Search Results (35)

Museums are cultural spaces that should promote accessibility and inclusion for all. However, accessibility is often interpreted as removing physical barriers, overlooking less visible obstacles—such as cognitive, sensory, and communicative challenges—that can profoundly shape the museum experience for people with intellectual disabilities. This paper presents an ethnographic case study conducted in the Veneto region of Italy, in collaboration with a group of individuals with Down Syndrome (DS), aiming to explore their lived experiences of a museum visit. Drawing on participant observation and in-depth interviews, the study examines how visitors with DS engage with the museum environment on behavioural and sensory levels. Findings reveal the impact of environmental stimuli, difficulties in navigating abstract or densely layered visual content, and the importance of embodied interaction with objects and spatial cues. Positive experiences emerged from relational engagement, guided facilitation, and the use of multi-sensory supports. The study underscores the need for museums to move beyond compensatory or charity-based models of accessibility, and instead adopt inclusive design principles that value neurodiversity and participatory co-creation. In doing so, this research contributes to the emerging discourse on how museums can become safe spaces for learning, dialogue, and self-expression for people with intellectual disabilities. Full article

Background: Menopause is associated with metabolic, sensory, and psychosocial changes that may reshape eating behaviours and nutrition-related quality of life. This study explored how women experience nutrition and chemosensory changes during menopause and how these intersect with identity, control, and social practices. Methods: We conducted online focus groups (Microsoft Teams) with women living in Ireland (n = 40; mean age 58.3 years (±4.5 years)) between January and March 2025. Discussions followed a semi-structured guide focused on taste/smell, appetite, food choice, and coping. Sessions were recorded, transcribed, anonymised, and analysed following Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Results: Four themes captured patterned meanings in the dataset: (1) Chemosensory Changes—reports of diminished taste, contrasted with heightened smell and selective intensification (sweetness), prompting compensatory behaviours (more salt/spice/strong coffee) and new aversions (e.g., cucumber, spicy dishes) alongside unexpected likes (e.g., dark chocolate); (2) Behavioural and Emotional Consequences—increased snacking, sugar/salt cravings, and perceived loss of satiety co-occurred with weight gain and altered body shape, undermining food pleasure and self-confidence; (3) Interacting Influences—affecting vasomotor symptoms, sleep disturbance, joint pain, and “brain fog” compounded dietary disruptions and social withdrawal (e.g., embarrassment about appetite, reduced desire to dine out); (4) Strategies for Wellbeing—women described medical approaches (HRT, prescribed medications) alongside food modifications and the importance of diagnosis, information, and peer/professional support. Conclusions: Menopause reshapes sensory perception and eating behaviour in complex, individualised ways that extend beyond biology to identity and social life. Nutrition care should integrate symptom management with person-centred strategies and improved access to evidence-based information, diagnosis, and support networks. Full article

Background/Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of the most commonly used swallowing manoeuvres, exercises, and postural strategies as standalone interventions in the behavioural management of oropharyngeal dysphagia in adults. Methods: Systematic searches of two electronic databases, Embase and PubMed, were conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to identify studies with comparison groups, including (pseudo) randomised controlled trials, comparative studies with concurrent controls, and within-subject or crossover study designs. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the standard quality assessment tool (QualSyst). Results: Seventeen studies met the eligibility criteria, evaluating the effects of chin tuck, effortful swallow, the Mendelsohn manoeuvre, the modified jaw opening exercise, the volitional laryngeal vestibule closure manoeuvre, and the Shaker exercise. Most studies reported positive treatment outcomes, supporting the benefits of both compensatory and rehabilitative interventions across diverse populations, mainly derived from mixed groups and individuals post stroke. However, due to the limited number and significant heterogeneity of studies, a meta-analysis was only performed for the chin tuck, which showed a moderate positive effect. Overall, the evidence is preliminary and should be interpreted with caution. Conclusions: While current findings support the benefits of standalone behavioural interventions in oropharyngeal dysphagia, future research should focus on high-quality study designs with larger populations. Such studies need to consider variability in patient characteristics, intervention protocols, and outcome measures, with the use of advanced statistical methods enabling more definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of these interventions. Full article

