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Scientific Reports Apr 2024This study compared the effects of blood flow restriction (BFR) on intensity and perceived enjoyment during an exergame. Fourteen healthy young participants engaged in a...
This study compared the effects of blood flow restriction (BFR) on intensity and perceived enjoyment during an exergame. Fourteen healthy young participants engaged in a boxing exergame for 20 min, with or without BFR, across two sessions. Perceived enjoyment levels were assessed using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale. Heart rate was monitored, and energy expenditure (EE) during exercise was calculated. A mixed model analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to evaluate differences in EE and enjoyment between exergame conditions (with and without BFR) as well as the interaction effects of these protocols with gender. Although not statistically significant, perceived enjoyment decreased with BFR inclusion for both genders. No significant differences were observed between men and women for both protocols. Regarding EE, there was no significant difference between the two groups (with and without BFR). However, a significant main effect of gender was found, with men exhibiting higher EE values in both protocols compared to women. In conclusion, exergames incorporating BFR impact perceptual responses, particularly perceived enjoyment. Furthermore, significant gender differences in EE were found, with men displaying higher values.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Pleasure; Exergaming; Hemodynamics; Exercise; Energy Metabolism
PubMed: 38641659
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59379-8 -
Journal of the Neurological Sciences May 2024The aim of our study was to measure the ability of ALS patients to process dynamic facial expressions as compared to a control group of healthy subjects and to correlate...
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to measure the ability of ALS patients to process dynamic facial expressions as compared to a control group of healthy subjects and to correlate this ability in ALS patients with neuropsychological, clinical and neurological measures of the disease.
METHODS
Sixty-three ALS patients and 47 healthy controls were recruited. All the ALS patients also underwent i) the Geneva Emotion Recognition Test (GERT) in which ten actors express 14 types of dynamic emotions in brief video clips with audio, ii) the Edimburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS) test; iii) the ALS Functional Rating Scale Revised (ALSFRS-R) and iv) the Medical Research Council (MRC) for the evaluation of muscle strength. All the healthy subjects enrolled in the study underwent the GERT.
RESULTS
The recognition of irritation and pleasure was significantly different between ALS patients and the control group. The amusement, despair, irritation, joy, sadness and surprise had been falsely recognized differently between the two groups. Specific ALS cognitive impairment was associated with bulbar-onset phenotype (OR = 14,3889; 95%CI = 3,96-52,16). No association was observed between false emotion recognition and cognitive impairment (F(1,60)=,56,971, p=,45,333). The number of categorical errors was significantly higher in the ALS patients than in the control group (27,66 ± 7,28 vs 17,72 ± 5,29; t = 8723; p = 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
ALS patients show deficits in the dynamic processing of a wide range of emotions. These deficits are not necessarily associated with a decline in higher cognitive functions: this could therefore lead to an underestimation of the phenomenon.
Topics: Humans; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Emotions; Aged; Facial Expression; Neuropsychological Tests; Recognition, Psychology; Facial Recognition; Adult
PubMed: 38640582
DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2024.123019 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2024Tickling is commonly perceived as juvenile play associated with laughter. However, its potential connection to adult sexual behavior has largely remained unexplored. Our...
Tickling is commonly perceived as juvenile play associated with laughter. However, its potential connection to adult sexual behavior has largely remained unexplored. Our online survey, primarily distributed among individuals interested in tickle fetishism, explored tickling and its association with sexual behavior. Ticklishness types, tools, preferred body parts, and partner preferences, were examined. Results revealed diverse patterns of ticklishness changes over time and distinct body-part preferences for different types of tickling. Childhood experiences and exposure to tickling content in television were found to shape individuals' affinity for tickle fetishism. A quarter of respondents reported experiencing orgasms exclusively from tickling, while around 88% expressed sexual satisfaction through tickling alone, indicating its sufficiency as a sexual stimulus among fetishists. Tickling desire decreased after orgasm, indicating an association between tickling and sexual activity. Moreover, ticklishness degree predicted preferences for being tickled rather than tickling others. Exploratory factor analysis identified three factors underlying tickling and sexual experiences: enjoyment and frequency of tickling during sexual activity; preference for intense sexual experiences; age of becoming sexually active. In conclusion, this study provides unique insights into tickling and its connections to sexual context, enhancing our understanding of diverse human sexual behavior and tickle fetishism as a distinct preference.
