scholarly journals MobiLab – A Mobile Laboratory for On-Site Listening Experiments in Virtual Acoustic Environments

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Pausch ◽  
Janina Fels
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Organizational Issues ◽  
Learning Success ◽  
Acoustic Environments ◽  
Waiting Periods ◽  
Susceptibility To Noise ◽  
Reduced Mobility

AbstractResearch in the last decades has pointed out negative effects of noise on cognitive processing and general health. Depending on the frequency and level of exposure as well as individual shielding potential, risk groups like children or elderly people may be particularly vulnerable to commonly known consequences including a reduced attention span, influencing the learning success during education, increased blood pressure and cardiovascular problems or sleep disturbances. To better understand the susceptibility to noise, specifically designed listening experiments in controlled laboratory environments are indispensable but might put high demands on older study participants whose travel expenses to test locations could increase due to reduced mobility. For children, organizational issues like insured transport and supervision during waiting periods, necessitating additional resources, need to be resolved. In order to facilitate practical and efficient study execution, we therefore implemented a mobile hearing laboratory by acoustically optimizing the interior of a caravan. All necessary technical facilities were integrated to perform listening experiments in virtual acoustic environments under controlled conditions directly on site, for example, in front of schools or senior residential centers. The design and construction of this laboratory are presented here and evaluated through acoustic measurements.

Effect of Sleep Loss on Pain

2020 ◽  
pp. 556-608
Author(s):  
Chloe Alexandre ◽  
Alban Latremoliere ◽  
Patrick H. Finan
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Inhibitory Pathways ◽  
Inflammatory Processes ◽  
Lack Of Sleep ◽  
Significant Extension ◽  
Neurological Processes ◽  
Dynamic Components ◽  
The Cost ◽  
System Metabolism

With the advent of modern lifestyles, there has been a significant extension of daily activities, mostly at the cost of sleep. Lack of sleep affects many biological systems, including various cognitive functions, the immune system, metabolism, and pain. Both sleep and pain are complex neurological processes that encompass many dynamic components. As a result, defining the precise interactions between these two systems represents a challenge, especially for chronic paradigms. This chapter describes how sleep is measured and how it can be experimentally altered in humans and animal models, and, in turn, how sleep disturbances, either acute or chronic, can affect different aspects of pain. Possible mechanisms involved are discussed, including an increase in inflammatory processes, a loss of nociceptive inhibitory pathways, and a defect in the cognitive processing of noxious inputs.

Lighting and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias: Spotlight on sleep and depression

2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 405-422
Author(s):  
MG Figueiro ◽  
HC Kales
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disease ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Pharmacological Intervention ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Positive Results

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias is the collective term for a progressive neurodegenerative disease for which there is presently no cure. This paper focuses on two symptoms of the disease, sleep disturbances and depression, and discusses how light can be used as a non-pharmacological intervention to mitigate their negative effects. Bright days and dark nights are needed for health and well-being, but the present components of the built environment, especially those places where older adults spend most of their days, are too dimly illuminated during the day and too bright at night. To be effective light needs to be correctly specified, implemented and measured. Yet, without the appropriate specification and measurement of the stimulus, researchers will not be able to successfully demonstrate positive results in the field, nor will lighting designers and specifiers have the confidence to implement lighting solutions for promoting better sleep and mood in this population.

scholarly journals Impact of Shift Work and Long Working Hours on Worker Cognitive Functions: Current Evidence and Future Research Needs

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6540
Author(s):  
Veruscka Leso ◽  
Luca Fontana ◽  
Angela Caturano ◽  
Ilaria Vetrani ◽  
Mauro Fedele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythm ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Night Work ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Long Working Hours ◽  
Main Determinants

