ELEARNING CURRENT SITUATION AND EMERGING CHALLENGES

This paper aims to present and discuss current, as well as future challenges of eLearning technologies in the higher education institutions and organizations.ELearning has greatly transformed our way of learning by the use of the newly developed technologies and applications. This paper explores the eLearning current situation. After a brief eLearning history, from the earlier 1960’s, with the first generalized computer assisted instruction system PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations) to the 2010's with the development of social media for learning and the MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses). After that, the paper provides a review of the eLearning concept and how it has evolved over the years, followed by a look at the current technologies (from CD-ROMs to Virtual worlds and Game authoring technologies), applications and platforms being used. The emerging challenges are eventually discussed: needs for identifying suitable strategies and understanding the technology and pedagogy integration for effective eLearning implementations referring to pedagogical and cognitive aspects, level of ICT skills for both all the people involved in teaching, total commitment from management for eLearning system operationalization and sustainability, need for software quality frameworks and standards.&nbsp

Amantadine use in the French prospective NS-Park cohort

International audienceObjective: To assess amantadine use and associated factors in the patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).Background: Immediate-release amantadine is approved for the treatment of PD and is largely used in clinical practice to treat "levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LIDs). Its use varies according to countries and PD stages. The prospective NS-Park cohort collects features of PD patients followed by 26 French PD Expert Centres.Methods: Variables used for the analyses included demographics, motor and non-motor PD symptoms and motor complications [motor fluctuations (MFs), LIDs)], antiparkinsonian pharmacological classes and levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD). We evaluated: (i) prevalence of amantadine use and compared clinical features of amantadine users vs. non-users (cross-sectional analysis); (ii) factors associated with amantadine initiation (longitudinal analysis); (iii) amantadine effect on LIDs, MFs, apathy, impulse control disorders and freezing of gait (Fog) (longitudinal analysis).Results: Amantadine use prevalence was 12.6% (1,585/12,542, median dose = 200 mg). Amantadine users were significantly younger, with longer and more severe PD symptoms, greater LEDD and more frequent use of device-aided/surgical treatment. Factors independently associated with amantadine initiation were younger age, longer PD duration, more frequent LIDs, MFs and FoG, higher LEDD and better cognitive function. 9 of the 658 patients on amantadine had stopped it at the following visit, after 12-18 months (1.3%). New users of amantadine presented a higher improvement in LIDs and MF compared to amantadine never users.Conclusions: About 12% of PD patients within the French NS-Park cohort used amantadine, mostly those with younger age and more severe PD. Amantadine initiation was associated with a subsequent reduction in LIDs and MFs