Behavioral organization in infants can be characterized by the integration and coordination of component behaviors over time, mediated in part by emerging nervous system activity. This study evaluated the organization of behavioral states and the percentages of time spent in particular behavioral states by preterm infants. In addition, the effects of visual stimulation on the organization of behavioral state and on the development of the visual skills in preterm infants was assessed. Twenty preterm infants were observed at the time of admission and discharge from the intermediate unit of a neonatal intensive care unit. Behavioral state was recorded and visual responsiveness assessed on both occasions. For one group of infants, a striped visual stimulus was placed in their incubators following the initial observation, and removed at the time of the second observation. A second group of control infants received no exposure to the visual stimulus. Results revealed that infants who were exposed to a visual stimulus significantly decreased the number of state changes they experienced and had significantly higher visual responsiveness scores than infants who were not provided a visual stimulus. The amount of increase in the percentage of time spent in Quiet Sleep and increase in the state stability score, a measure of consistency among behavioral states, was nominally higher for infants who were exposed to the visual stimulus than for infants who were not allowed exposure to the visual stimulus. These findings indicate that visual stimulation can influence the development of visual responsiveness in preterm infants. Furthermore, exposure to a visual stimulus appears capable of extending the amounts of time that preterm infants spent in particular behavioral states, thus reducing the number of state changes they experience. The significance of these findings is discussed in terms of preterm intervention procedures. In addition, the possible importance of self-regulation of sensory input for preterm infants and the clinical implications of low and high state stability scores are discussed. / Ph. D.

No description available.

The present study examined the role of the relationship between the type and amount of prenatal and postnatal stimulus cues in directing the perceptual preferences of bobwhite quail chicks. Results reveal that chicks prefer postnatal stimulus cues that matched the particular type of prenatal stimulation they received as embryos over stimulus cues that match the amount of prenatal stimulus cues they received. Specifically, when chicks were tested with novel stimuli, or when the preference for matching types of stimulus cues was controlled for, chicks exposed to prenatal auditory/visual cues showed a preference for combined auditory/visual cues over auditory cues presented alone. These findings suggest that exposure to enhanced prenatal auditory/visual stimulation can accelerate chicks perceptual responsiveness. However, this effect can be masked depending upon the relationship between the specific type of auditory stimulus cues used during prenatal exposure and subsequent postnatal testing. Further results indicate that preference for familiar type of stimuli can account for why exposure to enhanced prenatal stimulation does not always appear to accelerate responsiveness to combined auditory/visual cues. Therefore, studies examining the effects of prenatal sensory manipulations on postnatal perceptual responsiveness must take into account the specific nature of the relationship between the type and amount of prenatal and postnatal stimulus cues employed in the experiment. In a more general sense, these results suggest that the study of early perceptual development requires the incorporation of complex, dynamic, and hierarchically based notions about the mechanisms associated with behavioral development. / Ph. D.

Text in Afrikaans / During the initial stages of Gestalt play therapy qualitative assessment is vital within the therapeutic relationship, to gain information about the child in order to strengthen this relationship, enhance awareness and for further interventions. Research confirmed the lack and problems with current assessment tools, within various helping professions, which were addressed in this study. The board game, as a Gestalt assessment tool, was compiled for the primary school child and focuses on the therapeutic relationship, sensory stimulation and the process of the child (Schoeman-3-aspect model). Information was gathered by a literature review, semi structured interviews with two professionals and by observing the application of the board game. Valuable information was gathered concerning the child and was strengthened by literature. Relevant conclusions and recommendations were made. This board game can be effectively used by play therapists in the initial stages of assessment with the primary school child, for relationship building, sensory stimulation and determining the child's process. / Social Work / M.Diac.

Text in Afrikaans / During the initial stages of Gestalt play therapy qualitative assessment is vital within the therapeutic relationship, to gain information about the child in order to strengthen this relationship, enhance awareness and for further interventions. Research confirmed the lack and problems with current assessment tools, within various helping professions, which were addressed in this study. The board game, as a Gestalt assessment tool, was compiled for the primary school child and focuses on the therapeutic relationship, sensory stimulation and the process of the child (Schoeman-3-aspect model). Information was gathered by a literature review, semi structured interviews with two professionals and by observing the application of the board game. Valuable information was gathered concerning the child and was strengthened by literature. Relevant conclusions and recommendations were made. This board game can be effectively used by play therapists in the initial stages of assessment with the primary school child, for relationship building, sensory stimulation and determining the child's process. / Social Work / M.Diac.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Mental Health / Master / Master of Social Sciences

M.A. / This study is an attempt at providing substantiated research data on sensation seeking, measured using the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS), and its role in sensory, perceptual and cognitive functioning. The areas of functioning investigated included sensory tolerance levels, preference for perceptual complexity, speed of perpetual closure, verbal ability versus spatial ability and creativity ...