Occupational burnout is ubiquitous yet still debated as a disease entity. Previous reviews surveyed multiple biomarkers but left their neural substrate unclear. We therefore asked: What, if any, reproducible magnetic-resonance signature characterises burnout? Following PRISMA principles adapted for mechanistic synthesis, two reviewers searched PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, ResearchGate and Cochrane from January 2000 to May 2025 using “MRI/fMRI” AND “burnout”. After duplicate removal and multi-stage screening, 17 clinical studies met predefined inclusion criteria (English language, MRI outcomes, validated burnout diagnosis). In total, ≈1365 participants were scanned, 880 with clinically significant burnout and 470 controls. Uniform Maslach Burnout Inventory thresholds defined cases; most studies matched age and sex, and all excluded primary neurological disease. Structural morphometry (8/17 studies) revealed consistent amygdala enlargement—predominantly in women—and grey-matter loss in dorsolateral/ventromedial prefrontal cortex and striatal caudate–putamen, while hippocampal volume remained unaffected, distinguishing burnout from PTSD or depression. Resting-state and task fMRI (9/17 studies) showed fronto-cortical hyper-activation, weakened amygdala–ACC coupling, and progressive fragmentation of rich-club networks, collectively indicating compensatory executive overdrive and global inefficiency. Two longitudinal cohorts and several intervention sub-studies demonstrated partial reversal of cortical thinning and limbic hyper-reactivity after mindfulness, exercise, cognitive-behavioural therapy, neurofeedback, or rTMS, underscoring plasticity. Across heterogeneous paradigms and populations, MRI converges on a coherent, sex-modulated but reversible brain-networkopathy that satisfies objective disease criteria. These findings justify early neuro-imaging-based triage, circuit-targeted therapy, and formal nosological recognition of burnout as a mental disorder, with policy ramifications for occupational health and insurance parity. Full article

Background/Objectives: Swallowing disorder(s), or oropharyngeal dysphagia (OPD), are very common in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and pose a significant risk to their health. Behavioural interventions are frequently recommended when targeting OPD in children with CP; however, their efficacy has yet to be determined. This systematic review aimed to synthesise the current evidence for behavioural interventions in the treatment of OPD in children with CP. Methods: A comprehensive search in six databases in October 2024 sought studies that (1) included participants aged 0–18 years with a diagnosis of CP and OPD; (2) utilised and described a behavioural intervention for OPD; and (3) used a randomised controlled trial (RCT) experimental design. Three reviewers independently extracted the data, and results were tabulated. The Revised Cochrane Risk of Bias (ROB-2) tool was used to determine the methodological quality of eligible articles. Results: From an initial yield of 2083 papers, 99 full-text studies were screened for eligibility. Seven RCTs involving 329 participants aged 9.5 months (SD = 2.03) to 10.6 yrs were included. CP description varied. Most studies used a combination of behavioural interventions to treat OPD (n = 6), and oral sensorimotor treatment was the most frequently utilised treatment (n = 4). Positive outcomes were reported in all (n = 7); however, there was high risk of bias in five studies. Conclusions: The use of behavioural interventions to treat OPD in children with CP continues to be supported by low-level evidence. Rigorously designed RCTs with larger samples of children with CP and OPD are needed to evaluate the true effects of behavioural interventions across the developmental phase of childhood. Importantly, consistency in describing and reporting baseline analysis of swallowing and OPD; together with treatment-component data, is a priority in future research. Full article

