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The spreading of digital tools for learning has been impressive in later years. Some attempts have been made to augment traditional tools with digital solutions, still offering the chance to propose multisensory stimulation and interactivity. In this context, the aim of this study is to strengthen the importance of a multisensorial approach as a key factor in the development of learning devices in educational settings. We focused on investigating if there was a significant difference in knowledge retention when adding to the learning experience the stimulation of increasingly more sensorial channels using tangible interfaces. Results indicate that children recall more information if the interface is enhanced through multisensory materials including auditory, visual, and olfactory stimuli. This effect is even stronger when the time between exposition and recall is longer. This study supports the potential of merging digital and physical elements in educational materials to foster learning, in particular, it adds new data supporting the use of the sense of smell to improve memory retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual urban green environment images and audio stimuli had been proven to have restorative effects on subjects’ physical and mental health. In this area, researchers predominantly focused on visual, auditory and olfactory aspects, while tactile and gustatory senses have been minimally explored. However, the optimal combination of sensory stimuli for promoting physical and mental recovery remains unclear. Therefore, a simulated sensory stimulation approach involving 240 participants was employed, with 30 individuals included in each of the eight experimental groups: the visual–auditory (VA), visual–auditoryolfactory (VAO), visual–auditory-tactile (VAT), visual–auditory-gustatory(VAG), visual–auditory-olfactory-tactile (VAOT), visual–auditory-olfactory-gustatory (VAOG), visual–auditory-tactile-gustatory (VATG), and visual–auditoryolfactory-tactile-gustatory (VAOTG) groups. This study aimed to explore the differences in participants’ physiological and psychological health recovery after exposure to different combinations of simulated sensory stimuli in virtual UGSs. The results indicated that the following: (1) In terms of physiological recovery, the blood pressure of the 8 experimental groups decreased significantly after the experiment, indicating that the virtual urban green space environment has a certain recovery effect on physiological state. The combination of VAOTG stimuli in the multisensory group resulted in the best blood pressure recovery (p  <  0.05). Tactile is an important sense to enhance the physiological recovery effect. Olfactory-tactile or tactile-gustatory stimuli interactions significantly enhance physiological recovery, emphasizing the importance of tactile stimulation in improving physiological recovery. (2) In terms of psychological recovery, the common trigger of olfactory-gustatory is the most key element to enhance psychological recovery through multi-sensory stimulation of virtual urban green space environment. VAOG stimulation had the best effect on psychological recovery (p  <  0.05), followed by VAOTG stimulation (p  <  0.05). Gustatory is an important sense to enhance the psychological recovery effect, and both the tactile-gustatory interaction and the olfactory-gustatory interaction significantly enhance the recovery effect. At the same time, the psychological recovery effect obtained by four or more sensory combinations was higher than that obtained by two or three sensory stimulation groups. This study confirms more possibilities for ways to restore physical and mental health through virtual natural environments. It expands the research on the benefits of virtual nature experience and provides theoretical support for the application of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snoezelen Multisensory Stimulation (SMSS) is a non‐pharmacological intervention that provides controlled multisensorial environments to stimulate the primary senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste, proprioceptive and vestibular. Even though the use and potential of SMSS have been widespread in the literature regarding certain target populations (autism, developmental disabilities) and settings (e.g. leisure, therapeutic), its effectiveness in older adults with neurocognitive disorders (e.g. dementia, mild cognitive impairment) and other pathologies (e.g. psychiatric disorders, oncological diseases) is still unclear. Therefore, a systematic review of the literature was conducted to address this issue. The recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) and of the Cochrane Collaboration were followed. An initial search on PubMed and Scopus databases resulted in 86 articles of which 14 met inclusion criteria and were reviewed in detail. The outcomes showed that most of the studies (n = 13) focused on the effects of SMSS on behaviour and mood in older adults with major cognitive disorders (i.e. dementia). Although there is scarce literature on its impact on cognition, psychophysiological measures (e.g. heart rate, oxygen saturation), daily living functionality and quality of life, this type of intervention seems to contribute to delaying the worsening in severity of the neurocognitive disorders from the mildest to the most severe stages. Likewise, it is legitimate to consider the possibility of potential benefits to older adults with less severe neurocognitive disorders or other pathologies, but more research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality and emotions have become inseparable concepts over the past few years, supported by the increasing number of studies relating them. However, these studies' methodologies are often poorly justified or dependent on the authors' subjective definition of emotion and its classification. Moreover, frequently, these studies only consider two stimuli, specifically audiovisual, despite being known the relevance of including a greater variety of sensory channels to improve the relationship between the individual and the virtual environment. So, to address these gaps, and considering the importance of multisensory stimulation, this paper aims to review the methods and instruments found in the literature regarding the analysis of the users' emotions in virtual reality. Also, we provide an overview of the main limitations of such studies. Little information can be found in the literature regarding the connection between the input stimulus and the users' emotional responses. This corroborates the