Locations of photo-sensors (a) and observed optoencephalography (OEG) signals (b).

<p>The locations of photo-sensors are vertex (0, 0); 14 mm right from vertex (R14, 0); 7 mm right and 7 mm anterior from vertex (R7, A7); 7 mm right and 7 mm posterior from vertex (R7, P7); in addition to (R7, 0). Dotted circles in locations of photo-sensors represent the window area of the photo-sensor. In the OEG signals, the black lines represent the averages of the OEG, and the grey lines indicate the standard deviations at each sampling time (15trials across all subjects).</p

Optoencephalography (OEG) (a) and somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) (b) responses.

<p>The red and black lines represent the averages of the OEG measurements (15 trials across all subjects) and SSEP measurements (15trials across all subjects) respectively. The grey lines indicate the standard deviations at each sampling time. Each component of the OEG or SSEP consisted of an average of 300 trials.</p

Schematic drawing of the optoencephalography (OEG) measurement system.

<p>Near-infrared light (a) was emitted from a light-emitting diode (LED) (b) located on the palate at the upper jaw. The LED was embedded in the polyethylene resin shaped like a mouth-guard on the palate of the upper jaw (c). The near-infrared light penetrating the brain was detected on the scalp using a photo-sensor module (d). The optical signal measured with the photo-sensor module was sampled with an A/D converter. The photo-sensor was placed on the scalp and aimed at the hand region of the postcentral gyrus of the cortex (corresponding to the S1 primary somatosensory cortex) (e).</p

Data_Sheet_1_Quality of therapy and mental health among occupational therapists during the COVID-19 pandemic.PDF

IntroductionThe coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has had a severe psychological impact on occupational therapists. Clarifying the mental health status of occupational therapists and its relationship with therapy quality is essential for maintaining the quality of care and patients' quality of life. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate whether and how mental health problems are related to the quality of occupational therapy.MethodsA nationwide cross-sectional online survey was conducted during Japan's second national state of emergency (January 2021). A total of 4,418 registered occupational therapists who were members of the Japanese Association of Occupational Therapists participated in this study. After screening for the exclusion criteria, data from 1,966 participants were analyzed.ResultsPath analysis showed that insufficient information provision by the workplace and increased workload were associated with depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Specifically, depression was associated with decreased therapy quality. Furthermore, one's therapy quality showed a strong positive correlation with colleagues' therapy quality.DiscussionThese results demonstrated a direct link between therapists' mental health conditions and therapy quality and suggested that decreased therapy quality might occur at the institutional rather than individual level. A reassessment of the support system and prompt detection and support for professionals with psychological symptoms may be the key to enhancing therapy quality and patients' quality of life. The present results contribute to the understanding of these relationships, considering the current pandemic context for occupational therapists.</p