Occupational Analysis Chapter 6: Determining Required Body Functions (Perception)

Chapter 6: Determining Required Body Functions

Perception (Refer to pages 104 - 107)

• Definition: The brain's ability to recognize and understand sensations.

Auditory Perception

• Definition: The ability to discriminate between sounds, tones, and pitches.

• Functionality:

  • Relies on the brain to interpret signals sent from the environment.

  • Essential for tasks requiring sound distinction between at least two different sounds.

• Example of Context:

  • Attending a lecture (high reliance on auditory perception).

  • Washing your car (low reliance on auditory perception).

Tactile Discrimination

• Definition: The ability to distinguish different textures by touch.

• Functions:

  • Understanding dimensions and physical properties of objects.

  • Requires the brain to interpret tactile sensations.

• Physiological Note:

  • A large number of touch receptors are located on the hands, enabling the manipulation of objects without relying on vision.

Visual Discrimination

• Definition: The ability to perceive and interpret visual information.

• Functions:

  • Discriminating between different shapes, objects, colors, and other visual stimuli.

  • Involves mental processing of detected visual stimuli.

• Physiological Note:

  • The structure of the eye and the optic nerve may be intact; however, the brain may not always interpret visual information accurately.

Olfactory Discrimination

• Definition: The ability to distinguish different smells.

• Functions:

  • May alert us to take action based on detected odors.

• Considerations:

  • Identifying scents that may require action (e.g., smoke, gas, food).

  • Activities that do not require olfactory discrimination (e.g., reading a book, playing a video game).

Vestibular Perception

• Definition: A function of the inner ear that involves mental processing of positional signals.

• Functions:

  • Recognizing:

  • Direction of movement

  • Speed of movement

  • Head position

  • Position of the body in space

• Contribution:

  • Significantly aids in maintaining balance.

Application Contexts for Vestibular Perception

• Positional changes during various activities may include:

  • Picking up shoes from the floor.

  • Getting out of bed.

  • Riding an amusement park ride.

Proprioception

• Definition: The sensory capacity that detects the following:

  • Position of body parts.

  • Muscle length (both lengthening and shortening).

  • Direction of limb movement.

  • Speed of limb movement.

• Note: Vision is not required for proprioception.

Relevance to Activities

• Considerations:

  • Does the activity demand specific movement patterns with or without visual input?

  • Example: Proprioceptive demands are less for simple activities like card flipping in a game of Uno.

Examination Preparation

• Hint for Upcoming Quizzes:

  • Students must accurately spell commonly used therapeutic terms to receive credit.