difficulty in creating and evaluating immersive virtual experiences when stimulating more than two human senses, typically audiovisual. Nevertheless, we address some clues on the impact of visual, auditory, haptic, smell, and taste elements to trigger specific emotions. Also, we address the association between the research area and the method used. Finally, the main gaps and challenges are discussed. We expect that the combination of these results acts as guidelines for designing richer multisensory virtual experiences. Moreover, we intend to contribute to future research on emotions-based immersive virtual reality by providing a review of the most suitable methodologies and instruments for specific contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immersive virtual reality (iVR) employs head-mounted displays or cave-like environments to create a sensory-rich virtual experience that simulates the physical presence of a user in a digital space. The technology holds immense promise in neuroscience research and therapy. In particular, virtual reality (VR) technologies facilitate the development of diverse tasks and scenarios closely mirroring real-life situations to stimulate the brain within a controlled and secure setting. It also offers a cost-effective solution in providing a similar sense of interaction to users when conventional stimulation methods are limited or unfeasible. Although combining iVR with traditional brain imaging techniques may be difficult due to signal interference or instrumental issues, recent work has proposed the use of functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in conjunction with iVR for versatile brain stimulation paradigms and flexible examination of brain responses. We present a comprehensive review of current research studies employing an iVR-fNIRS setup, covering device types, stimulation approaches, data analysis methods, and major scientific findings. The literature demonstrates a high potential for iVR-fNIRS to explore various types of cognitive, behavioral, and motor functions in a fully immersive VR (iVR) environment. Such studies should set a foundation for adaptive iVR programs for both training (e.g., in novel environments) and clinical therapeutics (e.g., pain, motor and sensory disorders and other psychiatric conditions). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This review aimed to evaluate the effects of multisensory environments/stimulation (MSE/MSS) therapy, on the behavior and psychological symptoms in adults with cognitive impairment and/or special needs. Methods: Online database searches were performed to identify studies reporting on the effects of MSS/MSE therapy in adults (>18 years). Data were extracted for the following investigated outcomes including anxiety, depression, mood, behavioral attributes, biomedical parameters, cognition, motor skills, quality of life (QoL), pain, and end of life quality. Two reciprocally blinded investigators extracted the data. Inter‐investigator reliability (흹) was calculated. A meta‐analysis and a qualitative analysis were performed on the information extracted. Results: Thirty‐six studies were included for data extraction and analysis. Meta‐analysis of the included studies revealed a significant improvement with the MSE/MSS therapy, for agitation (p =.018), anxiety (p =.023), cognition (p <.001), and depression (p <.001). MSS/MSE therapy demonstrated a tendency for the improvement of the QoL in adults (p =.05). Conclusion: MSE/MSS therapies are beneficial in cognitively impaired adults and improve their anxiety, depression, cognitive and other behavioral attributes such as agitative behaviors. Promoting these therapies in geriatric care may help to improve/reduce the challenging/care‐resistant behaviors in adults and facilitate effective provision of the necessary care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the effectiveness of multisensory stimulation combined with intermittent oroesophageal tube feeding in managing swallowing disorders among elderly stroke patients. Methods Stroke patients with swallowing disorders from February 2021 to October 2022 were randomly allocated into control group, observation group A, and observation group B. The control group received nasal gastric tube feeding on top of routine treatment; observation group A received intermittent oroesophageal tube feeding as an adjunct to routine treatment; observation group B, building upon observation group A, incorporated a multisensory stimulation protocol. The intervention duration for all three groups was 8 weeks. The study evaluated the Penetration- Aspiration Scale (PAS), Standard Swallowing Assessment (SSA), Swallowing Quality of Life Questionnaire (SWAL-QOL), body mass index (BMI), Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS2002), and laryngopharyngeal complex movement examination (hyoid bone elevation distance, thyroid cartilage elevation distance, hyoid bone anterior movement distance, thyroid cartilage anterior movement distance) before and after the intervention. Results After 8 weeks of intervention, except for the SWAL QOL score in the control group, the PAS score, SSA score, and SWAL-QOL score in the three groups showed improvement compared to preintervention levels (P<0.05). Observation group B demonstrated a significant difference in the PAS test and a lower SSA score compared to the other two groups (P<0.05), with a higher SWAL-QOL score than the control group (P<0.05), and no significant difference from observation group A (P>0.05). Regarding nutritional aspects, after 8 weeks of intervention, the BMI of all three groups increased compared to pre-intervention levels, and NRS2002 decreased (P<0.05). In the intergroup comparison, there was no significant difference in BMI among the three groups (P>0.05). Concerning NRS2002, observation group A and observation group B had lower scores than the control group (P<0.05), with no significant difference between observation group A and observation group B (P>0.05). In the laryngopharyngeal complex movement examination, after 8 weeks of intervention, except for the hyoid bone elevation distance in the control group, all other distances in the three groups increased compared to pre intervention levels (P<0.05). Observation group B had higher values than the other two groups in hyoid bone elevation distance and hyoid bone anterior movement distance (P<0.05), and only higher values than the control group in thyroid cartilage anterior movement distance and thyroid cartilage elevation distance, with no significant difference from observation group A (P>0.05). Conclusion The application of multisensory