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PubMed2006

Relationships of video assessments of touching and mouthing behaviors during outdoor play in urban residential yards to parental perceptions of child behaviors and blood lead levels.

Childrens' touching and mouthing behaviors during outdoor play in urban residential yards were measured using video observations. Descriptions were made of childrens' outdoor residential play environments. Behaviors assessed were used to examine (1) validity of parental responses to questions on childrens' oral behaviors and outdoor play and (2) relationships of mouthing behaviors to blood lead levels (BLLs). Thirty-seven children aged 1-5 years were recruited for 2 h of video recording in their yard and blood lead measurement. Video assessments included hourly rates of hand touches to ground/walking-level surfaces (cement/stone/steel, porch floor/steps, grass, and bare soil) and oral behaviors. Parental questionnaires assessed their child's outdoor activities, behaviors, and home environment. The children were: mean 39 months; 51% male; 89% Hispanic; and 78% Medicaid or uninsured. Twenty-two children had a blood lead measured (mean 6 microg/dl). During taping, all children had access to cement, 92% to grass, 73% to bare soil, and 59% to an open porch. Children had frequent touching and mouthing behaviors observed (median touches/h: touches to surfaces 81; hand-to-mouth area (with and without food) 26; hand-in-mouth 7; and object-in-mouth 17). Blood lead was directly correlated with log-transformed rates of hand-in-mouth (Pearson's correlation, r=0.564, n=22, P=0.006) and object-in-mouth (Pearson's correlation, r=0.482, n=22, P=0.023) behaviors. Parental questionnaire responses did not accurately reflect childrens' observed oral behaviors, play habits, or play environment. These data confirm the direct relationship between hand-to-mouth activities and BLLs and fail to validate parental perceptions of their child's mouthing behaviors or outdoor play environment.

Child Behavior↗
PubMed2005

The 'no-touch' method of intermittent urinary catheter insertion: can it reduce the risk of bacteria entering the bladder?

OBJECTIVE: This in vitro model was designed to determine whether using a no-touch method for catheter preparation and insertion would affect the degree of contamination transmitted to intermittent urinary catheters. SETTING: Northview Laboratories, Northbrook, IL 60062, USA. METHODS: This was a parallel experimental study conducted in vitro at an independent testing laboratory under Good Manufacturing Practices. Six different models of intermittent urinary catheter were tested in triplicate, in accordance with the manufacturer's Instructions For Use (IFU). Gloved hands were contaminated with a known amount of Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli, preparation for insertion was mimicked according to the manufacturer's IFU. The number of bacteria transferred to the catheter was then quantified using a validated technique. The null hypothesis tested was that the bacterial contamination resulting from handling would be the same for all of the catheters. The primary outcome measure was the amount of bacteria, expressed as colony forming units (CFU), recovered from the catheters. The catheter wrappers were sampled to confirm that active transfer of microorganisms had taken place and nonhandled samples served as the negative controls. RESULTS: For both test organisms, the number of bacteria recovered from the catheters was significantly lower (P < 0.05) for the catheters featuring the no-touch design (approximately 5 CFU/plate versus 2.1 x 10(2) to 4.4 x 10(2) for the traditional hydrophilic catheters). The bacterial recovery from those catheters with the no-touch design often fell below the nominal detection limit. CONCLUSION: The results of this study allow the null hypothesis to be rejected; it can be concluded that the no-touch method provides a significant benefit in reducing the potential for external contamination of an intermittent urinary catheter. This result supports the recent recommendations for aseptic intermittent catheterization promoted within the guidelines issued by the European Association of Urologists (EAU).

Bacterial Physiological Phenomena↗
PubMed2001

Biological correlates of Reiki Touch(sm) healing.