Restricting food intake before consuming alcohol due to weight concerns or to increase alcohol’s intoxicating effects (food and alcohol disturbance, FAD) is a recognised problem in young American college students, but there is less evidence about whether middle-aged and older adults are also engaging in FAD behaviours. A cross-sectional survey of FAD and potential alcohol problems using validated measures (Compensatory Eating and Behaviours in Response to Alcohol Consumption, CEBRACS; Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, AUDIT-C) was administered online and in two universities in the north of England to adults aged ≥ 18 years old who had consumed ≥ one alcoholic beverage within the previous month. Most of the 488 participants were ≥25 years (73%) and not university students (72%). Overall, 69% of participants engaged in at least one FAD behaviour in the previous 3 months. The youngest age group (18–24 years) was significantly less likely than the oldest age group (53+ years) to never engage in FAD behaviours: alcohol effects OR (CI) 0.05 (0.02, 0.13); bulimia 0.08 (0.01, 0.67); and restriction 0.21 (0.08, 0.52). Nevertheless, 47% of the oldest age group engaged in at least one FAD-related behaviour, and student status was not associated with FAD behaviours, except for alcohol effects. FAD behaviours were engaged in by most alcohol consumers in this study, including middle- and older-aged adults, and non-students. Full article

Introduction: Sustainable nutrition is integral to environmental health and conservation. Gender and age differences influence dietary patterns, but their impact on the adoption of sustainable diets remains unclear. This study investigates the effects of a Mediterranean diet intervention on diet sustainability, focusing on gender and age differences. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1666 participants (58.2% women) aged 18–75 years. Dietary preferences were assessed through food diaries and sustainability indices before and after the intervention. Participants followed a low-calorie Mediterranean diet for two months, with food diaries tracking their weekly consumption. Changes in sustainable and non-sustainable food consumption were analysed using paired t-tests and stratified by gender and age groups. Results: Men consumed significantly more meat and processed meat (p < 0.001), while women preferred low-fat yoghurt and whole grains (p < 0.01). Despite an increase in legume consumption (3.2%, p < 0.001), the overall sustainability index decreased due to a compensatory rise in meat consumption among men (p < 0.001), particularly in younger (<30) and older (>50) participants. Gender-related differences were observed, with female participants reporting a higher intake of foods classified as sustainable. However, significant cultural and palatability barriers limited the uptake of some sustainable foods such as tofu. Discussion: The intervention highlighted the challenges in promoting sustainable eating habits. Gender-targeted and age-specific strategies are critical to overcome barriers and support dietary improvements. Future interventions should incorporate cultural preferences and provide long-term support to achieve significant changes in behaviour. Conclusions: The Mediterranean diet intervention, conducted within an Italian cohort, highlighted both opportunities and challenges in promoting sustainable dietary transitions. Tailor-made approaches are essential to meet the different needs of various demographic groups. However, the effectiveness of nutrition programmes focusing on sustainability may depend on local food availability, cultural acceptance and dietary traditions. Full article

Top-view systems for lameness detection have advantages such as easy installation and minimal impact on farm work. However, the unclear lameness motion characteristics of the back result in lower recognition accuracy for these systems. Therefore, we analysed the compensatory behaviour of cows based on top-view walking videos, extracted compensatory motion features (CMFs), and constructed a model for recognising lameness in cows. By locating the hook, pin, sacrum, and spine positions, the motion trajectories of key points on the back were plotted. Based on motion trajectory analysis of 655 samples (258 sound, 267 mild lameness, and 130 severe lameness), the stability mechanisms of back movement posture were investigated, compensatory behaviours in lame cows were revealed, and methods for extracting CMFs were established, including swing and posture features. The feature correlation among differently scoring samples indicated that early-stage lame cows primarily exhibited compensatory swing, while those with severe lameness showed both compensatory swing and posture. Lameness classification models were constructed using machine learning and threshold discrimination methods, achieving classification accuracies of 81.6% and 83.05%, respectively. The threshold method reached a recall rate of 93.02% for sound cows. The proposed CMFs from back depth images are highly correlated with early lameness, improving the accuracy of top-view lameness detection systems. Full article