Submitted by admin tede (tede@pucgoias.edu.br) on 2017-10-25T17:03:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Ana Maria Lisboa Cesarino de Paula.pdf: 1005253 bytes, checksum: 5368dd1d941408f029b9df78fbb61a5d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-25T17:03:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ana Maria Lisboa Cesarino de Paula.pdf: 1005253 bytes, checksum: 5368dd1d941408f029b9df78fbb61a5d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-04 / The present study investigated the control exerted by antecedent and consequent events on the fear responses of three women diagnosed with anxiety disorder, and aged 45-74 years. To research these events was applied the process of functional assessment by using the strategies: (a) indirect functional assessment through interview (appointment), (b) direct functional assessment through direct observation, and (c) functional analysis or functional analysis methodology. The functional analysis consisted of the manipulation environmental events, especially in four principal conditions: attention, demand, alone and control. The attention condition was subdivided in (1) to contact-attention, (2) to worryattention, and (3) to establish-attention. The data obtained with the procedures adopted in the indirect assessment by interview, as well as that ones in direct observation of participants in the natural environment provided important subsidies to the experimental framework of functional analysis, and showed complementary to it. The functional analysis results demonstrated that the fear responses occurred with high frequency in attention and demand conditions, and didn't occur in alone and control conditions. However, one class of results, sensorial stimulation occurred in high frequency in alone condition. So, it was evident the control on fear responses by the sources positive and negative reinforcement, while the sensorial stimulations were controlled by automatic reinforcement. The date obtained make evident that the investigation by functional analysis methodology demonstrated the importance of fear responses control by using sources of positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and automatic reinforcement. The process of functional assessment applied in this study proved to be effective, once it was showed the control exerted by antecedent and consequent events on the fear responses and sensorial stimulation of the participants; than this way it is justified its application to evaluate the behavior of people diagnosed with anxiety disorder. / O presente estudo investigou o controle exercido pelos eventos antecedentes e consequentes sobre as respostas de medo de três pessoas do sexo feminino com diagnóstico de transtorno de ansiedade e idades entre 45 e 74 anos. Para pesquisar esses eventos foi usado o processo de avaliação funcional por meio das estratégias: (a) avaliação funcional indireta por entrevista, (b) avaliação funcional por observação direta e (c) análise funcional ou metodologia de análise funcional. A análise funcional constou da manipulação de eventos ambientais em quatro condições principais: atenção, demanda, sozinho e controle, sendo que a condição de atenção foi subdividida em (1) atençãocontactar, (2) atenção-preocupar e (3) atenção-constatar. Os dados obtidos com os procedimentos adotados na avaliação indireta por entrevista, bem como a observação direta dos participantes no ambiente natural, forneceram importantes subsídios para a armação experimental da análise funcional e se mostraram complementares a ela. Os resultados da análise funcional demonstraram que as respostas de medo ocorreram com alta frequência nas condições de atenção e demanda e não ocorreram nas condições sozinho e controle. No entanto uma classe de respostas, estimulação sensorial, ocorreu em alta frequência na condição sozinho. Evidenciou-se, assim, o controle das respostas de medo pelas fontes de reforçamento positivo e negativo. Já as estimulações sensoriais foram controladas pelo reforçamento automático. Os dados obtidos evidenciam que a investigação por meio da metodologia de análise funcional demonstrou a importância do controle das respostas de medo por fontes de reforçamento positivo, reforçamento negativo e reforçamento automático. O processo de avaliação funcional empregado por este estudo provou ser eficaz, uma vez que ficou evidenciado o controle exercido pelos eventos antecedentes e consequentes sobre as respostas de medo e estimulação sensorial das participantes, sendo que assim se justifica seu emprego para avaliar os comportamentos de pessoas com o diagnóstico de ansiedade.

Normal movement execution requires proper coupling of motor and sensory activation. An increasing body of literature supports the idea that incorporation of sensory stimulation into motor rehabilitation practices increases its effectiveness. Paired associative stimulation (PAS) studies, in which afferent and efferent pathways are activated in tandem, have brought attention to the importance of well-timed stimulation rather than non-associative (i.e., open-loop) activation. In patients with tetraplegia resulting from spinal cord injury (SCI), varying degrees of upper limb function may remain and could be harnessed for rehabilitation. Incorporating associative sensory stimulation coupled with self-paced motor training would be a means for supplementing sensory deficits and improving functional outcomes. In a motor rehabilitation setting, it seems plausible that sensory feedback stimulation in response to volitional movement execution (to the extent possible), which is not utilized in most PAS protocols, would produce greater benefits. This capability is developed and tested in the present study by implementing a brain-computer interface (BCI) to apply sensory stimulation synchronized with movement execution through the detection of movement intent in real time from electroencephalography (EEG). The results demonstrate that accurate sensory stimulation application in response to movement intent is feasible in SCI patients with chronic motor deficit and often precedes the onset of movement, which is deemed optimal by PAS investigations that do not involve a volitional movement task.