| 1. |
- Faager, Gun, et al.
(författare)
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Creatine supplementation and physical training in patients with COPD : a double blind, placebo-controlled study.
- 2006
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Ingår i: International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1176-9106. ; 1:4, s. 445-53
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- STUDY OBJECTIVES: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have low exercise capacity and low content of high energetic phosphates in their skeletal muscles. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether creatine supplementation together with exercise training may increase physical performance compared with exercise training in patients with COPD. DESIGN: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 23 patients with COPD (forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV1] < 70% of predicted) were randomized to oral creatine (n = 13) or placebo (n = 10) supplementation during an 8-week rehabilitation programme including exercise training. Physical performance was assessed by Endurance Shuttle Walking Test (ESWT), dyspnea and leg fatigue with Borg CR- 10, quality of life with St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). In addition, lung function test, artery blood gases, grip strength test, muscle strength and fatigue in knee extensors were measured. RESULTS: COPD patients receiving creatine supplementation increased their average walking time by 61% (ESWT) (p < 0.05) after the training period compared with 48% (p = 0.07) in the placebo group. Rated dyspnea directly after the ESWT decreased significantly from 7 to 5 (p < 0.05) in the creatine group. However, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant neither in walking time nor in rated dyspnea. Creatine supplementation did not increase the health related quality of life, lung function, artery blood gases, grip strength and knee extensor strength/fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: Oral creatine supplementation in combination with exercise training showed no significant improvement in physical performance, measured as ESWT, in patients with COPD compared with exercise training alone.
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| 2. |
- Gillberg, Christopher, 1950, et al.
(författare)
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Autism Under Age 3 Years: A Clinical Study of 28 Cases Referred for Autistic Symptoms in Infancy
- 1990
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Ingår i: Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines. - : Wiley. - 0021-9630 .- 1469-7610. ; 31:6, s. 921-934
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Twenty-eight children referred with a preliminary diagnosis of autistic disorder under age 3 yrs were extensively examined from the neuropsychiatric point of view and followed up for several months to several years. A diagnosis of autistic disorder was confirmed in 75% of the cases. A variety of associated medical conditions was identified. It was concluded that autism can be diagnosed in a substantial proportion of cases before age 3 yrs and that the neurobiological background is similar to that seen in older autistic children.
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| 3. |
- Jakobsson, Peter, 1947-, et al.
(författare)
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The frequency of amblyopia among visually impaired persons
- 2002
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Ingår i: Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica. - : Wiley. - 1395-3907 .- 1600-0420. ; 80:1, s. 44-46
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: To investigate the frequency of amblyopia among visually handicapped patients.Methods: The study is a retrospective investigation of all living patients registered in four Visual Rehabilitation Centres in a region in southern Sweden. The area's total population numbered 865,612 persons of whom 11,365 were registered as visually handicapped (with visual acuity ≤ 0.3 in the better eye).Results: Amblyopia was the main cause of decreased visual acuity in one eye in 1.72% (195 of 11,365) of the patients. The average age of the patients with amblyopia was 69 years (9−95 years) and 28.2% of these patients were less than 65 years old (the age for retirement in Sweden).The median visual acuity in the amblyopic eye among these patients was 0.1. The median visual acuity in the nonamblyopic eye was 0.2. The most common cause of decreased vision in the nonamblyopic eye was macular degeneration (39.5%). Bilateral amblyopia was present in 13 (6.7%) of the amblyopic patients. By comparing this study with earlier studies, we can calculate that about 1.2% of the persons with amblyopia 0.3 or lower will eventually become visually handicapped.Conclusion: A small but considerable number of patients who attend the Visual Rehabilitation Centres have amblyopia as a cause of their visual impairment. Since amblyopia can be treated if detected in childhood, later visual rehabilitation of these patients can be avoided or delayed, thereby reducing rehabilition costs for society.
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| 4. |
- Kvarnström, Gun, 1951-, et al.
