Familial Bell’s Palsy: A Case Report and Literature Review

Objective. To describe a unique case of familial Bell’s palsy and summarize the current literature regarding possible hereditary influences. Design. Case report. Main Outcome Measures. Clinical exam, CSF analysis, and family history provided per the patient. Results. We report the case of a 58-year-old female who presented with recurrent and bilateral episodes of facial palsy. The patient underwent multiple CSF investigations to rule out a possible infectious and rheumatologic etiology that were all negative. Further questioning revealed she was one of seven family members with a history of unilateral facial nerve paralysis. Conclusion. The sheer number of similar case studies to date suggests that familial clustering of Bell’s palsy is a real, noncoincidental phenomenon. Our case represents a unique and perplexing example of one such family. Familial Bell’s palsy may represent an autoimmune disease secondary to inherited HLA alloantigens or a structural predisposition to disease based on the dimensions of the facial canal

Argonne National Laboratory Reports

This report examines the implications of thee Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977 concerned with provisions designed to prevent the significant deterioration of air quality in areas of the nation where the ambient air is cleaner than the minimum levels required to meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The legislation will affect the economic competitiveness of alternative fuel cycles for the generation of power and will have implications for the future siting of all new major sources of emissions. This paper examines the potential effects of Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) legislation on energy technologies and industrial facilities and, in particular, the possible effects on energy research and development programs of the Department of Energy (DOE)

Interprofessional Education on the Neurology Clerkship for Physical Therapy and Medical Students

Introduction Globally, neurological disorders make up the second most common cause of death and are the leading cause of years lived with disability. Because neurological patients often require multidisciplinary care and future professionals will encounter increasing demands for neurological care, it is important to emphasize education on the interaction between physical therapy (PT) and neurology. Yet there is a dearth of interprofessional education (IPE) learning activities that include neurology clerkship students and physical therapists. Methods We created a 4-hour IPE experience that incorporated hospitalized patients with neurological disorders who were examined at the bedside by pairs of second- and third-year PT students and second- and third-year medical students, followed by a debriefing. Participants completed the Self-Efficacy for Interprofessional Experiential Learning (SEIEL) survey before and after the session. Results Significant pre/post improvements were seen for SEIEL total and domain scores (n = 75, p < .001). Qualitative comments were analyzed; major themes that emerged included a greater appreciation for the other discipline. Students felt the IPE activity was a great learning opportunity to understand roles and responsibilities and communicate with the other discipline. Discussion Students noted significant increases in their ability to understand and explain the importance of interprofessional communication and in their capabilities as health care professionals to work together on an interprofessional collaborative team. This clinical IPE experience can be seamlessly incorporated into the workplace for medical and PT students. IPE activities like this should be encouraged and developed to reach more students and other health care providers

Addressing unprofessional behaviors in the clinical learning environment: lessons from a multi-year virtual, intergenerational, interdisciplinary workshop

ABSTRACTIntroduction Optimizing the clinical learning environment (CLE) is a medical education priority nationwide.Materials and Methods We developed a virtual, one-hour workshop engaging students, housestaff and faculty in small-group discussions of five case scenarios adapted from reported unprofessional behaviors in the CLE, plus didactics regarding mistreatment, microaggressions and bystander interventions.Results Over two sessions (2021–2022), we engaged 340 students and 73 faculty/housestaff facilitators. Post-session surveys showed significant improvement in participants’ ability to recognize and respond to challenges in the CLE.Discussion Our innovative workshop, including scenarios derived from institutional reports of unprofessional behaviors, advanced participants’ knowledge and commitment to improve the CLE