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New studies suggest millions with mild cognitive impairment go undiagnosed, often until it’s too late

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/soeren-mattke-1484707">Soeren Mattke</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-california-1265">University of Southern California</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ying-liu-1221170">Ying Liu</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/usc-dornsife-college-of-letters-arts-and-sciences-2669">USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences</a></em></p> <p>Mild cognitive impairment – an early stage of dementia – is widely underdiagnosed in people 65 and older. That is the key takeaway of two recent studies from our team.</p> <p>In the first study, we used Medicare data for about 40 million beneficiaries age 65 and older from 2015 to 2019 to estimate the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment in that population and to identify what proportion of them had actually been diagnosed.</p> <p>Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-023-01272-z">finding was sobering</a>: A mere 8% of the number of cases with mild cognitive impairment that we expected based on a statistical model had actually been diagnosed. Scaled up to the general population 65 and older, this means that approximately 7.4 million cases across the country remain undiagnosed.</p> <p>In the second study, we analyzed data for 226,756 primary care clinicians and found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.14283/jpad.2023.131">over 99% of them underdiagnosed mild cognitive impairment</a> in this population.</p> <h2>Why it matters</h2> <p>Mild cognitive impairment is an early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.2000">about half of cases</a> and progresses to dementia <a href="https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia/related_conditions/mild-cognitive-impairment">at a rate of 10% to 15% per year</a>. It includes symptoms such as losing the ability to remember recent events and appointments, make sound decisions and master complex tasks. Failure to detect it might deprive patients of an opportunity to get treated and to slow down disease progression.</p> <p>Mild cognitive impairment can sometimes be caused by easily addressable factors, such as medication side effects, thyroid dysfunction or <a href="https://theconversation.com/vitamin-b12-deficiency-is-a-common-health-problem-that-can-have-serious-consequences-but-doctors-often-overlook-it-192714">vitamin B12 deficiency</a>. Since mild cognitive impairment has <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjopharm.2008.06.004">the same risk factors as cardiovascular disease</a>, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, medication management of these risks combined with diet and exercise <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60461-5">can reduce the risk of progression</a>.</p> <p>In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-converts-novel-alzheimers-disease-treatment-traditional-approval">approved the drug lecanemab</a> as the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-fdas-accelerated-approval-of-a-new-alzheimers-drug-could-mean-for-those-with-the-disease-5-questions-answered-about-lecanemab-197460">first disease-modifying treatment</a> <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-causes-and-risk-factors/what-happens-brain-alzheimers-disease">for Alzheimer’s disease</a>, the most common cause of mild cognitive impairment. In contrast to previous drugs, which can temporarily improve symptoms of the disease, such as memory loss and agitation, this new treatment addresses the underlying cause of the disease.</p> <p>Lecanemab, a monoclonal antibody, <a href="https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-are-Amyloid-Plaques.aspx">reduces amyloid plaques</a> in the brain, which are toxic protein clumps that are believed to contribute to the progression of the disease. In a large clinical trial, lecanemab was able to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2212948">reduce the progression</a> of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. A similar drug, donanemab, also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.13239">succeeded in a clinical trial</a> and is expected to be <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/fda-delays-approval-of-alzheimers-drug-donanemab-what-experts-think">approved sometime in 2024</a>.</p> <p>However, these drugs must be used in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, ideally when a patient has only mild cognitive impairment, as there is <a href="https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/treatments/lecanemab-leqembi">no evidence that they are effective in advanced stages</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w3IbAscNjsQ?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">An earlier diagnosis leads to early treatment and better outcomes.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>What still isn’t known</h2> <p>Many factors contribute to the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13051">lack of timely detection</a>. But researchers don’t have a good understanding of the relative importance of those individual factors or how to reduce the high rate of underdiagnosis.</p> <p>While distinct, symptoms are subtle and their slow progression means that they can be overlooked or misinterpreted as normal aging. A neurologist in China told our research team that diagnosis rates spike in China after the New Year’s holiday, when children who haven’t seen their parents for a year notice changes that are harder to pick up when interacting with someone daily.</p> <p>Doctors also commonly discount memory concerns as normal aging and doubt that much can be done about it. While cognitive tests to distinguish mild cognitive impairment from pathologic decline do exist, they take about 15 minutes, which can be hard to come by during the limited time of a doctor’s visit and may require a follow-up appointment.</p> <h2>What’s next</h2> <p>People, particularly those in their 60s and beyond, as well as their families and friends need to be vigilant about cognitive decline, bring it up during doctor’s appointments and insist on a formal assessment.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/yearly-wellness-visits">Medicare yearly “wellness” visit</a> is an opportunity to explore such concerns, but only about half of beneficiaries <a href="https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01795">take advantage of it</a>.</p> <p>Just as physicians ask patients about unexplained weight loss and take those concerns seriously, we believe questions that explore a patient’s cognitive state need to become the norm.</p> <p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take on interesting academic work.</em><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216892/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/soeren-mattke-1484707">Soeren Mattke</a>, Director of the USC Dornsife Brain Health Observatory, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-california-1265">University of Southern California</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ying-liu-1221170">Ying Liu</a>, Research Scientist, Center for Economic and Social Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/usc-dornsife-college-of-letters-arts-and-sciences-2669">USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-studies-suggest-millions-with-mild-cognitive-impairment-go-undiagnosed-often-until-its-too-late-216892">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Mind

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"I had visual contact with Lyn Dawson" court hears

