Damage to the right insula disrupts the perception of affective touch

© 2020 Kirsch et al. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.Specific, peripheral C-tactile afferents contribute to the perception of tactile pleasure, but the brain areas involved in their processing remain debated. We report the first human lesion study on the perception of C-tactile touch in right hemisphere stroke patients (N = 59), revealing that right posterior and anterior insula lesions reduce tactile, contralateral and ipsilateral pleasantness sensitivity, respectively. These findings corroborate previous imaging studies regarding the role of the posterior insula in the perception of affective touch. However, our findings about the crucial role of the anterior insula for ipsilateral affective touch perception open new avenues of enquiry regarding the cortical organization of this tactile system.Peer reviewe

Sarcopenia and swallowing disorders in older people.

Aging is accompanied by several changes which may affect swallowing function. The beginning of these changes, termed presbyphagia, still captures a preserved swallowing function, although burdened by the consequences of the physiological aging process. Several stressors (including diseases and medications) can easily trigger the disruption of this (increasingly weak) equilibrium and lead to overt dysphagia. It is noteworthy that the swallowing dysfunction may be aggravated by the sarcopenic process, characterizing the so-called "sarcopenic dysphagia", potentially responsible for several health-related negative outcomes. The assessment and management of sarcopenic dysphagia largely rely on the evaluation and integrated treatment of both constituting conditions (i.e., sarcopenia and dysphagia). The management of dysphagia requires a multidimensional approach and can be designed as either compensatory (aimed at producing immediate benefit for the patient through postural adjustments, swallowing maneuvers, and diet modifications) or rehabilitative. Interestingly, some evidence suggests that resistance training traditionally applied to tackle the lower extremity in sarcopenia may be simultaneously beneficial for sarcopenic dysphagia. If these preliminary results (discussed in the present review article) will be confirmed, the systemic beneficial effects of physical exercise will be indirectly demonstrated. This will also support the need of promoting healthy lifestyle in all sarcopenic individuals (thus potentially at risk of dysphagia)

Conversion to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: patient awareness and needs. results from an online survey in Italy and Germany

Background: Few studies have investigated the experiences of patients around the conversion to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). ManTra is a mixed-method, co-production research project conducted in Italy and Germany to develop an intervention for newly-diagnosed SPMS patients. In previous project actions, we identified the needs and experiences of patients converting to SPMS via literature review and qualitative research which involved key stakeholders.Aims: The online patient survey aimed to assess, on a larger and independent sample of recently-diagnosed SPMS patients: (a) the characteristics associated to patient awareness of SPMS conversion; (b) the experience of conversion; (c) importance and prioritization of the needs previously identified.Methods: Participants were consenting adults with SPMS since <= 5 years. The survey consisted of three sections: on general and clinical characteristics; on experience of SPMS diagnosis disclosure (aware participants only); and on importance and prioritization of 33 pre-specified needs.Results: Of 215 participants, those aware of their SPMS diagnosis were 57% in Italy vs. 77% in Germany (p = 0.004). In both countries, over 80% of aware participants received a SPMS diagnosis from the neurologist; satisfaction with SPMS disclosure was moderate to high. Nevertheless, 28-35% obtained second opinions, and 48-56% reported they did not receive any information on SPMS. Participants actively seeking further information were 63% in Germany vs. 31% in Italy (p < 0.001).Variables independently associated to patient awareness were geographic area (odds ratio, OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.13-0.78 for Central Italy; OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.08-0.58 for Southern Italy [vs. Germany]) and activity limitations (OR 7.80, 95% CI 1.47-41.37 for dependent vs. autonomous patients).All pre-specified needs were scored a lot or extremely important, and two prioritized needs were shared by Italian and German patients: "physiotherapy" and "active patient care involvement." The other two differed across countries: "an individualized health care plan" and "information on social rights and policies" in Italy, and "psychological support" and "cognitive rehabilitation" in Germany.Conclusions: Around 40% of SPMS patients were not aware of their disease form indicating a need to improve patient-physician communication. Physiotherapy and active patient care involvement were prioritized in both countries

