Educator’s ability to identify students with coordination disorders: A review of literature

According to research 5-7% of the total school population face motor learning difficulties such as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). In addition to that, recent findings regarding comorbidity revealed that specific learning difficulties such as Dyslexia are very often co-exist with movement difficulties such as DCD. School environment seems to be an ideal setting for early identification, assessment and in-school intervention. Therefore, educators’ knowledge regarding DCD and their ability to identify and assess children with movement difficulties are crucial dimensions for an effective interventional management. The goal of the current paper was a review of the relative literature. The findings reveal that, without specific education, the educators have limited ability to recognize children with DCD. Furthermore, research has shown that well informed and educated educators can be very effective in identification and classification of students with movement difficulties. As a result, early intervention strategies can be developed and applied to help the students and their families. A review of the most commonly used identification instruments is also provided

High levels of serum angiogenic growth factors in patients with AL amyloidosis: comparisons with normal individuals and multiple myeloma patients

Summary Serum levels of five angiogenic cytokines were evaluated in 82 patients with primary systemic amyloidosis (AL). Angiopoietin-1, vascular endothelial growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor and angiogenin were higher in AL patients than in controls (n = 35) and newly-diagnosed, symptomatic, myeloma patients (n = 35). Angiopoetin-1/Angiopoetin-2 ratio was lower in AL compared to controls but higher than in myeloma patients. Angiopoetin-2 correlated with cardiac dysfunction indices; however, none of the angiogenic growth factors was prognostically significant. The increased angiogenic cytokine levels observed in AL seem to represent either a toxic effect of amyloid fibrils or light chains, or a compensatory response to organ dysfunction. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd