Can’t clap to a beat? How rhythmically challenged people experience and strategize keeping time to music

While the phenomenon of beat-deafness has been explored in clinical contexts, few studies have investigated how rhythmically challenged people experience the act of keeping time with music. Task-based semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight participants who self-identified as being unable to clap in time to a beat. Participants were asked to keep time with a gradated battery of musical stimuli using both claps and alternative gestures (e.g. head nodding, swaying) and to articulate their timekeeping experience and strategies. Analysis reveals three core themes: (a) an apparent disconnect between the act of identifying the beat and the physical act of clapping, (b) variation in strategies for keeping time depending on the type of musical example (i.e., whether the beat was explicitly played by a percussive instrument or not), and (c) variation in the ease of coordination and listening experience when a movement other than clapping was used to keep time. Despite being small in scale, this qualitative study sheds light on some of the underlying strategies and processes involved in beat abstraction and keeping time to music, informing options for the musical training of rhythmically challenged people.

Head-nodding: a driving force for the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid

The myodural bridge (MDB) is a dense connective tissue bridge connecting the suboccipital muscles to the spinal dura mater, and it has been proven to be a normal common existing structure in humans and mammals. Some scholars believe that the suboccipital muscles can serve as a dynamic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pump via the MDB, and they found head rotations promote the CSF flow in human body, which provided evidence for this hypothesis. Head movement is a complex motion, but the effects of other forms of head movement on CSF circulation are less known. The present study explored the effects of head-nodding on CSF circulation. The CSF flow of 60 healthy volunteers was analyzed via cine phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging at the level of the occipitocervical junction before and after one-minute-head-nodding period. Furthermore, the CSF pressures of 100 volunteers were measured via lumbar puncture before and after 5 times head-nodding during their anesthetizing for surgical preparation. As a result, it was found that the maximum and average CSF flow rates at the level of the upper border of atlas during ventricular diastole were significantly decreased from 1.965 ± 0.531 to 1.839 ± 0.460 ml/s and from 0.702 ± 0.253 to 0.606 ± 0.228 ml/s respectively. In the meantime, the changes in the ratio of cranial and caudal orientation of the net flow volume were found differed significantly after the one-minute-head-nodding period (p = 0.017). And on the other hand, the CSF pressures at the L3–L4 level were markedly increased 116.03 ± 26.13 to 124.64 ± 26.18 mmH2O. In conclusion, the head-nodding has obvious effects on CSF circulation and head movement is one of the important drivers of cerebrospinal fluid circulation. We propose that the suboccipital muscles, participating in various head movements, might pull the dura sac via the myodural bridge, and thus, head movement provides power for the CSF circulation.

P079 Nurses educating patients about methotrexate: a video analysis study

Background/Aims Education prior to starting therapeutic drugs is essential so that patients understand how to take them, what to expect in terms of effects and anticipated side effects, also for monitoring and supply requirements. The benefits of methotrexate can be delayed, tolerability problems are common, side effects can be severe and the drug is used in much bigger doses for cancer treatment which could complicate internet searches, therefore education is essential. Undertaking education is a fundamental role for Rheumatology nurses. We were interested to explore this interaction between nurse and patient using video recordings. Methods Recordings were conducted of nurses educating patients prior to starting methotrexate, for the first time. The recordings were downloaded and reviewed minute by minute and were scored against items of the Calgary Cambridge (C-C) consultation model on a 4-point scale: 0= no evidence; 1= needs development; 2= competent; 3= excellent. Additionally, transcripts were typed and analysed thematically. Videos were further analysed quantitatively for each utterance and body movement using the Medical Interactive Process System (MIPS). Results Ten recordings involving four nurses were made. The C-C assessment showed good structure, content and flow, driven by the use of an information leaflet. The nurses dominated the conversation speaking for between 69-86% of the time and involved the patient sparsely during the encounter, there was also little checking to ensure the patient understood the information being conveyed. Thematic analysis also showed that the nurse agenda dominated, and frequently brought the encounter back to the contents of the leaflet. Cues from the patients to discuss topics important to them, were often missed. Nurses recognised that they were often overloading the patient with information. The MIPS analysis showed that “giving information” dominated the nurse utterances and head nodding and assent by positive utterances dominated for the patient. Interestingly there was a lot more head nodding than positive utterances suggesting that head nodding was more about deference to the nurses perceived higher status rather than indicating understanding. Nurses in the higher scoring interviews on the C-C comparison made more illustrative gestures, asked more open questions with more checking and summarising and less interruptions. Patients in lower scoring interviews were more animated with gestures and head movements. They also checked information given and interrupted more. Conclusion Nurses are doing many things well but consultations could be improved with training aimed at improving patient participation, awareness of cues, checking and summarising understanding. Also, interpretation of body language could be improved. Nodding does not necessarily indicate understanding and an animated patient who interrupts and checks is probably not having their perspective addressed. Disclosure S. Robinson: None. N. Adams: None. J. Scott: None. C. Walker: None. A. Hassell: None. S. Ryan: None. D. Walker: None.

