IoT snoring sound detector prototype as a model of future participatory healthcare

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Paul Devos ◽  
Marie Bruyneel

BACKGROUND: Traditional healthcare is centred around providing in-hospital services using hospital owned medical instruments. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that this approach lacks flexibility to insure follow-up and treatment of common medical problems. In an alternative setting adapted to this problem, participatory healthcare can be considered centred around data provided by patients owning and operating medical data collection equipment in their homes. OBJECTIVE: In order to trigger such a shift reliable and price attractive devices need to become available. Snoring, as a human sound production during sleep, can reflect sleeping behaviour and indicate sleep problems as an element of the overall health condition of a person. METHODS: The use of off-the-shelf hardware from Internet of Things platforms and standard audio components allows the development of such devices. A prototype of a snoring sound detector with this purpose is developed. RESULTS: The device, controlled by the patient and with specific snoring recording and analysing functions is demonstrated as a model for future participatory healthcare. CONCLUSIONS: Design of monitoring devices following this model could allow market introduction of new equipment for participatory healthcare, bringing a care complementary to traditional healthcare to the reach of patients, and could result in benefits from enhanced patient participation.

Author(s):  
Julie L. Wambaugh ◽  
Lydia Kallhoff ◽  
Christina Nessler

Purpose This study was designed to examine the association of dosage and effects of Sound Production Treatment (SPT) for acquired apraxia of speech. Method Treatment logs and probe data from 20 speakers with apraxia of speech and aphasia were submitted to a retrospective analysis. The number of treatment sessions and teaching episodes was examined relative to (a) change in articulation accuracy above baseline performance, (b) mastery of production, and (c) maintenance. The impact of practice schedule (SPT-Blocked vs. SPT-Random) was also examined. Results The average number of treatment sessions conducted prior to change was 5.4 for SPT-Blocked and 3.9 for SPT-Random. The mean number of teaching episodes preceding change was 334 for SPT-Blocked and 179 for SPT-Random. Mastery occurred within an average of 13.7 sessions (1,252 teaching episodes) and 12.4 sessions (1,082 teaching episodes) for SPT-Blocked and SPT-Random, respectively. Comparisons of dosage metric values across practice schedules did not reveal substantial differences. Significant negative correlations were found between follow-up probe performance and the dosage metrics. Conclusions Only a few treatment sessions were needed to achieve initial positive changes in articulation, with mastery occurring within 12–14 sessions for the majority of participants. Earlier occurrence of change or mastery was associated with better follow-up performance. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12592190


Author(s):  
Bente Storm Mowatt Haugland ◽  
Mari Hysing ◽  
Asle Hoffart ◽  
Åshild Tellefsen Haaland ◽  
Jon Fauskanger Bjaastad ◽  
...  

AbstractThe potential effect of early intervention for anxiety on sleep outcomes was examined in a sample of adolescents with anxiety (N = 313, mean 14.0 years, SD = 0.84, 84% girls, 95.7% Norwegians). Participants were randomized to one of three conditions: a brief or a standard-length cognitive-behavioral group-intervention (GCBT), or a waitlist control-group (WL). Interventions were delivered at schools, during school hours. Adolescents with elevated anxiety were recruited by school health services. Questionnaires on self-reported anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and sleep characteristics were administered at pre- and post-intervention, post-waitlist, and at 1-year follow-up. Adolescents reported reduced insomnia (odds ratio (OR) = 0.42, p < 0.001) and shorter sleep onset latency (d = 0.27, p <  0.001) from pre- to post-intervention. For insomnia, this effect was maintained at 1-year follow-up (OR = 0.54, p = 0.020). However, no effect of GCBT on sleep outcomes was found when comparing GCBT and WL. Also, no difference was found in sleep outcomes between brief and standard-length interventions. Adolescents defined as responders (i.e., having improved much or very much on anxiety after GCBT), did not differ from non-responders regarding sleep outcomes. Thus, anxiety-focused CBT, delivered in groups, showed no effect on sleep outcomes. Strategies specifically targeting sleep problems in adolescents should be included in GCBT when delivered as early intervention for adolescents with elevated anxiety.Trial registry Clinical trial registration: School Based Low-intensity Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Anxious Youth (LIST); http://clinicalrials.gov/; NCT02279251, Date: 11.31. 2014


