Concept Mapping to Define Components for an Occupation-Based Intervention for Parkinson’s Disease and Anxiety

Background: Anxiety, a common symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD), results in reduced life quality, reduced participation in meaningful roles and daily activities, and increased health burden. There are no evidence-based interventions to reduce the impact of anxiety in PD on participation. Objective: This study aimed to identify the key components required for the co-production of an occupation- and community-based intervention for people with PD-related anxiety. Methods: A participatory mixed-methods research study was conducted using online Group Concept Mapping methodology that included five stages: brainstorming, idea synthesis, sorting activity, rating activity, and analysis. A cluster map, pattern match, and ‘go-zone’ charts were created through multivariate statistical analysis based on participants’ responses. The stages were guided by questions generated by the research team working with stakeholders. Results: Eighty-three people participated, with 64 taking part in more than one activity. Participants included people with PD (n = 72), care partners (n = 6), and occupational therapists (n = 5). The final map contained 119 statements with eight clusters (stress value 0.252): exercise, lifestyle changes, self-help, coping, access to information, professional help, peers and groups, support from others. Significant agreement existed between the importance and feasibility rating activities (r = –0.07). ‘Go-zone’ charts highlighted the priority statements for intervention development. Conclusions: This novel participatory study highlighted priority components that provide starting points for future development of an occupation- and community-based intervention for people with PD-related anxiety.</jats:p

Concept Mapping to Define Components for an Occupation-Based Intervention for Parkinson\u27s Disease and Anxiety

Background:Anxiety, a common symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD), results in reduced life quality, reduced participation in meaningful roles and daily activities, and increased health burden. There are no evidence-based interventions to reduce the impact of anxiety in PD on participation.Objective:This study aimed to identify the key components required for the co-production of an occupation- and community-based intervention for people with PD-related anxiety.Methods:A participatory mixed-methods research study was conducted using online Group Concept Mapping methodology that included five stages: brainstorming, idea synthesis, sorting activity, rating activity, and analysis. A cluster map, pattern match, and ‘go-zone’ charts were created through multivariate statistical analysis based on participants’ responses. The stages were guided by questions generated by the research team working with stakeholders.Results:Eighty-three people participated, with 64 taking part in more than one activity. Participants included people with PD (n = 72), care partners (n = 6), and occupational therapists (n = 5). The final map contained 119 statements with eight clusters (stress value 0.252): exercise, lifestyle changes, self-help, coping, access to information, professional help, peers and groups, support from others. Significant agreement existed between the importance and feasibility rating activities (r = –0.07). ‘Go-zone’ charts highlighted the priority statements for intervention development.Conclusions:This novel participatory study highlighted priority components that provide starting points for future development of an occupation- and community-based intervention for people with PD-related anxiety

Service evaluation of an acute Parkinson's therapy pathway between hospital and home

Background People with Parkinson's disease report that inpatient hospital environments do not replicate their home setup. A therapy pathway was developed integrating early home-based assessment, therapy sessions with photographs of key home areas, enhanced communication with community services, and staggered discharge. Methods Outcome measures (length of stay and readmissions within 14 days) in people with Parkinson's disease on the therapy pathway (n=5) were compared to those previously receiving standard care (n=5). Results Mean length of stay was 7.2 days shorter in the intervention group and their discharge Lindop Parkinson's mobility scale score was 39.4% higher. No difference was found in the Modified Barthel Index between the groups. Both groups had the same readmission rates. The pathway was accepted by both people with Parkinson's disease and clinicians. Conclusions The pathway reduced hospital length of stay and increased mobility in patients with Parkinson's disease. It was accepted by patients and clinicians and was feasible to integrate into current practice. The pathway warrants further evaluation

Characteristics of Occupational Therapy Interventions for Community-Dwelling Adults With Anxiety: Protocol for a Scoping Review

Background:Anxiety is linked to decreased life quality and well-being. Living with an anxiety disorder results in higher personal and societal financial expenditure. Occupational therapists work with people living with anxiety in a variety of settings. A preliminary database search was conducted, and no current or underway systematic or scoping reviews on the topic were identified. Developing an overview of studies of occupational therapy interventions for people with anxiety is a necessary first step to understanding the existing knowledge and to increase the impact of future interventions. This scoping review will build on the findings of a previously conducted systematic review.Objective:This scoping review will identify the following: (1) what occupational therapy interventions exist for adults with anxiety and (2) the intervention characteristics including outcomes used and impact observed.Methods:This protocol was reviewed by an occupational therapist as part of a patient and public involvement consultation. The review will consider all studies and publications of occupational therapy that include community-dwelling adults with a diagnosis of anxiety who are aged 18 years and older and diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM-5-TR] criteria). Databases to be searched are MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, PsycArticles, Psychology &amp; Behavioural Sciences Collection, Embase, PubMed, TRIP, Proquest, Social Care Online, JBI EBP database, OpenGrey, and OALster. Titles and abstracts will be screened against the inclusion criteria using Rayyan Qatar Computing Research Institute. Potentially relevant studies will be retrieved in full and assessed against the inclusion criteria. Articles published in English will be included. No date limiters will be used. Study selection will be completed by 2 independent reviewers. Data will be extracted using a data extraction tool.Results:Data will be charted using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist in alignment with the review objectives. The scoping review will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols statement.Conclusions:This scoping review will produce valuable information about community-based interventions used to improve participation, life quality, and well-being for adults with anxiety to support the development of occupational therapy interventions. The findings will be disseminated through professional and National Health Service bodies, employer organizations, conferences, and research articles. The findings will be of value to health care professionals and researchers working to improve the lives of people living with anxiety.Trial Registration:Open Science Framework DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/JS549; https://osf.io/js549/International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID):DERR1-10.2196/4123

