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Previous studies on the relationship between temporal sense and negative mental health symptoms have focused primarily on healthy college students, overlooking the role of religion. This study sought to examine the impact of religion on college students with sensory impairment and fill a gap in the research on the relationship between temporal sense and negative mental health symptoms in this population. The results were obtained from a cross sectional survey of 540 participants, including 370 hearing-impaired students and 140 visually impaired students. The survey investigated the mediating effect of religion on the relationship between temporal sense and negative mental health symptoms in impaired students. The rates of negative mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, and stress) detected were 18.9%, 31.1%, and 2.9%, respectively. Students with different types of sensory impairments showed significant differences in their perception of time. The percentages of students with sensory impairments who attended church and practiced religion were 2.0%, 6.0%, and 1.0%, respectively. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between temporal sense and negative mental health symptoms, with religion serving as a mediating factor.

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BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the associations between household air pollution (HAP), measured by cooking fuel use, sensory impairments (SI), and their transitions in Chinese middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: Participants were recruited from the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and were subsequently followed up until 2018. Data on SI were collected by self-reported hearing and vision impairments, which were divided into three categories: non-SI, single SI (hearing or vision impairment), and dual SI (DSI). Cooking fuels, including solid and clean fuels, are proxies for HAP. The transitions of cooking fuels and SI refer to the switching of the fuel type or SI status from baseline to follow-up. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to explore associations, and hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to evaluate the strength of the association. RESULTS: The prevalence of non-SI, single SI, and DSI was 59.6%, 31.8%, and 8.6%, respectively, among the 15,643 participants at baseline in this study. Over a median follow-up of 7.0 years, 5,223 worsening SI transitions were observed. In the fully adjusted model, solid fuel use for cooking was associated with a higher risk of worsening SI transitions, including from non-SI to single SI (HR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.01-1.16) and from non-SI to DSI (HR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.09-1.47), but not from single SI to DSI. In addition, compared to those who always used solid fuels, participants who switched from solid to clean fuel for cooking appeared to have attenuated the risk of worsening SI transitions. The statistical significance of the associations remained in the set of sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION: Solid fuel use was associated with higher risks of worsening SI transitions, while converting the type of cooking fuel from solid to clean fuels may reduce the risk of worsening SI transitions. Our study suggests that tailored clean fuel interventions, especially in developing countries, should be implemented to prevent sensory impairments and hence reduce the burden of sensory impairment-related disability.

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Age simulation suits are a promising tool to increase empathy and to promote positive attitudes toward older adults. However, studies have largely focused on (young) healthcare professionals, are probably biased by social desirability, and have not addressed participants' views of the aging process triggered by the simulation. The current work combines two studies addressing effects of aging suits on both general and personal views on aging among heterogeneous samples, and exploring spontaneous associations during the simulation. In study 1, N = 165 adults (M = 37.1 years, SD = 15.4, range 18-74 years) answered questionnaires containing general views regarding older adults ("old people are…") as well as personal perceptions ("aging means to me…") before and after wearing an aging suit. In study 2, young adults (N = 22; M = 24.8 years, SD = 4.3, range 20-38 years) and middle-aged adults (N = 41; M = 60.8 years, SD = 6.9, range 40-75 years) carried out established geriatric assessments with and without aging suit, and spontaneous impressions on the instant aging experience were recorded. Findings indicated negative shifts in both general and personal views on aging measures in both age groups (d = .30 to d = .44). Analyses of qualitative data resulted in seven main themes, e.g., "strain/coordination", "future me", "empathy/insight". Group comparisons revealed higher frequencies of future-self related thoughts among middle-aged adults, whereas younger adults mentioned predominantly physical effects of the suit. In conclusion, applying age simulation suits might evoke unintended negative views on aging. In comparison with young adults, middle-aged adults showed broader reflections including thoughts related to emotions, future-self, and potential struggles of older people.

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Sensory impairments including hearing and vision loss are becoming increasingly prevalent among older adults worldwide, and are adversely affecting their quality of life, independence and cognitive health. This article focuses on the global rise of sensory impairments in the ageing population and evaluates the efficacy of multidisciplinary interventions for management and prevention, including assistive-technology-based medicine, exercise programs and cognitive strategies. Drawing from a wide range of studies, we emphasize the importance of developing globally adaptable, community-based solutions that not only address the direct challenges posed by sensory impairments but also their broader implications for cognitive decline. Additionally, we highlight the need for continuous international research to fine-tune these interventions, to ensure they are holistic and responsive to the diverse needs of older adults across different regions worldwide.

