two Photon ◽  
Developmental Progression ◽  
Sensory Modalities ◽  
Spatially Distributed ◽  
And Function ◽  
Insight Into

Spontaneous propagation of spiking within the local neocortical circuits of mature primary sensory areas is highly nonrandom, engaging specific sets of interconnected and functionally related neurons. These spontaneous activations promise insight into neocortical structure and function, but their properties in the first 2 wk of perinatal development are incompletely characterized. Previously, we have found that there is a minimal numerical sample, on the order of 400 cells, necessary to fully capture mature neocortical circuit dynamics. Therefore we maximized our numerical sample by using two-photon calcium imaging to observe spontaneous activity in populations of up to 1,062 neurons spanning multiple columns and layers in 52 acute coronal slices of mouse neocortex at each day from postnatal day (PND) 3 to PND 15. Slices contained either primary auditory cortex (A1) or somatosensory barrel field (S1BF), which allowed us to compare sensory modalities with markedly different developmental timelines. Between PND 3 and PND 8, populations in both areas exhibited activations of anatomically compact subgroups on the order of dozens of cells. Between PND 9 and PND 13, the spatiotemporal structure of the activity diversified to include spatially distributed activations encompassing hundreds of cells. Sparse activations covering the entire field of view dominated in slices taken on or after PND 14. These and other findings demonstrate that the developmental progression of spontaneous activations from active local modules in the first postnatal week to sparse, intermingled groups of neurons at the beginning of the third postnatal week generalizes across primary sensory areas, consistent with an intrinsic developmental trajectory independent of sensory input.

Changes in the electrical properties of the tissues in patients with anorexia nervosa measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S163-S164
Author(s):  
H. Karakula-Juchnowicz ◽  
M. Teter ◽  
G. Kozak ◽  
A. Makarewicz ◽  
J. Kalinowska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis ◽  
Bioelectrical Impedance ◽  
Impedance Analysis ◽  
Nutrition Status ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Healthy Population ◽  
Extracellular Compartment ◽  
Status Assessment ◽  
Competing Interest

IntroductionMonitoring patient with anorexia nervosa (AN) include clinical, biological and psychological factors. In recent years many researchers criticize the BMI as useful measure for controlling evolution of AN.ObjectivesBioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is one of the main methods for nutritional status assessment.AimsThe aim of this study was the assessment of the nutrition status in a group of patients with anorexia nervosa in comparison to healthy population (HP).MethodsThe study involved 37 participants: 21 patients with AN and 16 healthy volunteers constituting the control group (HP). The patients were divided into two groups according a BMI: I group 14 < BMI < 15,5 (n = 11; age 18.0 ± 4.37) and II group: 15,5 < BMI < 17,5 (n = 10; age 17.82 ± 3.68). The mean age of HP was 17.68 ± 1.57 and BMI 20.56 ± 1.16 kg/m2. BIA was performed by using ImpediMed bioimpedance analysis SFB7 BioImp. The parameters: phase angle (PA), TBW%, ECW, ICW, ECW/ICW were analyzed.ResultsPA was decreased significantly in the I (4.5°±0,6) and II group (4.7°±0,6) of AN patients’ in comparison with HP (5.6°±0,7). TBW was 9% higher in I group and ECW was increased 6% in the both AN groups compared with HP (P < 0.01). Additionally ECW/ICW ratio indicated the higher transfer of water into the extracellular compartment in AN group (P < 0.01).ConclusionsBIA is accurate tool to indicate the valuable indicators of detecting malnutrition in AN. Further studies are needed to validate the significance of these parameters for the full identification of the nutrition status of AN patients’.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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