stimulation combined with intermittent oroesophageal tube feeding in stroke patients with swallowing disorders demonstrates improvements in swallowing function and enhances overall quality of life. Further research in this domain is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Postoperative delirium is a common complication in patients after cardiac surgery, especially in older patients, and can manifest as a disturbance of attention and consciousness. It can lead to increased postoperative morbidity, prolonged need for care, and mortality. The presented study investigates whether the occurrence of postoperative delirium after cardiac surgery can be prevented by a multisensory stimulation. It was conducted as a prospective, randomized, controlled, non-pharmacological intervention study in the years 2021 and 2022 at the University Hospital Bonn in Germany. A total of 186 patients over 65 years with elective cardiac surgery were enrolled. Patients were randomized either to the intervention or control group. In both groups, postoperative delirium was assessed with the 3-min diagnostic interview for confusion assessment method on the first 5 days after surgery and pain was assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale. Multisensory stimulation was performed 20 min a day for the first three postoperative days in the intervention group. Results The incidence of postoperative delirium was 22.6% in the intervention group and 49.5% in the control group (p

Background: Postoperative delirium is a common complication in patients after cardiac surgery, especially in older patients, and can manifest as a disturbance of attention and consciousness. It can lead to increased postoperative morbidity, prolonged need for care, and mortality. The presented study investigates whether the occurrence of postoperative delirium after cardiac surgery can be prevented by a multisensory stimulation. It was conducted as a prospective, randomized, controlled, non-pharmacological intervention study in the years 2021 and 2022 at the University Hospital Bonn in Germany. A total of 186 patients over 65 years with elective cardiac surgery were enrolled. Patients were randomized either to the intervention or control group. In both groups, postoperative delirium was assessed with the 3-min diagnostic interview for confusion assessment method on the first 5 days after surgery and pain was assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale. Multisensory stimulation was performed 20 min a day for the first three postoperative days in the intervention group. Results: The incidence of postoperative delirium was 22.6% in the intervention group and 49.5% in the control group (p < 0.001). Duration of postoperative delirium was significantly shorter in the intervention group (p < 0.001). Stay in the intensive care unit was significantly longer in the control group (p = 0.006). In the regression model non-intervention, high pain scores, advanced age, and prolonged mechanical ventilation were associated with postoperative delirium (p = 0.007; p = 0.032; p = 0.006; p = 0.006, respectively). Conclusions: Results of the study imply that a multisensory stimulation done on the first 3 days after planned cardiac surgery can reduce the incidence and duration of postoperative delirium in older patients. Influence of the treatment on the incidence of delirium in other patient groups, the length of stay in the intensive care unit, and patients´ postoperative pain should be confirmed in further clinical studies. Trial registration: DRKS, DRKS00026909. Registered 28 October 2021, Retrospectively registered, https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00026909. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Height and head circumference is one of the criteria for physical health of preterm infants and indicates their neuromuscular development. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of multisensory stimulation on height and head circumference of preterm infants. Methods: The present study was a clinical trial study; which was performed on premature infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Shahid Motahari Hospital in Jahrom City, Iran, in 2016. Initially, 80 infants with a gestational age of 32 to 36 weeks were randomly divided into two groups of multisensory stimulation and control. The intervention method in this study was that the intervention group had a multisensory stimulation program (auditory stimulation, tactile stimulation, visual stimulation and vestibular stimulation) by mothers for 12 minutes per day and 5 times a week until discharge and in the control group they only received the usual care ward. The height and head circumference were measured by the researcher with a meter until the day the infant was discharged from the ward. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16. Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups of preterm infants in terms of fetal age, birth weight and sex. Based on the comparison between groups, a significant difference was observed in the two groups in terms of height and head circumference (P

The objective of this study was to examine the benefits of Snoezelen room for older people living in nursing homes. Participants were 84 people with dementia from Barcelona (Spain) that were randomly assigned to Snoezelen or reminiscence sessions. Bi-weekly sessions were held over a period of 12 weeks. Participants in the Snoezelen group displayed significant improvements in depression and anxiety and a greater degree of relaxation. Participants with slight dementia were also more likely to display more alertness and offer constructive answers. Snoezelen room could be implemented in a range of dementia's stages, stressing its implications for slight dementia profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study is aimed to develop and to evaluate the validity of the developmental stimulation program by applying the multisensory approach for parents and caregivers of preschool autistic children. This study consisted of two phases. The first phase explored perspectives for design program and analyzed the content validity by examining the index of item objective congruence (IOC). The second phase was a focus group discussion with eight caregivers of preschool autistic children regarding the opinions after implementation. The developmental stimulation program was developed basing on the therapeutic use-of-self approach, daily living activities, play environment and development stimulation, related knowledge and strategies in family's context, and sharing between families. The program components consisted