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LAY ABSTRACT: Feeding problems are common among autistic children and are linked to negative health consequences. Therefore, understanding feeding problems and factors that influence these behaviors is important for developing supports for children and families. While certain sensory processing patterns are commonly associated with feeding problems, less is known about the link between sensory processing and feeding behaviors in autism, as well as how parent behaviors and feelings during mealtime differ based on child sensory preferences. This research examined two groups of young autistic children who were reported to be picky eaters by their parents: those with and those without oral hypersensitivity. Children with oral hypersensitivity had more difficulty with food acceptance and their parents reported more negative feelings around feeding their child. However, the two groups of children (oral hypersensitive and not) did not differ in their medical/oral motor symptoms, mealtime behavior, or parent use of strategies at mealtimes. This research supports the need for personalized treatment strategies based on the child's sensory preferences to support both the child and parent in managing mealtimes.

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With the introduction of the ICD-11 and DSM-5, indicators of adaptive behavior, including social-emotional skills, are in focus for a more comprehensive understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders. Emotional skills can be assessed with the Scale of Emotional Development-Short (SED-S). To date, little is known about the effects of physical disorders and sensory impairments on a person's developmental trajectory. The SED-S was applied in 724 adults with intellectual disabilities, of whom 246 persons had an additional physical and/or sensory impairment. Ordinal regression analyses revealed an association of movement disorders with more severe intellectual disability and lower levels of emotional development (ED) on the overall and domain levels (Others, Body, Material, and Communication). Visual impairments predicted lower levels of ED in the SED-S domains Material and Body, but not the overall level of ED. Hearing impairments were not associated with intellectual disability or ED. Epilepsy correlated only with the severity of intellectual disability. Multiple impairments predicted more severe intellectual disabilities and lower levels of overall ED. In conclusion, physical and sensory impairments may not only affect physical development but may also compromise intellectual and emotional development, which should be addressed in early interventions.

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BACKGROUND: Sensory impairments are common among older adults. These impairments have consequences on activities of daily living and communication with others. Such impairments for the elderly remain a significant public health issue globally. This study aimed to assess effect of nursing guidelines on first-year nursing students' knowledge and reported practice towards sensory impairment among the elderly. METHOD: A Pre- and post-test research design was utilized in this study to assess first year nursing students' knowledge and reported practice towards sensory impairments among the elderly. It was carried out at faculties of nursing affiliated with three universities with a purposive sample (n = 531) of the first-year nursing students. The study was conducted in four phases: Pre-intervention assessment, nursing guidelines development, nursing guidelines implementation, and post-test after one month. The pre- and post-tests were conducted online and included three parts to collect the required data about students' socio-demographic data, students' knowledge about the five senses and changes in these senses among the elderly, and the students' reported practice for coping with changes in these senses among elderly. Student t-tests and an ANOVA test were used to compare means. For qualitative data, comparison was done using chi-square. Pearson correlation coefficient was used for detecting the relations between continuous variables of the study. RESULTS: There are statistically significant differences between the studied subjects means score knowledge and reported practice about the five senses among elderly people in the pre- and the post-tests (P = 0.001). At pre-test the total score mean of students' knowledge was 24.25 while at post-test became 28.16. At pre-test the total score mean of students' reported practice was 38.40 while at post-test became 44.43. There is a relationship between students' knowledge and their reported practice at both pre-test and post-test with P value = 0.001. CONCLUSION: The levels of the first-year nursing students' knowledge and reported practice of the studied sample towards sensory impairment among the elderly were improved after implementation of the nursing guidelines. So, it is recommended that these nursing guidelines could be embedded within the undergraduate curriculum. Raising students' awareness through providing lectures, and workshops on sensory impairment among elderly and how to deal with them, and train students on how to communicate with sensory impairment among the elderly.