BACKGROUND: Despite the popularity of touch therapies, theoretical understanding of the mechanisms of effect is not well developed and there is limited research measuring biological outcomes. AIMS: The aim of this study was to test a framework of relaxation or stress reduction as a mechanism of touch therapy. METHODS: The study was conducted in 1996 and involved the examination of select physiological and biochemical effects and the experience of 30 minutes of Reiki, a form of touch therapy. A single group repeated measure design was used to study Reiki Touch'ssm effects with a convenience sample of 23 essentially healthy subjects. Biological markers related to stress-reduction response included state anxiety, salivary IgA and cortisol, blood pressure, galvanic skin response (GSR), muscle tension and skin temperature. Data were collected before, during and immediately after the session. RESULTS: Comparing before and after measures, anxiety was significantly reduced, t(22)=2.45, P=0.02. Salivary IgA levels rose significantly, t(19)=2.33, P=0.03, however, salivary cortisol was not statistically significant. There was a significant drop in systolic blood pressure (SBP), F(2, 44)=6.60, P < 0.01. Skin temperature increased and electromyograph (EMG) decreased during the treatment, but before and after differences were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest both biochemical and physiological changes in the direction of relaxation. The salivary IgA findings warrant further study to explore the effects of human TT and humeral immune function.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Dominance of touch by vision: generalization of the hypothesis to a tactually experienced population.

It is now held that in conditions where there is conflicting sensory information vision dominates touch. The present study was designed to place boundary conditions on the generality of the hypothesis by comparing the performance of tactually experienced subjects - potters - with university students on a form-perception task in which a square was optically distorted so as to appear rectangular. Subjects examined the square haptically and visually, and matched it by touch or vision. Although potters were more accurate than students when not permitted vision, tactual judgements of both were dominated by vision when they were presented with conflicting information. In a supplementary study longer, more active exploration and emphasis on the necessity of matching by touch had no differential effect. In a third study it was found that a range effect produced by the comparison stimuli could explain the lesser accuracy of the students when they were making haptic judgements. The generality of the hypothesis that vision dominates touch is strengthened by our failure to refute it.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Is there any difference in the effects of Qi therapy (external Qigong) with and without touching? A pilot study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in the effects of Qi therapy without touching or with touching on anxiety, mood, neurohormones, and cellular immune function. Twenty-four healthy male subjects were randomly assigned to either QTN (n = 12) or QTT (n = 12). They received Qi therapy (external Qigong) without touching (QTN) or with touching (QTT). Nonparametric statistical tests revealed no significant differences between the effects of QTN and QTT (all p > .05). Separate Wilcox signed rank tests for each intervention revealed significant effects on anxiety, alertness, depression, fatigue, tension, cortisol levels, and NK cell cytotoxicity for both QTN and QTT, and on neutrophil function for QTN only. These findings suggest that there are few differences between the effects of QTN and QTT. However, the reproducibility of the findings should be tested with multiple sessions, and long-term follow-up tests.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Touch sensitivity through latex examination gloves.

Two studies were conducted to empirically evaluate individuals' touch sensitivity while wearing latex medical-examination gloves. In Experiment 1, three sensitivity threshold measures (two-point, von Frey, and thumb-index finger opposition) were used in three conditions--no glove, best-fitting glove, and ill-fitting glove. No effect of glove condition was found for the two-point measure, but significant effects were found for the von Frey and finger-opposition measures. In Experiment 2, participants attempted to sense the presence or absence of monofilament fibers of different diameters. Glove condition (no glove, best-fitting, and ill-fitting) and touch strategy (active vs. passive) were manipulated for each participant. Although there was no overall effect for glove condition, active touch proved consistently superior to passive touch.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2007

Empathy for pain and touch in the human somatosensory cortex.

Although feeling pain and touch has long been considered inherently private, recent neuroimaging and neurophysiological studies hint at the social implications of this experience. Here we used somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs) to investigate whether mere observation of painful and tactile stimuli delivered to a model would modulate neural activity in the somatic system of an onlooker. Viewing video clips showing pain and tactile stimuli delivered to others, respectively, increased and decreased the amplitude of the P45 SEP component that reflects the activity of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1). These modulations correlated with the intensity but not with the unpleasantness of the pain and touch ascribed to the model or the aversion induced in the onlooker by the video clips. Thus, modulation of S1 activity contingent upon observation of others' pain and touch may reflect the mapping of sensory qualities of observed painful and tactile stimuli. Results indicate that the S1 is not only involved in the actual perception of pain and touch but also plays an important role in extracting somatic features from social interactions.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

The representation of pleasant touch in the brain and its relationship with taste and olfactory areas.

