• Title/Summary/Keyword: visual impairment

Search Result 251, Processing Time 0.027 seconds

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Unmet Healthcare Needs among Korean Adults with Hypertension (한국인 고혈압 환자의 의료접근성 및 미 충족 의료실태와 위험요인 분석)

  • Oh, Heeyoung;Gil, Eunha
    • Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
    • /
    • v.29 no.1
    • /
    • pp.22-31
    • /
    • 2017
  • Purpose: The purposes of this secondary analysis study was to examine prevalence, risk factors and unmet healthcare needs among adults with hypertension. Methods: A sample of 3,386 adults over the age of 40 with hypertension were drawn from the Korea Health Panel Study (2013). Using SPSS 22.0 version, descriptive statistics including frequency, percentage, chi-square and logistic regression were performed. Results: Results showed that 18.9% of the sample reported unmet healthcare needs with the most frequently cited one was financial burdens (43.2%). The reported experiences of unmet healthcare needs differed by gender, marital status, vision or hearing impairment, memory problem, impaired mobility, subjective health status, total family income, depressive episode and the difficulty in making decisions. The sample participants were more likely to report unmet healthcare if they had vision impairment, low income and perception that their health status as moderate to poor. Those without vision impairment were less likely to report unmet healthcare needs. Conclusion: The identified risk factors of unmet healthcare needs should be addressed which would enhance access both to health care and to resolution of unmet healthcare needs. Since visual ability seems to impact perception of unmet healthcare needs, it may be useful to find ways to address this factor.

Visibility Impairment by Atmospheric Fine Particles in an Urban Area

  • Kim, Young J.;Kim, Kyung W.
    • Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
    • /
    • v.19 no.E3
    • /
    • pp.99-120
    • /
    • 2003
  • Visibility impairment in an urban area is mainly caused by airborne fine particulate matters. Visibility in a clean air environment is more sensitive to the change of PM$_{2.5}$ particle concentrations. However, a proportionally larger reduction in fine particle concentration is needed to achieve a small increment of visibility improvement in polluted areas. Continuous optical monitoring of atmospheric visibility and extensive aerosol measurements have been made in the urban atmosphere of Kwangju, Korea. The mean for fine particulate mass from 1999 to 2002 at Kwangju was measured to be 23.6$\pm$20.3 $\mu\textrm{g}$/㎥. The daily average seasonal visual range was measured to be 13.1, 9.2, 11.0, and 13.9 km in spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively. The mean light extinction budgets by sulfate, nitrate, organic carbon, and elemental carbon aerosol were observed to be 27, 14, 22, and 12%, respectively. It is highly recommended that a new visibility standard and/or a fine particle standard be established in order to protect the health and welfare of general public. Much more work needs to be done in visibility studies, including long-term monitoring of visibility, improvement of visibility models, and formulating integrated strategies for managing fine particles to mitigate the visibility impairment and climate change.e.

Cognitive neuropsychological assesment in pure alexic patient with letter-by-letter reading using fMRl - Single case study - (주변성 난독증의 특성과 대뇌활성화 양상 - 단일사례연구 -)

  • Sohn, Hyo-Jeong;Pyun, Sung-Bom;Kim, Chung-Myung;Nam, Ki-Chun
    • Proceedings of the KSPS conference
    • /
    • 2005.11a
    • /
    • pp.137-140
    • /
    • 2005
  • In this study we investigated the cognitive neuropsychological characteristics and the underlying mechanism in a letter-by-letter reading dyslexic patient after cerebral infarct of left posterior cerebral artery using fMRl, The results of cognitive neuropsychological assesment are visual perception was appropriate, and semantic categorization, picture naming and picture-word matching tasks were above83% correct, respectively. However, she was very poor in lexical decision task. The selective reading impairment is thought to result from the disruption of the left occipitotemporal region included fusiform gyrus. In fMRl results, the activation level increase din the right occipitotemporal region included fusiform gyrus compared with normal group in compensation for left impairment and more increased in pseudo word reading task than word reading on account of familiarity.

  • PDF

A Large Ruptured Anterior Communicating Artery Aneurysm Presenting with Bitemporal Hemianopsia

  • Seung, Won-Bae;Kim, Dae-Yong;Park, Yong-Seok
    • Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
    • /
    • v.58 no.3
    • /
    • pp.291-293
    • /
    • 2015
  • Anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms sometimes present with visual symptoms when they rupture or directly compress the optic nerve. Giant or large ACoA aneurysms producing bitemporal hemianopsia are extremely rare. Here we present an unusual case of bitemporal hemianopsia caused by a large intracranial aneurysm of the ACoA. A 41-year-old woman was admitted to our neurosurgical department with a sudden-onset bursting headache and visual impairment. On admission, her vision was decreased to finger counting at 30 cm in the left eye and 50 cm in the right eye, and a severe bitemporal hemianopsia was demonstrated on visual field testing. A brain computed tomography scan revealed a subarachnoid hemorrhage at the basal cistern, and conventional cerebral catheter angiography of the left internal carotid artery demonstrated an $18{\times}8mm$ dumbbell-shaped aneurysm at the ACoA. Microscopic aneurysmal clipping was performed. An ACoA aneurysm can produce visual field defects by compressing the optic chiasm or nerves. We emphasize that it is important to diagnose an aneurysm through cerebrovascular study to prevent confusing it with pituitary apoplexy.

