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Frontiers in Public Health 2023Long-post-coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients tend to claim residual symptomatology from various systems, most importantly the respiratory and central nervous... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
Long-post-coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients tend to claim residual symptomatology from various systems, most importantly the respiratory and central nervous systems. Breathlessness and brain fog are the main complaints. The pulmonary function pattern is consistent with restrictive defects, which, in most cases, are self-resolved, while the cognitive profile may be impaired. Rehabilitation is an ongoing field for holistic management of long-post-COVID-19 patients. Virtual reality (VR) applications may represent an innovative implementation of rehabilitation. We aimed to investigate the effect of exercise with and without the VR system and to assess further breathlessness and functional fitness indicators in long-post-COVID-19 patients with mild cognitive impairment after self-selected exercise duration using the VR system. Twenty long-post-COVID-19 patients were enrolled in our study (age: 53.9 ± 9.1 years, male: 80%, body mass index: 28.1 ± 3.1 kg/m). Participants' anthropometric data were recorded, and they underwent pulmonary functional test evaluation as well as sleep quality and cognitive assessment. The participants randomly exercised with and without a VR system (VR vs. no-VR) and, later, self-selected the exercise duration using the VR system. The results showed that exercise with VR resulted in a lower dyspnea score than exercise without VR. In conclusion, VR applications seem to be an attractive and safe tool for implementing rehabilitation. They can enhance performance during exercise and benefit patients with both respiratory and cognitive symptoms.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Cognitive Dysfunction; COVID-19; Dyspnea; Physical Therapy Modalities; Virtual Reality
PubMed: 36908417
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1115393 -
Journal of Clinical and Translational... May 2020The use of virtual reality (VR) technology continues to grow in the areas of clinical assessment and rehabilitation. Both researchers and health-care providers are... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
The use of virtual reality (VR) technology continues to grow in the areas of clinical assessment and rehabilitation. Both researchers and health-care providers are exploring ways to incorporate VR in clinical practice as an emerging technology. VR postural control and neuropsychological testing represent a promising next step in sport-related concussion (SRC) management. This article reviews the current literature on VR applications for SRC assessment.
RELEVANCE FOR PATIENTS
VR-based postural control assessments suggest that visual motion is destabilizing following SRC, perhaps indicating persistent perceptual-motion disintegration when clinical postural control tests suggest complete recovery. VR can also provide functional neuropsychological assessments using real-life scenarios or virtual environments, which may be more sensitive than traditional pencil-and-paper or computerized neuropsychological assessments.
PubMed: 32671279
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Aug 2022(1) Background: Interactive VR (virtual reality) environments (i.e., using three-dimensional graphics presented with a head-mounted display) have recently become a... (Review)
Review
(1) Background: Interactive VR (virtual reality) environments (i.e., using three-dimensional graphics presented with a head-mounted display) have recently become a popular professional tool for the treatment of patients with eating disorders (EDs). However, there are no published review reports that have analyzed the original papers between 2015 and 2021, which additionally focused only on HMD (head-mounted display) 3DVR (three-dimensional virtual reality) exposure and included only three therapeutic categories for ED patients. (2) Methods: The EbscoHost and Scopus databases were searched to identify relevant papers on VR research employing VR in the assessment and treatment of eating disorders. (3) Results: In addition to the known therapeutic divisions for ED, there are new forms of therapy based on 360 cameras, eye-tracking, and remote therapy. (4) Conclusions: The potential of VR in combination with different therapies may offer an alternative for future research. More rigorous testing, especially in terms of larger sample sizes, the inclusion of control groups or multisessions, and follow-up measures, is still needed. The current state of research highlights the importance of the nature and content of VR interventions for ED patients. Future research should look to incorporate more home-based and remote forms of VR tools.
PubMed: 36078886
DOI: 10.3390/jcm11174956 -
Journal of Gerontological Nursing Nov 2023There is a shortage of personnel to provide care for older adults with dementia, and traditional teaching methods could be improved. The teaching method used in the Care... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
There is a shortage of personnel to provide care for older adults with dementia, and traditional teaching methods could be improved. The teaching method used in the Care for Older Adults With Dementia course is mainly theoretical, lacking real-life care scenarios and practical procedural training. In the current study, we developed a virtual reality (VR) teaching system and designed a randomized controlled trial aimed at testing the availability of the VR-assisted teaching system, filling the gap in teaching through care scenarios, enabling students majoring in intelligent health and oldage care service management to have a more positive attitude toward learning, and improving students' knowledge and course satisfaction. This study showed that the developed VR system can meet the initial needs of daily teaching, help students have a more positive attitude toward learning, and improve their academic performance and course satisfaction. [(11), 25-32.].