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BACKGROUND: People with intellectual and multiple disabilities tend to engage in very low levels of physical activity. OBJECTIVE: This review paper aims to provide a comprehensive picture of intervention programs using stimulation-regulating technologies to promote forms of physical activity in people with intellectual and multiple disabilities. METHODS: Following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist, a scoping review was conducted to identify and provide a synthesis of eligible studies published in English between 2010 and 2021. Studies were identified by searching PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, ERIC, and CINAHL as well as by using Google Scholar and manual searches. Studies were included if they involved individuals with intellectual or multiple disabilities, used stimulation-regulating technology systems to help participants engage in physical activity, and reported data on the impact of the intervention. RESULTS: A total of 42 studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies were divided into 2 groups based on whether they pursued the increase in physical activity through technology-aided delivery of brief periods of preferred stimulation contingent on specific responses or the use of video games (exergames) and related auditory and visual stimulation. Subsequently, a narrative synthesis of the studies was provided. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence reported by the 2 groups of studies is encouraging. However, further research is needed to compare the overall applicability and impact of the intervention strategies proposed by these groups of studies.

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Information can be perceived from a multiplicity of spatial perspectives, which is central to effectively understanding and interacting with our environment and other people. Sensory impairments such as blindness are known to impact spatial representations and perspective-taking is often thought of as a visual process. However, disturbed functioning of other sensory systems (e.g., vestibular, proprioceptive and auditory) can also influence spatial perspective-taking. These lines of research remain largely separate, yet together they may shed new light on the role that each sensory modality plays in this core cognitive ability. The findings to date reveal that spatial cognitive processes may be differently affected by various types of sensory loss. The visual system may be crucial for the development of efficient allocentric (object-to-object) representation; however, the role of vision in adopting another's spatial perspective remains unclear. On the other hand, the vestibular and the proprioceptive systems likely play an important role in anchoring the perceived self to the physical body, thus facilitating imagined self-rotations required to adopt another's spatial perspective. Findings regarding the influence of disturbed auditory functioning on perspective-taking are so far inconclusive and thus await further data. This review highlights that spatial perspective-taking is a highly plastic cognitive ability, as the brain is often able to compensate in the face of different sensory loss.

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LAY ABSTRACT: Multi-Sensory Environments (also called sensory or Snoezelen® rooms) are rooms that contain equipment which can create light, sound and touch experiences. Multi-Sensory Environments are often used with autistic children, particularly in schools, but there is no evidence for how best to use them. We investigated whether having control over the sensory equipment in the Multi-Sensory Environment affected how a group of 41 (8 female) autistic children aged 4-12 years behaved. We found that when autistic children could control the sensory equipment, they paid more attention and performed fewer repetitive and sensory behaviours. They also used less stereotyped speech, produced fewer vocalisations and showed lower levels of activity. Other behaviours were not affected. Our findings demonstrate that how a Multi-Sensory Environment is used can impact behaviour and that providing control of sensory changes to autistic children may help create better conditions for learning.

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Since emotion recognition involves integration of the visual and auditory signals, it is likely that sensory impairments worsen emotion recognition. In emotion recognition, young adults can compensate for unimodal sensory degradations if the other modality is intact. However, most sensory impairments occur in the elderly population and it is unknown whether older adults are similarly capable of compensating for signal degradations. As a step towards studying potential effects of real sensory impairments, this study examined how degraded signals affect emotion recognition in older adults with normal hearing and vision. The degradations were designed to approximate some aspects of sensory impairments. Besides emotion recognition accuracy, we recorded eye movements to capture perceptual strategies for emotion recognition. Overall, older adults were as good as younger adults at integrating auditory and visual information and at compensating for degraded signals. However, accuracy was lower overall for older adults, indicating that aging leads to a general decrease in emotion recognition. In addition to decreased accuracy, older adults showed smaller adaptations of perceptual strategies in response to video degradations. Concluding, this study showed that emotion recognition declines with age, but that integration and compensation abilities are retained. In addition, we speculate that the reduced ability of older adults to adapt their perceptual strategies may be related to the increased time it takes them to direct their attention to scene aspects that are relatively far away from fixation.

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BACKGROUND: We examined the associations between dual impairments in visual and hearing acuity and aging-related cognitive decline. METHODS: This was a longitudinal study of adults who had visual and hearing acuity and cognitive function assessed in 1992-1996 and were followed for up to 24 years (mean = 7.3 years), with up to five additional cognitive assessments. Visual impairment was defined as vision worse than 20/40, hearing impairment as pure-tone average thresholds >25 dB. Associations were tested using linear mixed-effects regressions. RESULTS: Of 1,383 participants, 293 had visual impairment, 990 had a hearing impairment and 251 had both deficits. In fully adjusted models, low visual acuity was associated with poorer Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; ß = -0.29) and Trail-Making Test Part B (Trails B; ß = 13.22) performance, and with faster declines in MMSE (ß = -0.12) and Trails B (ß = 1.84). The combination of low visual and low hearing acuity was associated with poorer MMSE (ß = -0.44) and Trails B (ß = 11.20) scores, and with faster declines in MMSE (ß = -0.19), Trails B (ß = 3.50), and Verbal Fluency Test (VFT; ß = -0.14) performance. Associations were similar in men and women. CONCLUSION: Impairments in both vision and hearing are associated with a more rapid decline in cognitive function with aging.

