Incorporation of Balance and Vestibular Exercises in a 45-year-old Female with Bell’s Palsy: A Case Report

The purpose of this case report is to determine the effectiveness of balance and vestibular exercises in conjunction with facial strengthening exercises on a patient with Bell’s palsy. By incorporating vestibular exercises into the patient’s therapy sessions, she was able to demonstrate improved single leg stance and self-reported decrease in onset of symptoms with a progression of vestibular exercises. Facial muscle strengthening exercises demonstrated significant improvements in eye closure and smiling but she exhibited little changes in facial symmetry, strength and self-perceived function. The patient reported she was starting to drive and participate in more social events by the 4th treatment session.https://soar.usa.edu/flsafall2018/1006/thumbnail.jp

SARA Plus and Task Specific Training in a Patient with Anoxic Encephalopathy

The purpose of this case report is to describe the benefits of using a task-specific approach and the SARA plus to improve balance and gait in a patient with anoxic encephalopathy. This case demonstrated the positive results of incorporating repetitive, task-specific, and early use of the SARA plus for gait training. With these interventions, the patient was able to ambulate 25 ft and transfer from sit to stand with the use of a rolling walker and minimum assistance. He was also able to maintain static sitting balance for 32 seconds independently and reach 17 inches outside of his base of support.https://soar.usa.edu/flsafall2018/1004/thumbnail.jp

Loneliness and Drinking in an HIV Positive Population

Background: Loneliness is a common outcome in the HIV+ community due to the stigma associated with it leading to social isolation. Studies show HIV+ individuals who experience significant loneliness do engage in risky sexual behaviors. Alcohol use also has adverse consequences in this population, interfering with antiretroviral medication adherence thus an increased likelihood of further risky sexual behaviors. Hypothesis: HIV+ individuals who experience an increase in loneliness will have an increase in hazardous drinking behaviors. Methods: 100 patients from an HIV treatment clinic in Jacksonville, Florida were administered the AUDIT scale to measure drinking habits and UCLA loneliness scale. Descriptive statistics and correlations have been reported. Results: The sample included 67% female, 83% African American with a mean age of 45.2 years. 63% were single and 69% were living with a spouse, partner, children, friends or other family members. Mean AUDIT score was 2.8 (SD: 4.47) with a cut-off value of 8, mean UCLA score was 45 .86 (SD: 4.01). Spearman\u27s correlations revealed no significant relationship between age and loneliness (r=0.175) (95% Cl= -0.13, 0.385); or living alone and loneliness (r = 0.03) (95% Cl = -0.202, 0.208). Further, no significant correlations were found between drinking and loneliness (r= -0.083) (95% Cl= -0.208, 0.200). Conclusions: Participants who lived alone scored higher on the UCLA Loneliness Scale, however the relationship was not statistically significant. There was no significant correlation between loneliness and hazardous drinking. This is contrary to prior expectations that participants who have increased loneliness have an increase in hazardous drinking

Effects of LSVT Big Concepts on Patients with Low Back Pain and a Concomitant Diagnosis of Parkinson\u27s Disease

The purpose of this case report is to identify the effects of LSVT Big concepts on low back pain in individuals with Parkinson\u27s Disease classified as stage I on the Hoehnand Yahrscale.https://soar.usa.edu/flsasummer2018/1009/thumbnail.jp

Discovering What Motivates Student Participation in Service Learning: A Model for Healthcare Educators

Service learning experiences can build skills such as leadership, teamwork, communication, cultural competence, marketing, financial management, conflict resolution, and ethical reasoning. Service learning is a beneficial pedagogy. Therefore, the research question being addressed in this study is how student perceptions and motivation factor into international service learning trips and their impact on physical therapy and occupational therapy students’ current education and future clinical practice?https://soar.usa.edu/flsafall2016/1000/thumbnail.jp

Learning Strategies and Academic Difficulty in Physical and Occupational Therapy Online Education

The purpose of this study was to explore the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) in relation to hybrid-online clinical neuroscience course outcomes in occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) students. OT and PT students self-administered the LASSI during the Spring of 2019. N=34 students (14 OT; 20 PT) completed the LASSI. The scales of Information Processing (r = -0.43;

Neighborhood Factors that Contribute to Alcohol Use and Loneliness in HIV Positive Patients

