Emotional Response and Changes in Heart Rate Variability Following Art-Making With Three Different Art Materials.

Art therapy encourages the use of art materials to express feelings and thoughts in a supportive environment. Art materials differ in fluidity and are postulated to thus differentially enhance emotional response (the more fluid the material the more emotion elicited). Yet, to the best of our knowledge, this assumption has not been empirically tested.

Integrating occupational therapy in treating combat stress reaction within a military unit: An intervention model.

Combat stress reaction (CR) is a syndrome with a wide range of symptoms including changes in soldiers' behaviors, emotional and physiological responses, avoidance and a decrease in both personal and military functioning. The short-term goal in treating CR is a speedy return to healthy functioning, whereas the long-term goal is to prevent the development of PTSD. Previous research has indicated that the achievement of this short-term goal affects the achievement of the long-term goal and vice versa.

Neonatal brainstem dysfunction risks infant social engagement.

The role of the brainstem in mediating social signaling in phylogenetic ancestral organisms has been demonstrated. Evidence for its involvement in social engagement in human infants may deepen the understanding of the evolutionary pathway of humans as social beings. In this longitudinal study, neonatal brainstem functioning was measured by auditory brainstem-evoked responses (ABRs) in 125 healthy neonates born prematurely before 35 weeks' gestational age.

Mother and infant coordinate heart rhythms through episodes of interaction synchrony.

Animal studies demonstrated the powerful impact of maternal-infant social contact on the infant's physiological systems, yet the online effects of social interactions on the human infant's physiology remain poorly understood. Mothers and their 3-month old infants were observed during face-to-face interactions while cardiac output was collected from mother and child. Micro-analysis of the partners' behavior marked episodes of gaze, affect, and vocal synchrony.

Visual assessment in children with cerebral palsy: implementation of a functional questionnaire.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate an interdisciplinary visual assessment for multiply challenged children diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP).

Method: A comprehensive ophthalmological assessment together with a visual classification scale (VCS) and a questionnaire evaluating daily visual function were completed regarding 77 children (41 females, 36 males; age range 3-20y; mean age 8 y 3 mo [SD 4 y 3 mo]; Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] level V; Manual Ability Classification System level V) who were diagnosed with CP (79.2% spastic quadriplegia, 6.