Topics: Humans; Aged; Virtual Reality; Students; Clinical Competence; Geriatric Nursing; Dementia
PubMed: 37906042
DOI: 10.3928/00989134-20231011-01 -
The Oncologist Aug 2021Tumor multigene next-generation sequencing (NGS) is increasingly being offered to cancer patients to guide clinical management and determine eligibility for clinical... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Tumor multigene next-generation sequencing (NGS) is increasingly being offered to cancer patients to guide clinical management and determine eligibility for clinical trials. We undertook a review of studies examining the knowledge and attitudes of patients and oncologists regarding the primary results and potential secondary findings of such testing.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A search was conducted through the MEDLINE database using the following keywords: "neoplasms" and "molecular sequencing / genome sequencing / tumor profiling / NGS / whole exome sequencing" and "patient / oncologist" and "knowledge / attitudes / satisfaction / experience / evaluation / perspective / practice / preference." Articles meeting the inclusion criteria and additional relevant articles from their references were selected.
RESULTS
From 1,142 publications identified by the search and 9 from references, 21 publications were included in the final review. Patients generally had positive attitudes toward tumor NGS despite relatively little knowledge of test-related genetics concepts, but their expectations often exceeded the reality of low clinical utility. Patients with higher education and greater genetics knowledge had more realistic expectations and a more altruistic view of the role of NGS. Attitudes toward disclosure of secondary findings were highly variable. Oncologists had poor to moderate genomic literacy; they communicated challenges with tempering patient expectations and deciding what information to disclose.
CONCLUSION
Patients considering undergoing tumor NGS should be provided with easily understandable resources explaining the procedure, goals, and probable outcomes, whenever possible based on evidence-based guidelines. Continuing medical education programs on this topic for oncology health care professionals should strive to improve their genomic literacy and instruct them on how to optimally present this information to their patients.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
Oncologists are increasingly offering tumor multigene testing to patients with advanced cancers to guide more "personalized" treatment and/or determine eligibility for clinical trials. However, patients often have inadequate understanding and unrealistic expectations. Oncologists must ensure that they themselves have sufficient knowledge of the benefits and limitations of testing and must provide their patients with appropriate educational resources. Prior to testing, patients should be told the likelihood of finding a mutation in their specific tumor type for which a targeted treatment or clinical trial is available. Patients also need clear information about the possibility and implications of secondary findings.
Topics: Genomics; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Motivation; Neoplasms; Oncologists
PubMed: 33823080
DOI: 10.1002/onco.13783 -
International Journal of Computer... Jul 2020This paper introduces the SciKit-Surgery libraries, designed to enable rapid development of clinical applications for image-guided interventions. SciKit-Surgery...
PURPOSE
This paper introduces the SciKit-Surgery libraries, designed to enable rapid development of clinical applications for image-guided interventions. SciKit-Surgery implements a family of compact, orthogonal, libraries accompanied by robust testing, documentation, and quality control. SciKit-Surgery libraries can be rapidly assembled into testable clinical applications and subsequently translated to production software without the need for software reimplementation. The aim is to support translation from single surgeon trials to multicentre trials in under 2 years.
METHODS
At the time of publication, there were 13 SciKit-Surgery libraries provide functionality for visualisation and augmented reality in surgery, together with hardware interfaces for video, tracking, and ultrasound sources. The libraries are stand-alone, open source, and provide Python interfaces. This design approach enables fast development of robust applications and subsequent translation. The paper compares the libraries with existing platforms and uses two example applications to show how SciKit-Surgery libraries can be used in practice.
RESULTS
Using the number of lines of code and the occurrence of cross-dependencies as proxy measurements of code complexity, two example applications using SciKit-Surgery libraries are analysed. The SciKit-Surgery libraries demonstrate ability to support rapid development of testable clinical applications. By maintaining stricter orthogonality between libraries, the number, and complexity of dependencies can be reduced. The SciKit-Surgery libraries also demonstrate the potential to support wider dissemination of novel research.
CONCLUSION
The SciKit-Surgery libraries utilise the modularity of the Python language and the standard data types of the NumPy package to provide an easy-to-use, well-tested, and extensible set of tools for the development of applications for image-guided interventions. The example application built on SciKit-Surgery has a simpler dependency structure than the same application built using a monolithic platform, making ongoing clinical translation more feasible.
Topics: Augmented Reality; Humans; Software; Surgery, Computer-Assisted
PubMed: 32436132
DOI: 10.1007/s11548-020-02180-5 -
Sports (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2021Ideally an athlete would continue to improve performance indefinitely over time, however improvement slows as the athlete approaches their genetic limits. Measuring... (Review)
Review
Ideally an athlete would continue to improve performance indefinitely over time, however improvement slows as the athlete approaches their genetic limits. Measuring performance is complex-performance may be temporarily depressed following aggressive training for multiple reasons, physiological and psychosocial. This reality may be vexing to the strength and conditioning coach, who, as a service provider, must answer to sport coaches about an athlete's progress. Recently an evaluation mechanism for strength and conditioning coaches was proposed, in part to help coaches establish their effectiveness within the organization. Without formal guidance and realistic expectations, if an athlete is not bigger, leaner, stronger, etc. as a result of training within a specified timeframe, blame is often placed upon the strength and conditioning coach. The purpose of this article is to explore possible causes of what may be perceived as athlete non-responses to training and to provide guidance for the coach on how to handle those issues within their domain. A process of investigation is recommended, along with resources to assist coaches as they consider a broad range of issues, including enhancing existing testing methods, improving athlete behaviors, and adjusting processes designed to bring about performance improvement.