PubMed: 38633879
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1342342 -
Scientific Reports Apr 2024Work shows that sexually-diverse individuals face high rates of early life adversity and in turn increased engagement in behavioral outcomes traditionally associated...
Work shows that sexually-diverse individuals face high rates of early life adversity and in turn increased engagement in behavioral outcomes traditionally associated with adversity, such as sexual risk taking. Recent theoretical work suggests that these associations may be attributable to heightened sexual reward sensitivity among adversity-exposed women. We aimed to test these claims using a combination of self-report and EEG measures to test the relationship between early adversity, sexual reward sensitivity (both self-reported and EEG measured) and sexual risk taking in a sexually diverse sample of cis-gender women (N = 208) (Mage = 27.17, SD = 6.36). Results showed that childhood SES predicted self-reported sexual reward sensitivity which in turn predicted numbers of male and female sexual partners. In contrast we found that perceived childhood unpredictability predicted neurobiological sexual reward sensitivity as measured by EEG which in turn predicted male sexual partner number. The results presented here provide support for the notion that heightened sexual reward sensitivity may be a pathway through which early life adversity augments future sexual behavior, and underscores the importance of including greater attention to the dynamics of pleasure and reward in sexual health promotion.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Child; Self Report; Sexual Behavior; Sexual Partners; Gender Identity; Reward
PubMed: 38622142
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58389-w -
Trends in Hearing 2024For people with profound hearing loss, a cochlear implant (CI) is able to provide access to sounds that support speech perception. With current technology, most CI users...
For people with profound hearing loss, a cochlear implant (CI) is able to provide access to sounds that support speech perception. With current technology, most CI users obtain very good speech understanding in quiet listening environments. However, many CI users still struggle when listening to music. Efforts have been made to preprocess music for CI users and improve their music enjoyment. This work investigates potential modifications of instrumental music to make it more accessible for CI users. For this purpose, we used two datasets with varying complexity and containing individual tracks of instrumental music. The first dataset contained trios and it was newly created and synthesized for this study. The second dataset contained orchestral music with a large number of instruments. Bilateral CI users and normal hearing listeners were asked to remix the multitracks grouped into melody, bass, accompaniment, and percussion. Remixes could be performed in the amplitude, spatial, and spectral domains. Results showed that CI users preferred tracks being panned toward the right side, especially the percussion component. When CI users were grouped into frequent or occasional music listeners, significant differences in remixing preferences in all domains were observed.
Topics: Humans; Cochlear Implants; Music; Cochlear Implantation; Language; Pleasure
PubMed: 38613359
DOI: 10.1177/23312165241245219 -
Nutrients Mar 2024Measures of beliefs and attitudes toward food have generally been limited to the measurement of more pathological eating attitudes (e.g., disordered eating). The Food...
Measures of beliefs and attitudes toward food have generally been limited to the measurement of more pathological eating attitudes (e.g., disordered eating). The Food Life Questionnaire (FLQ) and its short form (FLQ-SF) were developed to examine attitudes toward a broader range of foods; however, the factor structure of the FLQ-SF was not confirmed in any study with young women. In the present study, we performed a psychometric evaluation of the Brazilian Portuguese translation of the FLQ-SF in a sample of 604 women. We evaluated the factor structure using a two-step, split-sample exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic approach. Results supported a four-factor structure (i.e., weight concern, diet-health orientation, belief in a diet-health linkage, and food and pleasure) with 18 items (χ/ = 2.09; CFI = 0.95; TLI = 0.94; RMSEA = 0.05 (90% CI = 0.04; 0.06; > 0.05); and SRMR = 0.08). Additionally, we found good internal consistency for all FLQ-SF subscales (McDonald's = 0.79-0.89) and convergent validity with measures of feelings, beliefs, and behaviors involved in food attitudes. Collectively, these results support the use of the FLQ-SF in Brazilian women and provide a foundation to expand the literature on beliefs and attitudes toward food in this population.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Female; Brazil; Psychometrics; Food; Emotions; Ethnicity
PubMed: 38612959
DOI: 10.3390/nu16070927 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024With pleasure, we present this Special Issue of , titled "Design, Manufacturing and Properties of Refractory Materials" [...].
