Expanding the occupational health psychology methodology: an artificial neural network approach

Tesis Doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Departamento de Psicología Social y Metodología. Fecha de Lectura: 22-01-202

La relación entre interacción familia-trabajo, agotamiento relacionado con el trabajo, distanciamiento y significado de la vida: estudio del bienestar emocional a nivel diario

The aim of this research was to provide an integrative overview of the associations between employees’ daily emotional well-being (positive and negative affect) and family-work interaction, job-related exhaustion, detachment, and meaning in life. Service sector employees in Spain (N = 105) filled out a general measure and daily survey measures over five working days. Results showed that daily family-work conflict, job-related exhaustion and search for meaning in life predicted employees’ negative affect at night; conversely, daily detachment and presence of meaning in life had a negative relation with negative affect at night. In contrast, employees’ family-work facilitation, detachment, and presence of meaning in life predicted positive affect at night. Moreover, detachment moderated the relationship between familywork conflict and negative affect, and between the presence of meaning in life and positive affect. These findings have practical implications for individuals and organizations and suggest possible avenues for future research.El objetivo de la presente investigación fue proporcionar una visión integradora de las relaciones entre el bienestar diario emocional de los empleados (afecto positivo y negativo) y la interacción entre la familia y el trabajo, el agotamiento relacionado con el trabajo, el distanciamiento y el significado de la vida. Trabajadores del sector de servicios en España (N = 105) completaron un cuestionario general y cuestionarios diarios durante cinco días laborables. Los resultados mostraron que el conflicto familia-trabajo, el agotamiento relacionado con el trabajo y la búsqueda de sentido en la vida predecía a nivel diario el afecto negativo de los empleados por la noche. Por el contrario, el distanciamiento y la presencia de significado en la vida tenían una relación negativa con el afecto negativo por la noche. Por otra parte, la facilitación familia-trabajo, el distanciamiento y la presencia de sentido de la vida predecían el afecto positivo por la noche. Además, el distanciamiento moderaba la relación entre el conflicto familia-trabajo y el afecto negativo y entre la presencia de sentido de la vida y afecto positivo. Estos resultados tienen implicaciones prácticas para los individuos y las organizaciones y sugieren posibles vías de investigación futura

Transient impairment of olfactory threshold in acute multiple sclerosis relapse

BACKGROUND Impairment of olfactory threshold is a feature of early and active relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). It predicts inflammatory disease activity and was reported to be transient. However, the timing of onset and resolve of olfactory threshold impairment remains unclear. OBJECTIVE To prospectively assess the development of olfactory threshold in acute MS relapse over time in comparison to stable MS patients. METHODS In a prospective observational design, we measured olfactory threshold by performing the Sniffin' Sticks test (minimum score 0, maximum score 16 reflecting optimal olfactory function) at baseline and after 4, 12 and 24 weeks. We included 30 RRMS patients with acute MS relapse and 30 clinically stable RRMS patients (defined as no relapse within the last 12 months) as a control group. RESULTS Olfactory threshold was impaired in patients with acute MS relapse at baseline (median difference = -3.5; inter-quartile range [IQR] -4.5- - 2.5; p < 0.001), week 4 (-2.5; IQR -3.0 - -2.0; p < 0.001), week 12 (-1.5; IQR -2.0 - -0.5; p = 0.002) and week 24 (-0.5; IQR -1.0 - 0.0; p = 0.159) compared to stable MS patients. Of note, in relapsing patients in whom disease-modifying treatment was initiated or escalated after relapse, threshold did not differ anymore from stable patients at week 12 (-0.5; IQR -1.0 - 0.5; p = 0.247) and week 24 (0.0; IQR -1.0 - 1.0; p = 0.753). CONCLUSIONS Olfactory threshold impairment seems to be a transient bystander feature of MS relapse. It may be correlated to the level of inflammation within the CNS and might be a useful biomarker in this regard

Change of olfactory function as a marker of inflammatory activity and disability progression in MS

BACKGROUND Impaired olfactory threshold has been reported in early inflammatory phases of MS, while impaired odor identification was associated with more widespread disability. OBJECTIVE To prospectively assess the development of olfactory function and its correlation with relapse and disability progression. METHODS In this prospective, 3-year longitudinal study on 151 MS patients and 30 healthy controls, three different qualities of olfactory function (threshold, discrimination, and identification) were quantified using the Sniffin' Sticks test. The influence of relapses and disability on olfactory function was analyzed at different time points and in a multivariate model. RESULTS Discrimination and identification capability significantly worsened over 3 years, while threshold did not. Threshold was markedly impaired in patients with relapse activity within 12 months, recovered in the absence of relapse, and was associated with a 2.5-fold increased risk of relapse. Deterioration of discrimination and identification was irreversible and both strongly associated with and predictive of EDSS progression. CONCLUSION Olfactory function changes over time in MS. Threshold impairment is transient and predicts inflammatory disease activity, while odor identification and discrimination are associated with disability progression. Olfactory dysfunction might be a useful and easily obtainable parameter to monitor patients with regard to inflammation and neurodegeneration in MS