A computer and video display based system for training eccentric viewing in macular degeneration with an absolute central scotoma

A new approach designed to establish the most suitable area for eccentric viewing and to teach and train patients with severe age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to use the eccentric viewing technique is described. Using a computer and video display based system, as well as software written specifically for this purpose, we investigated and trained ten consecutive patients with AMD. The patients were 80.1 ± 5.6 years old, on average. All of them had an absolute central scotoma. Mean visual acuity was 0.035 ± 0.016. After 30 min of testing, instruction and reading on the screen, followed by 2.6 ± 0.69 one-hour training sessions, on average, with the low vision therapist, reading newspaper and book texts with the aid of hyperoculars or aplanatic systems and a very short reading distance, the patients achieved a reading speed of 58.9 ± 19.7 words/min, significantly (p<0.001) higher than the initial speed when reading on the screen, 11.5 ± 4.5 words/min.     

开展卫勤指挥员任职培训的教学实践和体会

近几年来,第二军医大学卫生勤务学系承担了大量卫勤指挥员的任职培训任务.通过几年的理论研究和实践摸索,在教学的组织、管理、实施、保障等方面积累了一些经验,获得了一些具体的体会.我们认为要做好卫勤指挥员的任职培训教学必须明确培训目标,科学制定教学方案,精心安排教学内容,做好施训教员的培训,并在教学中注重合理运用教学方法,特别是要做好下部队调研,切实提高教学实效.     

小学生应对同伴冲突自我监控训练的实验研究

目的探索提高小学生同伴冲突应对能力的方法。方法采用2×2因素实验设计,运用自我监控的问题解决模式对106名三、五年级小学生(实验组)进行同伴冲突应对能力的训练,另101名三、五年级小学生为对照组,采用儿童社交问题解决访谈提纲和小学生社交技能教师评定量表于实验前后对两组学生施测。结果经过自我监控训练后,在解决冲突的有效性上,三年级实验组有显著提高(9.58±1.60/8.12±2.36,t=3.846,P<0.01),在解决冲突的适应性上,三、五年级实验组均有显著提高(10.52±1.87/7.96±2.44,t=6.612,P<0.01;11.02±1.65/7.54±2.44,t=9.561,P<0.01);教师评定的结果表明,训练后三、五年级实验组处理冲突的能力均有显著提高(29.35±1.70/26.62±4.66,t=4.063,P<0.01;31.59±2.73/27.59±4.39,t=6.147,P<0.01)。结论自我监控训练是一种有效提高小学生同伴冲突应对能力的方法。     

呼吸电刺激训练对肺功能康复的作用

通过电流和声、光信号刺激，对２０例慢性阻塞性肺疾患（ＣＯＰＤ）患者进行呼吸电刺激训练（ＲＥＴ），结果在ＲＥＴ时呼吸频率和平均吸气流速明显下降，潮气量和吸气间期明显增加，跨膈压增大，氧耗量和能量代谢无明显变化；于ＲＥＴ１５天后ＰａＣＯ２明显下降，ＰａＯ２和运动能力明显增高，肺勇气功能明显改善。表明ＲＥＴ１５天后ＰａＣＯ２明显下降，ＰａＯ２和运动能力明显增高，肺通气功能明显改善。表明ＲＥＴ能使ＣＯＰＤ     

中国内地城市和香港9～18岁学生心肺耐力及肌肉素质的比较研究

为了比较中国内地城市和香港青少年儿童的心肺耐力和肌肉素质，对两地的青少年儿童体质调查数据进行了比较研究。结果发现：内地各年龄组男女生的心肺耐力均优于香港同龄者；香港青少年儿童的肌肉素质除立定跳远外，其他项目的成绩均弱于内地青少年儿童。提示：随着生活水平的提高，应重视青少年儿童对体育活动的参与。     

Procedural memory stimulation in Alzheimer's disease: impact of a training programme

The study evaluates the efficacy of a procedural memory stimulation programme in mild and mild-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD). Twenty basic and instrumental activities of daily living have been selected, and divided into two groups, comparable for difficulty. Ten normal elderly subjects (age 68.0±4.8 years; MMSE score: 28.7±0.9; education: 7.6±3.5 years) were asked to perform the two groups of daily activities and the time required to perform the tasks of each group was recorded and used as a reference. Ten mild and mild-moderate AD patients (age 77.2±5.3 years; MMSE score: 19.8±3.5; education: 7.3±4.7 years) without major behavioural disturbances constituted the experimental group. Patients were evaluated in all 20 daily activities and the time employed was recorded at baseline and after a 3-week training (1 h/d, 5 d/week) period. Five patients were trained during the 3 weeks on half of the 20 daily activities and the other five patients were trained on the remainder. This procedure was adopted in order to detect separately the improvement in "trained" and "not trained" activities, allowing to control better the effects of the intervention. The assessment of the functional impact of the training was directly measured, through the variation of time employed to perform tasks before and after training. After 3 weeks of training a significant improvement was observed for the trained activities, from 3.6 to 1.9 standard deviations below the performance of the normal elderly controls ( P <0.05). AD patients improved also in not-trained activities from 3.5 to 2.7 standard deviations below the controls'performance ( P <0.05). The rehabilitation of activities of daily living through developing procedural memory strategies may be effective in mild and mild-moderate AD patients.     

The efficacy of sports vision practice and its role in clinical optometry*

For years it has been recognised that many sports place demands on vision and particular visual skills. There is much evidence to show that the correction of visual dysfunction such as ametropia and binocular and accommodative anomalies results in improved sporting performance for those sports. More controversial and of special interest is the suggestion that it is possible to train visual abilities of subjects who do not present with traditionally recognised functional disorders of vision. It has been proposed that sporting performance can be improved as a result of this training. However, this review found the evidence to be inconclusive. In addition, there are studies that suggest athletes have better visual abilities than non-athletes and good athletes have better abilities than less skilled athletes. However, it has not been determined whether these superior abilities are innate to the athlete or have developed through practice. A review of the available literature was unable to prove (or disprove) either of these proposals. However, there appears to be enough evidence to warrant further investigation of these questions, in order that the area of sports vision and vision training can be more fully understood. This will enable clinicians to take full advantage of the potential of sports vision practice to assist athletes. (Clin Exp Optom 1995; 78: 3: 98–105)     

The Effect of Acute and Chronic Exercise on Thyroid Hormones in Obesity

Abstract Thyroid hormones were measured before, during and after acute exercise (60 min) or physical training (3 months) in obese women. Thyroid stimulating hormone concentration increased during acute work and decreased immediately after. No changes were seen during the two following days. An increase was seen after ten days as well as after three months of physical training. Thyroxine concentrations showed no changes. 3,5,3′-Triiodothyronine decreased slightly immediately after acute exercise, and after three months of physical training, 3,3′,5′-triiodothyronine (reverse triiodothyronine) increased slowly during and after acute exercise. A negative correlation was found between changes in fasting insulin and thyroxine and a positive correlation between changes in blood pressure and triiodothyronine after training. Lack of agreement in previous reports is probably due to methodological differences such as methods more or less susceptible to fatty acid interference, and thyroid hormones changing differently during acute work and before and after physical training. The duration of the study may also be of importance, even 3 months possibly being too short for attaining equilibrium in thyroid homeostasis.