C-BER - Indexed Articles in Journals

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Browsing C-BER - Indexed Articles in Journals by Author "6322"
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    Cognitive impact and psychophysiological effects of stress using a biomonitoring platform
    ( 2018) Susana Cristina Rodrigues ; Joana Isabel Paiva ; Dias,D ; Cunha,JPS ; Aleixo,M ; Filipe,RM ; 6322 ; 6260
    Stress can impact multiple psychological and physiological human domains. In order to better understand the effect of stress on cognitive performance, and whether this effect is related to an autonomic response to stress, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was used as a testing platform along with a 2-Choice Reaction Time Task. When considering the nature and importance of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) work and the fact that they are subjected to high levels of stress, this study was conducted with a sample of ATCs (n = 11). Linear Heart Rate Variability (HRV) features were extracted from ATCs electrocardiogram (ECG) acquired using a medical-grade wearable ECG device (Vital Jacket® (1-Lead, Biodevices S.A, Matosinhos, Portugal)). Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) were also used to measure perceived stress. TSST produced statistically significant changes in some HRV parameters (Average of normal-to-normal intervals (AVNN), Standard Deviation of all NN (SDNN), root mean square of differences between successive rhythm-to-rhythm (RR) intervals (RMSSD), pNN20, and LF/HF) and subjective measures of stress, which recovered after the stress task. Although these short-term changes in HRV showed a tendency to normalize, an impairment on cognitive performance was evident. Despite that participant’s reaction times were lower, the accuracy significantly decreased, presenting more errors after performing the acute stress event. Results can also point to the importance of the development of quantified occupational health (qOHealth) devices to allow for the monitoring of stress responses. © 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
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    Stress among on-duty firefighters: an ambulatory assessment study
    ( 2018) Susana Cristina Rodrigues ; Joana Isabel Paiva ; Duarte Filipe Dias ; João Paulo Cunha ; 6260 ; 5864 ; 6517 ; 6322
    Background Stress at work has been broadly acknowledged as a worldwide problem and has been the focus of concern for many researchers. Firefighting, in particular, is frequently reported as a highly stressful occupation. In order to investigate firefighters’ occupational health in terms of stress events, perceptions, symptoms, and physiological reactions under real-world conditions, an ambulatory assessment protocol was developed. Methods Seventeen firefighters’ cardiac signal was continuously monitored during an average of three shifts within a working week with medical clinically certified equipment (VitalJacket®), which allows for continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) and actigraphy measurement. Psychological data were collected with a software application running on smartphones, collecting potential stressful events, stress symptoms, and stress appraisal. Results A total of 450.56 h of medical-quality ECG were collected, and heart rate variability (HRV) analysis was performed. Findings suggest that although ‘fire’ situations are more common, ‘accidents’ are more stressful. Additionally, firefighters showed high levels of physiological stress (based on AVNN and LF/HF HRV metrics) when compared to normative healthy population values that may not be diagnosed using merely self-reports. Discussion The proposed ambulatory study seems to be useful for the monitoring of stress levels and its potential impact on health of first responders. Additionally, it could also be an important tool for the design and implementation of efficient interventions and informed management resolutions in real time. Potential applications of this research include the development of quantified occupational health (qOHealth) devices for real life monitoring of emergency personnel stress reactions.
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    Wearable Biomonitoring Platform for the Assessment of Stress and its Impact on Cognitive Performance of Firefighters: An Experimental Study
    ( 2018) Susana Cristina Rodrigues ; Joana Isabel Paiva ; Duarte Filipe Dias ; Pimentel,G ; Kaiseler,M ; João Paulo Cunha ; 6517 ; 5864 ; 6260 ; 6322
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