Early Effects of Long-Term Neurotoxic Lead Exposure in Copper Works Employees

The situation of exposure in a copper works facility in Germany enabled early lead-induced neurotoxic effects to be investigated in the workers. The aim of the investigation was to study the long-term effects of small doses of lead on psychometric/psychophysiological performance of workers. The study involved 70 male lead exposed workers and 27 male controls with no neurotoxic exposure. All test persons were subjected to the method of investigation involving performance data, physiological strain data, and the subjective state. It was found that of the psychometric performance parameters, only the mainly motor performance parameters had a potential for being neurotoxic early indicators. Preferably centrally influenced performance parameters were found to be less suitable early indicators. The lead-exposed subjects exhibited a slowed poststrain resetting behaviour of the vegetative nervous system, which correlated with the individual blood lead level. This was attributed to vagus depression, which had already started in the prevailing situation of exposure and was reflected by diminished cardiac phase duration variability. Our results indicate that it is necessary to more critically choose the lead level standards in the air on the working area. Heart rate variability may be affected even at small lead concentration

The impact of music-imaginative pain treatment (MIPT) on psychophysical affect regulation – a single case study

Music-imaginative Pain Treatment (MIPT) is part of the multi-professional treatment plan for hospitalised patients in departments for psychosomatic medicine. MIPT is an intervention that encourages the patient to create music representing pain and relief from pain and promotes active engagement and self-reflection. This single case study of a 46-year-old female patient diagnosed with chronic pain disorder with somatic and psychological factors includes narrative, demographic, psychometric, and cardiophysiological data. During the interventions, early childhood stress, which is a risk factor for developing chronic pain, turns out to be a crucial focal point in therapy and conspicuous in her handling of the music. Social trauma is considered an appropriate concept for a deeper understanding of the case

Improvement of pain experience and changes in heart rate variability through music-imaginative pain treatment

Music-imaginative Pain Treatment (MIPT) is a form of music therapy addressing pain experience and affective attitudes toward pain. It includes two self-composed music pieces: one dedicated to the pain experience (pain music, PM) and the other to healing imagination (healing music, HM). Our non-experimental study addresses patients with chronic somatoform pain disorders participating in MIPT. The goal is to gain insight into the direct effect mechanisms of MIPT by combining outcome measures on both the objective physiological and subjective perception levels. The research questions are directed toward changes in pain experience and heart rate variability and their correlations. Thirty-seven hospitalized patients with chronic or somatoform pain disorders receiving MIPT participated in this study. Demographic data and psychometric measures (Symptom Check List SCL90, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire CTQ) were collected to characterize the sample. Subjective pain experience was measured by McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), and Heart Rate Variability by 24 h-ECG. Data analysis shows a reduction of reported pain from MT1 = 19.1 (SD = 7.3) to MT2 = 10.6 (SD = 8.0) in all dimensions of the SF-MPQ. HRV analyses shows a reduced absolute power during PM and HM, while a relative shift in the autonomic system toward higher vagal activity appears during HM. Significant correlations between HRV and MPQ could not be calculated. Findings are interpreted as a physiological correlate to the psychological processes of the patients. Future studies with more participants, a control-group design, and the integration of medium- and long-term effects are recommended

Well-being of veterinarians in rural and urban areas

IntroductionThe field of veterinary medicine is characterized by a variety of challenging working conditions. The alarmingly low mental well-being of veterinarians has been examined from various perspectives. However, the influence of work location on the well-being of veterinary professionals has scarcely been investigated. The aim of the study was therefore to analyze the well-being of German veterinarians and to determine whether there is a correlation between well-being and work location.MethodsAs part of a cross-sectional study, 999 veterinary professionals answered questions regarding their work location (self-designed questions) and well-being (WHO-Five Well-being Index, WHO-5). A differentiation was made according to work location: urban cities (population > 100,000), medium/small cities (population < 100,000 inhabitants), and rural areas.ResultsOverall, the surveyed veterinarians had low well-being (ranging from 56.8% in rural areas to 61.3% in medium/small towns). The results of the general linear model indicated a significant difference in the WHO total score among veterinarians from different work locations (p < 0.001). However, when sex, age, type of employment, and field of specialization were included in the analysis, no significant between-subject effects were found.ConclusionAccording to the results, work location does not seem to have a significant influence on the well-being of veterinarians and therefore may be of lower priority in the development and implementation of interventions. However, further investigation of work-related predictors of the mental health of veterinarians is recommended, as the results indicate a low well-being among these professionals

