Neuromarketing and the perceptions of knowledge

The emerging field of neuromarketing reveals that knowledge has plasticity. In other words, different stakeholders, marketing researchers and practitioners, perceive the development and application of neuromarketing knowledge in different ways. Having different perceptions of knowledge is not a new issue, but finding new interconnections between those perceptions is beneficial to knowledge creation and diffusion. The research-practice gap in neuromarketing is briefly discussed and then resolved through the contribution of this commentary, the proposal of a novel Neuromarketing Research Model. The Model interconnects basic research reporting, applied research reporting, media reporting and power processes.

Group perceptions of knowledge management

This paper reports preliminary results of a project investigating how staff in UK organisations perceive knowledge management in their organisation as a group. The group setting appears to be effective in surfacing opinions and enabling progress in both understanding and action to be made. Among the findings thus far are the importance of the knowledge champion role and the state of the “knowledge management life cycle” in each organisation, and continuing confusion between knowledge, information and mechanisms.

'Listen to my madness':understanding the experiences of people with serious mental illness

This article explores the salience of disability theory for understanding the experiences of people with serious mental illness. Drawing on data from a focus group study, we suggest that users experience both impairment (as embodied irrationality) which can, in itself, be oppressive, and also have to manage their lives within a largely disabling society. We outline some of the strategies adopted by users to manage their situation and ensure they access and receive health services, and illustrate how these are a result of the complex relationship between disability and impairment. We suggest that using a framework of the social model of disability provides a useful way of understanding and making sense of the experience of users with serious mental illness. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd/Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness 2005.

Emotions and a Prior Knowledge Representation in Artificial General Intelligence

In this paper a prior knowledge representation for Artificial General Intelligence is proposed based on fuzzy rules using linguistic variables. These linguistic variables may be produced by neural network. Rules may be used for generation of basic emotions – positive and negative, which influence on planning and execution of behavior. The representation of Three Laws of Robotics as such prior knowledge is suggested as highest level of motivation in AGI.

Mental health pharmacists views on shared decision-making for antipsychotics in serious mental illness

Background People diagnosed with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) such as schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder are frequently treated with antipsychotics. National guidance advises the use of shared decision-making (SDM) in antipsychotic prescribing. There is currently little data on the opinions of health professionals on the role of SDM. Objective To explore the views and experiences of UK mental health pharmacists regarding the use of SDM in antipsychotic prescribing in people diagnosed with SMI. Setting The study was conducted by interviewing secondary care mental health pharmacists in the UK to obtain qualitative data. Methods Semi-structured interviews were recorded. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted using the method of constant comparison. Main outcome measure Themes evolving from mental health pharmacists on SDM in relation to antipsychotic prescribing in people with SMI. Results Thirteen mental health pharmacists were interviewed. SDM was perceived to be linked to positive clinical outcomes including adherence, service user satisfaction and improved therapeutic relations. Despite more prescribers and service users supporting SDM, it was not seen as being practised as widely as it could be; this was attributed to a number of barriers, most predominantly issues surrounding service user’s lacking capacity to engage in SDM and time pressures on clinical staff. The need for greater effort to work around the issues, engage service users and adopt a more inter-professional approach was conveyed. Conclusion The mental health pharmacists support SDM for antipsychotic prescribing, believing that it improves outcomes. However, barriers are seen to limit implementation. More research is needed into overcoming the barriers and measuring the benefits of SDM, along with exploring a more inter-professional approach to SDM.