PubMed: 34198730
DOI: 10.3390/sports9060083 -
Journal of Emergencies, Trauma, and... 2021Technology-driven educational modalities are increasingly utilized today in a variety of forms. Different combinations of the spectrum of simulation-based learning, the... (Review)
Review
Technology-driven educational modalities are increasingly utilized today in a variety of forms. Different combinations of the spectrum of simulation-based learning, the use of virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, and serious gaming continue to gain traction on various educational platforms. In this paper, we share the formation of our project team to plan and execute a serious game on starting infusions and the use of infusion pump for nursing and health-care staff. The incorporation of element of assessment is also discussed. The various phases we went through included: Learning needs assessment and conceptualizationAssembly of project teamTransfer of medical conceptsStoryboard and content productionLearners' experiential mappingTesting of the prototypeBeta testing and release of the final product The collaborative work and coordination between the subject-matter experts together with the technical production team is critical. Issues such as assessment and debriefing in serious gaming were also addressed, not forgetting the need to ensure that, above all, learning must take place.
PubMed: 35125790
DOI: 10.4103/jets.jets_82_21 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2020Focusing on lucid dreaming, this paper examined relationships between dissociated experiences related to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (lucid dreaming, nightmares, and...
Focusing on lucid dreaming, this paper examined relationships between dissociated experiences related to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (lucid dreaming, nightmares, and sleep paralysis), reality testing, and paranormal experiences/beliefs. The study comprised a UK-based online sample of 455 respondents (110 males, 345 females, = 34.46 years, = 15.70), who had all previously experienced lucid dreaming. Respondents completed established self-report measures assessing control within lucid dreaming, experience and frequency of nightmares, incidence of sleep paralysis, proneness to reality testing deficits (Inventory of Personality Organization subscale, IPO-RT), subjective experience of receptive psi and life after death (paranormal experience), and paranormal belief. Analysis comprised tests of correlational and predictive relationships between sleep-related outcomes, IPO-RT scores, and paranormal measures. Significant positive correlations between sleep and paranormal measures were weak. Paranormal measures related differentially to sleep indices. Paranormal experience correlated with lucid dreaming, nightmares, and sleep paralysis, whereas paranormal belief related only to nightmares and sleep paralysis. IPO-RT correlated positively with all paranormal and sleep-related measures. Within the IPO-RT, the Auditory and Visual Hallucinations sub-factor demonstrated the strongest positive associations with sleep measures. Structural equation modeling indicated that Auditory and Visual Hallucinations significantly positively predicted dissociated experiences related to REM sleep, while paranormal experience did not. However, paranormal experience was a significant predictor when analysis controlled for Auditory and Visual Hallucinations. The moderate positive association between these variables explained this effect. Findings indicated that self-generated, productive cognitive-processes (as encompassed by Auditory and Visual Hallucinations) played a significant role in conscious control and awareness of lucid dreaming, and related dissociative sleep states (sleep paralysis and nightmares).
PubMed: 32256437
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00471 -
Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive...To assess the sensitivity and specificity of superior visual field tests administered in virtual reality (VR) with eye tracking (VR-ET) and without eye tracking (VR 0 )...
PURPOSE
To assess the sensitivity and specificity of superior visual field tests administered in virtual reality (VR) with eye tracking (VR-ET) and without eye tracking (VR 0 ) for the fulfillment of insurance coverage criteria for functional upper eyelid surgery as compared with standard automated perimetry (SAP).
METHODS
This prospective cross-sectional study included 78 eyes from 41 patients with ptosis, brow ptosis, and dermatochalasis undergoing functional upper eyelid surgery evaluation. Participants underwent serial superior visual field tests using SAP and VR 0 or VR-ET in randomized order. Fulfillment of insurance coverage criteria for blepharoplasty was defined as a 30% increase in the grid seen from the untaped to the taped state. The main outcome measure was the sensitivity and specificity of VR 0 , VR-ET, and overall VR in meeting insurance coverage criteria as compared with SAP.
RESULTS
VR had a sensitivity of 84.1% and specificity of 67.6%, with no significant difference between VR 0 and VR-ET. SAP agreed on insurance coverage criteria fulfillment with VR 0 in 28 (71.8%) eyes and with VR-ET in 32 (82.1%) eyes. Insurance coverage criteria fulfillment rates varied significantly by diagnosis on SAP ( p = 0.012) but not VR ( p = 0.059).
CONCLUSIONS
VR may be an alternative to SAP for functional upper eyelid surgery evaluation. Future studies are needed to determine differences in patient satisfaction, testing and waiting time, and test-retest reliability between VR and SAP.
Topics: Humans; Visual Field Tests; Visual Fields; Pilot Projects; Prospective Studies; Reproducibility of Results; Eye-Tracking Technology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Eyelids
PubMed: 36852832
DOI: 10.1097/IOP.0000000000002331