Although there has been much investigation of brain pathways involved in pain, little is known about the brain mechanisms involved in processing somatosensory stimuli which feel pleasant. Employing fMRI it was shown that pleasant touch to the hand with velvet produced stronger activation of the orbitofrontal cortex than affectively neutral touch of the hand with wood. In contrast, the affectively neutral but more intense touch produced more activation of the primary somatosensory cortex than the pleasant stimulus. This indicates that part of the orbitofrontal cortex is concerned with representing the positively affective aspects of somatosensory stimuli, and in further experiments it was shown that this orbitofrontal area is different from that activated by taste and smell. The finding that three different primary or unlearned types of reinforcer (touch, taste, and smell) are represented in the orbitofrontal cortex helps to provide a firm foundation for understanding the neural basis of emotions, which can be understood in terms of states elicited by stimuli which are rewarding or punishing.

Brain↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Healing Touch: a low-tech intervention in high-tech settings.

Healing Touch is a complementary therapy that can be used as a nursing intervention for patients in critical care settings. Use of healing touch may facilitate positive patient outcomes. However, further research is needed to adequately evaluate the effectiveness of healing touch in the critical care setting. The use of Healing Touch in critically ill patients is explored in this article.

Critical Care↗
PubMed2001

Meaning of Ki related to touch in caring.

In an attempt to identify the concept of Ki related to touch within the context of caring, and further, to provide specific information that may lead to culturally sensitive nursing intervention for the population who relate the concept of Ki to touch in a caring situation, a qualitative analysis was planned and carried out. Data was collected using interactive interviews with 19 health care professionals, 4 alternative therapists, 10 inpatients, and 13 healthy adults, and analyzed by the latent content analysis. Ki, the interactive energy flow, and touch, the activator of Ki flow, were postulated from six categories of perceived meanings of Ki related to touch.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Jayne's story: healing touch as a complementary treatment for trauma recovery.

Healing touch has potential as a complementary therapeutic option for trauma recovery. Healing touch and its predecessor, therapeutic touch, effectively and holistically improve physiologic and psychologic complaints, health perception, and well-being. Support for the incorporation of healing touch therapy in the recovery regime of individuals recuperating from trauma is suggested.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The experience of Therapeutic Touch in the lives of five postpartum women.

PURPOSE: To examine the experience of therapeutic touch in the lives of postpartum women. METHODS: Qualitative study of five postpartum women who participated in therapeutic touch for 2 months during home visits that focused on postpartum issues and concerns. The visits were audiotaped and transcribed. Data were coded and classified; linkages between categories were sought. RESULTS: Five themes or essences of the experience emerged: Feeling Relaxed, Feeling Open, Feeling Cared For, Feeling Connected, and Feeling Skeptical. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The women and the researcher experienced many positive emotions during the home visits. Although it is unknown whether it was the visit, the interaction, or the therapeutic touch that helped the women feel cared for, the experience of participating in therapeutic touch seemed to add a dimension of mutual caring that added a special and unique quality to the home visit.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Cytochalasin D blocks touch learning in Octopus vulgaris.

Supraoesophageal lobes in 11 specimens of Octopus vulgaris were split sagitally into two symmetrical halves and isolated by a thin inert mica barrier. Each half-brain is known to control the four arms on its side of the animal and to be able to learn opposite touch paradigms mediated by its four arms. Powdered cytochalasin D was applied directly in each animal to the subfrontal lobe of one half-brain, and both half-brains were then trained to opposite touch paradigms. The cytochalasin treated half-brains could not learn either touch paradigm whereas the control half-brains learned readily. In another set of four animals, cytochalasin D was similarly applied but to the vertical lobe of one half-brain. In this case all the half-brains learned the touch paradigm.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Clinical holistic medicine: holistic sexology and treatment of vulvodynia through existential therapy and acceptance through touch.