With pleasure, we present this Special Issue of , titled "Design, Manufacturing and Properties of Refractory Materials" [...].
PubMed: 38612187
DOI: 10.3390/ma17071673 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024In the field of neuroscience, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are used to connect the human brain with external devices, providing insights into the neural mechanisms...
In the field of neuroscience, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are used to connect the human brain with external devices, providing insights into the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive processes, including aesthetic perception. Non-invasive BCIs, such as EEG and fNIRS, are critical for studying central nervous system activity and understanding how individuals with cognitive deficits process and respond to aesthetic stimuli. This study assessed twenty participants who were divided into control and impaired aging (AI) groups based on MMSE scores. EEG and fNIRS were used to measure their neurophysiological responses to aesthetic stimuli that varied in pleasantness and dynamism. Significant differences were identified between the groups in P300 amplitude and late positive potential (LPP), with controls showing greater reactivity. AI subjects showed an increase in oxyhemoglobin in response to pleasurable stimuli, suggesting hemodynamic compensation. This study highlights the effectiveness of multimodal BCIs in identifying the neural basis of aesthetic appreciation and impaired aging. Despite its limitations, such as sample size and the subjective nature of aesthetic appreciation, this research lays the groundwork for cognitive rehabilitation tailored to aesthetic perception, improving the comprehension of cognitive disorders through integrated BCI methodologies.
Topics: Humans; Brain-Computer Interfaces; Aging; Brain; Esthetics; Perception
PubMed: 38610540
DOI: 10.3390/s24072329 -
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024One out of three women may suffer from chronic vaginal pain during intercourse, a complex health issue that leads to lasting psychological, sexual, emotional, and...
Sexual Self Discrepancies, Sexual Satisfaction, and Relationship Satisfaction in a Cross-Sectional Sample of Women Who Experience Chronic Vaginal Pain during Sexual Intercourse.
One out of three women may suffer from chronic vaginal pain during intercourse, a complex health issue that leads to lasting psychological, sexual, emotional, and relational difficulties even after initial relief. Women who experience this pain condition may compare their sexual selves to the societal norm of being pain-free. Comparisons that do not align with one's actual sexual self result in sexual self-discrepancies and may cause emotional distress. Sexual self-discrepancies may hinder sexual and relationship satisfaction for women who experience chronic vaginal pain during sexual intercourse. This mixed-method study examined the sexual self-discrepancies women reported and the degree to which their sexual self-discrepancies were related to their sexual and relationship satisfaction. Results from this cross-sectional study showed that the majority of participants experienced sexual self-discrepancies and that they experienced a significant inverse correlation between sexual self-discrepancies and sexual satisfaction. In multivariate models, sex frequency was the strongest predictor of sexual satisfaction. There were no correlations between sexual self-discrepancies and relationship satisfaction. Future measurement research should examine the role of sex frequency in the experience of sexual satisfaction. Education on maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain may aid women to cope with the negative impact of pain.
PubMed: 38610220
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12070798 -
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024Neuroimaging studies using autobiographical recall methods investigated the neural correlates of happy autobiographical memories (AMs). The scope of the present...
Neuroimaging studies using autobiographical recall methods investigated the neural correlates of happy autobiographical memories (AMs). The scope of the present activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis was to quantitatively analyze neuroimaging studies of happy AMs conducted with autobiographical recall paradigms. A total of 17 studies (12 fMRI; 5 PET) on healthy individuals were included in this meta-analysis. During recall of happy life events, consistent activation foci were found in the frontal gyrus, the cingulate cortex, the basal ganglia, the parahippocampus/hippocampus, the hypothalamus, and the thalamus. The result of this quantitative coordinate-based ALE meta-analysis provides an objective view of brain responses associated with AM recollection of happy events, thus identifying brain areas consistently activated across studies. This extended brain network included frontal and limbic regions involved in remembering emotionally relevant positive events. The frontal gyrus and the cingulate cortex may be responsible for cognitive appraisal processes during recollection of happy AMs, while the subthalamic nucleus and globus pallidus may be involved in pleasure reactions associated with recollection of happy life events. These findings shed light on the neural network involved in recalling positive AMs in healthy individuals, opening further avenues for future research in clinical populations with mood disorders.
PubMed: 38610134
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12070711