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the factorial structure, psychometric properties and association with anthropometric and clinical variables of the Modified Yale Addiction Scale 2.0 (mYFAS 2.0) in a Spanish university population. Methods: A cross-sectional study of n = 270 university students in Spain was conducted. Variables measured: mYFAS 2.0, Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ), Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), Pittsburg Sleep Quality index (PSQI) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). In mYFAS 2.0 were performed an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), an Unweight Least Square (ULS), a model fit using comparative fit index (CFI) and nomological validity. Results: EFA revealed that a two-factor structure is the most appropriate in a non-clinical population of Spanish university students. The factors accounted for 18.54% and 16.33% of the variance, and the correlation between them was moderate—0.487 (p < 0.001). This different structure from that reported in the original scale could be derived from the cultural characteristics and intrinsic eating habits of the study population. The correlation matrix reported an inverse association of mYFAS 2.0 with Body Mass Index (BMI). In addition, participants with a BMI below 25 showed a higher mYFAS 2.0 and EEQ score. Conclusions: These results suggest some changes in the psychometric assessment structure of the mYFAS 2.0 in a non-clinical population of university students, as well as the usefulness of this questionnaire to identify individuals with an adequate BMI but with compensatory behaviours that predispose to different eating disorders. Full article

(1) Background: Interparental conflict is a phenomenon that poses a serious threat not only to the quality of life of the couple but also to the father–child relationship, mother–child relationship, and well-being of adolescents. This study examined the difference in parental attachment and adjustment in adolescents exposed to marital conflict versus those not exposed to parental conflicts in low-income areas. (2) Methods: 67 adolescents involved in Child Welfare Services (CWS) in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in southern Spain were examined. The sample was split into two groups according to the exposure to marital conflict. Subsequently, differences between groups were analysed on father attachment, mother attachment, aggression, antisocial behaviour, and emotional intelligence. (3) Results: Primarily, the data showed significantly worse attachment with the father among conflict-exposed versus non-conflict-exposed adolescents. These results were not found for the attachment with the mother. Additionally, greater anger and worse stress management were found in conflict-exposed adolescents. (4) Conclusions: The results partially confirmed the spillover and compensatory hypothesis. Practical implications point out that developing preventive interventions that protect the father–adolescent attachment in situations of family conflict is recommended. Full article

During the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns provided an opportunity to assess what factors, including changes in an owner’s routine and time spent at home, were associated with changes in dog behaviour. We undertook a longitudinal survey over a period of 8 months during which we asked about people’s work patterns, dog management, and their dogs’ behaviour. Generalized linear models revealed that the pre-existence of signs of potential separation-related problems, and especially vocalisation, self-injury, and chewing to escape confinement, was associated with an increase in a range of separation issues. Dogs showing separation-related signs prior to COVID were also more likely to develop more problems during lockdown. Management changes tended to result in increased physical and social stress, with a range of potential compensatory actions taken by the dog, however these signs of stress did not generally appear to be connected to separation-related issues. Survival analysis was used to investigate the emergence of specific issues over time. This indicated that a change to working from home was related initially to a decreased risk of aggression towards the owner, but over time, those who continued to work from the home were at an increased risk of this problem. No other significant time-related relationships were found. Full article

This paper aims to discuss the implications of body talk and socio-cultural pressure for the internalisation of a thin body image in purchase decisions, shopping habits and other outcomes of body dissatisfaction, in particular the proneness to avoid human/social interaction in retail contexts and proneness to engage in corrective, compensatory or compulsive shopping behaviour. This paper conducted an online questionnaire that measured the following constructs: body mass index; Socio-cultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Scale-4 (SATAQ-4), Body Appreciation Scale (BAS-2), Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale (ACSS), Compulsive Buying Follow-up Scale (CBFS), proneness to avoid social interaction in retail contexts, and the intention to purchase a list of products and services as a compensation for body dissatisfaction. A structural equations model supported the hypotheses proposing the influence of BAS-2 and SATAQ-4 (the internalisation of thin/athletic body and the social comparison induced by family, peers and media) upon the outcomes of social-interaction avoidance, ACSS and CBFS. Nevertheless, BAS-2 only influences social-interaction avoidance. This paper provides several recommendations to brand managers highlighting the social responsibility role of brand advertising in enhancing positive body appreciation, mitigating the psychological damage caused by socio-cultural pressure and preventing the stigmatisation bias against obese people. Full article