Particular working conditions and/or organization of working time may cause important sleep disturbances that have been proposed to be predictive of cognitive decline. In this regard, circadian rhythm misalignment induced by exposure to night work or long working hours would be responsible for cognitive impairment. Nevertheless, evidence supporting this correlation is limited and several issues still need to be elucidated. In this regard, we conducted a systematic review to evaluate the association between shift/night work and cognitive impairment and address its main determinants. Information provided by the reviewed studies suggested that night work might have serious immediate negative effects especially on cognitive domains related to attention, memory and response inhibition. Furthermore, cognitive performance would progressively worsen over consecutive night shifts or following exposure to very long work shifts. Otherwise, conflicting results emerged regarding the possible etiological role that night work chronic exposure would have on cognitive impairment. Therefore, circadian rhythm desynchronization, lack of sleep and fatigue resulting from night work may negatively impact worker’s cognitive efficiency. However, in light of the considerable methodological variability of the reviewed studies, we proposed to develop a standardized research and evaluation strategy in order to obtain a better and comprehensive understanding of this topic.

scholarly journals Psychological Perspectives on Intimate Partner Violence

Psychology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Miller-Graff
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Intervention Programs ◽  
Psychological Violence ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Contemporary Research ◽  
Context Specific

Intimate partner violence (IPV) refers to acts or threats of physical, sexual, or psychological violence against a current or former partner. Although many of the psychological and physical ramifications of victimization are shared across contexts, it is critical to recognize that the cultural, social, and legal meanings and implications of victimization—and the access that survivors have to protection and support in the aftermath of violence—vary dramatically across contexts. Because of this, understanding the evolving history of IPV is necessarily context-specific, yet it is also important to recognize that there have been dramatic changes in policy in many nations since 2000 that have been motivated by growing awareness and advocacy. Examining contemporary research on IPV across contexts, a few summative points are evident. First, although the rates of bidirectional and male victimization vary across studies, women are generally victimized and injured at greater rates than are men—dramatically so in some contexts. Recent research has also suggested that individuals identifying as sexual and gender minorities may also be at greater risk for IPV. The negative effects of IPV on mental health, physical health, and development are profound and long lasting. These negative effects are not only evident in those directly victimized by of IPV, but also “trickle down” intergenerationally, and there is strong evidence documenting serious and enduring effects of IPV on the health and well-being of children. As discussed in more detail in the following sections, a substantial minority of IPV-exposed individuals have more than one violent partner in their lifetime, and these relationships often persist for years. Despite the wealth of research on the negative effects of IPV, intervention research is still in its nascence. There is relatively poor support for existing batterer intervention programs, especially those that are court-mandated and oriented toward identifying and changing stereotyped beliefs about gender relations. There is much stronger support for post-abuse care for survivors, with many available interventions demonstrating success in addressing depression and PTSD. There is also small, but growing, support for the effectiveness of programs with at-risk groups, such as IPV-exposed pregnant women. Innovative new directions for intervention include promising community-based and mobile health approaches that may improve the dissemination and scope of available services for survivors. For child witnesses, several intervention programs are available, but it is not yet clear from existing research which are the most advantageous or what the primary agents of change within these programs are. This bibliographic review of the literature is designed to highlight contemporary research in the field of partner violence and discuss some of its key controversies. It should be noted, however, that although it is rapidly changing, a great proportion of the available research has taken place in Western countries.

Reduced Serotonin Transporter Levels and Inflammation in the Midbrain Raphe of 12 Month Old APPswe/PSEN1dE9 Mice

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 420-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athanasios Metaxas ◽  
Ramanan Vaitheeswaran ◽  
Katrine T. Jensen ◽  
Camilla Thygesen ◽  
Laura Ilkjaer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mrna Expression ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Serotonin Transporter ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Transgenic Animals ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Silver Stain ◽  
Associated Lesions ◽  
Tnf Α