2004 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Helweg-Larsen ◽  
Ashraf Hasan Abdel-Jabbar Al-Qadi ◽  
Jalal Al-Jabriri ◽  
Henrik Brønnum-Hansen

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 210-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne K. Nitter ◽  
Are H. Pripp ◽  
Karin Ø. Forseth

AbstractIntroductionChronic musculoskeletal pain represents a significant health problem among adults in Norway. The prevalence of chronic pain can be up to 50% in both genders. However, the prevalence of chronic widespread pain is significantly higher in females than in males. Chronic widespread pain is seen as the end of a continuum of pain. There is rather sparse knowledge about the incidence of pain in initially pain free individuals and the course of self-reported pain over time. Moreover, little is known about risk factors for incidence of chronic pain or prognostic factors for the course of self-reported pain. We believe that such knowledge may contribute to develop strategies for treatment at an early stadium of the pain condition and thereby reduce the prevalence of chronic pain included chronic widespread pain.Aims of the studyThe aims of this study were threefold: (1) to calculate the incidence of self-reported musculoskeletal pain in a female cohort, (2) to describe the course of pain and (3) to investigate whether or not health complaints and sleep problems are predictive factors for onset of pain or prognostic factors for the course of pain.MethodsThis is a prospective population-based study of all women between 20 and 50 years who were registered in Arendal, Norway, in 1989 (N = 2498 individuals). A questionnaire about chronic pain (pain >3 months duration in muscles, joints, back or the whole body), modulating factors for pain, sleep problems and seven non-specific health complaints was mailed to all traceable women, in 1990 (N =2498), 1995 (n = 2435) and 2007 (n = 2261). Of these, 1338 responded on all three occasions. Outcome measures were presence and extent of chronic pain.ResultsThe prevalence of chronic pain was 57% in 1990 and 61% in 2007. From 1990 to 2007, 53% of the subjects changed pain category. The incidence of chronic pain in initially pain free individuals during follow-up was 44%, whereas the recovery rate was 25%. Impaired sleep quality predicted onset of chronic pain. There was a linear association between the number of health complaints and the incidence of chronic pain in initially pain free individuals. Equivalent results were found for persistence of pain and worsening of pain.ConclusionThe prevalence of chronic pain was rather stable throughout the follow-up period, but the prevalence of chronic widespread pain increased. Individual changes in pain extent occurred frequently. The presence of sleep disturbances and number of health complaints predicted onset, persistence and worsening of pain.ImplicationsSleep problems must be thoroughly addressed as a possible risk factor for onset or worsening of pain. Elimination of sleep problems in an early phase is an interesting approach in treating chronic pain. More research is needed to illuminate the possible pathogenetic relations between pain, non-specific health complaints, sleep problems and also depression.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 358-358
Author(s):  
Hyojin Choi ◽  
Kristin Litzelman ◽  
Molly Maher ◽  
Autumn Harnish

Abstract Spouses of cancer survivors are 33% less likely to receive guideline-concordant depression treatment than other married adults. However, depression is only one of many manifestations of psychological distress for caregivers. This exploratory study sought to assess the paths by which caregivers access mental health-related treatment. Using nationally representative data from the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey, we assessed the proportion of caregivers who received a mental health-related prescription or psychotherapy visit across care settings (office based versus outpatient hospital, emergency room, or inpatient visit), provider type (psychiatric, primary care, other specialty, or other), and visit purpose (regular checkup, diagnosis and treatment, follow-up, psychotherapy, other). In addition, we assessed the health condition(s) associated with the treatment. The findings indicate that a plurality of caregivers accessed mental health-related treatment through an office-based visit (90%) with a primary care provider (47%). A minority accessed this care through a psychologist or psychiatrist (11%) or a physician with another specialty (12%) or other provider types. Nearly a third accessed treatment as part of a regular check-up (32%). These patterns did not differ from the general population after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Interestingly, mental health-related treatments were associated with a mental health diagnosis in only a minority of caregivers. The findings confirm the importance of regular primary care as a door way to mental healthcare, and highlight the range of potential paths to care. Future research will examine the correlates of accessing care across path types.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion I. van den Heuvel ◽  
Jasmine L. Hect ◽  
Benjamin L. Smarr ◽  
Tamara Qawasmeh ◽  
Lance J. Kriegsfeld ◽  
...  