(författare)
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Is vision screening in 3-year-old children feasible? : comparison between the Lea Symbol chart and the HVOT (LM) chart
- 2005
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Ingår i: Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica. - : Wiley. - 1395-3907 .- 1600-0420. ; 83:1, s. 76-80
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The aim of this prospective study was to compare visual screening at the age of 3 years with screening at 4 years using two different charts.Methods: A total of 478 3-year-old children were tested at four child health care centres (CHCCs). Of these children, 440 were tested again at the age of 4 years. A third group, a control group, consisting of 229 children, was examined only at the age of 4 years. All children were tested with both the HVOT chart and the Lea Symbol chart.Results: Testability rates for 3-year-olds were almost the same with the Lea Symbol chart and the HVOT chart (82.8% and 84.8%, respectively). The corresponding rates for the same children tested at 4 years of age were 96.5% and 97.0%, and for the 4-year-olds not previously tested 92.9% and 92.8%. The mean testing time was somewhat shorter for the Lea Symbol chart in all three groups, but the difference was not statistically significant. The difference in the assessment of visual acuity between the two charts was small and less than 1/10th of a line. The positive predictive value was lower at 3 years (58%) than has previously been found at 4 years (74.6%).Conclusion: Three-year-old children co-operate well in visual acuity testing. However, the examination time is a little longer and the testability rate is about 10% lower than at 4 years. Both 3-year-old and 4-year-old children can be tested equally well with the HVOT and the Lea Symbol charts.
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| 5. |
- Kvarnström, Gun, 1951-, et al.
(författare)
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Preventable vision loss in children : a public health concern?
- 2006
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Ingår i: American Orthoptic Journal. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0065-955X .- 1553-4448. ; 56:1, s. 3-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and Purpose: Does screening/treatment reduce amblyopia and is it worth doing it?Materials: All children (3126) born in 1982 have been followed from birth to ten years. The second study was an investigation of four Low Vision Centers to see how many persons become visual handicapped due to amblyopia.Methods: Up to the age of 4, inspection of the eyes and ocular alignment is performed at the Child Health Care Centers. At the age of 4 years, visual acuity is measured at the centers and at school at the ages of 7 and 10 years. All patients at four Low Vision Centers have been investigated with regard to amblyopia. These patients have not been screened or treated for amblyopia. From these two studies, we compare the costs of screening and no screening.Results: The prevalence of ametropia in the population was 7.7%, and strabismus 3.1%. The prevalence of deep amblyopia (visual acuity ≤ 0.3) has been reduced from 2% to 0.2%. Results from the four Swedish Low Vision Centers showed that amblyopia was the main cause of decreased visual acuity in one eye in at least 1.72% of the patients. The cost for these people is higher then the cost for screening and treatment.Conclusion: Visual screening is effective in detecting visual and ocular disorders. The prevalence of amblyopia is greatly reduced with screening. The benefits greatly outweighs the economical disadvantages of screening and treating amblyopic children.
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| 6. |
- Kvarnström, Gun, 1951-
(författare)
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Visual screening of children in Sweden : epidemiological and methodological aspects
- 2004
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this thesis was to assess the vision screening system and ocular status in Sweden of today, yesterday and tomorrow and to compare the prevalence of ocular disease before and after screening and treatment with special focus on amblyopia.Screening has been defmed by the United States Commission of Chronic Illness (1957) as "the presumptive identification of unrecognized disease or defect by the application oftests, examinations or other procedures, which can be rapidly applied. Screening tests sort out apparently well persons who probably have a disease from those who probably do not". The screening system for eye disorders was introduced in the whole country in the beginning of 1970 and has not been evaluated in a greater area and for a longer period. Neither has an evaluation been done according to WHO's instructions. Amblyopia is the most common cause to visual impairment in one eye. The visual system is developing mostly in the first years of life and it is important to treat amblyopia in early childhood. The three first papers are retrospective studies and the fourth a prospective study. The study group in the first and second paper consisted of all children born 1982 in three Swedish cities from newborn until the age of 10 years. The children have been tested eight to nine times at the Child Health Care Centres and in school during this time. The sensitivity and specificity of visual screening were 92% and 97% respectively. The prevalence of ametropia was 7.7%, strabismus 3.1%, amblyopia ≤ 7 2.9% and organic lesions 0.2%. We compared the prevalence of