Training spatial hearing skills in virtual reality through a sound-reaching task

Sound localization is crucial for interacting with the surrounding world. This ability can be learned across time and improved by multisensory and motor cues. In the last decade, studying the contributions of multisensory and motor cues has been facilitated by the increased adoption of virtual reality (VR). In a recent study, sound localization had been trained through a task where the visual stimuli were rendered through a VR headset, and the auditory ones through a loudspeaker moved around by the experimenter. Physically reaching to sound sources reduced sound localization errors faster and to a greater extent if compared to naming sources’ positions. Interestingly, training efficacy extended also to hearing-impaired people. Yet, this approach is unfeasible for rehabilitation at home. Fullyvirtual approaches have been used to study spatial hearing learning processes, performing headphones-rendered acoustic simulations. In the present study, we investigate whether the effects of our reaching-based training can be observed when taking advantage of such simulations, showing that the improvement is comparable between the full-VR and blended VR conditions. This validates the use of training paradigms that are completely based on portable equipment and don’t require an external operator, opening new perspectives in the field of remote rehabilitation

Mini Nutritional Assessment is a good predictor of functional status in institutionalised elderly at risk of malnutrition

Background & aims: To possibly validate the use of Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) with respect to functional status in institutionalised elderly. Methods: One hundred twenty-three long-term care resident elderly (85.3 \ub1 8.4 years) were recruited. Nutritional and functional states were assessed by MNA and Barthel Index (BI), respectively. Main inclusion criterion was a MNA < 23.5. Anthropometric, biochemical data and oral intake (percentage of food consumed to that delivered) were evaluated. Results: MNA significantly correlated with BI (r = 0.55; p < 0.0001). Malnutrition (MNA < 17) was characterized by lower BMI, muscle mass, poor nutritional habits and higher weight loss and disability. Similarly, poorer functional status was associated with low BMI, sarcopenia and reduced oral intake. The interrelationship between MNA and BI were investigated by multiple regression models with progressive inclusion of variables (one/analysis). The initial association between MNA and BI (p < 0.0001) was masked by weight loss (p < 0.02), muscle mass (p < 0.03) and oral intake (p < 0.05). However, when BI was included as dependent variable the association with MNA depended on sarcopenia (p < 0.05) and reduced food consumption (p < 0.001). Conclusions: MNA reliably identifies at-risk institutionalised elderly needing higher standards of care, particularly related to eating. Routine documentation of oral intakes and feeding assistance might be useful to prevent weight loss, sarcopenia and functional status deterioration

A comparison of simultaneously-obtained measures of listening effort: pupil dilation, verbal response time and self-rating

none6noObjective: The aim of this study was to assess to what extent simultaneously-obtained measures of listening effort (task-evoked pupil dilation, verbal response time [RT], and self-rating) could be sensitive to auditory and cognitive manipulations in a speech perception task. The study also aimed to explore the possible relationship between RT and pupil dilation. Design: A within-group design was adopted. All participants were administered the Matrix Sentence Test in 12 conditions (signal-to-noise ratios [SNR] of −3, −6, −9 dB; attentional resources focussed vs divided; spatial priors present vs absent). Study sample: Twenty-four normal-hearing adults, 20–41 years old (M = 23.5), were recruited in the study. Results: A significant effect of the SNR was found for all measures. However, pupil dilation discriminated only partially between the SNRs. Neither of the cognitive manipulations were effective in modulating the measures. No relationship emerged between pupil dilation, RT and self-ratings. Conclusions: RT, pupil dilation, and self-ratings can be obtained simultaneously when administering speech perception tasks, even though some limitations remain related to the absence of a retention period after the listening phase. The sensitivity of the three measures to changes in the auditory environment differs. RTs and self-ratings proved most sensitive to changes in SNR.mixedVisentin C.; Valzolgher C.; Pellegatti M.; Potente P.; Pavani F.; Prodi N.Visentin, C.; Valzolgher, C.; Pellegatti, M.; Potente, P.; Pavani, F.; Prodi, N

Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and the risk of impaired glucose tolerance in obese children and adolescents.

A timely diagnosis of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) is desirable in obesity. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), the gold standard to diagnose this condition, may not be realistically performed in all patients due to discomfort, labor, and cost. The aim of this study was to assess whether one or more biochemical indexes measured in fasting conditions could be used to identify obese children at risk of IGT. A cohort of 563 white obese children and adolescents (M/F: 315/248; aged 4-17 years) was recruited and underwent anthropometric evaluation and OGTT. Anthropometric parameters, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting serum insulin (FSI), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA(IR)) were tested in pursuit of a possible threshold to be used as a predictor of IGT. Thirty-seven children (6.9%) had IGT and one child (0.1%) had type 2 diabetes (T2D). FPG, FSI, and HOMA(IR) were all significantly higher in children with IGT than in children without IGT. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses run for gender and puberty-adjusted FPG, FSI, and HOMA(IR) were all significant: area under the curve (95% confidence interval) equaled 0.68 (0.59-0.76), 0.66 (0.56-0.76), and 0.68 (0.59-0.78), respectively. The three parameters did not show significantly different sensitivity/specificity in the pooled population or in the gender/puberty subgroups. Thresholds varied among gender/puberty subgroups for FSI and HOMA(IR), but not for FPG, which showed a fixed threshold of 86 mg/dl. A gender/puberty independent cutoff of FPG may be considered a screening tool to narrow clinical indication to OGTT in obese white children and adolescent