Sexual problems are found in four major forms: lack of libido, lack of arousal and potency, pain and discomfort during intercourse, and lack of orgasm. It is possible to work with a holistic approach to sexology in the clinic in order to find and repair the negative beliefs, repressions of love, and lack of purpose of life, which are the core to problems like arousal, potency, and pain with repression of gender and sexuality. It is important not to focus only on the gender and genitals in understanding the patient"s sexual problems. It is of equal importance not to neglect the body, its parts, and the feelings and emotions connected to them. Shame, guilt, helplessness, fear, disgust, anger, hatred, and other strong feelings are almost always an important part of a sexual problem and these feelings are often "held" by the tissue of the pelvis and sexual organs. The patient with sexual problems can be helped both by healing existence in general and by discharging old painful emotions from the tissues. The later process of local healing is often facilitated by a simple technique: accepting contact via touch. This is a very simple technique, where the self-acceptance of the patient is to be promoted, for example, asking the female patient to put her hand on her stomach (uterus) or vulva, after which the holistic physician puts his hand supportively around hers. When done with care and after obtaining the necessary trust of the patient, this aspect of holding often releases the old negative emotions of shame bound to the touched areas. Afterwards, the emotional problems become a subject for conversational therapy and further holistic processing. Primary vulvodynia seems to be one of the diseases that can be cured after only a few successful sessions of working with acceptance through touch. The technique can be used as an isolated procedure or as a part of a pelvic examination. When touching the genitals with the intention of sexual healing, a written therapeutic contract with the patient is highly recommended and a strict ethical code is necessary to avoid malpractice. As about one woman in three suffers from sexual problems, many of which seemingly can be efficiently alleviated by the simple holistic techniques of "holding and processing", it is very important that the holistic physician is also trained to work in the sexual sphere in order to be able to support his patients fully.

Clinical Medicine↗
PubMed2006

Touch sensitivity with sterile standard surgical gloves and single-use protective gloves.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate touch sensitivity and static two-point discrimination of the dominant index and middle finger in 20 anaesthetists wearing no gloves, single-use protective gloves or sterile standard surgical gloves. Semmes-Weinstein filaments were used to measure cutaneous pressure thresholds, and a Two-Point-Discriminator to estimate static two-point discrimination. Wearing gloves significantly reduced touch sensitivity (p < 0.01), but not two-point discrimination. No difference in touch sensitivity or two-point discrimination was found between different types of gloves. The results of our study suggest that the additional cost of sterile standard surgical gloves can not be justified in terms of touch sensitivity.

Anesthesiology↗
PubMed1995

The gentle touch.

This research study, which, because of its small numbers should be regarded as more of a pilot study, investigated the effect that therapeutic touch may have on measurable physical signs of the subjects involved. It also looked at any change this complementary therapy may have made in health perception immediately following the experiment and 1 week later. The design is modelled on that of Quinn (1984), eminent researcher in the field of energy exchange. Therapeutic touch is a misnomer because physical touch is not necessary--it is the energy field that is touched.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Anaesthetists should wear gloves--touch sensitivity is improved with a new type of thin glove.

BACKGROUND: Sterile gloves should be worn for all invasive procedures. However, loss of touch sensitivity when wearing gloves leads to poor compliance among anaesthetists in the UK. Our aim was to investigate whether new surgical glove types, such as extra-thin or latex-free gloves, offer any advantage in touch sensitivity. METHODS: The skin-pressure sensibility threshold of the gloved pulp of the dominant index finger was established in 24 anaesthetists using nine self-made modified von Frey hairs. The range of forces generated by nylon monofilaments was evenly distributed between 0.5 and 17 mN. The gloves tested were latex Biogel standard, latex-free Biogel Neotech, and extra-thin latex Ansell microthin surgical gloves. The different glove types were assessed in a counterbalancing algorhithm, the individual was blinded, and the filaments were applied in random order. RESULTS: The median threshold force to touch was significantly lower for the extra-thin surgical gloves in comparison to the standard latex (P = 0.014) and latex-free gloves (P = 0.001). There was no significant difference between the standard latex and latex-free gloves (P = 0.166). CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated that wearing extra-thin surgical gloves offers increased touch sensitivity. This may improve dexterity when carrying out delicate invasive procedures. Latex-free surgical gloves performed similar to standard latex gloves. Our findings should encourage more widespread glove use among anaesthetists.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed1983

Touching and birthing.

Although humans are mammals, experts have often acted as though we were not, especially in the realm of our need for touch. Psychologists, surgeons and maternity hospitals are among those who have sought to discourage this basic mammalian form of contact and comfort. Yet there is ample evidence that touch is needed in a number of ways at the time of birth, for the months that precede it and for the years that follow. Even those who criticize touch-advocates for overstating the scientific evidence for their case, share their conclusion about the importance of touch at the time of birth.

Animals↗