<p dir="ltr">Chris Dawson’s judge-only murder trial has aired a recording of the accused's brother-in-law, who claimed that he spotted Lynette Dawson several months after she disappeared back in 1982.</p> <p dir="ltr">A police interview that was conducted between Dawson’s brother-in-law Ross Hutcheon back in 2019 was played in the Supreme Court on Tuesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Hutcheon claimed that he saw Lynette at a bus stop opposite Gladesville Hospital up to six months after she disappeared.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She looked just like the Lyn that I knew — same colour hair, same hairstyle, same glasses. No obvious attempt to disguise herself," he said in the recording.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The other thing that convinced me … was the fact that it was opposite the hospital and she was a nurse."</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Hutcheon, who died six weeks ago and was married to Dawson’s sister also called Lynette, had claimed to have told her about seeing the missing mother that day.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, it was reported that Mr Hutcheon had instead reported the incident to police years later in 1999 stating he had "no contact with Lynette Dawson since her disappearance".</p> <p dir="ltr">"I had visual contact with Lyn Dawson, not verbal contact," Mr Hutcheon responded.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Hutcheon appeared in court on Tuesday and was questioned why she hadn’t discussed the possible sighting of her sister-in-law.</p> <p dir="ltr">She told the court that other people she knew had reported sightings of Lynette Dawson months after she disappeared and it didn’t cross her mind.</p> <p dir="ltr">"My husband had seen her and I had heard that other people had seen her. I thought she had been seen by people that knew her," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Chris Dawson has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife Lynette, who went missing from the family home in Sydney's Northern Beaches in January 1982.</p> <p dir="ltr">The trial continues.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Nine News</em></p>

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Still counting: why the visual arts must do better on gender equality

<p>You have to get more than a bit mad to single-handedly launch a campaign against inequality. At a recent forum, visual artist Elvis Richardson wryly <a href="http://www.womensartregister.org/">described</a> how anger was the catalyst that sparked her to start <a href="http://countesses.blogspot.com.au/">CoUNTess</a>, a blog that assembles and reviews data on gender representation in Australia’s contemporary art scene.</p> <p>Since 2008, Richardson has analysed the gender breakdown of who gets exhibited, collected, reviewed and rewarded. Converting indignation into statistics and emotion into hard facts, her blog provides irrefutable evidence that gender bias is an ongoing problem besetting the visual arts.</p> <p>The most current snapshot illustrates that only 34% of the artists shown in <a href="http://thecountessreport.com.au/thecountessreport-museums2014.html">state museums</a> are women. In <a href="http://thecountessreport.com.au/thecountessreport-commercial-galleries2014.html">commercial galleries</a>, the proportion is 40%. In the <a href="http://thecountessreport.com.au/thecountessreport-art-media2014.html">art media</a>, 34% of feature articles and reviews are about women, but 80% of magazine covers are dedicated to male artists. </p> <p>Change needs to be embraced at every level, not least in developing art curriculum in secondary schools. Victorian students who sat their final Studio Art exam last week were given 14 images to write about, of which only one was produced by a woman. A cursory survey of exams in previous years and other states suggests such bias is entrenched.</p> <p>Over the past decade, the gatekeepers of the Australian art scene have started responding to the unconscious bias Richardson documents. When comparing the graphs and charts in her old posts with the 2016 <a href="http://thecountessreport.com.au/thecountessreport-art-media2014.html">CoUNTess Report</a>, it is possible to identify small improvements. Still, as Richardson says in her <a href="http://thecountessreport.com.au/">report introduction, "</a>The closer an artist gets to money, prestige and power the more likely they are to be male."</p> <p>A recent <a href="http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/research/making-art-work/">study</a> by David Throsby and Katya Petetskaya also shows the gender pay gap is substantial in the Australian art scene.</p> <p>The 2016 CoUNTess Report was made possible with support from the <a href="http://cruthersartfoundation.com/about/">Cruthers Art Foundation</a>. This organisation is making a substantial contribution towards rebalancing the statistics via the <a href="http://cruthersartfoundation.com/collections/">Cruthers Collection of Women’s Art</a>, the only dedicated public collection of art by Australian women. </p> <p>Begun in 1974 as a private family collection acquiring women’s art, the collection consists primarily of portraiture, self portraiture and art that is focused on still life, abstraction, early postmodernism and second wave feminism.</p> <p>The collection was gifted to the University of Western Australia in 2007 and is housed at <a href="http://www.lwgallery.uwa.edu.au/">Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery</a>. Cruthers curator Gemma Weston believes the collection plays a role in valuing and making visible the work of women artists, which in turn can provide a pathway to its acceptance in the institutional domain. Individual works are often loaned to other art museums around Australia.</p> <p>Weston identifies visibility as a key factor in determining what gets collected and how an artist gets traction in her career. She says institutional recognition is a long and complicated process of gathering momentum, which often begins with the private collector rather than the art museum. </p> <p>There is no doubt that all-women collections and exhibitions can help to change the depressing statistics assembled by Richardson. There is concern, however, that this strategy can cause ghettoisation. </p> <p>Weston is conscious of this conundrum. Cruthers’ current show <a href="http://artguide.com.au/exhibition/country-and-colony">Country and Colony</a> moves beyond the concerns of previous exhibitions to document “women’s art” and “women’s issues” through biography, autobiography and portraiture. </p> <p>While gender and feminist politics are a subtext, Colony and Country profiles new acquisitions that deal with the fraught history of colonialism. The paintings, prints and objects by Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists tell stories about land, landscape, the body, industry and culture.</p> <h2>Building momentum for change</h2> <p>While the speed of change appears glacial, the momentum to overcome structural inequality for female artists appears to be building. In September, 11 top gallery directors, curators and arts organisation chiefs in the UK united in a <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/arts/art-worlds-most-powerful-women-unite-to-call-for-better-representation-for-female-artists-a3646586.html">call</a> for greater representation of female artists. </p> <p>A month later, possibly encouraged by the fall of the American movie producer Harvey Weinstein, the call-out of sexist and abusive behaviour in cultural industries spread to the visual arts. Numerous <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/allegations-against-former-artforum-publisher-knight-landesman-1128926">sexual harassment allegations</a> were made against powerful and prominent gatekeeper, Artforum co-publisher Knight Landesman.</p> <p>Landesman’s resignation from the international art publication has prompted many more women to come forward with stories about his alleged behaviour. An open letter written by women in the art world, “<a href="http://www.not-surprised.org/home/">We are not surprised</a>”, has morphed into a larger campaign linking abuse of power with structural inequality. </p> <p>By providing a graphic illustration of inequality, Richardson’s CoUNTess project has done much to bring the issue into view in Australia. Together with Weston’s thoughtful management and curation, the Cruthers Collection of Women’s Art is another important step in changing the status quo. Many arts organisations and individuals who have the capacity to bring about change have started counting and making an effort to <a href="http://visual.artshub.com.au/news-article/opinions-and-analysis/visual-arts/gina-fairley/are-we-finally-counting-right-254469">rectify</a> the imbalance. </p> <p>Yet when part of the cost of overlooking structural inequality is sexual harassment it is time for more decisive action. While extreme examples of sexual misconduct have not (yet) been exposed in Australia, demeaning behaviour is regularly meted out by the art scene gatekeepers. There are also anecdotal stories of grooming and sexual advances by powerful male gatekeepers. At present, few speak up because they fear damaging their career prospects. </p> <p>The CoUNTess Report <a href="http://www.thecountessreport.com.au/thecountessreport-recommendations.html">recommends</a> that “stakeholders in the Australian visual art sector routinely collect, analyse and publish gender representation data and use it to inform their policy decisions”.</p> <p>A rebalance of gender representation will only occur if all institutions that have a role in shaping the value of artists’ work start counting. </p> <p>As in the tertiary sector, many more girls than boys study art at school. In Victoria, for example, 73% of the cohort who completed <a href="http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/statistics/2016/section3/vce_studio_arts_ga16.pdf">Studio Art</a> in 2016 were girls. Unless there is significant improvement, why would future generations of women pursue a career in the visual arts? </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/still-counting-why-the-visual-arts-must-do-better-on-gender-equality-87079" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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Vitamin C deficiency linked to cognitive impairment

