Contributions of Medieval Islamic Physicians to the History of Tracheostomy.
Contributions of Medieval Islamic Physicians to the History of Tracheostomy.
Anesth Analg. 2013 Mar 14;
Golzari SE, Khan ZH, Ghabili K, Hosseinzadeh H, Soleimanpour H, Azarfarin R, Mahmoodpoor A, Aslanabadi S, Ansarin K
Tracheostomy was first described by Greco-Roman physicians, including Paulus of Aegina. Medieval Islamic clinicians extended the Greco-Roman ideas with substantial contributions to the field of surgery, including tracheostomy. Although Al-Zahrawi (936-1013 CE) stated that he had not heard or read of any Islamic physicians having performed tracheostomy, there is evidence that many prominent Islamic surgeons did practice this lifesaving procedure during medieval times. Throughout the Islamic Golden Age, Muslim physicians advanced the practice of tracheostomy with many modifications of the procedure, instrumentation, and adjuvant medicinal prescriptions. HubMed – rehab
Neurodevelopmental and psychiatric issues in Down’s syndrome: assessment and intervention.
Psychiatr Genet. 2013 Mar 12;
Vicari S, Pontillo M, Armando M
Down’s syndrome (DS) is the most frequent genetic cause of intellectual disability and patients with DS show significant psychopathology (18-23%). Moreover, individuals with DS often show a cognitive decline associated with ageing characterized by a deterioration in memory, language and cognitive functioning. According to these relevant findings, an overview is presented of state-of-the-art knowledge of the neurocognitive, neurobiological and psychopathological profile, assessment and treatment of patients with DS. The linguistic characteristics of DS develop differently along distinct developmental trajectories. Thus, for example, morphosyntax deficit, especially in production, is more evident in adolescence than in early childhood and lexicon is usually better preserved in all ages (at least in comprehension). So far, rehabilitation is the only effective approach for improving cognitive and linguistic abilities. However, ongoing preliminary reports on other approaches such as transmagnetic stimulation or drugs suggest alternative or integrative treatment for the future. Individuals with DS show typical organization of brain structures related to some cognitive abilities, such as reduced volume in frontal and prefrontal areas, which is related to poor executive and linguistic abilities. They also frequently show psychiatric disorders such as externalizing disorders as well as depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Nevertheless, as for other genetic syndrome with intellectual disability, there is a significant lack of research specifically focused on treatments of psychiatric and behavioural problems in DS. This is true both for psychosocial and for pharmacological interventions. HubMed – rehab
Digital reader vs print media: the role of digital technology in reading accuracy in age-related macular degeneration.
Eye (Lond). 2013 Mar 15;
Gill K, Mao A, Powell AM, Sheidow T
PurposeTo compare patient satisfaction, reading accuracy, and reading speed between digital e-readers (Sony eReader, Apple iPad) and standard paper/print media for patients with stable wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).MethodsPatients recruited for the study were patients with stable wet AMD, in one or both eyes, who would benefit from a low-vision aid. The selected text sizes by patients reflected the spectrum of low vision in regard to their macular disease. Stability of macular degeneration was assessed on a clinical examination with stable visual acuity. Patients recruited for the study were assessed for reading speeds on both digital readers and standard paper text. Standardized and validated texts for reading speeds were used. Font sizes in the study reflected a spectrum from newsprint to large print books. Patients started with the smallest print size they could read on the standardized paper text. They then used digital readers to read the same size standardized text. Reading speed was calculated as words per minute by the formula (correctly read words/reading time (s)·60). The visual analog scale was completed by patients after reading each passage. These included their assessment on ‘ease of use’ and ‘clarity of print’ for each device and the print paper.ResultsA total of 27 patients were used in the study. Patients consistently read faster (P<0.0003) on the Apple iPad with larger text sizes (size 24 or greater) when compared with paper, and also on the paper compared with the Sony eReader (P<0.03) in all text group sizes. Patients chose the iPad to have the best clarity and the print paper as the easiest to use.ConclusionsThis study has demonstrated that digital devices may have a use in visual rehabilitation for low-vision patients. Devices that have larger display screens and offer high contrast ratios will benefit AMD patients who require larger texts to read.Eye advance online publication, 15 March 2013; doi:10.1038/eye.2013.14. HubMed – rehab