From the book designed to support those with dementia to a bipolar study that's confronting stigma, discover the good news stories you may have missed
‘Get Back!’ Book revives The Beatles’ story for fans with dementia
Music is an incredibly powerful force, particularly for those with dementia. It can spark memories, and happy thoughts and feelings, even when so much else has been lost. So, for those who also enjoyed reading throughout their lives, bringing music and stories together seemed like the natural thing to do for one specialist book publisher.
Looking back at… The Beatles is a new book from publisher Cognitive Books, developed in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Society, which focuses on the story of the world-famous band The Beatles.
Using familiar stories, rhyme and rhythm for recall, and illustrations to bring the story to life, each page is designed to be like a story in itself, in order to make the reading experience a relaxing and enjoyable one. With accessibility in mind, there is also an audiobook version narrated by actor Bill Nighy.
Matt Singleton is the founder of Cognitive Books, and author of Looking back at… The Beatles, and shares how his decision to found Cognitive Books came about after seeing his own father, who loved reading, became unable to read as his condition progressed.
“I desperately searched for books that would be more suitable for him to enjoy,” Matt says. “But I came up with nothing. Given my knowledge of dementia, and innovation due to both my masters’ degree in gerontology, and work, I seized the opportunity to solve the problem and that’s how the idea of Cognitive Books was born.”
‘Looking back at… The Beatles’ is out now, and available to order from shop.alzheimers.org.uk
Could internet use actually be good for our wellbeing?
It can be easy to point to the internet as the source of a lot of our problems these days. Comparison traps, information overload, negativity biases, and countless other negative features, are closely associated with our internet culture. But is there another side to this story?
In a new study by the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), that used data from 168 countries, findings showed that those who had internet access, or actively used the internet, reported greater levels of life satisfaction and social wellbeing.
The researchers gathered data between 2006 and 2021 from more than two million individuals worldwide, aged between 15 and 99. They looked at eight indicators of wellbeing, including life satisfaction, daily negative and positive experiences, and community wellbeing. In 85% of cases, there were associations between internet connectivity and wellbeing that were positive. However, in the 5% of cases where it was negative, this experience was most observed among young women aged 15 to 24 – a finding that is consistent with other research, which has found links between increased internet usage and depressive symptoms among young women and teenage girls.
The research comes at a time when governing bodies across the world are looking into new laws in response to concerns about online safety.
Following the findings in this study, the researchers called for lawmakers to consider the data before rushing into any decisions. And while there are still many ways in which internet usage can negatively affect us, with the right guidance and considered safety measures in place, it appears it can be a positive force for many.
Could the discovery of a link between bipolar and hypersexuality help fight stigma?
According to research published in The Lancet Psychiatry, conducted by charity Bipolar UK, there is a link between bipolar and hypersexual behaviour – and the discovery could be key to supporting hundreds of thousands of people in the UK.
In a survey of 1,500+ people with bipolar, 88% of respondents had experienced the symptom of hypersexual behaviour, which suggests this could also impact the majority of the 1 million UK people who live with the condition.
Defined as an ‘unusual or excessive concern with or participation in sexual activity’, researchers explain that people with bipolar may experience hypersexual behaviours as part of hypomania or a manic episode – times when they are more likely to take risks.
But the research is being warmly welcomed by the charity, which believes it will come as reassurance to many who felt guilt or shame around this symptom.
Robot car delivers joy to children in hospital
Undergoing surgery can be really scary, especially for children. But, a team of highly intelligent researchers have developed something that will make the experience less intimidating, and the driving force behind it? A robot car.
According to a study conducted by Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital, six out of 10 young patients who undergo surgery experience stress before receiving anaesthesia. While pharmacological strategies are used to ease this, the side-effects can cause the experience to be more stressful.
Working with the hospital to explore alternative solutions, researchers from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya developed a robot car as an initiative to reduce feelings of fear and anxiety. This innovative product can detect the emotions of the children by their facial expressions, heart rate, and breathing patterns, while adapting to their needs by interacting with them, changing colour, making music, and creating smells.
It was tested in a pilot study of 86 children aged between three and nine from 2020 to 2023, and received positive feedback from both the children and their parents.
Speaking fondly of this, paediatric nurse Carmen Jerez, said: “It gave the children the feeling of control, and having an active role in the process without realising it, in a way that was fun.”
Though it has been put on hold while it awaits funding to develop a new prototype, it’s clear that this technology is capable of revolutionising the wellbeing support of children in healthcare settings.
