Tuwhera Research Repository

The Tuwhera Research Repository provides sustainable open access and archiving to a broad range of AUT produced research - theses, research outputs and datasets.

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Access status: Restricted ,
Individualising Noisy Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation for Postural Control in Bilateral Vestibulopathy
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) McLaren, Ruth; Taylor, Denise; Smith, Paul; Taylor, Rachael
Bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP) is characterised by bilaterally reduced vestibular function, resulting in gait instability, oscillopsia, and reduced quality of life. Noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation (nGVS) is a promising modality to augment vestibular afferent input and improve postural control, yet clinical translation is constrained by uncertainty regarding optimal stimulation parameters, reliance on optimisation methods that may not reflect the functional limitation of individuals with BVP, and variability in individual responsiveness. The objectives of this thesis were to a) Critically appraise the nGVS literature to identify how stimulation parameters, task, context, and methodological factors shape reported responses. b) Develop a theoretically grounded optimisation framework for nGVS and c) Test the feasibility of the proposed optimisation framework, investigating whether a gait‑based protocol can be used to optimise nGVS parameters in people with BVP. These objectives were addressed through a series of studies including: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of nGVS in BVP, a scoping review of nGVS parameters, a perspectives paper exploring the theoretical constructs of nGVS optimisation, a pilot matched-group observational study examining the spatiotemporal characteristics of gait in individuals with BVP, and a feasibility study using an experimental repeated-measures design to investigate gait as a means of optimisation. The review findings suggest nGVS can produce moderate improvements in postural control in people with BVP. However, considerable heterogeneity across studies in noise waveform, amplitude, frequency band, optimisation method, electrode features, and the electrode-skin interface made comparing findings and determining optimal parameters difficult. A gait-based optimisation framework for nGVS in people with BVP is a feasible means of identifying individualised stimulation settings associated with changes in stability and variability during gait. Responses to nGVS were not uniform across participants and effects did not conform to a single or consistent stochastic resonance pattern. Instead, nGVS appeared to influence postural control in ways that were highly task-specific, context-dependent, and individually variable. Group-level averages may obscure individual responses, and a personalised approach is likely necessary for the translation of nGVS into clinical practice.This thesis advances the field in four principal ways. First, it demonstrates that nGVS has a moderate effect on postural control in BVP, although its effects appear to be shaped by task, context, and signal parameters. Second, it identifies the nGVS parameters most likely to affect neuromodulatory efficacy and provides reporting recommendations to support more rigorous and transparent research practices. Third, it clarifies the biomechanical nature of gait impairment in BVP by distinguishing instability and variability from relatively preserved aspects of pace and rhythm, thereby identifying functionally relevant targets for optimisation. Fourth, it establishes the feasibility of a functionally grounded framework for individualising nGVS using gait-based measures. Together, these findings move the field beyond the question of whether nGVS works towards a more precise understanding of how it may be personalised and applied in rehabilitation. Although considerable work remains to establish reproducible protocols, determine clinical meaningfulness, and identify who is most likely to benefit, this thesis provides a foundation for future work aimed at developing task-specific, clinically meaningful, vestibular neuromodulation.
Access status: Open Access ,
Predictors of Improvement in Personal Recovery and Activity Engagement Among Mental Health Service Users Following a Group-Based Sensory Modulation Intervention
(Informa UK Limited, 2026-10-10) Forsberg, Klara; Sutton, Daniel; Stjernswärd, Sigrid; Bejerholm, Ulrika; Argentzell, Elisabeth
Background Mental health service users often have sensory processing difficulties affecting activity engagement and personal recovery. Since interventions targeting this area are scarce, a group-based sensory modulation intervention was developed. To determine in which settings and for whom this intervention has clinical value, this study aimed to investigate whether sociodemographic and clinical baseline characteristics were associated with improvement in personal recovery and activity engagement. Methods This study included participants from the intervention group (N = 107) of a trial (reg.nr: NCT06432114) evaluating an 11-week group-based sensory modulation intervention in mental health outpatient units. Data were collected at baseline, post-intervention, and at 6-month follow-up. Analysis included descriptive statistics and baseline-adjusted multiple linear regression models. Results Results showed that the absence of a psychosis diagnosis was associated with a higher mean score of personal recovery at post-intervention (p = 0.003), but not at 6-months follow-up (p = 0.826). There were no significant associations between the predictors and activity engagement. Conclusion Most predictors in the models were not significantly associated with improvement across any of the outcomes. This suggests that improvement in personal recovery and activity engagement, following the intervention, was accessible to the diverse group of mental health service users, independent of their baseline characteristics.