<p dir="ltr">A new study has found a link between poor brain function and how much Vitamin C older people have, and that a deficiency could have some serious effects on the brain.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cognitive impairment is common among older, hospitalised patients, and can result in poor memory and concentration, as well as finding decision-making difficult.</p> <p dir="ltr">The team from Flinders University in Adelaide tested the cognitive function and vitamin C level of 160 people over the age of 75 who were admitted to the university’s medical centre.</p> <p dir="ltr">From this, 91 patients were found to have cognitive impairment, and 42 of this group were found to have such low levels of vitamin C - below 11 micromoles per litre - they were at risk of developing scurvy.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our findings showed that cognitive function scores were significantly lower among patients who were vitamin C deficient, with further analysis suggesting vitamin C deficiency was almost three times more likely to be associated with cognitive impairment after adjustment for other factors,” Associate Professor Yogesh Sharma, the study’s lead author, <a href="https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/low-vitamin-c-linked-to-cognitive-impairment-in-older-australians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The researchers stressed that the two were associated, not that vitamin C deficiency causes cognitive impairment.</p> <p dir="ltr">They also noted that many of the symptoms of low vitamin C levels - including skin issues, bruising and bleeding - are common in this age group because of a number of conditions.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It may, therefore, be difficult to diagnose vitamin C deficiency solely on looking for these particular symptoms in older hospitalised patients,” Associate Professor Sharma said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Given we know vitamin C deficiency is common among older hospitalised patients, medical professionals need to remain vigilant for this condition and confirm a patient’s vitamin C status in suspected cases.”</p> <p dir="ltr">With this link, the researchers said they will need to conduct more studies to confirm the link and determine whether replacing a patient’s vitamin C levels could help prevent or reverse cognitive impairment.</p> <p dir="ltr">The study was published in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11030463" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Antibiotics</a></em>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2ab5757b-7fff-e419-e985-eb63d06eb2d3"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Air pollution may impair cognitive function

<div> <div class="copy"> <p>A joint China-US research team has found that exposure to even short-term air pollution may impair cognitive function.</p> <p>Air pollution is a growing cause of sickness and death globally, with a <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/climate/air-pollution-pandemic-warning/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recent study</a> estimating that it caused an extra 8.8 million premature deaths in 2015, surpassing the 7.2 million caused by tobacco smoking. It has well-established effects on the lungs and the heart – it has been linked with spikes in <a href="http://jaha.ahajournals.org/content/5/5/e002742" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heart attacks, strokes</a> and <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0180522" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">asthma</a>, and is a carcinogen known to cause lung cancer.</p> <p>Increasingly, research is also associating air pollution with other health impacts including <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/kidney-disease-linked-to-air-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">kidney disease</a>, <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/climate/could-air-pollution-contribute-to-psychiatric-illness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">psychiatric illness</a> and <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/air-pollution-link-to-alzheimer-s-mooted/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer’s</a>.</p> <p><strong>What causes air pollution?</strong></p> <ul> <li>Air pollution is the release of pollutants into the air that have detrimental effects on human or planetary health.</li> <li>It can have natural sources, such as desert dust or bushfire smoke, but is increasingly created by humans, primarily from burning fossil fuels.</li> <li>There are two main types: smog occurs when emissions from burning fossil fuels react with sunlight, while soot is made up of tiny particles made up of smoke, soil, dust, allergens or chemicals. Anything that combusts fossil fuels can cause this, including vehicle exhaust, power plants, incinerators and more.</li> </ul> <p>Now, in a new study <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-021-00060-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published</a> in the journal <em>Nature Ageing</em>, researchers have linked poor air quality with decreased brain health.</p> <p>The team studied a sample of 954 Caucasian males (with an average age of 70) from the Boston area in the US, who were participants in the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study. Their cognitive function was measured by a series of assessments to test their attention, learning and memory, as well as an screening to help detect early signs of dementia.</p> <p>This was compared to the average levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5, smaller than 2.5 micrometres in size) in the area, both on the day of each test and in the 28 days prior. The team found the participants tended to score lower when levels of PM2.5 were higher in the month before the tests – even when levels were still below what is considered as “hazardous”.</p> <p>“The findings were quite startling,” write cognitive health researchers Joanne Ryan and Alice J. Owen, in an <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43587-021-00062-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accompanying article</a>. “Even relatively small increases in the levels of PM2.5 in the 3–4 weeks prior to testing were associated with consistently worse cognitive performance.”</p> <p>Ryan and Owen, both from Monash University in Australia and both not involved in the study, point out that Boston “has by no means the worst air quality in the USA or the world, and yet significant detrimental effects of air pollution on cognitive function were observed”.</p> <p>While a decline in brain function in older adults is common, it can be exacerbated – and accelerated – by environmental factors. Evidence is <a href="https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-180631" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mounting</a> that air pollution could be a risk factor for dementia and could, over the long term, be <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.neuro.2016.06.004" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">associated</a> with cognitive declines.</p> <p>“The results of the current study are especially important because they provide some of the first evidence that even relatively low-level, short-term increases in PM2.5 are detrimental for thinking and memory, as well as global cognition in older adults,” Ryan and Owen write.</p> <p>The results may point to a general trend in the larger population, given that air pollution <a href="https://www.unicef.org/environment/files/Danger_in_the_Air.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">affects brain development</a> in kids, and women seem to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.0900994" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">more strongly affected</a> than men.</p> <p>Interestingly, the researchers also found that the participants who were prescribed NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin) were less adversely affected. This may be because the health impacts of air pollution tend to involve activating the body’s inflammatory response. But caution is warranted; there may be many other differences between participants who do and don’t use NSAIDs.</p> <p>This study also had a relatively small sample size and focused on a certain geographical area, so further research is needed to solidify the link between air pollution and cognitive function.</p> <p>However, Ryan and Owen emphasise the importance of the results.</p> <p>“The implications for public health, and consequent health, societal and economic costs of air pollution, are immense,” they write. “This should be a further wake-up call about the urgent need for action.</p> <p>“It has been estimated that 90% of the world’s population breathe polluted air. Breathing clean air is fundamental to our health but represents a global challenge and one of substantial inequity, disproportionally affecting the most vulnerable.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em><!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=149918&amp;title=Air+pollution+may+impair+cognitive+function" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication --></em></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/air-pollution-may-impair-cognitive-function/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Lauren Fuge. </em></p> </div> </div>