of three activities for caregivers such as meeting and understanding the nature of individual child, learning of child's surroundings, and designing of an individual new lifestyle. Validity of the program was acceptable (IOC = 0.6-1.0). After implementing the program in eight families, the result showed four crucial points. First, caregivers were able to understand the natural behavior of the children. Second, the caregivers could improve their child development. Third, there were strengths and limitations of the pilot program. Finally, the way of improving program effectiveness was found out. A model of developmental stimulation by applying the concept of Snoezelen technique for caregivers of preschool autistic children can increase understanding of natural individual child by caregivers. This understanding led to child development progression, adjust surroundings or occupational performances with autistic children, and encourage the empowerment of caregiver needs by supporting system and continuity of services. Further study might consider the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of the program for parents and caregivers of preschool autistic children before implementing in the real situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to derive into practical recommendations from multisensory stimulation with virtual reality (VR) and scent to help educators develop effective teaching strategies geared toward aspects of the learning experience, recall, and creativity in a stereotypical learning context. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on a randomized experiment in which student participants were subdivided into three treatment groups and one control group. Each group was stimulated by a different combination of visual, auditory, and olfactory stimuli (2D SMELL, VR, and VR SMELL) and the outcomes were compared against those of the control group (2D). Consistent with the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, hypotheses were constructed to study the effect of different combinations of stimuli on the learning experience and learning outcomes related to recall and creativity in a stereotypical learning context. Findings: Traditional video content alone and bundled with a coherent olfactory stimulus prompted higher self-reported ratings of perceived quality of the sensory experience. Olfactory stimulus in combination with either VR or a traditional video prompted higher self-reported ratings on perceived immersion. In a stereotypical learning context, the highest recall scores were achieved with traditional video alone. Both VR alone and bundled with an olfactory stimulus resulted in enhanced creativity. Research limitations/implications: The findings of this study should be interpreted in the context of adopting multisensory stimulations combined with VR technology as part of stereotypical learning contexts. Most professional educators do not have robust knowledge or experience in using build-on-purpose multisensory stimuli but are increasingly engaged in using multisensory tools such as VR, as part of their teaching practice. In relation to recall, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that in a stereotypical learning context, a multisensory experience involving VR and olfactory stimuli can be related to an undesired cognitive load for learners. There exists a possibility that the low-technical version of the VR goggles used, as well as the contents of the instructional video may have influenced the learning outcomes in terms of recall. Hence, future research should consider such aspects and focus on richer learning contexts. Originality/value: This work offers practical recommendations for instructional design strategies aiming to create multisensory stimulations with VR and olfactory components to foster a richer learning experience and enhanced learning outcomes, under the assumptions of a stereotypical learning context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to derive into practical recommendations from multisensory stimulation with virtual reality (VR) and scent to help educators develop effective teaching strategies geared toward aspects of the learning experience, recall, and creativity in a stereotypical learning context.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a randomized experiment in which student participants were subdivided into three treatment groups and one control group. Each group was stimulated by a different combination of visual, auditory, and olfactory stimuli (2D SMELL, VR, and VR SMELL) and the outcomes were compared against those of the control group (2D). Consistent with the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, hypotheses were constructed to study the effect of different combinations of stimuli on the learning experience and learning outcomes related to recall and creativity in a stereotypical learning context.FindingsTraditional video content alone and bundled with a coherent olfactory stimulus prompted higher self-reported ratings of perceived quality of the sensory experience. Olfactory stimulus in combination with either VR or a traditional video prompted higher self-reported ratings on perceived immersion. In a stereotypical learning context, the highest recall scores were achieved with traditional video alone. Both VR alone and bundled with an olfactory stimulus resulted in enhanced creativity.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this study should be interpreted in the context of adopting multisensory stimulations combined with VR technology as part of stereotypical learning contexts. Most professional educators do not have robust knowledge or experience in using build-on-purpose multisensory stimuli but are increasingly engaged in using multisensory tools such as VR, as part of their teaching practice. In relation to recall, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that in a stereotypical learning context, a multisensory experience involving VR and olfactory stimuli can be related to an undesired cognitive load for learners. There exists a possibility that the low-technical version of the VR goggles used, as well as the contents of the instructional video may have influenced the learning outcomes in terms of recall. Hence, future research should consider such aspects and focus on richer learning contexts.Originality/valueThis work offers practical recommendations for instructional design strategies aiming to create multisensory stimulations with VR and olfactory components to foster a richer learning experience and enhanced learning outcomes, under the assumptions of a stereotypical learning context.