AbstractChild sleep disorders are increasingly prevalent and understanding early predictors of sleep problems, starting in utero, may meaningfully guide future prevention efforts. Here, we investigated whether prenatal exposure to maternal psychological stress is associated with increased sleep problems in toddlers. We also examined whether fetal brain connectivity has direct or indirect influence on this putative association. Pregnant women underwent fetal resting-state functional connectivity MRI and completed questionnaires on stress, worry, and negative affect. At 3-year follow-up, 64 mothers reported on child sleep problems, and in the subset that have reached 5-year follow-up, actigraphy data (N = 25) has also been obtained. We observe that higher maternal prenatal stress is associated with increased toddler sleep concerns, with actigraphy sleep metrics, and with decreased fetal cerebellar-insular connectivity. Specific mediating effects were not identified for the fetal brain regions examined. The search for underlying mechanisms of the link between maternal prenatal stress and child sleep problems should be continued and extended to other brain areas.


SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Céline De Looze ◽  
Joanne C Feeney ◽  
Siobhan Scarlett ◽  
Rebecca Hirst ◽  
Silvin P Knight ◽  
...  

Abstract Study Objectives This study examines the cross-sectional and two-year follow-up relationships between sleep and stress and total hippocampal volume and hippocampal subfield volumes among older adults. Methods 417 adults (aged 68.8±7.3; 54% women) from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing completed an interview, a questionnaire and multiparametric brain MRI. The relationships between self-reported sleep duration, sleep problems, perceived stress and total hippocampal volume were examined by using ordinary least squares regressions. Linear mixed-effects models were used to investigate the relationships between sleep duration, sleep problems, perceived stress, changes in these measures over two-years and hippocampal subfield volumes. Results No cross-sectional and follow-up associations between sleep and total hippocampal volume and between stress and total hippocampal volume were found. By contrast, Long sleep (≥9-10 hours / night) was associated with smaller volumes of molecular layer, hippocampal tail, presubiculum and subiculum. The co-occurrence of Short sleep (≤6 hours) and perceived stress was associated with smaller cornu ammonis 1, molecular layer, subiculum and tail. Sleep problems independently and in conjunction with higher stress, and increase in sleep problems over 2 years were associated with smaller volumes of these same subfields. Conclusion Our study highlights the importance of concurrently assessing sub-optimal sleep and stress for phenotyping individuals at risk of hippocampal subfield atrophy.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0259500
Author(s):  
Mikhail Saltychev ◽  
Juhani Juhola ◽  
Jari Arokoski ◽  
Jenni Ervasti ◽  
Mika Kivimäki ◽  
...  

The objective was to investigate the persistence of sleep difficulties for over 16 years amongst a population of working age. In this prospective cohort study, a group-based trajectory analysis of repeated surveys amongst 66,948 employees in public sector (mean age 44.7 [SD 9.4] years, 80% women) was employed. The main outcome measure was sleep difficulties based on Jenkins Sleep Scale (JSS). Up to 70% of the respondents did not experience sleep difficulties whereas up to 4% reported high frequency of notable sleep difficulties through the entire 16-year follow-up. Heavy drinking predicted sleep difficulties (OR 2.3 95% CI 1.6 to 3.3) except for the respondents younger than 40 years. Smoking was associated with sleep difficulties amongst women younger than 40 years (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.5). Obesity was associated with sleep difficulties amongst men (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.4 to 2.7) and women (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.3) of middle age and amongst women older than 50 (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2 to 1.8) years. Physical inactivity predicted sleep difficulties amongst older men (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.6). In this working-age population, sleep difficulties showed a great persistence over time. In most of the groups, the level of sleep difficulties during the follow-up was almost solely dependent on the level of initial severity. Depending on sex and age, increasing sleep problems were sometimes associated with high alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity and physical inactivity, but the strength of these associations varied.


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