Debranding in Fantasy Realms: Perceived Marketing Opportunities within the Virtual World

This paper discusses the application of the concept of debranding within immersive virtual environments. In particular the issue of the media richness and vividness of experience is considered in these experience realms that may not be conducive to traditional branding invasive strategies. Brand equity is generally seen to be the desired outcome of branding strategies and the authors suggest that unless the virtual domains are considered as sacred spaces then brand equity may be compromised. The application of the above concepts is applied to the differing social spaces that operate within the different experience realms. The ideas of resonance, presence and interactivity are considered here. They lead to the development of a constructed positioning by the participants. Through the process of debranding, marketers may be able to enter these sacred spaces without negative impact to the brand. Perception of these virtual spaces was found to be partially congruent with this approach to branding. It thus presents a number of challenges for the owners of such virtual spaces and also virtual worlds in increasing the commercial utilization of investment in these environments

Shackles of care: family power struggles and negotiation strategies for food provision in adulthood

Purpose A growing stream of consumer research has examined the family dynamics and consumption practices that come from the changing life stages. This study aims to better understand the narratives surrounding power struggles emanating from continued parental food provision upon the stages of adulthood. The study illustrates the contestations within the family as well as the strategies that recipients use to alleviate these tensions within the context of adult Greek daughters and sons. Design/methodology/approach The study used in-depth narrative interviews with 17 Greek consumers together with photo elicitation to examine consumers’ power struggles in experiencing continued food provision within the family. Findings The study demonstrates that continued food provision affects the stages of adulthood. The adult children go through a journey of negotiation and struggles of power arising within parental food provision practices. The study demonstrates four power-based struggles and four negotiation strategies to cope with and alleviate the contestations. Research limitations Such exploration allowed insights to emerge in relation to the narratives of sons and daughters themselves. However, there are two other relational partners – the food providers and the partners of the food recipients – whose perspectives were not captured but would further aid understanding if captured in future research. Practical implications The authors show that consumption practices at home can be a source of friction; thus, food related practices outside the family home can be encouraged to mitigate tensions. The findings could inform advertising campaigns and marketing strategies regarding the loving yet challenging family relationship. Social implications The authors encourage mothers to be reflective on the tendency towards continued provision, as the food provision contributes to the daughter and son’s sense of protracted adulthood stages. Insights from the study are applicable to family tensions in other contexts such as the boomerang generation. Originality/value This study focuses on a stage of family life and from a perspective of the recipient, both areas which have been previously under explored. The theoretical perspectives of power are used to contribute to areas of food and family consumption by showing how the provision of food marks meanings of love, but also reveals sources of power and contention. The study also contributes by exploring the role of food consumption in the protraction of adulthoo

Processing Speed and Attentional Shift/Mental Flexibility in Patients with Stroke: A Comprehensive Review on the Trail Making Test in Stroke Studies

The Trail Making Test (TMT) is one of the most commonly administered tests in clinical and research neuropsychological settings. The two parts of the test (part A (TMT-A) and part B (TMT-B)) enable the evaluation of visuoperceptual tracking and processing speed (TMT-A), as well as divided attention, set-shifting and cognitive flexibility (TMT-B). The main cognitive processes that are assessed using TMT, i.e., processing speed, divided attention, and cognitive flexibility, are often affected in patients with stroke. Considering the wide use of TMT in research and clinical settings since its introduction in neuropsychological practice, the purpose of our review was to provide a comprehensive overview of the use of TMT in stroke patients. We present the most representative studies assessing processing speed and attentional shift/mental flexibility in stroke settings using TMT and applying scoring methods relying on conventional TMT scores (e.g., time-to-complete part A and part B), as well as derived measures (e.g., TMT-(B-A) difference score, TMT-(B/A) ratio score, errors in part A and part B). We summarize the cognitive processes commonly associated with TMT performance in stroke patients (e.g., executive functions), lesion characteristics and neuroanatomical underpinning of TMT performance post-stroke, the association between TMT performance and patients’ instrumental activities of daily living, motor difficulties, speech difficulties, and mood statue, as well as their driving ability. We also highlight how TMT can serve as an objective marker of post-stroke cognitive recovery following the implementation of interventions. Our comprehensive review underscores that the TMT stands as an invaluable asset in the stroke assessment toolkit, contributing nuanced insights into diverse cognitive, functional, and emotional dimensions. As research progresses, continued exploration of the TMT potential across these domains is encouraged, fostering a deeper comprehension of post-stroke dynamics and enhancing patient-centered care across hospitals, rehabilitation centers, research institutions, and community health settings. Its integration into both research and clinical practice reaffirms TMT status as an indispensable instrument in stroke-related evaluations, enabling holistic insights that extend beyond traditional neurological assessments

The association of theory of mind with language and visuospatial abilities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a pilot study

International audienceObjective: Dysfunction of social cognition is well-recognized as one of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cognitive impairments. Previous studies have mostly associated social cognition subcomponents, including Theory of Mind (ToM), with executive dysfunction using highlydemanding tasks. In the present study, we investigate dysfunction of affective ToM in a sample of ALS patients without dementia and evaluate any possible associations both with executive and non-executive dysfunction. Methods: We included 42 ALS patients and 30 healthy controls (HC) and administered the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Screen (ECAS). Affective ToM was examined based on the ECAS judgment of preference task; total score and type of errors ("favourite", "unclassified") were recorded for all participants. Results: A significant proportion of ALS patients (31%) were impaired on ToM task, scoring significantly lower compared to HC. Impairments in ToM task were more frequent (45%) in patients with cognitive impairment compared to those with intact cognition (15%). ALS patients showed significantly more errors on ToM task compared to HC. A significant association was found between ToM score and ECAS language and visuospatial abilities but not fluency, executive or memory function. Conclusion: Dysfunction of affective ToM appears prevalent in ALS patients without dementia, and associates with language and visuospatial abilities. These associations align with motor and extra-motor symptoms due to the degeneration across corresponding networks. Impaired ToM should be considered in clinical settings, since it might contribute to patients' social life, as well as the burden of their caregivers and relatives