Access status: Open Access ,
Potential Harms to Rescuers During Cardiac Arrest Response and Resuscitation: A Scoping Review
(Elsevier, 2026-09-28) Lagina, Anthony T; Dicker, Bridget; Dassanayake, Vihara; Dainty, Katie; Morrison, Laurie J; Bray, Janet; Smyth, Micheal A; Cash, Rebecca; Chung, Sung-Phil; Debaty, Guillaume; Dewan, Maya; Folke, Fredrik; Ikeyama, Takanari; Hansen, Carolina Malta; Hatanaka, Tetsuo; Johnson, Nicholas J; Lukas, George; Masterson, Siobhan; Nishiyama, Chika; Norii, Tatsuya; Raffay, Violetta; Ristagno, Giuseppe; Gavin; Perkins, D; Samantaray, Aloka; Semeraro, Federico; Singh, Baljit; Smith, Christopher M; Vaillancourt, Christian
Background Rescuer safety during cardiac arrest response and resuscitation is an important consideration that may influence willingness to intervene. This scoping review identifies potential unintentional harms to rescuers responding to cardiac arrest and performing resuscitation. Methods This scoping review was reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines. We searched EMBASE, Medline, and Cochrane from inception to June 16, 2026, including all human studies reporting physical harms during cardiac arrest response or resuscitation (compressions, ventilation, defibrillation). Two investigators screened studies and extracted data. Synthesis was guided by Joanna Briggs Institute methods, with narrative synthesis by harm category. Results Twenty studies were included: sixteen provided direct evidence from cardiac arrest or resuscitation, and four provided indirect evidence from elective cardioversion. Of the direct-evidence studies, nine examined infection transmission during CPR, two evaluated electrical exposure from implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) during CPR, two reported physical injuries en route to arrest, and three documented drowning during rescue. Infection transmission rates varied by pathogen but were mitigated by personal protective equipment (PPE). CPR near implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) showed potential for higher leakage. In the four indirect-evidence studies, current leakage to rescuers during external shocks delivered for elective cardioversion remained below safe thresholds. One study reported minor injuries from incorrect opening of locked AED cabinets, and another found that injuries en route to patients were rare (<0.7%). Rescue-related drowning fatalities ranged from 0.02 to 0.08 per 100,000 population annually. Conclusions This scoping review suggests harms to rescuers during response or resuscitation are rare. Fatal harms have been reported during water rescue. Minor harms include unsafe AED removal, current leakage during ICD shock delivery, performing CPR without appropriate PPE, and minor injuries en route to a cardiac arrest. Indirect evidence from elective cardioversion suggests external defibrillation poses minimal electrical risk.
Access status: Open Access ,
Legacies of <i>Pinus contorta</i> Invasions Drive Ecosystem Change in Short Tussock Grasslands
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) Arnst, Elise; Case, Bradley; Buckley, Hannah; Peltzer, Duane
Biological invasions are expanding worldwide, causing negative ecological impacts and economic costs. Plant invasions can alter ecosystem properties as well as biotic interactions, these effects may persist long after the invasive species has been removed, influencing ecosystem recovery. While the impacts of biological invasions and short-term outcomes following their management are widely understood, few studies have considered the long-term outcomes for plant communities. This thesis investigates how short tussock grassland communities in Te Manahuna / the Mackenzie Basin, New Zealand change following extensive invasion and management of the non-native tree species <i>Pinus contorta</i>. By combining space-for-time field observations with statistical modelling I show that soil and plant community legacies persist for at least 16 years following management. Native plant communities are influenced both directly by past invasion and indirectly through altered soil biogeochemistry and competition from non-native grasses. Trajectories are strongly shaped by the original invasion stage, with late-stage invasions resulting in simplified communities dominated by non-native species. By integrating plot-scale data with four decades of aerial imagery to assess invasion and legacy patterns across landscapes, I demonstrate that early management is critical for preserving native biodiversity, that invasion dynamics reflect propagule pressure, and that management outcomes vary with property-level management decisions. These findings provide useful insights for conservation management, informing decisions about the timing of invader removal and the need for additional management to achieve specific conservation goals.
Access status: Open Access ,
No Gamete Donation Should Be Anonymous and Undisclosed
(Elsevier BV, 2025-09-04) Pennings, Guido; Goedeke, Sonja; Hertz, Rosanna; Borges, Edson; Norman, Robert J