Effects of Proprioceptive Control on the Balance in Patients With Chronic Hemiplegia (고유수용성 조절이 만성 편마비 환자의 균형에 미치는 영향)

  • Hwang, Byong-Yong
    • Physical Therapy Korea
    • /
    • v.11 no.1
    • /
    • pp.69-74
    • /
    • 2004
  • Hemiplegic patients usually present with difficulty maintaining balance. Balance retraining is the major component of rehabilitation program for patients with neurological impairment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of prorpioceptive exercise program on the improvement of balance in the patients with chronic hemiplegia. Thirty subjects (mean age $57.0{\pm}9.8$) were recruited and the subjects were divided into a proprioceptive group and a visual group. The subjects for the proprioceptive group were participated in the proprioceptive exercise program for 4 weeks, and the visual group were treated visual feedback training using Balance Master. At 4 week follow-up test, Berg Balance Scale significantly improved 1.1 points (p<.01), Timed Up & Go test improved 4.2 second (p<.01), and weight distribution during sit to stand also improved 5.0% (p<.01). As a result of this study, the proprioceptive control approach improved dynamic balance in the patients with chronic hemiplegia. It is suggested that there was no benefit of visual feedback training like as Balance Master when administrated in combination with other physical therapy interventions, compared with physical therapy alone using proprioceptive control approach to hemiplegia.

  • PDF

The effect of articulation therapy using visual phonics to improve the speech intelligibility and vowel space of children with impaired hearing (비주얼파닉스를 활용한 조음중재가 청각장애아동의 말 명료도와 모음공간에 미치는 영향)

  • Shim, Hee-Jeong;Lee, Hyo-Joo;Seo, Chang-Won
    • Phonetics and Speech Sciences
    • /
    • v.10 no.2
    • /
    • pp.85-96
    • /
    • 2018
  • The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of articulatory intervention using visual phonics to improve the speech intelligibility of children with impaired hearing. The subjects of the study were five hearing impaired children. As per the results of the UTAP articulation tests, five phonemes with the most frequent errors were selected for each child and a total of 10 sessions were provided. The methodology involved analyzing vowel space and related measures (vowel space area, vowel articulatory index, formant centralization ratio, and F2i/F2u ratio) before and after the visual phonics intervention. After the articulation intervention, every child's speech intelligibility improved, their vowel space area was widened, the FCR value decreased, and the F2ratio value increased. These results show that the use of visual phonics through symbolic images and hand clues has a positive effect in terms of improving the speech intelligibility of children with impaired hearing.

MRI Findings to Predict Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Preterm Infants Near Term-Equivalent Age

  • Hong, Hyun Sook;Kim, Sung Shin;Park, Ga Young
    • Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
    • /
    • v.24 no.1
    • /
    • pp.30-37
    • /
    • 2020
  • Purpose: Preterm infants are at high risk for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been proposed as a means of predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes in this population. It is controversial whether diffuse excessive high signal intensity (DEHSI) represents damage to the white matter or delayed myelination in preterm infants. This study investigated MRI findings for predicting the severity of neurodevelopmental outcomes and assessing whether preterm infants with DEHSI near term-equivalent age have abnormal neurodevelopmental outcomes. Materials and Methods: Preterm infants (n = 64, gestational age at birth < 35 weeks) undergoing brain MRI near term-equivalent age and subsequent neurodevelopmental outcomes were evaluated between 18 and 24 months of age. The associations of MRI findings and the risk of severe cognitive delay, severe psychomotor delay, cerebral palsy (CP), and neurosensory impairment were analyzed. The associations of DEHSI with risks of severe cognitive delay, severe psychomotor delay, CP, and neurosensory impairment (hearing or visual impairment) were analyzed. Outcome data were evaluated by logistic regression and the Fisher's exact test. Results: There were significant associations between abnormal white matter findings and delayed mental development, delayed psychomotor development, neurosensory impairment, and presence of CP. The presence of DEHSI was not correlated with delayed neurodevelopmental outcomes or presence of CP. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, cystic encephalomalacia, punctate lesion, loss of white matter volume and ventricular dilation were significantly associated with CP. Conclusion: Abnormal MRI findings near term-equivalent age in preterm infants predict adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. No significant association between DEHSI and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes was demonstrated.