The Perceptions, Attitudes and Practices of Registered Dietitians Regarding Functional Foods

The term “functional food” (FF) has a variety of definitions resulting in term ambiguity. It is unclear Registered Dietitians’ (RDs) understanding and practices about FF. A descriptive, cross-sectional study investigated RDs’ perceptions, attitudes and practices regarding FF. A national random sample (n=1800) of RDs was mailed a FF questionnaire, 385 (22%) responded. Given five definitions from food-nutrition authorities, the majority of RDs did not agree on a definition, although three-fourths (n=292, 75.8%) perceived fortified foods as FF. Registered Dietitians agreed FF could improve health (n=266, 69.1%), prevent disease (n=282, 73.2%) and treat clientele (n=246, 63.9%), however were neutral (41.6%) or disagreed (37.7%) FF were herbs, or equivalent to medicine (32.7%, 49.2% respectively). Most RDs (n=290, 75.9%) ate FF; fewer (n=231, 61.4%) professionally recommended them. Nearly all (n=353) indicated interest in learning about FF. Registered Dietitians revealed inconsistencies between their perceptions, attitudes and practices regarding FF. Professional education is needed to resolve discrepancies regarding FF.

An analysis of the attitudes of dental patients attending general dental practice in Galway

Aim: To describe the patterns of dental attendance and attitudes towards tooth loss of general dental practice patients in Galway. Objectives: 1. To determine the pattern of adult dental attendance in general practices in Galway; and, 2. To examine the oral health attitudes of these patients. Method: Questionnaires were distributed to 311 consecutive adult patients in the waiting rooms of ten general dental practices in Galway, which were randomly selected from the telephone directory. Results: A total of 254 of the 311 questionnaires distributed were fully completed, returned and included in the results, giving a response rate of 81.7%. A total of 59% of dentate participants attended their dentist for annual or biannual examinations compared to 23% of edentate patients. Some 10.5% of medical card holders and 0.5% of non-medical card holders were edentulous. Conclusions: The data from the survey indicated that medical card holders in Galway were more likely to be edentulous than nonmedical card holders. Edentate patients were less likely to be regular dental attenders than dentate patients.

La demanda en salud mental y las respuestas desde los centros de salud mental municipales de General Pueyrredón

El presente trabajo forma parte de la Investigación que realiza el grupo SOVIUC de la Facultad de Psicología de la UNMDP, dirigido por Mg. María Inés Pacenza que indaga sobre las Condiciones y Medio Ambiente de trabajo de trabajadores -psiquiatras, psicólogos, enfermeros, terapistas ocupacionales y trabajadores sociales- en los distintos Servicios Público de Salud Mental de General Pueyrredón Partimos de la hipótesis de que la crisis social y económica producida en los últimos años ha aumentado considerablemente la complejidad y la demanda en salud mental y que las respuestas desde los Centros de salud mental municipales muestran una falta de correspondencia entre lo protocolarizado, las acciones efectivamente hechas y lo recogido en las estadísticas municipales. Se trabajó con técnicas de investigación cuali-cuantitativas. Se parte de una descripción de los centros de salud municipales, en cuanto cantidad de personal y modo de organización. Luego se analizan los criterios de admisión definidos por el departamento de salud mental del partido de general Pueyrredón y finalmente se interpretan los datos obtenidos de las entrevistas semiestructuradas a los agentes de salud, referidas a la percepción que ellos tienen respecto a la demanda de salud en los centros y sus efectos en la actividad laboral, se cruza esta información con las demandas efectivamente recibidas en los centros, según estadísticas municipales 1Los datos con los que trabajamos fueron obtenidos a partir de las estadísticas municipales, los criterios de admisión del servicio de salud mental y entrevistas semiestructuradas, trabajándose a partir de esta triangularización metodológica. Los resultados obtenidos permitirán dar cuenta de las contradicciones expresadas entre las estadísticas y la atención efectivamente realizada a la vez que preemitirán identificar las instancias intermedias que complejizarían la admisión

La demanda en salud mental y las respuestas desde los centros de salud mental municipales de General Pueyrredón