Factors Influencing Heart Rate Variability

The measurement and analysis of heart rate variability (HRV), which is based on the variation between consecutive NN intervals, has become an established procedure over the past two decades. A decrease in HRV has been shown to correlate with an increase in mortality. HRV is influenced by a number of physiological factors such as various diseases. Awareness of these mediators or confounders is of great importance in the analysis and assessment of HRV both in scientific studies and in clinical practice. This document, which is based on a selective survey of references and supplemented by information from national and international guidelines, presents the main endogenous, exogenous and constitutional factors. A decrease in HRV has been observed not only in connection with non-influenceable physiological factors such as age, gender and ethnic origin, but also in conjunction with a large number of acute and chronic diseases. Numerous lifestyle factors have both a positive and a negative influence on HRV. There are also physical influences that affect HRV. They must on no account be disregarded. Although the list of the factors is long and not all of them have yet been fully studied, awareness of them is of crucial importance in the measurement of HRV (both under laboratory conditions and during medical practice), its analysis and its assessment. More research also needs to be carried out to close knowledge gaps

Relaxation and strain among emergency medical service personnel and emergency control center dispatchers during the first two waves of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Background Workloads of emergency medical service personnel (EMP) and emergency control center dispatchers (CCDs) were manifold. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic presented new challenges for the prehospital emergency medical service. The purpose of this study was to compare the status of stress/strain and recovery of Recovery-Stress Questionnaire among EMP and CCDs in Germany during the first 2 waves of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic both between occupational groups and over time. Material and Methods A total of 2426 emergency medical service personnel and control center dispatchers were questioned with the Recovery-Stress Questionnaire based on Kallus. The results from the first 2 waves of the pandemic (June–August 2020 and January–February 2021) were compared. Results During the first and second wave of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the subjectively perceived stress of emergency medical service personnel and control center dispatchers increased, but recovery decreased. The CCDs showed more unfavorable values compared to EMP. Conclusions Health promotion interventions are necessary to counteract possible career changes or mental or other diseases due to insufficient management

Heart rate variability as a strain indicator for psychological stress for emergency physicians during work and alert intervention: a systematic review

Background!#!The workloads of emergency physicians are severe. The prevalence of burnout among emergency physicians is higher than with other physicians or compared to the general population. The analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) is a valid method for objective monitoring of workload. The aim of this paper is to systematically evaluate the literature on heart rate variability as an objective indicator for mental stress of emergency physicians.!##!Methods!#!A systematic literature review examining heart rate variability of emergency physicians in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement for reporting systematic reviews was performed. PubMed, Ovid, Cochrane Libary, Scopus, and Web of Science electronic databases were used. The methodological quality was evaluated by using a modified STARD for HRV.!##!Results!#!Two studies matched the inclusion criteria by using HRV between alert intervention and two other studies were considered that used HRV in other question areas. It showed an adaptation of HRV under stress. The studies were not comparable.!##!Conclusions!#!There is a need for occupational health studies that examine strains and stress of emergency physicians. The well-established parasympathetic mediated HRV parameters seem to be suitable parameters to objectify the stress

Visuelle Leistungen von Leistungssportlern im Vergleich zu Nicht‑/Freizeitsportlern