Facilitação de diálogos com profissionais na atenção primária em saúde

This paper aims to understand the senses produced with primary health care professional about their participation in dialogue facilitation meetings. Eight primary health care workers participated on the research, answering a semi structured interview, that were analyzed from a social constructionist perspective, seeking to identify the interpretive repertories used by the professionals about their participation in the meetings. The results showed these repertories as principal: participation in the group to learn; to improve the bond within the team; to improve the understanding between professionals and users of the service and to reflect about the hierarchies in the institution. The analysis highlight the need of thinking forms of group intervention in which the professionals will be more active in the process of construction of the intervention itself, creating a space that allows the team of professionals to improve their dialogue, articulating this way, with practice and the principles of Brazil's public health system.Esta pesquisa buscou compreender os sentidos produzidos com profissionais da atenção primária em saúde sobre sua participação em encontros de facilitação de diálogo. Oito profissionais responderam a uma entrevista semiestruturada sobre essa participação. A análise das entrevistas foi feita a partir da perspectiva construcionista social, buscando-se identificar os repertórios interpretativos utilizados pelos profissionais sobre sua participação nos encontros. Os resultados destacaram os repertórios: participação no grupo para aprendizado; para melhorar o vínculo entre a equipe; para se compreender os usuários do serviço e para se refletir sobre as hierarquias na instituição. As reflexões empreendidas apontam para a necessidade de se pensar encontros nos quais os profissionais sejam ativos no processo de construção da própria intervenção, criando-se um espaço grupal que possibilite o diálogo entre a equipe de profissionais, articulando-se com a prática e com os princípios do sistema único de saúde.Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo comprender los significados producidos con profesionales en la atención primaria en salud, sobre su participación en las reuniones de un grupo de facilitación de diálogo. Los participantes fueron ocho trabajadores que respondieron a una entrevista semiestructurada. El análisis de los datos fue hecha en la perspectiva construccionista social buscando identificar repertorios interpretativos utilizados por los profesionales en su participación en las reuniones. Los resultados destacaron los repertorios: participación en el grupo para el aprendizaje; para mejorar la unión entre el equipo; para comprender los usuarios del servicio y para reflexionar sobre las jerarquías en la institución. Las reflexiones emprendidas apuntan para la necesidad de pensar encuentros en que los profesionales sean activos en el proceso de construcción de la intervención, creándose un espacio grupal que posibilite el diálogo entre el equipo de profesionales, articulándose con la práctica y con los principios del sistema único de salud

Affective Touch Lesion Study

Affective touch perception after right hemisphere strok

author response damage to the right insula disrupts the perception of affective touch

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What Do Employers Want? Views of Chinese and Canadian Job Seekers

Rapid globalization has led to many studies of cross-cultural issues and their implications for management. As China's importance in the international economy rises, the level of international business cooperation continues to increase. This paper first identifies differences in the cultural orientations of Chinese and Canadians entering the job market and then examines how these orientations are related to their perceptions of the criteria employers use when hiring. The analyses show that the cultural differences are not consistent with Hofstede's previous work. Further, there are significant differences in the qualities that are considered important when seeking a job. The results of this study increase mutual understanding and improve business relationships between the two countries. Copyright The official journal of The Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) 2006.

Conversion to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: Patient awareness and needs. Results from an online survey in Italy and Germany

Background: Few studies have investigated the experiences of patients around the conversion to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). ManTra is a mixed-method, co-production research project conducted in Italy and Germany to develop an intervention for newly-diagnosed SPMS patients. In previous project actions, we identified the needs and experiences of patients converting to SPMS via literature review and qualitative research which involved key stakeholders. Aims: The online patient survey aimed to assess, on a larger and independent sample of recently-diagnosed SPMS patients: (a) the characteristics associated to patient awareness of SPMS conversion; (b) the experience of conversion; (c) importance and prioritization of the needs previously identified. Methods: Participants were consenting adults with SPMS since ≤5 years. The survey consisted of three sections: on general and clinical characteristics; on experience of SPMS diagnosis disclosure (aware participants only); and on importance and prioritization of 33 pre-specified needs. Results: Of 215 participants, those aware of their SPMS diagnosis were 57% in Italy vs. 77% in Germany (p = 0.004). In both countries, over 80% of aware participants received a SPMS diagnosis from the neurologist; satisfaction with SPMS disclosure was moderate to high. Nevertheless, 28–35%obtained second opinions, and 48–56% reported they did not receive any information on SPMS. Participants actively seeking further information were 63% in Germany vs. 31% in Italy (p < 0.001). Variables independently associated to patient awareness were geographic area (odds ratio, OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.13–0.78 for Central Italy; OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.08–0.58 for Southern Italy [vs. Germany]) and activity limitations (OR 7.80, 95% CI 1.47–41.37 for dependent vs. autonomous patients). All pre-specified needs were scored a lot or extremely important, and two prioritized needs were shared by Italian and German patients: “physiotherapy” and “active patient care involvement.” The other two differed across countries: “an individualized health care plan” and “information on social rights and policies” in Italy, and “psychological support” and “cognitive rehabilitation” in Germany. Conclusions: Around 40% of SPMS patients were not aware of their disease form indicating a need to improve patient-physician communication. Physiotherapy and active patient care involvement were prioritized in both countries