The Development of a Spiritual Conversation Model for Patients with Early Dementia or a Migrant Background

Author(s):  
Marieke Carla Potma
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Zhu ◽  
Lihe Huang

Verbal repetition has been acknowledged as one of the most common symptoms in early Dementia of Alzheimer's Type (DAT). Despite previous attempts, the applicability of verbal repetition as an essential linguistic marker indicating this disease remains unexplored for Chinese DAT patients. This study collects Chinese DAT patients' daily conversation data to investigate both structural and functional aspects of pathological verbal repetition. Three major types are set regarding the cases of pathological repetition, respectively ‘unconscious concept repetition', ‘perseveration', and ‘involuntary word repetition'. The analysis focuses on what features these repetitions have from the perspective of ‘ideational function', ‘interpersonal function', and ‘textual function' within the framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics. A better understanding of pathological verbal repetition by DAT elders as the linguistic markers of cognitive impairment promotes effective communication between patients, nursing staff, and family members.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-52
Author(s):  
Michael Pittman

G. I. Gurdjieff (c.1866–1949) was born in Gyumri, Armenia and raised in the Caucasus and eastern Asia Minor. He also traveled extensively throughout Turkey to places of pilgrimage and in search of Sufi teachers. Through the lens of Gurdjieff’s notion of legominism, or the means by which spiritual teachings are transmitted from successive generations, this article explores the continuing significance of spiritual practice and tradition and the ways that these forms remain relevant in shaping contemporary trends in spirituality. Beginning with Gurdjieff’s use of legominism, the article provides reflection on some early findings done in field research in Turkey— through site visits, interviews and participant-observation—conducted in the summers of 2014 and 2015. The aim of the project is both to meet individuals and groups, particularly connected to Sufism, that may have some contact with the influences that Gurdjieff would have been familiar with, and to visit some of the sites that were part of Gurdjieff’s early background and which served to inform his work. Considerations of contemporary practices include the view of spiritual transmission, and practices of pilgrimage, prayer and sohbet, or spiritual conversation, in an ongoing discourse about spiritual transformation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihály Racsmány ◽  
Dorottya Bencze ◽  
Péter Pajkossy ◽  
Ágnes Szőllősi ◽  
Miklós Marián

AbstractOne of the greatest commonplaces in memory research is that context improves recall and enhances or leaves recognition intact. Here we present results which draw attention to the fact that the reappearance of irrelevant and unattended background contexts of encoding significantly impairs memory discrimination functions. This manuscript presents the results of two experiments in which participants made indoor/outdoor judgements for a large number of object images presented together with individual, irrelevant and presumably unattended background scenes. On a subsequent unexpected recognition test participants saw the incidentally encoded target objects, visually similar lures or new foil objects on the same or new background scenes. Our results showed that although the reappearance of the background scene raised the hit rate for target objects, it decreased mnemonic discrimination, a behavioral score for pattern separation, a hippocampal function that is affected in early dementia. Furthermore, the presence of the encoded background scene at the recognition test increased the false recognition of lure objects, even when participants were explicitly instructed to neglect the context scene. Altogether these results gave evidence that if context increases recognition hits for target memories, it does so at the cost of increasing false recognition and diminished discriminability for similar information.


2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 63-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casper de Boer ◽  
Johan J.M. Pel ◽  
Johannes van der Steen ◽  
Francesco Mattace-Raso

Background/Aims: Recent evidence shows that early dementia patients have deficits in manual reaching tasks. It is important to understand the impact of these functional disabilities on their quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate if there is an association between manual reaching and measures of (instrumental) activities of daily living (IADL) in a group of patients with cognitive complaints. Methods: The manual reaching performance of 27 patients was assessed in detail with eye and hand tracking devices. Patients were divided into three groups based on self-reported loss of IADL function. Parameters describing hand response and movement times were compared between groups. Results: Patients with loss of IADL function in ≥1 domain had delayed hand response and hand movement times towards visible targets compared to patients with no loss of IADL function. Conclusion: Delays in manual reaching movements are related to the degree of loss of IADL function in early dementia patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 202.1-202
Author(s):  
V. Krafft ◽  
E. Rösch

Background:Some 800,000 people in Switzerland have trouble reading (1). For people with reading or learning difficulties, many texts are too complex or simply too long. People with a migrant background likewise often lack access to health information, in their case due to language barriers.Objectives:One of the top priorities set out in Switzerland’s “National Strategy on Musculoskeletal Diseases (2017–2022) is to develop low-threshold services for vulnerable groups. In keeping with this strategy, the Swiss League against Rheumatism (SLR) wants to reach out to people with a migrant background as well as those with reading difficulties by making available to them helpful and readily understandable information material on rheumatic diseases.Methods:During the planning phase, the SLR collaborated with migesplus, the portal for equal health opportunities operated by the Swiss Red Cross. Their input flowed into the conception of the new publication series “kurz & knapp” (in short).The texts for the new series are written in accordance with the rules for Easy Language, with the help of an expert committee from Pro Infirmis, the Swiss professional organisation for people with disabilities (www.buero-leichte-sprache.ch). After being evaluated, the final texts then receive a seal of approval. Easy Language is a key component of accessibility, because it makes complex content accessible to a wider audience.For the benefit of people with a migrant background, the SLR has the texts translated not only into the three Swiss national languages German, French and Italian but also into Albanian, Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian, Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish.Brochures on “Gout” and “Arthrosis” have already been published in the “kurz & knapp” series. In 2020, a publication on the subject of “Back Pain” will follow.In order to make the publications known to the intended target groups, the SLR wrote to various multipliers, such as immigration offices and foreign media.The publications are available free of charge in the online shop.Results:The new series “kurz & knapp” has been commended in particular by migration experts. Within the last ten months, the SLR has already distributed over 1,000 copies.Conclusion:To reach people with reading difficulties or a migrant background – groups that make up a large part of the Swiss population – specially designed communication tools are needed. An interdisciplinary network is indispensable for the development and dissemination of such tools.References:[1]Notter, P. & Arnold, C (2006). Lesen und Rechnen im Alltag: Grundkompetenzen von Erwachsenen in der Schweiz. Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BFS). Accessed on 28 January 2020:https://www.lesen-schreiben-schweiz.ch/myUploadData/files/ALL-StudieD.pdfDisclosure of Interests:Valérie Krafft Grant/research support from: Yes, Menarini AG (for gout brochure), Eva Rösch: None declared


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Aldin ◽  
D Chakraverty ◽  
A Baumeister ◽  
I Monsef ◽  
T Jakob ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The project “Gender-specific health literacy in individuals with a migrant background (GLIM)” (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research; 01GL1723) aims to provide a comprehensive overview of international research and evidence on aspects of gender and migration related to health literacy. It encompasses primary and secondary research using a mixed-methods approach. Methods In a first step, we systematically review the available quantitative and qualitative evidence: in the first quantitative review, we meta-analyse the evidence on gender differences in health literacy of migrants. The second quantitative review assesses the effectiveness of interventions for improving health literacy in female and male migrants. The third review summarises qualitative evidence to assess factors associated with gender and migration that may play a role in the design, delivery, and effectiveness of such interventions. In a second step, we conduct primary research by performing focus group discussions (FGDs) with health care providers who regularly work with different migrant groups in order to explore their perspectives on the challenges and needs of migrants in the German health care system. Results To date, we identified 163 relevant references after screening of 17,932 references, for all reviews combined. Various health literacy interventions and measurement tools exist and require critical evaluation. The FGDs yielded hints to factors that a) influence gender differences in the health literacy of migrants (e.g. masculinity norms preventing Mediterranean men from consulting psychotherapists) or b) limit systemic health literacy (e.g. lack of translators). Conclusions Results from the FGDs can provide insights into the processes underlying the results of the reviews. However, despite increasing research, summarising the available evidence is highly challenging, as there are no universal definitions of the key concepts health literacy and migrant background. Key messages This is an interdisciplinary project, combining quantitative and qualitative evidence to provide maximum value to health policy and decision-making for the health care and health literacy of migrants. Research on gender-, and migration-specific aspects of health literacy is of great importance for the development and delivery of effective interventions for improving migrants’ health literacy.


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