<jats:title>Zusammenfassung</jats:title><jats:p>Visuelle Fähigkeiten und Adaptationsreserven im Bereich der Blickmotorik sind mögliche Einflussfaktoren auf die sportliche Leistung. Sie sind für das Erreichen sportlicher Erfolge von Bedeutung und stehen deshalb im Fokus der Forschung. Ziel der Arbeit war es zu untersuchen, ob Leistungssportler bessere visuelle Leistungen aufweisen als Nicht‑/Freizeitsportler und ob es Unterschiede zwischen Individual- und Mannschaftssportlern gibt.</jats:p><jats:p>In einer Querschnittsstudie wurden die periphere Wahrnehmung, Stereosehen und das afferente dynamische Sehen bei 61 Männern und 61 Frauen im Alter zwischen 14 und 59 Jahren getestet. Entsprechend ihrer sportlichen Aktivität erfolgte die Einteilung in die Kontrollgruppe (Nicht‑/Freizeitsportler; <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 42) und Leistungssportler (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 80) mit mehr als 4‑mal Training pro Woche über mehr als 3 Jahre in den Untergruppen Individualsport (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 37) und Mannschaftssport (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 43). Gruppenunterschiede wurden mit dem Mann-Whitney-U-Test bzw. Kruskal-Wallis-Test geprüft.</jats:p><jats:p>Die Ergebnisse weisen lediglich vereinzelt signifikante Unterschiede hinsichtlich der visuellen Fähigkeiten auf. Die Leistungssportler haben mit durchschnittlich 74,3 ± 55,2 Winkelsekunden eine bessere Tiefensehschärfe als die Kontrollgruppe mit 97,2 ± 79,8 Winkelsekunden (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> < 0,05). Die periphere Wahrnehmung ist bei Leistungssportlern tendenziell besser im Vergleich zu Nicht‑/Freizeitsportlern. Rund 2,5 % der Leistungssportler waren fehlsichtig mit einem Visus unter 0,63. Die vorliegende Arbeit verdeutlicht die Notwendigkeit, die Sehleistung der Sportler zu testen, um z. B. die Konsequenzen für ein gezieltes sportartspezifisches Training dieser Funktionen zu ziehen.</jats:p&gt

Beeinflusst das Tragen einer Gangjustierhilfe in Sicherheitsschuhen die allgemeine Beanspruchung bei Produktionsarbeitern in der Spätschicht?

<jats:title>Zusammenfassung</jats:title><jats:sec> <jats:title>Hintergrund</jats:title> <jats:p>Sicherheitsschuhe sind Teil einer persönlichen Schutzausrüstung zur Minderung des Unfallrisikos am Arbeitsplatz und bei vielen Tätigkeiten in verschiedenen Berufsgruppen vorgeschrieben. Das Tragen von normierten Arbeitsschuhen kann aufgrund der besonderen Eigenschaften (Passform und Gewicht) zu einer erhöhten Beanspruchung des Arbeiters führen. Eine zusätzliche Optimierung von Arbeitsschuhen, mit dem Ziel der Symmetrisierung des Ganges und der damit einhergehenden Verminderung der Beanspruchung, unter den besonderen Bedingungen des Arbeitsschutzes ist daher anzustreben. In dieser Studie soll überprüft werden, ob das Anbringen einer Gangjustierhilfe mit dem Ziel der Symmetrisierung des Ganges einen Einfluss auf die allgemeine Beanspruchung von Schichtarbeitern hat.</jats:p> </jats:sec><jats:sec> <jats:title>Methodik</jats:title> <jats:p>Dafür wurde bei 29 männlichen Probanden (Interventionsgruppe: <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 15, Kontrollgruppe: <jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 14) zu 2 Messzeitpunkten während der Spätschicht die Herzfrequenzvariabilität (HRV) kontinuierlich erfasst.</jats:p> </jats:sec><jats:sec> <jats:title>Ergebnisse</jats:title> <jats:p>Nach 2‑wöchigem Tragen der Gangjustierhilfe zeigt sich eine signifikante Erhöhung der zeitbezogenen HRV-Parameter bei der Interventionsgruppe. Die frequenzbezogenen Parameter Gesamtleistung (Total Power) und Leistung im High Frequency Band (Power HF Band) zeigen bei der Kontrollgruppe eine Verringerung vom 1. zum 2. Messzeitpunkt. Die Ergebnisse sprechen dafür, dass die Gangjustierhilfe durchaus positive Effekte auf die HRV hat und damit die allgemeine Beanspruchungslage am Arbeitsplatz bei dieser Stichprobe positiv beeinflussen kann.</jats:p> </jats:sec><jats:sec> <jats:title>Diskussion</jats:title> <jats:p>Weitere Studien zum Überprüfen eines Effektes mit größeren Fallzahlen und unter Berücksichtigung weitere Gruppierungsmöglichkeiten (bspw. Parameter der Ganganalyse, körperliche Leistungsfähigkeit und Vorerkrankungen) sind jedoch erforderlich.</jats:p> </jats:sec&gt