BACKGROUND: Preterm infant experiences neuromotor disturbances and neonatal pain during NICU stay. Optimal brain development and pain tolerance require both sensory and motor experiences. We aimed to explore the effect of multimodal stimulation (MMS) including multi-sensory and movement therapy on neuromotor behaviour and neonatal pain among hospitalized preterm infants. METHODS: 32 recruited preterm infants [gestational age (GA): 28 to 36 weeks] by convenience sampling technique for pre-test-post-test control group, single-center randomized controlled study were randomly allocated into two groups, MMS group, and control group. MMS group received the interventions for 5 days period, totalling five sessions with 30 minutes/session. Infant Neurological International Battery (INFANIB), Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS), weight, length, and Occipitofrontal circumference (OFC) were recorded at baseline and 6th day to analyze the changes observed neuromotor behaviour, neonatal pain, and changes in the anthropometric parameters respectively. RESULTS: GA, weight, length and OFC of preterm infants recruited were, 34.4±2 weeks, 2.11±0.48 kg, 45±3.8 cm and 32.3±1.7 cm respectively. INFANIB and NIPS change scores in MMS group were [4 (2, 6); p = 0.001] and NIPS scores [2 (2,3); p < 0.001] respectively when compared to INFANIB [– 4 (– 6, – 2); p = 0.001] and NIPS scores [1 (– 1,1); p = 0.778] in control group. Significant difference p < 0.001 in INFANIB and NIPS scores while non-significant difference in weight (p = 0.166), length (p = 0.443) and OFC (p = 0.413) were observed between the groups. CONCLUSION: Administration of MMS has a positive clinically significant impact on neuromotor behaviour and neonatal pain on preterm infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of REMA: Revista Electrónica de Metodología Aplicada is the property of Universidad de Oviedo, Servicio de Publicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Recently, multimodal interfaces are incorporating smell as an additional means of interaction. Devices called olfactory displays have been designed to improve applications with various objectives, such as notifying or alerting through scents, increasing immersion in virtual or augmented reality applications, or learning and enhancement of mental functions. Based on the potential of olfactory memory to evoke memories and emotions to benefit health and well-being, we propose ReminiScentia as an olfactory display to generate and deliver scents. This work presents an evaluation of the effectiveness of ReminiScentia in evoking brain responses similar to those generated by manually delivered scents. To achieve this, we monitored the hemodynamic responses during manual and ReminiScentia olfactory stimulation over the prefrontal cortex (PFC) by using a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) device in 33 healthy subjects. Among the results, it was found that when ReminiScentia was used to deliver the olfactory stimuli, there is no statistically significant difference in the magnitude of concentration changes of OxyHb in the PFC between manual deliver and ReminiScentia (Wilcoxon: p > 0.05). The effectiveness of the use of ReminiScentia has allowed us not only its application for the evocation of memories in a multisensory therapy but also to propose an olfactory interaction design space where olfactory stimuli are used to provide feedback or instructions in multisensory stimulation activities that could support the training of higher mental functions such as memory and learning in patients with cognitive disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hemodynamic response function (HRF) measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging is generated by vascular and metabolic responses evoked by brief (<4 s) stimuli. It is known that the human HRF varies across cortex, between subjects, with stimulus paradigms, and even between different measurements in the same cortical location. However, our results demonstrate that strong HRFs are remarkably repeatable across sessions separated by time intervals up to 3 months. In this study, a multisensory stimulus was used to activate and measure the HRF across the majority of cortex (>70%, with lesser reliability observed in some areas of prefrontal cortex). HRFs were measured with high spatial resolution (2‐mm voxels) in central gray matter to minimize variations caused by partial‐volume effects. HRF amplitudes and temporal dynamics were highly repeatable across four sessions in 20 subjects. Positive and negative HRFs were consistently observed across sessions and subjects. Negative HRFs were generally weaker and, thus, more variable than positive HRFs. Statistical measurements showed that across‐session variability is highly correlated to the variability across events within a session; these measurements also indicated a normal distribution of variability across cortex. The overall repeatability of the HRFs over long time scales generally supports the long‐term use of event‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To reveal whether an accessible open floorplan Multisensory Stimulation Environment (MSSE) room design has a positive impact as a nonpharmacologic intervention for episodes of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) in older adults living in a Memory Care Assisted Living (MCAL) facility as well as reducing the need for direct care supervision. Methods: Retrospective pre/post cohort design of 24 residents living