Mind

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Visual arts help marginalized youth learn mindfulness and self-compassion

<p>How do girls feel before and after learning mindfulness? The six girls in our program, aged 11 and 12, drew pictures showing that learning and practising mindfulness helped them feel more in control and compassionate, less judgmental, happy, focused, calm and logical, especially when they make good choices.</p> <p>These girls had just completed the 12-week <a href="https://www.dianacoholic.com/my-work/">holistic arts-based program (HAP)</a>that we offer at Laurentian University, which teaches mindfulness-based practices and concepts using arts like painting, drawing and collage, or materials like clay and sand. We also incorporate games and and tai chi.</p> <p>I developed HAP with the help of <a href="https://laurentian.ca/faculty/hcheu">Hoi Cheu</a>, a professor in the English department with training in film making, marital and family therapy, tai chi and mindfulness. Part of our early team were Sean Lougheed (with a graduate degree in child and youth care), Jennifer Posteraro (research co-ordinator with a graduate degree in psychology) and Julie LeBreton (social work student).</p> <p><strong>Youth facing challenges</strong></p> <p>We wanted to respond to the needs of marginalized children in our communities — such as those who <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10566-010-9139-x">face diverse challenges</a>, including academic, mental health and social challenges, and those facing life circumstances such as abuse, bullying, social exclusion, poverty or family dysfunction.</p> <p>We wanted to help them build skills and capacities such as paying attention, and for improving peer relationships and mood. But we knew that these children may <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-12259-004">not have the attention skills</a> required for a more traditional mindfulness program.</p> <p>In developing the program, we drew on the extensive knowledge bases of <a href="https://books.google.ca/books?id=y6PY4hv47I0C&amp;lpg=PR3&amp;ots=-huao1DPlo&amp;dq=malchiodi%20art%20therapy&amp;lr&amp;pg=PP1#v=onepage&amp;q=malchiodi%20art%20therapy&amp;f=false">art therapy</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017315581772">arts methods with youth</a>. We then refined the program through research with children involved with the child welfare and/or mental health systems.</p> <p>We receive referrals for the program from a variety of sources, including mental health practitioners, guidance counsellors, principals and teachers, child welfare workers and self-referrals (mostly from parents).</p> <p><strong>Self-compassion, acceptance</strong></p> <p>Discussions about mindfulness seem to be everywhere these days, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-0998-9">some schools</a>. Mindfulness has come under <a href="https://theconversation.com/mcmindfulness-buddhism-as-sold-to-you-by-neoliberals-88338">criticism as it has gained in popularity throughout the West</a>. Some say institutions that use it may encourage or distract people from advocating for systemic change. We understand that systems need to be challenged and changed. In our program, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/41669899?seq=1">we work to assist individuals and groups to cope better with, and challenge, the oppressive or unjust systems</a> in their lives.</p> <p>Since 2009, more than 300 other youth from our community have participated in our arts and mindfulness program. Over a two-hour period, two facilitators lead small groups of participants. Through the activities they aim to help participants work together, learn about themselves and express their feelings and thoughts and practise breathing, self-compassion and acceptance.</p> <p>The drawing by several girls in the program of a brain before and after mindfulness is a wonderful depiction of the benefits of learning mindfulness, <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs12671-012-0123-4.pdf">often defined</a> as the ability to pay attention, purposefully, to the present moment without negative judgements. The power of mindfulness is the ability to make choices about one’s feelings, thoughts and behaviours rather than reacting and acting out.</p> <p><strong>‘Happy awareness program’</strong></p> <p>Creative activities such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-015-0431-3">painting how music makes you feel or drawing yourself as a tree </a>aid in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01609513.2013.763326">identifying and naming feelings, communicating these feelings and thoughts and discovering things about yourself</a> in ways that are effective and developmentally relevant. Belonging to a <a href="https://books.google.ca/books?id=PS42CwAAQBAJ&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=andrew+malekoff&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiV-sfVvOPlAhXqYd8KHe0YCF4Q6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&amp;q=andrew%20malekoff&amp;f=false">supportive group helps youth</a> develop a wide variety of capacities and strengths such as social skills, empathy and self-awareness.</p> <p><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01609513.2019.1571764">Common reported benefits</a> of mindfulness-based interventions with youth often include improved emotion regulation, mood and well-being and decreases in stress and feelings of anxiety. Almost all of the youth we have worked with described the holistic arts-based program as “fun.” One youth suggested we re-name our program the “Happy Awareness Program.”</p> <p><strong>Benefits to mental health</strong></p> <p>In our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017319828864">research</a> with youth admitted to a small in-patient mental health program, we found that youth who participated in the program activities reported that the program was enjoyable and beneficial in that they learned to identify and express what they were feeling, and they could focus better and think in different ways.</p> <p>We interviewed the youth and they shared feedback about their experiences:</p> <p>“I learned that I like doing art and it relaxes me and makes me express myself better.”</p> <p>“Being mindful helps with the anxiety that I have and helps me just focus either on my work or something else that I am doing.”</p> <p>“There are a lot of fun activities that can help you find yourself and find peace within yourself, to relax and catch your thoughts instead of them jumping all over.”</p> <p>There are a multitude of mindfulness-based programs for youth, many of which have been adapted from two well-known programs originally developed for adults: <a href="https://books.google.ca/books?id=fIuNDtnb2ZkC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=full+catastrophe+living&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjajZC_x-DlAhWFhOAKHbMFBakQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&amp;q=full%20catastrophe%20living&amp;f=false">mindfulness-based stress reduction</a>, and <a href="https://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=QHRVDwAAQBAJ&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PP1&amp;dq=mindfulness+based+cognitive+therapy+for+depression&amp;ots=EUEf7xSzr6&amp;sig=ggv0OWhPhIkcN4b0TTInAlEmdEM&amp;redir_esc=y#v=onepage&amp;q=mindfulness%20based%20cognitive%20therapy%20for%20depression&amp;f=false">mindfulness-based cognitive therapy</a>.</p> <p>Two examples of programs for youth developed by clinical psychologists are <a href="https://books.google.ca/books?id=qT6nSwnipiMC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=mbct-c&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiP1s3Y0uDlAhXPmuAKHSMFAX4Q6AEILzAB#v=onepage&amp;q=mbct-c&amp;f=false">Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children</a> and <a href="https://books.google.ca/books?id=fw0A5HETcIAC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=learning+to+breath&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjo1LD40uDlAhWPTd8KHbt7B4QQ6AEINDAB#v=onepage&amp;q=learning%20to%20breath&amp;f=false">Learning to Breathe</a>.</p> <p><strong>Strengths-based change</strong></p> <p>Arts-based activities do not have to be complicated. For example, having group members notice and write down each other’s strengths can begin to shift the negative beliefs youth have about themselves. Developing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00330.x">self-compassion</a> and self-acceptance is an important part of living more mindfully and experiencing well-being.</p> <p>Awareness and expression of feelings can be facilitated by drawing what we call feelings inventories. Such feelings inventories are always unique.</p> <p>Based on our research experiences, we have become strong advocates of teaching mindfulness-based practices and concepts <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01609513.2015.1091700">through the arts</a>.</p> <p>Through this approach, we can make the cumulative benefits of practising mindfulness more accessible to diverse groups of youth — and youth are enabled to express themselves in relevant, meaningful and developmentally appropriate ways.</p> <p>I have learned through <a href="https://www.northrose.ca/northrose-titles.html">my work</a> that change does not have to be daunting. Important learning can take place through experiences of fun and belonging.</p> <p><em>Written by Diana Coholic. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/visual-arts-help-marginalized-youth-learn-mindfulness-and-self-compassion-126149"><em>The Conversation.</em></a></p>