El presente trabajo forma parte de la Investigación que realiza el grupo SOVIUC de la Facultad de Psicología de la UNMDP, dirigido por Mg. María Inés Pacenza que indaga sobre las Condiciones y Medio Ambiente de trabajo de trabajadores -psiquiatras, psicólogos, enfermeros, terapistas ocupacionales y trabajadores sociales- en los distintos Servicios Público de Salud Mental de General Pueyrredón Partimos de la hipótesis de que la crisis social y económica producida en los últimos años ha aumentado considerablemente la complejidad y la demanda en salud mental y que las respuestas desde los Centros de salud mental municipales muestran una falta de correspondencia entre lo protocolarizado, las acciones efectivamente hechas y lo recogido en las estadísticas municipales. Se trabajó con técnicas de investigación cuali-cuantitativas. Se parte de una descripción de los centros de salud municipales, en cuanto cantidad de personal y modo de organización. Luego se analizan los criterios de admisión definidos por el departamento de salud mental del partido de general Pueyrredón y finalmente se interpretan los datos obtenidos de las entrevistas semiestructuradas a los agentes de salud, referidas a la percepción que ellos tienen respecto a la demanda de salud en los centros y sus efectos en la actividad laboral, se cruza esta información con las demandas efectivamente recibidas en los centros, según estadísticas municipales 1Los datos con los que trabajamos fueron obtenidos a partir de las estadísticas municipales, los criterios de admisión del servicio de salud mental y entrevistas semiestructuradas, trabajándose a partir de esta triangularización metodológica. Los resultados obtenidos permitirán dar cuenta de las contradicciones expresadas entre las estadísticas y la atención efectivamente realizada a la vez que preemitirán identificar las instancias intermedias que complejizarían la admisión

La demanda en salud mental y las respuestas desde los centros de salud mental municipales de General Pueyrredón

El presente trabajo forma parte de la Investigación que realiza el grupo SOVIUC de la Facultad de Psicología de la UNMDP, dirigido por Mg. María Inés Pacenza que indaga sobre las Condiciones y Medio Ambiente de trabajo de trabajadores -psiquiatras, psicólogos, enfermeros, terapistas ocupacionales y trabajadores sociales- en los distintos Servicios Público de Salud Mental de General Pueyrredón Partimos de la hipótesis de que la crisis social y económica producida en los últimos años ha aumentado considerablemente la complejidad y la demanda en salud mental y que las respuestas desde los Centros de salud mental municipales muestran una falta de correspondencia entre lo protocolarizado, las acciones efectivamente hechas y lo recogido en las estadísticas municipales. Se trabajó con técnicas de investigación cuali-cuantitativas. Se parte de una descripción de los centros de salud municipales, en cuanto cantidad de personal y modo de organización. Luego se analizan los criterios de admisión definidos por el departamento de salud mental del partido de general Pueyrredón y finalmente se interpretan los datos obtenidos de las entrevistas semiestructuradas a los agentes de salud, referidas a la percepción que ellos tienen respecto a la demanda de salud en los centros y sus efectos en la actividad laboral, se cruza esta información con las demandas efectivamente recibidas en los centros, según estadísticas municipales 1Los datos con los que trabajamos fueron obtenidos a partir de las estadísticas municipales, los criterios de admisión del servicio de salud mental y entrevistas semiestructuradas, trabajándose a partir de esta triangularización metodológica. Los resultados obtenidos permitirán dar cuenta de las contradicciones expresadas entre las estadísticas y la atención efectivamente realizada a la vez que preemitirán identificar las instancias intermedias que complejizarían la admisión

A global effort to advance systems change to address the needs of families where a parent has a mental illness.

As part of the Prato Collaborative I am undertaking a Delphi Study to explore the developmental journeys that nine different countries (including NI and Ireland) have undertaken to better meet the needs of families where a parent has a mental illness in adult mental health and children’s services. This research has potential to impact FFP in adult mental health and children's services.

Mental Health Pharmacists Views on Shared Decision-Making for Antipsychotics in Serious Mental Illness

A qualitative study to look at the views of pharmacists working in mental health settings in relation to shared decision making, particularly as applied to decisions about the prescription of antipsychotics for those diagnosed with severe and enduring mental illnesses.