O significado das ocupações cotidianas: pesquisa e prática

In this article we present the Point of View “The meaning of everyday occupation: research and practice,” by Dr. Betty Risteen Hasselkus, Emeritus Professor of Occupational Therapy at University of Wisconsin – Madison, and author of the book “The Meaning of Everyday Occupation” (2nd ed., 2011). In this text she narrates scenes from her professional practice linked to her understanding of the meaning of everyday occupation as a driving force of the Occupational Therapy practice.Apresentamos na seção “Ponto de Vista” o artigo “O significado das ocupações cotidianas: pesquisa e prática”, escrito pela doutora Betty Risteen Hasselkus, professora emérita de terapia ocupacional da Universidade de Wisconsin-Madison e autora do livro The meaning of everyday occupation (2 ed., 2011). No texto, ela traz cenas de sua prática profissional articuladas a sua compreensão do significado das ocupações cotidianas como norteador da prática da Terapia Ocupacional

Effect of Generating a Semantic Prime: The Impact of Age and Cognitive Impairment

Semantic priming studies, and studies of the generation effect (GE), have provided evidence to support either a structural or functional breakdown of semantic memory in dementia. To determine whether the act of generating an item enhanced its activation in semantic memory, young, elderly, and demented subjects participated in a semantic priming/generation effect paradigm. Response times were recorded for semantically related and unrelated targets presented after either read or generated word pair cues. Results suggested that generating information held little benefit for young or demented subjects in the related condition, although elderly subjects benefited more from generating information than from reading it. Results and implications or theories of dementia and its treatment will be discussed

Performance of Landscape Plants from Yugoslavia in the North Central United States

From 1975 through 1979, 38 new, landscape plant introductions from Yugoslavia were distributed for testing in the NC-7 Regional Landscape Plant Trials. Twenty-seven of these introductions were evaluated for 10 years at seven or more sites, representing a broad range of environmental conditions in the north central United States. For these 27 introductions, first-year survival averaged 71%. Only four introductions had less than 50% first-year survival. Tenth-year survival varied widely among introductions and trial sites. Eight populations were adapted to most trial sites, ten populations were adapted to some sites, and nine populations were not adapted to any site. The most promising and broadly adapted introductions were Viburnum opulus, Pinus sylvestris, and Pinus nigra. Temperature and moisture data from Yugoslavia and from trial sites were used to examine relationships between plant adaptation and climate. Statistically significant. multiple-regression models were calculated that describe the functional relationships of low temperatures and moisture conditions at trial sites with adaptation. The models predict that these plants are best adapted to sites with winters milder than those typical in the north central United States and with precipitation in excess of potential evapotranspiration

Identifying patterns of communication in patients attending memory clinics: a systematic review of observations and signs with potential diagnostic utility

Background Subjective cognitive complaints are commonly encountered in primary care and often result in memory clinic referral. However, meta-analyses have shown that such concerns do not consistently correspond to objective memory impairment or predict future dementia. Memory clinic referrals are increasing, with greater proportions of patients attending who do not have dementia. Studies of interaction during memory clinic assessments have identified conversational profiles that can differentiate between dementia and functional disorders of memory. To date, studies exploring communication patterns for the purpose of diagnosis have not been reviewed. Such profiles could reduce unnecessary investigations in patients without dementia. Aim To identify and collate signs and observable features of communication, which could clinically differentiate between dementia and functional disorders of memory. Design and setting This was a systematic review and synthesis of evidence from studies with heterogeneous methodologies. Method A qualitative, narrative description and typical memory clinic assessment were employed as a framework. Results Sixteen studies met the criteria for selection. Two overarching themes emerged: 1) observable clues to incapacity and cognitive impairment during routine assessment and interaction, and 2) strategies and accounts for loss of abilities in people with dementia. Conclusion Whether the patient attends with a companion, how they participate, give autobiographical history, demonstrate working memory, and make qualitative observations during routine cognitive testing are all useful in building a diagnostic picture. Future studies should explore these phenomena in larger populations, over longer periods, include dementia subtypes, and develop robust definitions of functional memory disorders to facilitate comparison

A Scoping Review of Health Literacy Measurement Tools in the Context of Cardiovascular Health

publishedVersio

Being an informal caregiver for a relative with liver cirrhosis and overt hepatic encephalopathy : a phenomenological study