Art

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Why background music “significantly impairs” your creativity

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Psychologists from the University of Central Lancashire, University of Gävle in Sweden and Lancaster University have asked people to complete verbal problems that are believed to stimulate creativity.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is to test whether or not background music stifles creativity.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Participants were presented with three words and were asked to find a single word that when combined, make a common word or phrase. For example, if you chose the word “sun”, the combined word could be “sundress”, “sunflower” and “sundial”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Participants then performed the task while listening to music with unfamiliar lyrics, music with familiar lyrics or instrumental lyrics. The researchers also tested the effect of silence and quiet background noise from a library.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Neil McLatchie from Lancaster University explained that music stifles creativity. He told the</span><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/classic/read-and-watch/news/music-impairs-creativity/10912466"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> ABC</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that the team “found strong evidence of impaired performance when playing background music in comparison to quiet background conditions."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This means that even though you’re listening to your favourite song, it’s still impairing your creativity.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Even music that participants liked or made them feel good still stifled their creative juices.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The research results suggest that music disrupts verbal working memory.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, there was no difference found between quiet background noise and silence.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">McLatchie believes that this was because of the steady state of background noise that doesn’t disrupt verbal processes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For those of you who want to listen to music whilst you’re working away, classical music that makes listeners feel happy has been found to stimulate creative thinking.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do you listen to music whilst working? Let us know in the comments.</span></p>

Music

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The new innovation that allows visually impaired people to "see"