Background: Neighborhood factors contribute to substance abuse and increased health risk behavior. Alcohol use has adverse consequences as it may interfere with antiretroviral medication adherence. In addition, studies have shown that those who are HIV positive have decreased social network size, limited social support, and social isolation as well as decreased treatment adherence. It is hypothesized that participants with high neighborhood density of alcohol outlets combined with increased feelings of loneliness will be more likely to drink. Methods: Participants included 85 patients from an HIV treatment clinic in Jacksonville. Interviewer-administered measures included the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and UCLA Loneliness Scale. Geographical Information Systems was used to map participant residential area and surrounding neighborhood factors. This study collected cross-sectional, retrospective data. Multi-linear regression using UCLA scores and geographic alcohol outlets availability were used as predictors of drinking behavior. Results: UCLA scores (β = 0.088, p = .012) and number of alcohol outlets (β = 0.040, p = .028) were significant predictors of AUDIT scores. UCLA scores and number of alcohol outlets accounted for 10.4% (R2 = .104) of variance of AUDIT scores. Conclusion: There was co-occurrence of alcohol use and self-reported loneliness among patients currently in treatment for HIV. There also appears to be a relationship with neighborhood factors, alcohol use, and loneliness but further research is needed

Learning Strategies and Academic Difficulty in Occupational and Physical Therapy Online Education

As occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) programs expand across the United States to address a shortage in the health workforce there is a limited understanding of the relationship between learning strategies and academic success in these professions. The purpose of this study was to explore the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) in relation to hybrid-online clinical neuroscience course outcomes in OT and PT students. Thirty-four students (n=14 OT; n=20 PT) self-administered the LASSI during the spring of 2019. The scales of Information Processing (r = -0.43; p\u3c0.01), Self-Testing (r = -0.36; p\u3c0.05), and Test Strategies (r = 0.32; p\u3c0.05) displayed modest statistically significant relationships to final neuroscience grade and cumulative professional grade point average (r = -0.43; p\u3c0.01), (r = -0.30; p\u3c0.05), (r = 0.29; p\u3c0.05), respectively. Some scales of the LASSI appeared to be modestly related to academic difficulty in this sample, however scales were not significantly related to academic achievement. Students who scored highly on the LASSI scale of Test Strategies tended to have higher course performance compared to their peers. Students who rely on certain learning strategies may be at risk for academic difficulty in hybrid-online coursework. Those who scored highly on the LASSI scales of Information Processing and Self-testing tended to have lower course performance compared to their peers. The LASSI may provide OT and PT students a better understanding of learning and study strategies that are related to academic difficulty in online learning

La genética se mete en la agricultura : Talleres de divulgación para estudiantes de escuelas secundarias acerca de los alcances de la genética en el agro

El material tiene como objetivo despertar el interés de los y las estudiantes en temas populares en el área de incumbencia de la Genética, así como generar actividades que estimulen la vocación por las ciencias biológicas en los jóvenes de escuelas secundarias, con énfasis en la conciencia sustentable del medio ambiente. Se busca fomentar el pensamiento crítico respecto de los sistemas de producción agropecuaria actualmente utilizados, con fundamento científico y con criterio de sustentabilidad. Además, poner en debate la vinculación de la Genética con la agricultura, su intervención en el mejoramiento de especies, los aportes de la biotecnología, el uso sustentable en el control de plagas y nuestra responsabilidad como productores y consumidores de alimentos. A través de un lenguaje sencillo y de pocos conceptos que se invita a profundizar, se pretende propiciar la interacción entre docentes universitarios y estudiantes de escuelas secundarias para fomentar la difusión del conocimiento generado en la universidad, tendiendo puentes entre ésta y la comunidad.Cuadernillo elaborado en el marco de un Proyecto de Extensión Universitaria subsidiado por la UNLP. Material de difusión para escuelas secundarias.Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Vegeta

El egreso: ¿el tramo que más se prolonga? : Estrategias institucionales de la FCAyF-UNLP para llegar a la meta final

El egreso es la etapa final para la obtención del título de grado en la Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales (FCAyF) y requiere la realización de un Trabajo Final de Carrera (TFC). Se han observado problemáticas relacionadas al mismo asociadas a la dificultad operativa de planificar el TFC y su reconocimiento como requisito institucional para el egreso, la pérdida de motivación del estudiante, dificultades en la elaboración de estrategias, la necesidad de trabajar para solventar los estudios y la inserción laboral temprana (antes de estar titulado), potenciadas por la desvinculación con la institución que puede llegar a ser casi completa. Tanto la Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP) como la FCAyF, han generado diferentes estrategias de intervención para promover el egreso. En este trabajo, se analizan las correspondientes al Programa de Mejoramiento de los Índices Académicos y las estrategias institucionales de la FCAyF para acompañar al programa: la formación de un equipo de tutoras y tutores para asistir a las y los estudiantes en el tramo final de carrera; la implementación de una modalidad de práctica profesional simplificada; la eximición de la defensa oral obligatoria del TFC y, otras líneas o ejes de intervención enfocadas en la difusión de información. Los resultados evidenciaron crecimientos en la tasa anual de egreso, asociados con las diferentes estrategias de intervención implementadas. Esta realidad manifiesta la importancia de la continuidad en el tiempo de estas políticas institucionales.Secretaría de Asuntos Académico