Background: Although mood and sleep disturbances are nearly universal among patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), brain structures involved in non-cognitive processing remain under characterized in terms of AD pathology. Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate hallmarks of AD pathology in the brainstem of the APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse model of familial AD. Methods: Fresh-frozen sections from female, 12 month old, transgenic and control B6C3 mice (n=6/genotype) were examined for amyloid burden and neurofibrillary alterations, by using 6E10 immunohistochemistry and the Gallyas silver stain, respectively. Serotonin transporter (SERT) densities in the dorsal and the median raphe were quantified by [3H]DASB autoradiography. SERT mRNA expression was measured by RT-PCR and visualized by in situ hybridization. Neuroinflammation was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining for microglia and astrocytes, and by measuring mRNA levels of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6. Results: No amyloid- and tau-associated lesions were observed in the midbrain raphe of 12 month old APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. SERT binding levels were reduced in transgenic animals compared to age-matched controls, and SERT mRNA levels were decreased by at least 50% from control values. Intense microglial, but not astrocytic immunoreactivity was observed in APPswe/PS1dE9 vs. wild-type mice. Levels of TNF-α mRNA were two-fold higher than control and correlated positively with SERT mRNA expression levels in transgenic animals. Conclusions: There was no amyloid accumulation and tau-associated pathology in the midbrain raphe of 12 month old APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. However, there was a local neuroinflammatory response with loss of serotonergic markers, which may partially account for some of the behavioral symptoms of AD.

scholarly journals Strategi Pendampingan Orang Tua terhadap Intensitas Penggunaan Gadget pada Anak

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-188
Author(s):  
Nurul Novitasari
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Exposure ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Violent Behavior ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Eye Health ◽  
Luxury Item

Generally children spend time playing and trying new things. Not infrequently they play and satisfy their curiosity through gadgets, because gadgets are an interesting tool, children should still spend more time playing with peers. The development of gadgets is very influential in the development of human life. This phenomenon is most easily found in children who come from families where gadgets are no longer a luxury item for them. So parents have to control children who use gadgets. There are certain hours a child holds a cellphone, there are certain hours a child with parents. One negative impact of the use of gadgets on children include: 1) being private closed, 2) impaired brain health, 3) impaired eye health, 4) impaired hand health, 5) sleep disturbances, 6) aloofness, 7) violent behavior, 8) fading creativity, 9) radiation exposure, and 10) cyberbullying threats. The most influential figure in preventing or overcoming the negative effects of gadgets are parents. So parents have a big role in guiding and preventing gadget technology from having a negative impact on children. Ways that must be done by parents are as follows: 1) select according to the age of the child, 2) Be selective in choosing the game application in the gadget, 3) Accompany children in playing, 4) Limit the time playing gadget for children, and 5) Invite children to do positive activities.

scholarly journals The Unexpected Social Consequences of Diverting Attention to our Phones

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elyssa M Barrick ◽  
Alixandra Barasch ◽  
Diana Tamir
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Experiences ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Social Connection ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Social Situations ◽  
Social Motives

Phone use is everywhere. Previous work has shown that phone use during social experiences has detrimental effects on cognitive processing, well-being, and relationships. In this work, we first replicate this by showing the negative effects of phone use on relationships during both controlled and naturalistic social experiences. In Study 1, participants that were randomly assigned to complete a task with a confederate who used their phone part of the time reported lower feelings of social connection than participants paired with a partner who did not use their phone at all. In Study 2, dyads in a park completed a survey about their experience of the day. Participants reported that increased phone use resulted in lower feelings of social connection, enjoyment, and engagement in the experience. People were keenly aware that phone use in social situations can be harmful. If the negative effects of phone use are so obvious, why do people continue to phub their friends? Studies 3 and 4 demonstrate that people accurately intuit the effects of others’ phone use on experiences, but fail to recognize the effects of their own phone use. Study 4 explains this phubbing blindspot by demonstrating asymmetric positive attributions – people attribute their own phone use to positive social motives, and overestimate their ability to multitask compared to others. These findings suggest that people may fail to recognize the negative consequences of their own phone use by attributing positive motives for phone use to themselves.

scholarly journals Sleep Disturbances and Their Impact on Cognition in Individuals With Pure Cerebellar Disease

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akshata Sonni ◽  
Jeremy D. Schmahmann ◽  
Rebecca Spencer
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Cerebellar Ataxia ◽  
Word Pair ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Sleep Fragmentation ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Sleep Physiology

Abstract BackgroundIndividuals with cerebellar ataxia commonly report poor sleep. Our objective was to characterize sleep dysfunction in cerebellar ataxia and study its potential impact on non-motor function.MethodsSleep physiology and behavior were measured in 16 individuals with pure cerebellar ataxia and 16 matched controls. Cognitive function was assessed using the Cerebellar Cognitive Affective Syndrome/Schmahmann Scale (CCAS), and a word-pair learning task. We studied performance on the word-pair task before and after a period of overnight sleep to explore whether sleep-dependent memory consolidation is negatively impacted by cerebellar degeneration. ResultsCompared to matched controls, individuals with ataxia experienced greater limb movements during sleep (p=0.048), and increased sleep fragmentation (p=0.009) as measured through polysomnography. Cognitive assessment using the CCAS revealed deficits in executive function in the domains of verbal fluency (p=0.011) and cognitive flexibility (p=0.048). Individuals with ataxia were also impaired in declarative learning, with poor performance on the word-pair association task during Immediate (p=0.021) and Delayed Recall (p=0.011) compared to control participants. Poor sleep impacted cognition: increased sleep fragmentation was correlated with lower scores on the CCAS (p=0.008) and with immediate recall of the word-pair learning task (p=0.001). We found no differences between individuals with ataxia and controls with respect to overnight changes in performance on the word-pair task.ConclusionsSleep integrity is disrupted in individuals with neurodegeneration confined to the cerebellum. Fragmentation of sleep in particular appears to have negative effects on executive function and has practical implications for symptom management.

Promising Psychological Treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika M. Stojek ◽  
Andrew M. Sherrill ◽  
Trevor Stevens ◽  
Barbara Olasov Rothbaum
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Integrative Medicine ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Ptsd Treatment ◽  
Complementary And Integrative Medicine

Trauma-focused therapies, particularly prolonged exposure and cognitive processing therapy, are recommended as first-line treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, a subset of patients refuse, fail to respond, or respond only partially to these interventions. This chapter outlines numerous promising adaptions of and augmentation methods for existing evidence-based PTSD treatments in an effort to improve outcomes for all treatment seekers. These include couple- and family-based adaptions of PTSD treatment, augmenting psychotherapy with pharmacological and neurostimulation interventions, the use of Internet-based and smartphone-based platforms to deliver PTSD treatment, and the use of complementary and integrative medicine approaches to supplement evidence-based psychotherapy. Also reviewed is the evidence for using complementary and integrative medicine approaches to target sleep disturbances. Although many of these approaches are in preliminary stages of development and require further study, they represent important progress in helping clinicians better serve the many needs of individuals with PTSD.

COHERENCE PHYSICIANS ACTIONS IN THE PREVENTION OF VIRAL HEPATITIS C IN CHILDREN: A PILOT STUDY

2020 ◽  
Vol 99 (6) ◽  
pp. 247-252
Author(s):  
E.A. Galova ◽  
◽  
V.V. Krasnov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Viral Hepatitis ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Semantic Content ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Medical Activity ◽  
Organizational Issues ◽  
Viral Hepatitis C

Objective of the research: to assess the physicians' coherence on the prevention of viral hepatitis C (HCV) in children at the stages of medical care in maternity and child protection service (MCPS). Materials and methods: pilot study, coherence was assessed according to the questionnaire data of 4 groups of MCPS specialists: therapeutists (n=73), obstetricians-gynecologists (n=47), neonatologists (n=24) and pediatricians (n=87) using the Cohen's Kappa (κ). Results of the physicians’ coherence on the prevention of HCV did not reach the degree of good (p<0,05) and excellent (p<0,05) and depended on the semantic content of the question and the physicians’ specialty. Therapists had the worst agreement in the answers to questions reflecting medical activity, obstetriciansgynecologists – in terms of special knowledge about HCV, neonatologists – in their answers to questions on the organization of medical care for patients with HCV and patients from HCV-risk groups. Pediatricians, as well as therapeutists, had the greatest differences in answers to questions reflecting medical activity and, similarly to neonatologists, inconsistencies on organizational issues. Conclusions: it is necessary to develop and implement measures in practical healthcare that ensure consistency and continuity of physicians in the prevention HCV in children at each of the stages of medical care in MCPS.

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