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BACKGROUND: Intellectual disabilities and autism are lifelong and often co-occur. Little is known on their extent of independent association with sensory impairments and physical disability. METHODS: For Scotland's population, logistic regressions investigated age-gender-adjusted odds ratios (OR) of associations, independently, of intellectual disabilities and autism with sensory impairments and physical disability. RESULTS: 1,548,819 children/youth, and 3,746,584 adults. In children/youth, the effect size of intellectual disabilities and autism, respectively, was as follows: blindness (OR = 30.12; OR = 2.63), deafness (OR = 13.98; OR = 2.31), and physical disability (OR = 43.72; OR = 5.62). For adults, the effect size of intellectual disabilities and autism, respectively, was as follows: blindness (OR = 16.89; OR = 3.29), deafness (OR = 7.47; OR = 2.36), and physical disability (OR = 6.04; OR = 3.16). CONCLUSIONS: Intellectual disabilities have greater association with the population burden of sensory impairments/physical disability, but autism is also associated regardless of overlap with intellectual disabilities. These may impact further on communication limitations due to autism and intellectual disabilities, increasing complexity of assessments/management of other health conditions. Clinicians need to be aware of these important issues.

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Atypical sensory response patterns are common in children with autism and developmental delay. Expanding on previous work, this observational electroencephalogram study assessed auditory event-related potentials and their associations with clinically evaluated sensory response patterns in children with autism spectrum disorder (n = 28), developmental delay (n = 17), and typical development (n = 39). Attention-orienting P3a responses were attenuated in autism spectrum disorder relative to both developmental delay and typical development, but early sensory N2 responses were attenuated in both autism spectrum disorder and developmental delay relative to typical development. Attenuated event-related potentials involving N2 or P3a components, or a P1 × N2 interaction, were related to more severe hyporesponsive or sensory-seeking response patterns across children with autism spectrum disorder and developmental delay. Thus, although attentional disruptions may be unique to autism spectrum disorder, sensory disruptions appear across developmental delay and are associated with atypical sensory behaviors.

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Recent studies have suggested that individuals who exhibit heightened sensitivity also exhibit higher rates and severity of restricted interests and repetitive behaviours. This line of research has been conducted almost exclusively through caregiver reports of sensitivity. Here, a more rigorous psychophysics paradigm was applied to assess sensory sensitivity and relate hypersensitivity to restricted interests and repetitive behaviours. In addition, commonly used questionnaire measures of sensory sensitivity were collected to determine if self-reported measures accurately reflect behavioural measures of sensory sensitivity. In all, 90 typically developing participants completed a visual detection task, a questionnaire measure of sensory processing and a measure of restricted interests and repetitive behaviours. Visual sensitivity, measured both behaviourally and with questionnaires, is positively related to restricted interests and repetitive behaviours. Surprisingly, visual sensitivity as measured behaviourally and through self-report are unrelated. Furthermore, a regression analysis suggests that while restricted interests and repetitive behaviours can be predicted based on both behavioural and self-reported sensitivity, these two predictors account for different portions of the variance in restricted interests and repetitive behaviours. Thus, while these results provide evidence supporting the contribution of sensory sensitivity to restricted interests and repetitive behaviours, these results also indicate that behavioural and questionnaire measures of sensory sensitivity are measuring two distinct constructs. We hypothesize that behavioural measures are measuring sensory sensitivity, while questionnaires measures are in fact measuring sensory reactivity.