Self-reported hearing difficulties are associated with loneliness, depression and cognitive dysfunction during the COVID-19 pandemic

Related Research Data: Self-reported hearing difficulties are associated with loneliness, depression and cognitive dysfunction during the COVID-19 pandemic, available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/servlet/linkout?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.6084%2Fm9.figshare.14216382&type=Scholix - Source: Taylor & Francis.Deafness Support Network (DSN) fellowship grant; NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre; NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre (Translational Neuroscience)

Street-level green spaces support a key urban population of the threatened Hispaniolan parakeet Psittacara chloropterus

While urbanisation remains a major threat to biodiversity, urban areas can sometimes play an important role in protecting threatened species, especially exploited taxa such as parrots. The Hispaniolan Parakeet Psittacara chloropterus has been extirpated across much of Hispaniola, including from most protected areas, yet Santo Domingo (capital city of the Dominican Republic) has recently been found to support the island’s densest remaining population. In 2019, we used repeated transects and point-counts across 60 1 km2 squares of Santo Domingo to examine the distribution of parakeets, identify factors that might drive local presence and abundance, and investigate breeding ecology. Occupancy models indicate that parakeet presence was positively related to tree species richness across the city. N-Mixture models show parakeet encounter rates were correlated positively with species richness of trees and number of discrete ‘green’ patches (> 100 m2) within the survey squares. Hispaniolan Woodpecker Melanerpes striatus, the main tree-cavity-producing species on Hispaniola, occurs throughout the city, but few parakeet nests are known to involve the secondary use of its or other cavities in trees/palms. Most parakeet breeding (perhaps 50–100 pairs) appears to occur at two colonies in old buildings, and possibly only a small proportion of the city’s 1500+ parakeets that occupy a single roost in street trees breed in any year. Our models emphasise the importance of parks and gardens in providing feeding resources for this IUCN Vulnerable species. Hispaniola’s urban centres may be strongholds for populations of parakeets and may even represent sources for birds to recolonise formerly occupied areas on the island

Covariant Momentum Map Thermodynamics for Parametrized Field Theories

Inspired by Souriau's symplectic generalization of the Maxwell-Boltzmann-Gibbs equilibrium in Lie group thermodynamics, we investigate a spacetime-covariant formalism for statistical mechanics and thermodynamics in the multi-symplectic framework for relativistic field theories. A general-covariant Gibbs state is derived, via a maximal entropy principle approach, in terms of the covariant momentum map associated with the lifted action of the diffeomorphisms group on the extended phase space of the fields. Such an equilibrium distribution induces a canonical spacetime foliation, with a Lie algebra-valued generalized notion of temperature associated to the covariant choice of a reference frame, and it describes a system of fields allowed to have non-vanishing probabilities of occupying states different from the diffeomorphism invariant configuration. We focus on the case of parametrized first-order field theories, as a concrete simplified model for fully constrained field theories sharing fundamental general covariant features with canonical general relativity. In this setting, we investigate how physical equilibrium, hence time evolution, emerge from such a state via a gauge-fixing of the diffeomorphism symmetry

Effects of the physiological parameters on the signal-to-noise ratio of single myoelectric channel

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>An important measure of the performance of a myoelectric (ME) control system for powered artificial limbs is the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the output of ME channel. However, few studies illustrated the neuron-muscular interactive effects on the SNR at ME control channel output. In order to obtain a comprehensive understanding on the relationship between the physiology of individual motor unit and the ME control performance, this study investigates the effects of physiological factors on the SNR of single ME channel by an analytical and simulation approach, where the SNR is defined as the ratio of the mean squared value estimation at the channel output and the variance of the estimation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Mathematical models are formulated based on three fundamental elements: a motoneuron firing mechanism, motor unit action potential (MUAP) module, and signal processor. Myoelectric signals of a motor unit are synthesized with different physiological parameters, and the corresponding SNR of single ME channel is numerically calculated. Effects of physiological multi factors on the SNR are investigated, including properties of the motoneuron, MUAP waveform, recruitment order, and firing pattern, etc.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results of the mathematical model, supported by simulation, indicate that the SNR of a single ME channel is associated with the voluntary contraction level. We showed that a model-based approach can provide insight into the key factors and bioprocess in ME control. The results of this modelling work can be potentially used in the improvement of ME control performance and for the training of amputees with powered prostheses.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The SNR of single ME channel is a force, neuronal and muscular property dependent parameter. The theoretical model provides possible guidance to enhance the SNR of ME channel by controlling physiological variables or conscious contraction level.</p