<p>For a local Sydney woman, she loves reading anything she can get her hands on. At first, she might sound like a bookworm. However, she loves reading simply because she was born completely blind and had no idea what it was like to read junk mail and trawl through the adverts looking for a decent bargain.</p> <p>This changed last September, when she received a small device that clips onto a pair of glasses. The device uses artificial intelligence to recognise faces and read text for her.</p> <p>The device, OrCam MyEye 2.0, has completely changed her life.</p> <p>Lisa Hayes explained to <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/wearables/the-breakthrough-of-the-21st-century-how-this-product-changed-a-blind-womans-life/news-story/74f9881ed0f6f87a8797842bd982d1da">news.com.au</a>:</p> <p>“It has got be the breakthrough of the 21st century as far as I’m concerned.”</p> <p>“It’s one of the best things I’ve ever had.”</p> <p>The tech is designed by an Israeli company called OrCam and the device is designed for the blind and visually impaired.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7824337/picture1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ca47348ee3fc4a22aecf5e25c10ac6fb" /></p> <p><em>What the device looks like. Photo credit: OrCam</em></p> <p>On the front of the device, there’s a small camera with real time visual recognition technology. On the back of the device is a small speaker that relays the information into the ear of the user. It’s available in 23 languages.</p> <p>Miss Hayes is overjoyed with the device.</p> <p>“Being totally blind since birth, I’ve never been able to read a print book,” she said. “I can now actually read. I can read medication boxes, I can pick up junk mail.</p> <p>“I feel like I’m part of the real world.”</p> <p>The device has gotten attention around the globe, with Prince William being shown the technology on a historic visit to Israel.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkkFGF3n-9v/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkkFGF3n-9v/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">#princewilliam made a historic visit to Israel, meeting with 4 top technology companies. He met with OrCam Technologies and used OrCam MyEye 2, the most advanced assistive wearable technology, that reads text, recognizes faces, and identifies products for the blind, visually impaired, and people with reading difficulties. #assistivetechnology #blindness #lowvision #OrCam #assistivetech #visuallyimpaired #partiallysighted #blind #lifechanging #visualimpairment #wearabletech</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/orcam_technologies/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> OrCam</a> (@orcam_technologies) on Jun 28, 2018 at 2:43am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The royal was thrilled with the technology, <a href="https://www.orcam.com/gb/article/prince-william-experiences-life-changing-device-for-blind-people/">saying</a>:</p> <p>“Wow. That is absolutely incredible.</p> <p>“That will help many people I am sure. What brilliant tech.”</p> <p>Would you use this device? Let us know in the comments.</p>

Technology

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Caring for someone who is vision impaired

<p><em><strong>Marissa Sandler is the CEO and co-founder of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.careseekers.com.au/" target="_blank">Careseekers</a></span>. Previously a social justice lawyer and researcher for over 15 years, Marissa is passionate about helping people live with dignity and finding innovative solutions to problems.</strong></em></p> <p>There are over 575,000 people who are blind or vision impaired currently living in Australia, with more than 70 per cent over the age of 65 and over 66,000 people who are blind.</p> <p>With stats like this it is highly possible that you may find yourself caring for a loved one whose vision starts to decrease and may unfortunately become legally blind. Here is some information that you will help you care for a person with vision loss from the beginning stages of their diagnosis.</p> <p><strong>Look for the symptoms of deteriorating eyesight</strong></p> <p>It is quite common that a person will hide their poor eyesight from loved ones, they may be embarrassed, in denial or are scared of losing their independence.</p> <p>Look out for physical symptoms including:</p> <ul> <li>Constant red eyes</li> <li>Pain in the eyes</li> <li>Blurring vision</li> <li>Sudden temporary loss of vision</li> <li>Floaters</li> </ul> <p><strong>Other symptoms could be a sign of vision problems including</strong></p> <ul> <li>Depression and anxiety</li> <li>Not wanting to go out, especially at night</li> <li>Nervous behavior in public or crowded places</li> </ul> <p><strong>Start with a conversation about sight</strong></p> <p>As soon as you think a loved one is having problems seeing it is very important that you start to talk about it.  You need to have conversations about their sight often as it will be constantly changing. Make sure you are aware of what they can and cannot see. Check in with them every few months to see what has changed.</p> <p><strong>Make the living environment as safe as possible</strong></p> <p>Use the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://careseekers.respond.ontraport.net/safetychecklist" target="_blank">Careseekers Home Safety Checklist</a></strong></span> and do an audit on each room in the house. Specific things you should do in a home for someone with poor eyesight include:</p> <ul> <li>Making sure the home is free of clutter and unnecessary items, especially in thoroughfares.</li> <li>Make sure lighting is good throughout the house, especially on staircases.</li> <li>Light switches are at the top and bottom of the staircases.</li> <li>There are night lights, as well as easy to reach bedside lights in bedrooms.</li> <li>Arrangement of furniture and large items is consistent throughout the home, so that the layout is always familiar. The same for regularly used items in every room in the home.</li> </ul> <p><strong>A few more helpful tips</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.visionaustralia.org/" target="_blank">Vision Australia</a></strong></span> is the go to organization for information for anyone suffering vision loss. Here are some general tips from them for day to day interactions with people with vision loss.</p> <ul> <li>Address people who are blind or have low vision by their names so they know you are speaking to them. </li> <li>When entering a room let the person who is blind or have low vision know that you have arrived. </li> <li>Do not walk away from a person who is blind or have low vision without indicating that you are doing so - it is embarrassing and frustrating to talk to thin air. </li> <li>In dangerous situations say "STOP" rather than "LOOK OUT"</li> <li>Do not fill glasses or cups to the brim. </li> <li>When directing people use ordinary language and when describing be specific. Do not point, or say "over there". Direct people who are blind or have low vision to their left and right, not yours. </li> <li>When talking, don’t be embarrassed to use the words "look" and "see"; they are part of everyone's vocabulary.</li> <li>Describe the surroundings and obstacles in a person's pathway (remember to look up as well as down). Warn of the presence of over-hangs, such as kitchen cupboards, jutting side mirrors of cars, or trees. </li> <li>When seating people who are blind or have low vision, put their hands on the back of the chair and they will then be able to seat themselves.</li> </ul>

Caring

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Bringing Sydney’s Vivid Festival to the visually-impaired