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BACKGROUND: Siblings of children with disabilities are the most likely family members to be affected by the child's disability due to the long-lasting nature of relationships between siblings compared to those of other family members. The aim of the present study was to compare the emotional-behavioral difficulties (EBD) in siblings of children with and without Sensory Impairments (SI). METHODS: The statistical population of this causal-comparative research included all siblings of children with and without SI in Shiraz, southern Iran in 2016. The sample consisted of ninety-one siblings of children with (38) and without (53) SI in Shiraz. Sample of siblings of children with SI was recruited by purposeful sampling and sample of siblings of children without sensory impairments were selected through a multistage random sampling method. Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was utilized for measuring EBD. Two way ANOVA and MANOVA tests were used for data analyses. RESULTS: Total EBD and two subscales of EBD (emotional problems and peer relationship problems) in siblings of children with SI were significantly greater than the comparison group (P<0.001). Furthermore, no significant difference was observed in the two subscales (conduct problems, and hyperactivity) between these two groups. CONCLUSION: This study provides strong evidence that siblings of children with SI are significantly at a higher risk of psychological problems, and accordingly we suggest for the related supports and services.

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Introduction: Hearing and vision loss are highly prevalent in elderly adults, and thus frequently occur in conjunction with cognitive impairments. Studies have shown that hearing impairment is associated with a higher risk of dementia. However, evidence concerning the association between vision loss and dementia, as well as the co-occurrence of vision and hearing loss and dementia, has been inconclusive. Objectives: To assess the association between: (i) either hearing or vision loss and the risk of dementia, as well as between; and (ii) the combination of both sensory impairments and the risk of dementia. Methods: This case-control study was based on a 5-year data set that included patients aged 65 years and older who had initially been diagnosed with dementia diseases by one of 1,203 general practitioners in Germany between January 2013 and December 2017. In total, 61,354 identified dementia cases were matched to non-dementia controls, resulting in a sample size of 122,708 individuals. Hearing loss and vision loss were identified using the ICD-10 diagnoses documented in the general practitioners' files prior to the initial dementia diagnosis. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to evaluate the associations between visual and/or hearing impairment and the risk of dementia and controlled for sociodemographic and clinical variables. Results: Hearing impairment was documented in 11.2% of patients with a dementia diagnosis and 9.5% of patients without such a diagnosis. Some form of vision impairment was documented in 28.4% of patients diagnosed with dementia and 28.8% of controls. Visual impairment was not significantly associated with dementia (OR = 0.97, CI = 95% 0.97-1.02, p = 0.219). However, patients with hearing impairment were at a significantly higher risk of developing dementia (OR = 1.26, CI = 95% 1.15-1.38, p < 0.001), a finding that very likely led to the observed significant association of the combination of both visual and hearing impairments and the risk of dementia (OR = 1.14, CI = 95% 1.04-1.24, p = 0.005). Discussion: This analysis adds important evidence that contributes to the limited body of knowledge about the association between hearing and/or vision loss and dementia. It further demonstrates that, of the two, only hearing impairment affects patients' cognition and thus contributes to dementia risk.

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People with sensory impairments combined with intellectual disabilities show behaviours that are similar to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The instrument Observation of Autism in people with Sensory and Intellectual Disabilities (OASID) was developed to diagnose ASD in this target group. The current study focuses on the psychometric properties of OASID. Sixty individuals with intellectual disabilities in combination with visual impairments and/or deafblindness participated in this study. The OASID assessment was administered and rated by three independent observers. By means of expert consensus cut-off scores for OASID were created. To determine the concurrent validity OASID was compared with the Pervasive Developmental Disorder for People with Mental Retardation (PDD-MRS) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale second edition (CARS-2). The intra-rater reliability, the inter-rater reliability, internal consistency and concurrent validity of OASID were good to excellent. Cut-off scores were established based on criteria from the DSM-5. OASID was able to differentiate between four severity levels of ASD.

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Recently, an intensive bimanual intervention using sensory enriched materials resulted in improved tactile function in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (USCP), raising the question of whether the observed tactile function improvement was due to the sensory enriched environment or the bimanual intervention per se. The present study investigates whether a bimanual intensive intervention improves tactile function. Nineteen children with USCP received 90 hours of bimanual training without enriched environment. Primary outcomes: Manual Form Perception Test/MFPT, Grating Orientation Task/GOT. Children were assessed before, after the training, and at the 4-month follow-up. Significant improvements were observed in MFPT for the more affected hand ( P = .015). Larger stereognosis/MFPT improvements correlated with poorer baseline motor function. Intensive bimanual training alone was sufficient to improve stereognosis, though no improvement in GOT was observed. Present and previously published findings suggest that environmental tactile enrichment incorporated into a bimanual motor training may be needed to improve spatial discrimination/GOT in children with USCP.

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