The effect of motivational and instructional self-talk on attentional control under noise distraction

Effects of high-intensity chronic noise on spatial memory in male versus female rats

The detrimental effects of high-intensity noise on the auditory system and emotional status, including the induction of anxiety, are well documented. Preclinical as well as epidemiological and clinical studies have solidly established differential responses between males and females to various stressful stimuli, including high-intensity white noise (HIWN). However, whether chronic exposure to noise affects cognitive functions and whether this effect is sex dependent has not been adequately addressed. In this study, we used two cognitive test paradigms, such as the Morris water maze (MWM) and the multi-branch maze (MBM), to test the effect of chronic HIWN on indices of spatial learning and memory in both male and female Wistar rats. Our findings indicate that daily (1 h) exposure to 100 dB of noise for 30 consecutive days induces different task-dependent responses in male versus female rats. For example, in the acquisition phase of MWM, female rats exposed to noise outperformed their male counterparts at twice the speed. Similarly, in the MBM test, noise-exposed female rats outperformed the male rats in reaching the nest box. It is clear from these studies that noise impairs cognitive functions twice as negatively in male rats as in female rats. Thus, sex-related differences in spatial learning and memory in response to HIWN must be taken into consideration when investigating the neurobiological components and/or treatment modalities.

Experiences and perceptions of palliative care patients receiving virtual reality therapy: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies

BACKGROUND

The combination of virtual reality (VR) and palliative care potentially represents a new opportunity for palliative care. Many previous studies have evaluated the application of VR therapy to patients with advanced disease receiving palliative care. However, patient-perspective reviews to comprehensively understand the actual experiences and feelings of patients and provide practical guidance for designing future studies are currently lacking. This review of qualitative evidence aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of patients receiving VR therapy in palliative care.

METHODS

This study was conducted in accordance with the Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research (ENTREQ) statement guidelines. Ten databases, namely, PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, OVID MEDLINE, Scopus, John Wiley, ProQuest, CNKI, WANFANG DATA, and SinoMed, were searched, and qualitative and mixed studies from the establishment of each database to June 30, 2023 were included. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research was used to assess the quality of the included studies. The data included in the literature were analyzed and integrated by "thematic synthesis" to formalize the identification and development of themes.

RESULTS

The nine selected studies altogether included 156 participants from seven hospice care facilities of different types and two oncology centers. Three key themes were identified: experiences of palliative care patients in VR therapy, the perceived value that palliative care patients gain in VR therapy, and perspectives of palliative care patients toward using VR therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The patients' feedback covered discomfort caused by VR devices, good sense of experiences, and situations that affected the interactive experience. Some patients were unable to tolerate VR therapy or reported newer forms of discomfort. The findings indicated that VR therapy may be an effective approach to relieve patients' physical and psychological pain and help them gain self-awareness. Moreover, patients showed a preference for personalized VR therapy.

Noisy condition and three-point shot performance in skilled basketball players: the limited effect of self-talk

In modern basketball, the three-point shot plays an important tactical role. Basketball players often face the distraction from audience and opponents, necessitating psychological skill to maintain their performance. The study examined the effects of self-talk interventions on the three-point shot performance under quiet and noisy conditions. It involved 42 national second-level basketball players and used a 2 (Condition: quiet condition, noisy condition) × 3 (Intervention: control group, motivational self-talk, instructional self-talk) mixed design to investigate the performance of the static and dynamic three-point shots tasks. The results revealed that the static three-point shot score was significantly lower in noisy condition compared to quiet condition (p = 0.016), while the main effect of Intervention and the interaction effect of Condition × Intervention were not significant. Post-hoc analysis indicated that only the control group showed significantly lower scores in the noisy condition (p = 0.043). For the dynamic three-point shots performance, there were no significant main effects of Intervention or Condition, nor any significant interaction effect between Condition and Intervention. In conclusion, noise distraction negatively affects the static three-point shots task, and although self-talk interventions can mitigate such negative effects, their effectiveness is limited for dynamic three-point shots task with high physical demands.