<p>Vivid might be Sydney’s time to shine, but it’s not only those of us lucky enough to have decent vision who get to enjoy the sights and sounds of this incredible festival of light – the visually-impaired can experience it, too.</p> <p>The festival has enlisted the help of commentator Emma Bedford, who two nights ago took a group of 50 visually-impaired visitors around the city, describing the exhibits to them in great detail. “Behind these pink, bent over tentacles that could reach all the way to the top but they flop forward, the sails are a greenish-blue,” she narrated.</p> <p>It might not sound like much, but for the attendees, it’s the difference between immersing themselves in the city’s most colourful festival and missing out. “I’m very short sighted and have no night sight,” festivalgoer Jaci Armstrong told <a href="http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-13/vivid-sydney-brings-light-festival-to-blind-people/8613170" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">the ABC</span></strong></a>. “But I can occasionally see a little bit of colour."</p> <p>“Without the audio description and the detail that’s provided I wouldn’t be able to tell what’s happening on the sails, and I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the experience of Vivid as others can.”</p> <p>But Vivid isn’t all about the lights. Most exhibits feature strong audio components, and some have even included tactile elements. In fact, the visually-impaired attendees were even given models and tiles from the iconic Sydney Opera House to pass around and get a feel (literally) for the structure.</p> <p>“When we started doing this and passing around the models of the Opera House, people were for the first time saying, ‘Now I know what the Opera House feels like,’” explained the venue’s Accessibility Manager, Jenny Spinak. “It’s really about everyone coming together, feeling part of the community and accessing the arts which otherwise they wouldn't be able to do.”</p> <p>Have you been to this year’s Vivid yet? It runs until June 17, so get in quick if you can!</p>

Art

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Safety tips for the hearing impaired

<p>If you or a family member suffers from hearing loss, one issue you may not have thought to address is that of safety.</p> <p>For instance, for those people who generally wear hearing aids and remove them before bed, one of the biggest issues is that they may not wake up in the night if a fire alarm sounds.</p> <p>You may think an alarm would be loud enough to hear without the hearing aid, but in fact most use a sound with a frequency between 3,000 to 4,000 Hertz, which is often not heard by those with hearing loss.</p> <p>You can buy some safety products that are made for the hearing impaired, such as a special smoke detector. This will send out a low frequency (520 Hz) square wave tone, which can be heard by most people with hearing problems.</p> <p>There are also alarms that include flashing lights or vibrations that can be felt in your mattress, which are ideal for people who are completely deaf or can’t hear at all without a hearing aid.</p> <p>But what about other sounds, like someone breaking in or a person knocking on your door in the night? Some people overcome this by</p> <p>installing induction loops in their house. This helps improve the performance of hearing aids by raising the volume of sound heard.</p> <p>Even modern telephones tend to be compatible with hearing aids and cochlear implants. Other phones offer a speakerphone with very loud volumes for the hearing impaired, voice activation, and accessories such as vibrating wristbands to inform you of an incoming call.</p> <p>Have you ever found yourself in a vulnerable situation due to hearing loss? We would love to hear your story in the comments.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/health/hearing/2016/06/tips-for-going-to-movies-with-hearing-loss/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>How to enjoy going to the movies with hearing loss</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/health/hearing/2016/06/understanding-long-term-hearing-damage/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Understanding long-term hearing damage</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/health/hearing/2016/06/the-dangers-of-single-sided-deafness/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The dangers of single sided deafness</strong></em></span></a></p>

Hearing

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Spanish street artist turns walls into visual illusions

<p>Some artists will splash colours on a canvas. Others mould shapes out of clay. And there are those who choose an entirely different medium to bring their art into the world.</p> <p>Pejac, a street artist from Spain, is one such artist who has developed quite a reputation for creating eye-catching works using unconventional methods.</p> <p>His latest works are a great example of this.</p> <p>Taken from the streets of Paris, Pejac has transformed a series of innocuous looking walls into visual illusions that capture the attention of anyone who passes by.</p> <p>To see all the images, scroll through the gallery above. We’ve featured three of Pejac’s best pieces, and you can see more of his work <a href="http://www.pejac.es/outdoor/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">here</span></strong></a>.</p> <p>Which image is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Facebook / Pejac</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/05/10-gorgeous-photos-from-seaside-towns-in-italy/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>10 gorgeous photos from seaside towns in Italy</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/domestic-travel/2016/05/10-breathtaking-photos-new-zealand-beautiful-roads/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">10 breathtaking photos of New Zealand’s beautiful roads</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/05/aerial-tour-of-beautiful-flower-field-in-the-netherlands/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Aerial tour of beautiful flower field in the Netherlands</strong></em></span></a></p>

International Travel

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13-year-old blind boy gets Australia to finally introduce “tactile banknotes” to help visually impaired

<p>Thirteen-year-old Connor McLeod campaign to get the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to print tactile banknotes has finally paid off.</p><p>The legally blind boy began his campaign last year after he received money for Christmas but felt embarrassed because he could not tell how much it was.</p><p>“I received some notes at Christmas time and I kept having to ask Mum what they had given me,” said Connor, continuing, “I didn't touch notes because it was really annoying and embarrassing that I couldn't differentiate between them, but I could differentiate coins so I used to go around with only coins in my wallet getting stuff from the canteen with them.</p><p>“And then it just sort of hit me that my life isn’t going to be all coins, so I thought I’d better make things a little easier, and easier for others as well.”</p><p>The teenager started a petition, and backed by the Human Rights Commission and Vision Australia, Connor’s campaign received 57,000 signatures. Last November, Connor himself had a meeting with the RBA where he argued passionately and articulately that tactile banknotes were needed for the 300,000 visually impaired people in Australia.</p><p>This week the RBA announced they will add a tactile feature to their bank notes to help visually impaired people tell the difference between the notes.</p><p>Vision Australia advocacy general manager Maryanne Diamond said Connor should be proud of himself for making such a big difference in many people’s lives.</p><p>“What we found in Vision Australia in a recent survey is that 50 per cent of people who are totally blind are telling us that they feel that at times they have been short-changed, or given the wrong change when they’ve purchased something, simply because they can't quickly and easily and effectively distinguish notes,” Ms Diamond said.</p><p><em>Image credit: ABC TV</em></p><p><strong>Related link:&nbsp;</strong></p><p><a href="http://oversixty.com.au/news/news/2015/02/adelaide-fringe-for-vision-impaired/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Adelaide Fringe festival caters to the vision-impaired</strong></em></span></a></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://oversixty.com.au/health/eye-care/2014/11/what-your-family-history-says-about-your-eyesight/" target="_blank">What your family history says about your eyesight</a><br></strong></em></span></p><p><a href="http://oversixty.com.au/health/eye-care/2014/09/six-ways-to-keep-your-eyes-healthy/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Six ways to keep your eyes healthy</strong></em></span></a></p>