Elucidating the Role of Baseline Leukoaraiosis on Forecasting Clinical Outcome of Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Undergoing Reperfusion Therapy

Stroke stands as a major cause of death and disability with increasing prevalence. The absence of clinical improvement after either intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) or mechanical thrombectomy (MT) represents a frequent concern in the setting of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). In an attempt to optimize overall stroke management, it is clinically valuable to provide important insight into functional outcomes after reperfusion therapy among patients presenting with AIS. The aim of the present review is to explore the predictive value of leukoaraiosis (LA) in terms of clinical response to revascularization poststroke. A literature research of two databases (MEDLINE and Scopus) was conducted in order to trace all relevant studies published between 1 January 2012 and 1 November 2022 that focused on the potential utility of LA severity regarding reperfusion status and clinical outcome after revascularization. A total of 37 articles have been traced and included in this review. LA burden assessment is indicative of functional outcome post-intervention and may be associated with hemorrhagic events’ incidence among stroke individuals. Nevertheless, LA may not solely guide decision-making about treatment strategy poststroke. Overall, the evaluation of LA upon admission seems to have interesting prognostic potential and may substantially enhance individualized stroke care

Executive Dysfunction, Social Cognition Impairment, and Gray Matter Pathology in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2: A Pilot Study

International audienc

The Clinical Utility of Leukoaraiosis as a Prognostic Indicator in Ischemic Stroke Patients

Stroke constitutes a major cause of functional disability with increasing prevalence among adult individuals. Thus, it is of great importance for both clinicians and stroke survivors to be provided with a timely and accurate prognostication of functional outcome. A great number of biomarkers capable of yielding useful information regarding stroke patients’ recovery propensity have been evaluated so far with leukoaraiosis being among them. Literature research of two databases (MEDLINE and Scopus) was conducted to identify all relevant studies published between 1 January 2012 and 25 June 2022 that dealt with the clinical utility of a current leukoaraiosis as a prognostic indicator following stroke. Only full-text articles published in English language were included. Forty-nine articles have been traced and are included in the present review. Our findings highlight the prognostic value of leukoaraiosis in an acute stroke setting. The assessment of leukoaraiosis with visual rating scales in CT/MRI imaging appears to be able to reliably provide important insight into the recovery potential of stroke survivors, thus significantly enhancing stroke management. Yielding additional information regarding both short- and long-term functional outcome, motor recovery capacity, hemorrhagic transformation, as well as early neurological deterioration following stroke, leukoaraiosis may serve as a valuable prognostic marker poststroke. Thus, leukoaraiosis represents a powerful prognostic tool, the clinical implementation of which is expected to significantly facilitate the individualized management of stroke patients

Exploring the Utility of Autonomic Nervous System Evaluation for Stroke Prognosis

Stroke is a major cause of functional disability and is increasing in frequency. Therefore, stroke prognosis must be both accurate and timely. Among other biomarkers, heart rate variability (HRV) is investigated in terms of prognostic accuracy within stroke patients. The literature research of two databases (MEDLINE and Scopus) is performed to trace all relevant studies published within the last decade addressing the potential utility of HRV for stroke prognosis. Only the full-text articles published in English are included. In total, forty-five articles have been traced and are included in the present review. The prognostic value of biomarkers of autonomic dysfunction (AD) in terms of mortality, neurological deterioration, and functional outcome appears to be within the range of known clinical variables, highlighting their utility as prognostic tools. Moreover, they may provide additional information regarding poststroke infections, depression, and cardiac adverse events. AD biomarkers have demonstrated their utility not only in the setting of acute ischemic stroke but also in transient ischemic attack, intracerebral hemorrhage, and traumatic brain injury, thus representing a promising prognostic tool whose clinical application may greatly facilitate individualized stroke care

Hippocampal Metabolic Alterations in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study

Background: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been overwhelmingly applied to motor regions to date and our understanding of frontotemporal metabolic signatures is relatively limited. The association between metabolic alterations and cognitive performance in also poorly characterised. Material and Methods: In a multimodal, prospective pilot study, the structural, metabolic, and diffusivity profile of the hippocampus was systematically evaluated in patients with ALS. Patients underwent careful clinical and neurocognitive assessments. All patients were non-demented and exhibited normal memory performance. 1H-MRS spectra of the right and left hippocampi were acquired at 3.0T to determine the concentration of a panel of metabolites. The imaging protocol also included high-resolution T1-weighted structural imaging for subsequent hippocampal grey matter (GM) analyses and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for the tractographic evaluation of the integrity of the hippocampal perforant pathway zone (PPZ). Results: ALS patients exhibited higher hippocampal tNAA, tNAA/tCr and tCho bilaterally, despite the absence of volumetric and PPZ diffusivity differences between the two groups. Furthermore, superior memory performance was associated with higher hippocampal tNAA/tCr bilaterally. Both longer symptom duration and greater functional disability correlated with higher tCho levels. Conclusion: Hippocampal 1H-MRS may not only contribute to a better academic understanding of extra-motor disease burden in ALS, but given its sensitive correlations with validated clinical metrics, it may serve as practical biomarker for future clinical and clinical trial applications. Neuroimaging protocols in ALS should incorporate MRS in addition to standard structural, functional, and diffusion sequences