61 research outputs found
The therapeutic application of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on face processing in autism
No full textThis study aims to determine whether intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) applied to the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) improves face processing in autistic adolescents and young adults compared with sham stimulation.
The present document outlines the planned analyses for this study which forms part of a larger multisite randomised controlled trial. For comprehensive details on trial design and methodology, please see the attached published protocol (Enticott et al., 2021)
The church of England’s use of liturgical texts from the perspective of ritual performance and flow
No full textThe Church of England makes extensive use of liturgical texts. These texts were never intended simply to sit on the page, but to be used or performed. This thesis examines the Church of England's use of its liturgical texts by applying criteria from the disciplines of both sociology and theology. Chapter One identifies the various ways in which this study could be approached. The methods of literary criticism, historical analysis and empirical study are all investigated. These are, however, of limited value for exploring what makes 'good' worship. I therefore follow an interdisciplinary study. Chapter Two looks at the nature of ritual performance from the perspective of sociology. I explore the areas of ritual, flow, symbol and performance by making reference to the works of Rappaport, Victor Turner, Csikszentmihalyi, Flanagan, Schechner and others. Chapter Three moves to an examination of the theology of ritual performance. Various authors from Protestant and Roman Catholic traditions are cited in an examination of the theological implications of the use of symbols and symbolic language. Fellowship (Koinonia) is linked with Turner's notion of communitas, and the link between music and word is examined. Chapter Four applies the insights from chapters two and three to examine some of the texts in use in the Church of England. The use of the Peace, and the development of the Eucharistic Prayers are investigated, and the use of symbol is explored with particular reference to the service of Baptism. Chapter Five looks at the possibilities for new directions in worship in the Church of England with particular reference to the Commentary in the Service of the Word. Sociological insights must be applied to the study of liturgy in order for the new texts being produced to meet people’s needs in bringing them through worship to an encounter with God
Influence of Stimulus Intensity on Interindividual Response to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
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Elevated ceiling heights reduce the cognitive performance of higher-education students during exams
No full textExaminations are a widely used assessment method in higher education. They are often conducted in large indoor environments that can accommodate high numbers of students to maximize scheduling and cost efficiency. Recent evidence, however, suggests enlarged room scale impacts brain activity that is associated with concentration, which could negatively impact cognitive performance. We analysed data (N=15,400) from undergraduate students over eight years across three campuses at an Australian tertiary institution. Using linear mixed models, we compared examination performance across different room scales, while accounting for coursework performance, and other variables. We found some evidence that student examination performance was worse in rooms with elevated ceiling heights, but additional modelling indicated a more complex relationship (where ceiling height might be linked to improved performance). These results provide tentative support for the notion that built environment scale influences cognitive performance, and suggest caution in conducting examinations in large scale, high-ceiling rooms
Enlarged scale of the interior built environment reduces the cognitive performance of higher-education students during exams
No full textExaminations are a widely used assessment method in higher education. They are often conducted in large indoor environments that can accommodate high numbers of students to maximize scheduling and cost efficiency. Recent evidence, however, suggests enlarged room scale impacts brain activity that is associated with concentration, which could negatively impact cognitive performance. We analysed data (N=15,400) from undergraduate students over eight years across three campuses at an Australian tertiary institution. Using linear mixed models, we compared examination performance across different room scales, while accounting for coursework performance, and other variables. We found some evidence that student examination performance was worse in rooms with elevated ceiling heights, but additional modelling indicated a more complex relationship (where ceiling height might be linked to improved performance). These results provide tentative support for the notion that built environment scale influences cognitive performance, and suggest caution in conducting examinations in large scale, high-ceiling rooms
Functional brain connectivity during exposure to the scale and color of interior built environments
No full textUnderstanding brain activity linked to built environment exposure is important, as it may affect underlying cognitive, perceptual, and emotional processes, which have a critical influence in our daily life. As our time spent inside buildings is rising, and mental health problems have become more prevalent, it is important we investigate how design characteristics of the built environment impact brain function. In this study, we utilized electroencephalography to understand whether the design elements of scale and color of interior built environments modulate functional brain connectivity (i.e., brain network communication). Using a Cave Automatic Virtual Environment, while controlling indoor environmental quality responsible for physiological comfort, healthy adult participants aged 18–55 years (66 for scale, subset of 18 for color), were exposed to context‐neutral indoor room scenes presented for two‐minutes each. Our results show that both enlarging and reducing scale enhanced theta connectivity across the left temporoparietal region and right frontal region. We also found when reducing the built environment scale, there was a network exhibiting greater high‐gamma connectivity, over the right frontoparietal region. For color, the condition (blue) contrasted to our achromatic control (white) increased theta connectivity in the frontal hemispheres. These findings identify a link between theta and gamma oscillations during exposure to the scale and color of the built environment, showing that design characteristics of the built environment could affect our cognitive processes and mental health. This suggests that, through the design of buildings, we may be able to mediate performance and health outcomes, which could lead to major health and economic benefits for society
Seven practices that bias our understanding of benefits of nature for human health: suggestions for future research
No full textNatural environments are increasingly acknowledged as social determinants of mental, physical, and social health, and are a widely accessible multi-sectorial planning modality. Yet, in the context of several reviews conducted by the authors, we have observed that sometimes the multifarious, quantitative research investigating impacts of natural environments on human health is not conducted or reported to rigorous scientific standards 1–5. To constructively draw attention to this issue, we present and unpack seven research practices that obscure our understanding of the benefits of nature for human health: 1) circumventing the best available evidence, 2) uneven reporting and black boxing interventions, 3) confusing statistical significance with practical importance, 4) confusing correlation and causality, 5) data dredging and forking paths, 6) overlooking clustering in samples, and 7) ignoring selection in samples to derive generalised conclusions. This list is not exhaustive, but we expect that this compilation of practices will serve as a resource to support fidelity in conducting, analysing, and reporting in this promising field of research. We invite researchers, editors, and funders to discuss and expand the identified practices
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