The Exploration of the Uncanny Valley from the Viewpoint of the Robot’s Nonverbal Behaviour

Many studies have been conducted to find approaches to overcome the Uncanny Valley. However, the focus on the influence of the robot’s appearance leaves a big missing part: the influence of the robot’s nonverbal behaviour. This impedes the complete exploration of the Uncanny Valley. In this study, we explored the Uncanny Valley from the viewpoint of the robot’s nonverbal behaviour in regard to the Uncanny Valley hypothesis. We observed a relationship between the participants’ ratings on human-likeness of the robot’s nonverbal behavior and affinity toward the robot’s nonverbal behavior, and define the point where the affinity toward the robot’s nonverbal behavior significantly drops down as the Uncanny Valley. In this study, an experiment of human–robot interaction was conducted. The participants were asked to interact with a robot with different nonverbal behaviours, ranging from 0 (no nonverbal behavior, speaking only) to 3 (gaze, head nodding, and gestures) combinations and to rate the perceived human-likeness and affinity toward the robot’s nonverbal behavior by using a questionnaire. Additionally, the participants’ fixation duration was measured during the experiment. The result showed a biphasic relationship between human-likeness and affinity rating results. A curve resembling the Uncanny Valley is found. The result was also supported by participants’ fixation duration. It showed that the participants had the longest fixation at the robot when the robot expressed the nonverbal behaviours that fall into the Uncanny Valley. This exploratory study provides evidence suggesting the existence of the Uncanny Valley from the viewpoint of the robot’s nonverbal behaviour.

Spontaneous head movements characterize losing athletes during competition

Nonverbal movement behavior and emotions are closely linked processes; however, there is insufficient information about the spontaneous nonverbal expressions in response to experiencing positive and negative emotion, i.e., when winning or losing during sport competitions. Previous research showed that experienced tennis athletes detected losing behavior in athletes more accurately than winning behavior. However, it remained unclear what kind of nonverbal movements characterized losers because the actual movements have not been identified yet. Further research showed that head shaking occurred as an expression of doubt whereas head nodding appeared during successful actions. We therefore hypothesized that losing athletes nonverbally move more, and particularly execute more headshakes when compared to winners. The entire spontaneous nonverbal head movement behavior of professional tennis athletes was video-taped between points during competition and analyzed by two trained and certified raters using a standardized analysis system for nonverbal behavior in relation to won or lost points. The results showed that losers moved their head significantly more often, particularly executing more phasic upward, repetitive sideward (head shaking), and phasic sideward head movements when compared to winning athletes. The present results provide evidence that spontaneous nonverbal head movements differentiate winners from losers during competition. Losing a point in tennis is associated with to increased spontaneous head movement behavior, particularly in upward and sideward directions. Thus, we conclude that professional tennis athletes cannot inhibit their implicit nonverbal expressions that are related to negative emotions when losing.

Conceptualizing Illness: Nodding Syndrome in Northern Uganda

This paper presents an ethnographic study of conceptualizations of nodding syndrome (NS) in Uganda. NS is a poorly understood condition characterized by repetitive nodding of the head, mental retardation and stunted growth, which affects thousands of children in northern Uganda, South Sudan and Tanzania. Although extensive research for causative agents has been conducted, no convincing single cause has been reported. This study establishes an understanding of different representations of NS and argues that the episodes of head nodding are related to the socio-political body in which they are manifested. Three interwoven approaches towards NS take main stage whereby the syndrome is presented as a biomedical, spiritual and/or political problem. The conceptualizations are linked to different notions of healing and affected families combine various forms of therapy. Through the examination of different narratives, this study disrupts the idea of a singular perspective on illness and pleads for a focus on motion and plurality. KEY WORDS: NODDING SYNDROME, UGANDA, HEALTH, CONCEPTUALIZATION, ANTHROPOLOGY

EUTHANASIA OF ACUTE NEUROLGIC CANINE DISTEMPER VIRUS AFFECTED PET DOG ADJACENT TO PROTECTED FOREST AREA

Adult male non-descript bred dog presented with a history of circling motion, frequent head nodding, crusty muzzle, muscle twitching, seizure, vomiting, inappetence, coughing, inability to walk, watery pustular discharge from eyes and blood stained left ears and on further examination of foot pads showed thick, crusty or hardened sole and based on the clinical signs and symptoms, provisionally diagnosed as Canine distemper and advised euthanasia due to close geographic onset of the disease epidemic and to prevent Canine distemper-associated deaths in wild canids and felids.

Conceptualizing Illness: Nodding Syndrome in Northern Uganda

This paper presents an ethnographic study of conceptualizations of nodding syndrome (NS) in Uganda. NS is a poorly understood condition characterized by repetitive nodding of the head, mental retardation and stunted growth, which affects thousands of children in northern Uganda, South Sudan and Tanzania. Although extensive research for causative agents has been conducted, no convincing single cause has been reported. This study establishes an understanding of different representations of NS and argues that the episodes of head nodding are related to the socio-political body in which they are manifested. Three interwoven approaches towards NS take main stage whereby the syndrome is presented as a biomedical, spiritual and/or political problem. The conceptualizations are linked to different notions of healing and affected families combine various forms of therapy. Through the examination of different narratives, this study disrupts the idea of a singular perspective on illness and pleads for a focus on motion and plurality.