Aims and objectives: To explore the experiences of being an informal caregiver for a relative with liver cirrhosis and overt hepatic encephalopathy. Background: Overt hepatic encephalopathy is a common complication in patients with liver cirrhosis. It is associated with decreased quality of life for patients, and presents a major burden for caregivers. The involvement of informal caregivers in medical care is recommended, but it has not been clearly described. An understanding of the experience of caregivers is needed to improve the support provided to them by healthcare professionals. Design: A qualitative, interpretative, phenomenological approach was used. Methods: Twelve informal caregivers participated in qualitative interviews. The analysis followed the six steps of the interpretative phenomenological approach. Results: Caregivers' experiences were described using five themes: (1) feeling overwhelmed by their loved one having unexplainable symptoms and behaviours; (2) learning that this and previous experiences were complications of liver disease; (3) becoming aware of the symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy; (4) having feelings of being tied down and (5) experiencing and overcoming obstacles in working with healthcare professionals. Conclusions: This study provides insight into caregivers' experiences and the consequences for their lives. The first occurrence of symptoms was a shock, but receiving the diagnosis was seen as an important step in understanding and learning. Caregivers provide daily assessments of their relatives' conditions, and they feel responsible for medication management. Over time, the caregivers impressively showed how they were able to incorporate their personal experiences into care-giving and to accept more accountability in managing the disease. Relevance to clinical practice: Nurses should acknowledge caregivers as experts in caring for their loved ones. Nurses can assist caregivers in managing an episode of hepatic encephalopathy and can provide individualised interventions to ease the future burden

Occupational therapy in Oman: the impact of cultural dissonance

Occupational therapy theory and philosophy are broadly considered to be based on Western cultural values. In contrast, the application of theory and practice in the Sultanate of Oman, historically based on traditional Middle Eastern and Islamic cultural values, provides a case exemplar, which highlights both paradigmatic differences andcultural dissonance. Drawing on the experiences of occupational therapists working in Oman, this study found that the application of therapeutic goals aimed at patient independence and autonomy were difficult to achieve in an environment where family duty and responsibility for care were highly prized. Dressing and cooking assessments werechallenging, and issues related to gender proved problematic. Therapists found the need to adapt practice to acknowledge these differences, and to adopt pragmatic problem-solving strategies, without resolving the underpinning philosophical contradictions. Occupational therapy in Oman is under-researched; further work is needed to confirm the cross-cultural validity of specific assessments and practice models

Código Cáncer: resultados preliminares

Antecedentes: Los retrasos en la atención de personas con cáncer impactan negativamente su calidad de vida y aumentan los costos al sistema de salud. / Objetivo: Describir las fases del proyecto Código Cáncer y sus resultados preliminares. / Métodos: Se organizaron siete grupos de investigación para: a) entender las causas de los retrasos que enfrentan las personas con cáncer en México, sus trayectorias y costos asociados; b) conocer los mecanismos de referencia formales e informales que constituyen su trayectoria en el sistema de salud, y c) entender la infraestructura existente y la necesaria para responder a las necesidades epidemiológicas del país. / Resultados: Estos resultados sientan las bases para la implementación de un programa de referencia rápida de pacientes. / Conclusión: Las políticas de diagnóstico y tratamiento oportuno del cáncer basadas en la evidencia son imprescindibles para atender los retrasos en la atención. Código Cáncer representa un proyecto innovador para lograr este objetivo en México

Age-related changes to motor synergies in multi-joint and multi-finger manipulative skills: a meta-analysis

Purpose The aim of the current meta-analysis was to examine the extent to which there are differences in upper extremity motor synergies across different age groups in manipulative tasks. Methods The studies that used the uncontrolled manifold method to examine the effect of age on motor synergies in multijoint and multi-finger tasks were selected. Sixteen relevant studies from 1154 articles were selected for the meta-analysis—4 and 12 studies considered multi-joint kinematics and multi-finger kinetic tasks respectively. Results The results of the meta-analysis suggested reduced strength of synergies in multi-finger task in older adults, but this was not the case for synergies in multi-joint task. Part of this age-related difference in finger function is related to the increased variability in total force in grasping tasks. However, reductions in the strength of multi-finger synergies in hand functions following ageing appear to depend on the characteristics of the task. Conclusions These findings indicate that the cooperation among fingers to stabilise the total required force to apply for grasping and other fine motor skills is less efficient in older adults that might affect the quality of manipulative tasks