38 research outputs found
Complexity vs. unity in unilateral spatial neglect
Unilateral spatial neglect constitutes a heterogeneous syndrome characterized by two main entangled components: a contralesional bias of spatial attention orientation; and impaired building and/or exploration of mental representations of space. These two components are present in different subtypes of unilateral spatial neglect (visual, auditory, somatosensory, motor, allocentric, egocentric, personal, representational and productive manifestations). Detailed anatomical and clinical analyses of these conditions and their underlying disorders show the complexity of spatial cognitive deficits and the difficulty of proposing just one explanation. This complexity is in contrast, however, to the widely acknowledged effectiveness of rehabilitation of the various symptoms and subtypes of unilateral spatial neglect, exemplified in the case of prism adaptation. These common effects are reflections of the unity of the physiotherapeutic mechanisms behind the higher brain functions related to multisensory integration and spatial representations, whereas the paradoxical aspects of unilateral spatial neglect emphasize the need for a greater understanding of spatial cognitive disorders
Unlocking the potential of serious games for rehabilitation in low and middle-income countries: addressing potential and current limitations
The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was supported by the NASCERE program (joint research program between Flanders and Jimma University), the VLIR-UOS through their ITP program and the BOF BILA program from UHasselt
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Perceived Physical and Mental Health and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors of People With Disabilities
Objective: This study aims to determine the perceived impact of the coronavirus pandemic on physical and mental health and healthy lifestyle behaviors in community-dwelling persons with disabilities, as compared with those without disabilities. Design: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted with a web-based global survey. Results: Over 3 mos, 3550 responses were collected from 65 countries. The study included 2689 responses without skipped questions as full data for analysis. Most respondents were women (82.82%), and approximately half (52.81%) were between the ages of 25 and 39 yrs, followed by those between the ages of 40 and 60 yrs (38.6%). Among the participants, 52% indicated physical activity levels decreased and 20% reported eating less fruit and vegetables than before. Furthermore, 45% noted that they slept less than before. Perceived physical and mental health and changes to eating habits during the pandemic showed a significant difference in people with and without disabilities. Furthermore, perceived effects on physical health had a significant effect on the reported degree of disability. Conclusions: This study indicates that the pandemic had a larger impact on perceived physical and mental health and changes in eating habits and tobacco use among people with disabilities than people without disabilities
Perceived Physical and Mental Health and Healthy Eating Habits During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korea
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted the lives of people around the world since 2020. This study aims to reveal perceived impact of the coronavirus pandemic on physical and mental health and eating behaviors among people with disabilities and without disabilities in South Korea, as compared to other countries.Methods: A secondary analysis of a prospective cross-sectional study which was conducted with a web-based global survey.Results: Among the 3,550 responses from 65 countries, 2,621 responses with nation information were set as full data, 189 for South Korea and 2,432 for other countries. In Korea, there was no significant difference in healthy lifestyle behaviors between people with and without disabilities before the COVID-19 pandemic. Perceived physical and mental health and changes in eating habits during the COVID-19 pandemic showed no significant difference between people with and without disabilities in Korea. There were significant differences in physical health and dietary habits, but no differences in its effect on mental health between people living in Korea and other countries in both people with and without disabilities groups. In other words, more than 60% of people in all groups (disability vs. non-disability, Korea vs. non-Korea) reported worse mental health than before the COVID-19 pandemic.Conclusion: In Korea and other countries, mental health showed a tendency to deteriorate regardless of the presence or absence of disability during the COVID-19 pandemic. In terms of healthy eating habits, Koreans were relatively less affected than people from other countrie
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors and Perceived Mental and Physical Health of People Living with Non-Communicable Diseases: An International Cross-Sectional Survey
The huge burden and vulnerability imposed by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how healthy lifestyle behaviors and the well-being of people living with NCDs need to be prioritized. The aim of our study is to better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthy lifestyle behaviors and perceived mental and physical health among adults living with NCDs, as compared to people without NCDs. We conducted a cross-sectional study using a global online survey through Qualtrics. Over four months, 3550 participants from 65 countries worldwide responded to the survey. The study included 3079 surveys with no missing data (complete survey responses) that were used for analysis. People with NCDs were more likely to report statistically significant worsening physical health (p = 0.001) and statistically insignificant worsening mental health (p = 0.354) when compared to pre-pandemic levels. They reported lower rates of smoking during the pandemic than those without NCDs, and a statistically significant (p < 0.001) relationship was found between weight gain and NCDs. Therefore, the perceived physical and mental health, including changes in body weight and tobacco consumption, of people with NCDs were significantly impacted during the pandemic. In conclusion, this study indicates that the pandemic had a significant impact on perceived physical and mental health, changes in body weight, and tobacco consumption among people with NCDs
Changes to physical activity behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic and their associated factors: a cross sectional survey of Mexican women
Background: On March 24, 2020, the Mexican Government established social distancing measures to address the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting home confinement affected daily lifestyle habits such as eating, sleeping, and physical activity (PA). The objectives of this study were to determine changes in PA behaviors among Mexican women due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to assess potential factors associated with these changes. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on an anonymous online questionnaire developed by the Task Force on Physical Activity for Persons with Disabilities (PAPD) within the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM). Descriptive, quantitative statistics were used for data analysis. A Chi-squared (χ2) test was used to explore associations between dependent and independent variables. Results: A total of 1882 surveys were completed. Among the respondents, 53.3% declared that their PA was reduced during the pandemic, 26.6% reported similar PA behavior, and 20.1% declared that their PA had increased during the pandemic. Lower PA behavior during the pandemic was associated with lower education levels, stricter pandemic constraints, obesity, and lower self-perceived functioning levels. A statistically significant association between poorer self-perceived mental health and decreased PA behaviors was also found. Respondents who were younger, self-perceived as unimpaired, not overweight, and whose income was not impacted by COVID-19 were associated with higher levels of reported physical and mental health. Conclusions: The study results identify disparities experienced in PA behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic among Mexican women and highlights the need for social support for PA participation