in a Midwest MCAL facility in the United States with a diagnosis of dementia and over 65 years of age, analyzed by secondary medical chart review for 12 months to assess impact of an accessible open floorplan MSSE room design. The pre/post design analyzed secondary data over two periods of time; 6 months prior to the MSSE installation and 6 months following the MSSE installation. Results: Following the installation of an open floorplan MSSE, the number of observed BPSD episodes changed from 367 (17%) pre-test to 298 (10%) post-test over a 12-month time period. The Comparison of Proportions test determined that the difference in the proportion of BPSD episodes documented was statistically significant with clinical implications. Conclusions: The accessible open floorplan MSSE room design, located within a single-site MCAL facility, utilized as a nonpharmacological intervention for BPSD, was found in this explorative study to be effective and potentially clinically meaningful in improving behavioral episodes for older adults diagnosed with dementia in MCAL settings.

Several models have been developed to analyse cortical activity in response to salient events constituted by multiple sensory modalities. In particular, additive models compare event‐related potentials (ERPs) in response to stimuli from two or more concomitant sensory modalities with the ERPs evoked by unimodal stimuli, in order to study sensory interactions. In this approach, components that are not specific to a sensory modality are commonly disregarded, although they likely carry information about stimulus expectation and evaluation, attentional orientation and other cognitive processes. In this study, we present an analytical method to assess the contribution of modality‐specific and nonspecific components to the ERP. We developed an experimental setup that recorded ERPs in response to four stimulus types (visual, auditory, and two somatosensory modalities to test for stimulus specificity) in three different conditions (unimodal, bimodal and trimodal stimulation) and recorded the saliency of these stimuli relative to the sensory background. Stimuli were delivered in pairs, in order to study the effects of habituation. To this end, spatiotemporal features (peak amplitudes and latencies at different scalp locations) were analysed using linear mixed models. Results showed that saliency relative to the sensory background increased with the number of concomitant stimuli. We also observed that the spatiotemporal features of modality‐specific components derived from this method likely reflect the amount and type of sensory input. Furthermore, the nonspecific component reflected habituation occurring for the second stimulus in the pair. In conclusion, this method provides an alternative to study neural mechanisms of responses to multisensory stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Olfactory dysfunction can indicate early cognitive decline and is associated with dementia symptoms. We developed an olfactory-based sensory stimulation program and investigated its effects on cognition and emotion, and board game training were used as a comparison. In this parallel design pilot study, 30 participants with mild to moderate dementia were equal randomly assigned to the control (CONT), olfactory stimulation with cognitive training (OS), and board game (BG) groups. Two participants were withdrawn from CONT and OS groups, respectively. The intervention was a 12-week program with one 30-min session twice a week. We employed a bloodbased biomarker technique and several cognitive and psychological tests to measure basal and after-intervention values. No significant differences were observed between the groups after intervention, as measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination, Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA), Top International Biotech Smell Identification Test, and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The results showed that the OS group had a lower plasma Tau level than the other groups following intervention, whereas the CONT group had a significantly increased plasma amyloid ß1-42 level. OS participants had a lower concentration ratio of plasma Tau and amyloid Aß1-42 and showed more stable or improved cognition, olfactory function, and mood state. Both the OS and BG groups had a higher percentage of participants with stable or improved cognition and emotion. Taken together, these results suggest that olfactory-based sensory stimulation can be a beneficial intervention for patients with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gestational hypothyroidism can impair development, cognition, and mood. Here, we tested whether multisensory stimulation (MS) improves the phenotype of rats born to surgically thyroidectomized (Tx) dams suboptimally treated with LT4. 