Sensory Integration: A Novel Approach for Healthy Ageing and Dementia Management.

Sensory processing is a fundamental aspect of the nervous system that plays a pivotal role in the cognitive decline observed in older individuals with dementia. The "sensory diet", derived from sensory integration theory, may provide a tailored approach to modulating sensory experiences and triggering neuroplastic changes in the brain in individuals with dementia. Therefore, this review aimed to investigate the current knowledge regarding the sensory diet and its potential application to dementia. This review encompassed an extensive search across multiple databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, covering articles published from 2010 to 2023. Keywords such as "sensory integration", "sensory modulation", "healthy aging", and "dementia" were utilized to identify relevant studies. The types of materials retrieved included peer-reviewed articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, ensuring a comprehensive overview of the current research landscape. This article offers a comprehensive exploration of the effectiveness of sensory diets such as tactile stimulation, auditory therapies, and visual interventions, which have demonstrated noteworthy efficacy in addressing challenges linked to aging and dementia. Research findings consistently report positive outcomes, such as improved cognitive function, elevated emotional well-being, and enhanced overall quality of life in older individuals. Furthermore, we found that the integration of sensory diets with the metaverse, augmented reality, and virtual reality opens up personalized experiences, fostering cognitive stimulation and emotional well-being for individuals during aging. Therefore, we conclude that customized sensory diets, based on interdisciplinary cooperation and leveraging technological advancements, are effective in optimizing sensory processing and improve the overall well-being of older individuals contending with sensory modulation challenges and dementia.

Acute Musculoskeletal Complaints Vary According to the Perceived Stress Among Hungarian Professional Dancers.

Introduction: Studies showed that professional dance is often associated with a high degree of acute musculoskeletal injuries. These injuries' etiology predominantly describes their biomechanical or other extrinsic factors, but there is a limited number of scientific reports dealing with the perceived stress or mental health status concerning the physical complaints especially, among Hungarian professional dancers. Materials and Methods: In this study, we used validated questionnaires (RESTQ, SEFIP, Mental Health Test) filled out by Hungarian professional female dancers (N = 168) via an online platform anonymously and analyzed statistically. Results: Our findings showed a significantly positive relationship between musculoskeletal complaints and perceived stress, an elevated level of general stress, and a higher level of resilience in this population compared to the general population. Conclusion: Dancers demonstrate a heightened perception of stress; however, they exhibit elevated scores on resilience assessments, indicative of heightened functionality in their daily lives. Stress, per se, may not be directly regarded as a causative factor for acute musculoskeletal conditions, but it could potentially influence the severity of pain sensations and subjective pain levels in the context of existing injuries. Additional investigations are warranted to elucidate the precise mechanisms by which stress exacerbates the pain experience among dancers.

Can Emotional or Physical Abuse Be a Risk Factor of Chronic Musculoskeletal Conditions in Professional Dance?

OBJECTIVE: In professional dance, the injury rate is extremely high and dancers have a great chance to experience at least one injury during their careers. Since the #metoo campaign, many abuse cases showed up in the dance industry, resulting in media coverage. Results indicate that dancers had a significantly higher distribution of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to the broad population. In this study, we investigate pathological dissociation, quantify chronic musculoskeletal conditions and evaluate abusive experiences. METHODS: Questionnaire-based dataset filled out online by Hungarian professional dancers (n = 168). The statistical analysis contains descriptive results, risk assessment, Kaplan Meier curve, and hazard ratios. RESULT: Dancers scored in the pathological dissociation values, reported several cases of emotional and physical abuse, and were represented by elevated chronic musculoskeletal conditions. We found a statistically significant relationship between abusive experiences and musculoskeletal conditions, so as with dissociation. CONCLUSION: We conclude that emotional abuse might be one of the factors in a multifactorial model that plays a role in the pathomechanism of chronic pain, inflammation, and tendinopathy. It is important to raise awareness about the importance of emotional factors of pedagogy and the working atmosphere among professional dancers since it might have a role in higher injury rates.

The measurement of proprioceptive accuracy: A systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND: Proprioceptive accuracy refers to the individual's ability to perceive proprioceptive information, that is, the information referring to the actual state of the locomotor system, which originates from mechanoreceptors located in various parts of the locomotor system and from tactile receptors located in the skin. Proprioceptive accuracy appears to be an important aspect in the evaluation of sensorimotor functioning; however, no widely accepted standard assessment exists. In this systematic review, our goal was to identify and categorize different methods that are used to assess different aspects of proprioceptive accuracy. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in 5 different databases (PubMed, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, and SpringerLink). RESULTS: Overall, 1139 scientific papers reporting 1346 methods were included in this review. The methods assess 8 different aspects of proprioception: (a) the perception of joint position, (b) movement and movement extent, (c) trajectory, (d) velocity, and the sense of (e) force, (f) muscle tension, (g) weight, and (h) size. They apply various paradigms of psychophysics (i.e., the method of adjustment, constant stimuli, and limits). CONCLUSION: As the outcomes of different tasks with respect to various body parts show no associations (i.e., proprioceptive accuracy is characterized by site-specificity and method-specificity), the appropriate measurement method for the task needs to be chosen based on theoretical considerations and/or ecological validity.