The Prevalence of Undiagnosed Presurgical Cognitive Impairment and Its Postsurgical Clinical Impact in Older Patients Undergoing Lumbar Spine Surgery

  • Lee, Young-Seok;Kim, Young-Baeg;Lee, Shin-Heon;Park, Yong-Sook;Park, Seung-Won
    • Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
    • /
    • v.59 no.3
    • /
    • pp.287-291
    • /
    • 2016
  • Objective : Because elderly patients are undergoing more surgeries, the importance of postoperative cognitive impairment (CI) evaluations is rising, especially for spine surgery, which is related to subjective pain. We investigated the prevalence of undiagnosed CI among elderly patients who underwent spine surgery and the impact of CI on postoperative outcomes. Methods : The preoperative cognitive statuses of 129 patients over 65 who underwent lumbar spine surgery from 2012 to 2014 were determined with the Mini-Mental State Examination, and patients with scores under 24 were diagnosed with CI. The patients were then divided into a CI group (n=49) and non-cognitive impairment (NCI) group (n=80). Results : Among the 129 patients, 49 (38.0%) were diagnosed with CI, and 9 (7.0%) had severe CI. The age of the CI group ($72.88{\pm}6.20years$) was significantly greater than that of the NCI group ($69.96{\pm}4.53years$). In contrast, the postoperative visual analog scale scores and performance statuses did not differ significantly. However, postoperative delirium was more frequent and the hospital stay length was longer in the CI group compared with the NCI group (p<0.05). Conclusion : A high prevalence of undiagnosed CI was discovered among elderly patients undergoing spine surgery. The existence of CI was associated with higher rates of postoperative delirium and prolonged hospital stays, which affected clinical outcomes. Thus, CI assessments should be included in preoperative evaluations of elderly patients prior to spine surgery.

Effect of Sensory Stimulation Type on Brain Activity in Elderly Persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment

  • Koo, Japung;Hwang, Hyunsook
    • Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
    • /
    • v.10 no.1
    • /
    • pp.1700-1705
    • /
    • 2019
  • Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is also called as aging related memory damage. Decreased cognitive function due to aging is known to be associated with the frontal lobe. Alpha wave is generated in the dominance in the frontal lobe or a wide range of regions in the brain, it should be doubted that the brain function might be degraded. Objective: To determine the effect of sensory stimulation type on learning and brain activity pattern of elderly persons with MCI. Design: Randomized Controlled Trial (single blind) Methods: Twenty elderly persons aged more than 65 with MCI were randonmized to simultaneous visual/auditory stimulation group (SVASG) and or auditory stimulation group (ASG). Ten peoples were assigned to each group and lectroencephalogram test was performed to individuals. In the electroencephalogram test, electroencephalography of prior to sensory stimulation, and during sensory stimulation were measured to compare brain activity pattern according to the study groups and measurement period. Results: The relative alpha power due to a sensory stimulation type showed that the SVASG significantly decreased in the left frontal lobe and the left parietal lobe statistically compared to those of the ASG while sensory stimulation was given (p<.05). The relative beta power due to a sensory stimulation type showed that the SVASG significantly increased in the left and right frontal lobes, the left and right parietal lobes, and the left temporal lobe statistically compared to those of the ASG while sensory stimulation was given (p<.05). Conclusions: Electroencephalographic analysis showed that the type of sensory stimulation can affect the brain activity pattern. However, the effects were not studied that which brain activity pattern help to improved cognitive function of elderly persons with mild cognitive impairment.

The Status of Health-related Lifestyle in Massage Therapists with Visual Impairment (시각장애인 안마사의 건강관련 생활양식에 관한 연구)

  • Song, Jong Keun;Jin, Haeng Mi;Kim, Jung Eun
    • 재활복지
    • /
    • v.20 no.3
    • /
    • pp.1-16
    • /
    • 2016
  • The purpose of this study was to examine the status of health-related lifestyle according to the degree of disability, length of work, and type of work in massage therapists with visual impairment. A total of 236 visually impaired massage therapists who participated in refresher training in 2015 were participated in this study. Health-related lifestyle in this population was evaluated using validated health-related lifestyle questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed by $x^2$-testing using SPSS version 22.0. There were differences in regular breakfast and snack consumption according to the degree of disability. Massage therapists with shorter length of work more smoked and less consumed breakfast than massage therapists with longer length of work. Lastly, massage therapists who are working at massage parlor were more smoked and less regularly slept, consumed breakfast, and regularly rested than massage therapists who are working in other places. Collectively, degree of disability, length of work, and type of work impact health-related life-style in massage therapists with visual impairment.