8-week-old female Tx Wistar rats were kept on daily LT4 (0.7 µg/100 g body weight) dosed by gavage (serum TSH and T4 levels indicated moderate hypothyroidism) and 3 weeks later placed for breeding. MS of the litter started at age 60 days and lasted for 8 weeks. It consisted of twice per week of physical, cognitive, sensorial, and food stimuli. The offspring were assessed before and after MS for standardized tests of locomotor activity, cognition, and mood. Gestational hypothyroidism resulted in reduced litter size and increased offspring mortality. The pups exhibited delayed physical development, impairment of short- and long-term memory, and anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors. Nonetheless, ambulatory activity, social memory, and social preference were not affected by gestational hypothyroidism. MS restored short-term memory and anxiety while improving depressive like-behaviors. MS did not improve long-term memory. MS also did not modify the performance of control litter born to intact dams. We conclude that cognition and mood impairments caused by moderate gestational hypothyroidism were reversed or minimized in rats through MS. Further studies should define the molecular mechanisms involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: Noxious sensory inputs from the neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and lack of placental support negatively impact neuronal organization which has implications later in life. Evidence regarding early interventions (EI) on preterm neonates (PN) at high risk for developmental motor disorders is limited and inconclusive. This study focuses on neuromotor changes following Multimodal stimulations (MMS) with sensory and motor interventions among stable hospitalized PNs. METHODS: This single-center, non-blinded pre-test post-test control group study will recruit 60 PNs admitted to the Level II and III NICU of a recognized tertiary care teaching hospital by convenience sampling method into two groups by block randomization. Group A (n = 30) will receive MMS trial lasting for 30 minutes per session for five days per week, until discharge of the neonate from the NICU; Group B (n = 30) will receive regular lifesaving care from the NICU. Anthropometric evaluation, physiological status, and Infant Neurological International Battery (INFANIB) will be the outcome measures used to analyze the neuromotor behavioral modifications among the hospitalized PNs. All the outcome measures will be recorded at baseline, after every five days (to compare trajectories of scores between the groups), and at the end of the intervention at the time of discharge of neonate from the NICU. RESULTS: Demographic and outcome measures will be assessed for their normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Within and between-group comparisons will be analyzed by the repeated measures analysis of variance/Friedman test and independent t-test/Mann-Whitney U test respectively. CONCLUSION: MMS, which includes both sensory and motor interventions, will, to the best of the authors' knowledge, be the first trial for modifying the neuromotor behavior of hospitalized PNs. If successful, the clinical effects of this protocol could be revolutionary in mitigating developmental impairments of PNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé: La prise en soin des symptômes neuropsychiatriques de patients ayant des troubles neurocognitifs est basée sur des traitements non médicamenteux. Certains auteurs suggèrent que la méthode Snoezelen pourrait être une alternative thérapeutique. L'objectif de cette revue de littérature était de faire une recherche systématique des essais contrôlés et randomisés ayant analysé l'effet de la méthode Snoezelen sur les patients âgés ayant des troubles cognitifs. Le processus de sélection a permis d'inclure 18 études, ayant des méthodologies hétérogènes. Dans plusieurs études, la méthode Snoezelen pourrait avoir un effet bénéfique, à court terme, sur les troubles du comportement, sur l'humeur, la cognition, ou les capacités fonctionnelles. Cependant, la méthode Snoezelen ne semblait pas être supérieure à d'autres interventions non médicamenteuses et certaines études montraient des résultats discordants. Finalement, le niveau de preuve d'efficacité de la méthode Snoezelen reste faible et des études mixtes (quantitatives et qualitatives) seraient intéressantes à mener pour évaluer l'intérêt de la méthode Snoezelen sur des profils spécifiques de patients ayant des troubles neurocognitifs. Neuropsychiatric disorders are one of the frequent complications of neurocognitive disease, and have an impact on the quality of life of patients and caregivers. Non-phamacologic interventions are recommended as first-line treatment. The Snoezelen method is a multisensory stimulation method based on the assumption that acting on sensoriality can improve neuropsychiatric symptoms and thus quality of life, but its level of evidence is controversial. To explore this, we performed a systematic literature review of randomized controlled articles focusing on the use of the Snoezelen method in patients with cognitive disorders. Eighteen studies were included. The clinical outcomes studied were multiple (behavior, mood, cognition, functional capacities and biomedical parameters). When the Snoezelen method was compared to the "standard activities" group, it appears to be effective on short-term behavior. This was more negligible when the method was compared to others non-pharmacological interventions. Although the Snoezelen method could be effective on mood, cognition, and functional abilities, its level of evidence remains low. Furthers mixed studies (quantitative and qualitative) would be an interesting approach to delve into this topic in the most holistic way by integrating the patients, the caregivers and the cost of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy can experience chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI). OBJECTIVES: This study observed the interventional effects of multisensory stimulation training on CRCI in patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy. METHODS: Eighty patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy at a grade A tertiary hospital in Tangshan City, Hebei Province, China, were divided into two intervention groups (audiovisual and multisensory) by random sampling (40 patients per group). FINDINGS: After four intervention cycles, participants' cognitive and executive function scores were higher in the multisensory group than in the audiovisual group. Multisensory stimulation training had stronger effects than audiovisual training and effectively attenuated CRCI and executive dysfunction caused by breast cancer chemotherapy. Given the convenience and ease of use, multisensory stimulation has good potential for application in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders, predicted to be the leading cause of disease burden by the next decade. There is great deal of emphasis on the central origin and potential therapeutics of depression whereby the symptomatology of depression has been interpreted and treated as brain generated dysfunctions filtering down to the periphery. This top‐down approach has found strong support from clinical work and basic neuroscientific research. Nevertheless, despite great advances in our knowledge of the aetiology and therapeutics of depression, success in treatment is still by no means assured. As a consequence, a wide net has been cast by both clinicians and researchers in search of more efficient therapies for mood disorders. As a complementary view, the present integrative review advocates approaching mood and depression from the opposite perspective: a bottom‐up view that starts from the periphery. Specifically, evidence is provided to show that sensory stimulation via the visual, auditory, olfactory, and gustatory systems can modulate depression. The review shows how—depending on several parameters—unisensory stimulation via these modalities can ameliorate or aggravate depressive symptoms. Moreover, the review emphasises the bidirectional relationship between sensory stimulation and depression. Just as peripheral stimulation can modulate depression, depression in turn affects—and in most cases impairs—sensory reception. Furthermore, the review suggests that combined use of multisensory stimulation may have synergistic ameliorative effects on depressive symptoms over and above what has so far been documented for unisensory stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of linguistic messages can be made extremely complex by the simultaneous presence of interfering sounds, especially when they are also linguistic in nature. In two experiments, we tested if visual cues directing attention to spatial or temporal components of speech in noise can improve its identification. The hearing-in-noise task required identification of a five-digit sequence (target) embedded in a stream of time-reversed speech. Using a custom-built device located in front of the participant, we delivered visual cues to orient attention to the location of target sounds and/or their temporal window. In Exp. 1 (n = 14), we validated this visual-to-auditory cueing method in normal-hearing listeners, tested under typical binaural listening conditions. In Exp. 2 (n = 13), we assessed the efficacy of the same visual cues in normal-hearing listeners wearing a monaural ear plug, to study the effects of simulated monaural and conductive hearing loss on visual-to-auditory attention orienting. While Exp. 1 revealed a benefit of both spatial and temporal visual cues for hearing in noise, Exp. 2 showed that only the temporal visual cues remained effective during monaural listening. These findings indicate that when the acoustic experience is altered, visual-to-auditory attention orienting is more robust for temporal compared to spatial attributes of the auditory stimuli. These findings have implications for the relation between spatial and temporal attributes of sound objects, and when planning devices to orient audiovisual attention for subjects suffering from hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To reveal whether an accessible open floorplan Multisensory Stimulation Environment (MSSE) room design has a positive impact as a nonpharmacologic intervention for episodes of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) in older adults living in a Memory Care Assisted Living (MCAL) facility as well as reducing the need for direct care supervision. Methods: Retrospective pre/post cohort design of 24 residents living in a Midwest MCAL facility in the United States with a diagnosis of dementia and over 65 years of age, analyzed by secondary medical chart review for 12 months to assess impact of an accessible open floorplan MSSE room design. The pre/post design analyzed secondary data over two periods of time; 6 months prior to the MSSE installation and 6 months following the MSSE installation. Results: Following the installation of an open floorplan MSSE, the number of observed BPSD episodes changed from 367 (17%) pre-test to 298 (10%) post-test over a 12-month time period. The Comparison of Proportions test determined that the difference in the proportion of BPSD episodes documented was statistically significant with clinical implications. Conclusions: The accessible open floorplan MSSE room design, located within a singlesite MCAL facility, utilized as a nonpharmacological intervention for BPSD, was found in this explorative study to be effective and potentially clinically meaningful in improving behavioral episodes for older adults diagnosed with dementia in MCAL settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]