Reduced angiotensin 1–7 bioavailability due to inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) may contribute to increased mortality in hypertensive individuals during COVID-19. However, effects of ACE2 inhibitor MLN-4760 in brain functions remain unknown. We investigated the selected behavioural and hemodynamic parameters in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) after a 2-week s.c. infusion of MLN-4760 (dose 1 mg/kg/day). The biochemical and molecular effects of MLN-4760 were investigated in the brainstem and blood plasma. MLN-4760 had no effects on hemodynamic and behavioural parameters. However, MLN-4760 increased plasma hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) level and total nitric oxide (NO) synthase activity and conjugated dienes in the brainstem. Increased NO synthase activity correlated positively with gene expression of Nos3 while plasma H₂S levels correlated positively with gene expressions of H₂S-producing enzymes Mpst, Cth and Cbs. MLN-4760 administration increased gene expression of Ace2, Sod1, Sod2, Gpx4 and Hmox1, which positively correlated with expression of Nfe2l2 gene encoding the redox-sensitive transcription factor NRF2. Collectively, MLN-4760 did not exacerbate pre-existing hypertension and behavioural hyperactivity/anxiety in SHRs. However, MLN-4760-induced oxidative damage in brainstem was associated with activation of NO- and H₂S-mediated compensatory mechanisms and with increased gene expression of antioxidant, NO- and H₂S-producing enzymes that all correlated positively with elevated Nfe2l2 expression. Full article

Olfactory and gustatory dysfunction are recognized as common symptoms in patients with COVID-19, with a prevalence ranging, respectively, between 41–61% and 38.2–49%. This review focused on relating the variations in dietary habits with the reduction/loss of smell and/or taste in patients who contracted the COVID-19 infection. Primarily, we reviewed the main pathological mechanisms involved in COVID 19-induced anosmia/dysosmia and ageusia/dysgeusia. Then, we explored and summarized the behavioural changes in food intake and body weight during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to sensory impairment and the underlying mechanisms. Most studies on this topic argue that the altered chemosensory perception (taste and smell) mainly induces reduced appetite, leading to a faster fullness sensation during the consumption of a meal and, therefore, to a decrease in body weight. On the other hand, a reduced perception of the food’s sensory properties may trigger compensatory responses that lead some individuals to increase food intake with a different effect on body weight. Regarding body weight, most studies evaluated malnutrition in patients hospitalized for COVID-19; more studies are warranted to investigate nutritional status specifically in non-hospitalized patients with olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions caused by COVID-19 infection. Full article

Motor imagery (MI) describes a dynamic cognitive process where a movement is mentally simulated without taking place and holds potential as a means of stimulating motor learning and regaining motor skills. There is growing evidence that imagined and executed actions have common neural circuitry. Since MI counteracts cognitive and motor decline, a growing interest in MI-based mental exercise for older individuals has emerged. Here we review the last decade’s scientific literature on age-related changes in MI skills. Heterogeneity in the experimental protocols, as well as the use of populations with unrepresentative age, is making it challenging to draw unambiguous conclusions about MI skills preservation. Self-report and behavioural tasks have shown that some MI components are preserved, while others are impaired. Evidence from neuroimaging studies revealed that, during MI tasks, older individuals hyperactivate their sensorimotor and attentional networks. Some studies have argued that this represents a compensatory mechanism, others claim that this is a sign of cognitive decline. However, further studies are needed to establish whether MI could be used as a promotion factor to improve cognitive functioning and well-being in older people. Full article