News

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Great apps for the hearing impaired

<p>These great apps for smartphones specifically designed to help people with hearing loss will make your life a little bit easier.</p><p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/uhear/id309811822?mt=8" target="_blank"><strong>uHear, free</strong></a>&nbsp;</p><p>uHear lets you test your hearing at a push of a button. You can take three tests – hearing sensitivity, speech in noise and a questionnaire – to determine if your hearing is within the normal range or if you have potential hearing loss.</p><p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/tooloud-pro/id425137981?mt=8" target="_blank"><strong>TooLoud?, $1.29</strong></a>&nbsp;</p><p>This nifty app analyses the sound of any given space and provides a live graph of the decibel level. It will also notify you if you are putting your ears at risk!</p><p><em><strong><a href="/health/hearing/2015/01/sounds-that-damage-hearing/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Related link - Everyday sounds that could be damaging your hearing</span></a></strong></em></p><p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/hearing-loss-simulator/id398352094?mt=8" target="_blank"><strong>Hearing Loss Simulator, $2.49</strong></a></p><p>It’s hard to explain hearing loss to a loved one so let this app do it for you. The Hearing Loss Simulator allows you to choose a specific hearing loss configuration and then listen to sounds as though you have that particular hearing loss. It also includes graphics to show where the common sounds, speech, and individual speech sounds are located for loudness and frequency.</p><p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/soundamp-r/id318126109?mt=8" target="_blank"><strong>SoundAMP, $6.49</strong></a></p><p>Use your smartphone like a hearing aid with SoundAMP. It processed sounds from the microphone and delivers it to you amplified over headphones in real time. There is also the function to adjust the tone to your liking, helping those who have hearing loss in specific tonal areas.</p><p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/tap-tap/id369747181?mt=8" target="_blank"><strong>Tap Tap, $3.79</strong></a></p><p>TapTap helps the hearing impaired respond to their audio environment. It will flash and vibrate when there are nearby noises such as a knocking door, honking car or a home phone ringing.</p><p><strong>Related link:</strong></p><p><em><strong><a href="/health/hearing/2015/02/communicating-with-people-with-hearing-problems/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">How you can help someone with hearing loss&nbsp;</span></a></strong></em></p><p><em><strong><a href="/health/hearing/2015/02/communicating-with-people-with-hearing-problems/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The different types of hearing loss explained</span></a></strong></em></p><p><em><strong><a href="/health/hearing/2015/01/different-types-of-hearing-loss/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">5 reasons to cherish your sense of hearing&nbsp;</span></a></strong></em></p>

Hearing

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Adelaide Fringe festival caters to the vision-impaired

<p>For the first time ever, vision-impaired and blind people had the chance to touch and feel the floats and costumes before the Adelaide Fringe Festival parade last night. &nbsp;</p><p>The parade, which kicked off the festival, consisted of 80 colourful floats and flocks of performers. It’s a spectacle that vision-impaired people had not been able to be part of but organisers hope that the “touch tour” would help the vision-impaired visualise the parade when they listened to it.</p><p>“It's really important because otherwise you wouldn't see anything or know what's happening,” Gloria, a vision-impaired student, told the ABC.</p><p>“It's better to have a feel because then you know what it's like instead of just hearing music,” added her friend Courtney.</p><p>Both student said that the touch tour helped them have a better idea of the parade.</p><p>“The majority of people who have a vision impairment lose their sight, so they've had sight before,” said Gaelle Mellis from Access2Arts who helped organise the touch tour.</p><p>“They might have really enjoyed going to the theatre or the Fringe parade, for example, and they think that they can't do that anymore, that that's closed off.</p><p>“What audio description does, because it's actually describing the visual elements it actually opens that experience up again.”</p><p><em>Image credit: Adelaide Fringe Facebook&nbsp;</em></p><p><strong>Related links:</strong></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/health/eye-care/2014/11/7-habits-that-can-prematurely-age-your-eyes/" target="_blank">7 habits that can prematurely age your eyes</a></strong></em></span></p><p><a href="/health/eye-care/2015/01/signs-of-eye-floaters/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Why you need to be wary of eye floaters</strong></em></span></a></p><p><a href="/health/eye-care/2014/11/what-your-family-history-says-about-your-eyesight/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>What your family history says about your eyesight</strong></em></span></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>

News

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Alcohol consumption impairs night-vision

<p>A swig or two (or more) of any alcoholic beverage can do strange things to our minds and body, but now a new study from the University of Granada in Spain has proven that drinking alcohol also impairs night-vision.&nbsp;</p><p>The study published in the international&nbsp;Journal of Ophthalmology tested the retina-image quality and night-vision performance of 67 subjects after they had consumed alcohol. They were then all breath tested with an evidential breath-alcohol analyser used by traffic police in Spain.</p><p>Researchers found that alcohol consumptions increased a person’s perception of halos – luminous circles – and other visual disturbances at night, while the image quality produced by the eye deteriorated. The ethanol from alcoholic beverages disturbs the tear-film that covers the surface of the eye which can make it difficult for drivers at night to see pedestrians crossing the road, read traffic signs or might even be “dazzled” by oncoming traffic headlights.</p><p>Unsurprisingly, the scientists found that this deterioration of vision is significantly greater in subjects with a blood alcohol content higher than the legal limit for driving, which like in Australia is 0.05 per cent.</p><p>Principal study author and lecturer at the university José Juan Castro said this research shows that people need to be aware of the different condition of night-time driving.</p><p>“Alcohol consumption and low-illumination conditions are factors present in many traffic accidents, hence people must to be made aware of the effects of alcohol consumption, especially on vision,” he said.</p>

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