1,721,225 research outputs found
Thea: empowering the therapeutic alliance of children with ASD by multimedia interaction
No full textThe Therapeutic Alliance (TA) between patient and health provider (therapist or clinician) is one of the most relevant factors for the success of a therapy. In the case of people suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the alliance is extended to all the people involved in their care (i.e., teachers, therapists, clinicians, relatives). In this paper, we propose a multimedia application named Thea for empowering the TA of children with ASD by improving the communication among the TA members, sharing guidelines, multimedia contents, and strategies to comply with challenging behaviors and progress with particular attention towards end-users who are occasional smart-users. A detailed process for empowering the TA members by enhancing the informed interaction among all of them is proposed and implemented. A vocal assistant also supports patients/caregivers and therapists in documenting their activity with the person with ASD by recording videos in a free-hand modality. After a contextual analysis based on Thematic Analysis Template, Thea has been implemented using a user-centered development approach. We performed three iterations involving the end-users. A user study is performed at the third iteration. Results of the user study revealed a positive attitude towards the application. In particular, the perception of empowerment of participants increased after the tool had been used. We also highlighted the guidelines and tools that may be adopted for empowering different kinds of patients. The first results seem to suggest that the use of Thea may increase the belief of the caregivers of a person with ASD to be able to better take care of her, in a more controlled and informed way
Functional dissection of auditory cortex with magnetic resonance imaging
No full textThe purpose of this article is to discuss the impact of the newest neuroimaging techniques on knowledge regarding the functional organization of the auditory system. An impressive acceleration of comprehension of this subject has been realized following the introduction of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) methods into audiological research and, even more, by the creation of tailored procedures able to extract from the brain information regarding the processing of auditory stimuli. Until very recently, the study of the auditory system has proceeded at a considerably slower pace than other functional systems. This is due to several problematic factors, including the intrinsic anatomy of the auditory system and some peculiar interactions between audition mechanisms and fMRI techniques. To overcome these problems, different approaches have recently been proposed, which generally require a careful tailoring of the experimental designs of fMRI methodology, and of the strategies of data processing, to the specific problems of audition and the particular research goal. This article reviews the present state of fMRI research on audition, examining the solutions already existing and those under development in relation to the specific problems of auditory fMRI. The increasing knowledge about the auditory system, derived in part from fMRI research, has already opened new avenues in the comprehension of basic and high level neural processes in audition. © 2010 Informa UK Ltd
Disruption of visuospatial and somatosensory functional connectivity in anorexia nervosa.
No full textBackground: Although body image disturbance is considered one of the core characteristics of anorexia nervosa (AN), the exact nature of this complex feature is poorly understood. Task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging studies can only partially explore the multimodal complexity of body consciousness, which is a complex cognition underpinned by aspects of visual perception, proprioception, and touch. The aim of the present study was to explore the functional connectivity of networks involved in visuospatial and somatosensory processing in AN.
Methods: Twenty-nine subjects with AN, 16 women who had recovered from it, and 26 healthy women underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan and neuropsychological assessment of their visuospatial abilities using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test.
Results: Both AN groups showed areas of decreased connectivity in the ventral visual network, a network involved in the “what?” pathway of visual perception. Even more interestingly, the AN group, but not the recovered AN group, displayed increased coactivation in the left parietal cortex, encompassing the somatosensory cortex, in an area implicated in long-term multimodal spatial memory and representation, even in the absence of visual information. A neuropsychological assessment of visuospatial abilities revealed that aspects of detail processing and global integration (central coherence) showed correlations with connectivity of this brain area in the AN group.
Conclusions: Our findings show that AN is associated with double disruption of brain connectivity, which shows a specific association with visuospatial difficulties and may explain the failure of the integration process between visual and somatosensory perceptual information that might sustain body image disturbance
Post-transplant cerebral toxoplasmosis diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging.
No full textCerebral toxoplasmosis is a rare late complication in allogeneic bone marrow transplanted patients. Neuroradiological findings may suggest the correct diagnosis. We report a patient in whom cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a lesion characteristic of toxoplasmosis. Anti- toxoplasma treatment led to clinical and radiological improvement. MRI seems to be a valid tool for detection and follow-up of cerebral toxoplasmosis
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