amblyopia today with the time before screening was introduced in Sweden. This comparison shows that serious amblyopia has been reduced about 10 times with screening and treatment.Loss of vision in the non-amblyopic eye was investigated by studying patients with amblyopia at four visual rehabilitation centres. Approximately 1.2% of the people with amblyopia ≤ 0.3 will eventually become visually handicapped due to lesions in the better eye.Despite visual screening and treatment there are some children left with residual amblyopia. We investigated ways to improve the system by lowering the age for visual acuity examination from 4 to 3 years and at the same time two vision charts were compared. We found that the testability rate for 3-year-olds was almost the same for the Lea Symbol chart and the HVOT chart (82.8% and 84.8% respectively). Testability was about 10% higher at 4 years. The positive predictive value was lower at 3 years (58%) than has previously been found at 4 years (72%).Conclusion: In these studies we have found that screening is justified for the following reasons: visual screening is efficient in terms of sensitivity and specificity and many important ocular conditions are detected in this process; the prevalence of serious amblyopia is greatly reduced by screening and treatment; loss of vision in the non-amblyopic eye is a significant problem, which can be greatly reduced by screening and treatment, thereby saving expenses for the society.The following has been found regarding the design of visual screening: visual acuity testing is efficient in detecting visual disorders from 4 years and up; visual acuity can be tested at 3 years, but with lower positive predictive value; the most widely used charts in Sweden and internationally, the HVOT chart and the Lea Symbols chart perform equally well in visual acuity testing of 3-year-old and 4-year-old children.
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| 7. |
- Lennerstrand, Gunnar, et al.
(författare)
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Screening for visual and ocular disorders in children, evaluation of the system in Sweden
- 1998
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Ingår i: Acta Paediatrica. - : Wiley. - 0803-5253 .- 1651-2227. ; 87:11, s. 1173-1179
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to evaluate the visual screening system in Sweden. We have made a retrospective investigation of the results of screening for ocular disease and visual impairment of all children born in 1982 in three Swedish communities. The records from screening examinations from 0 to 10 y and from diagnostic follow-up at the departments of ophthalmology that the children were referred to were inspected. The data were used to evaluate the efficiency of the Swedish visual screening system. The study included 3126 children. The attendance rate at the 4-y examination was better than 99%. The sensitivity of the 4- and 5.5-y screening examinations was on the average 92% and the specificity was 97%. The average number of false negative cases at 4 y was 5.6 in 1000 (0.56%). With this screening and subsequent diagnosis and treatment, the prevalence of amblyopia at different levels of visual acuity at the age of 10 y was: 0.06% with visual acuity <0.1,0.9% with visual acuity <0.5 and 1.7% with visual acuity < 0.7. In spite of largely unchanged pressure of amblyogenic factors in the population, the prevalence of deep and moderate amblyopia has been markedly reduced by screening and early treatment.
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| 8. |
- Wetso, Gun-Marie, 1955-, et al.
(författare)
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Electude in education – students and teachers challenges implementing a new digital tool for learning. The transition process handling a new tool in a Swedish certified Motorbranchcollage
- 2019
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this R & D project is to utilize the experiences generated when students and teachers handle a new digital learning tool Electude (Simulation-based learning solutions for visual and kinesthetic learners) introduced in a Swedish gymnasium. The objective is to document classroom work; aiming to find in which activities the digital tool is used and what is the challenges for students and teachers in the transition process? Data were collected in observations and questioners (N 76) conversations with students and teachers (N50). Activity theory (Leontiev, 1986) and social constructivist knowledge (Vygotsky, 1981) building is viewpoints.The results showed that the transition to use digital program had some obstacles to overcome. Several imbalances between the top down expectations and the bottom up outcomes became clear. The students had different school backgrounds, home languages, and experience of computers as learning tools. The digital program was based on “self-instruction” questions in Swedish. It was hard to manage for the students. The teachers had a monitor- based overview in the classroom supporting each learner step by step. The students wanted more of teacher training and hands on work in the garage. Students and teachers find it tricky to handle the affordance, instructions were overloaded with information and underloaded with no clear instruction how to make animations in the program to function. A lot of trial and error time reduced students spirit to learning. Time for student interchange was missing they worked in their own past solving questions. Learning in collaboration was lost.
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