Cataract prevalence in Central-West region of São Paulo State, Brazil

OBJETIVO: A catarata é a principal causa tratável de cegueira e deficiência visual em países subdesenvolvidos. Este estudo foi realizado para avaliar se a catarata continua sendo uma importante causa de cegueira no centro-oeste do Estado de São Paulo. MÉTODOS: Um estudo transversal, de caráter observacional, realizado em cinco cidades da região centro-oeste do Estado de São Paulo, para as quais o centro de referência é a cidade de Botucatu. A amostra estabelecida para este estudo, de forma aleatória, seria composta por 5.555 indivíduos, sendo que foram examinados 4.229 indivíduos (8.458 olhos), ou seja, 78% da amostra pretendida. Os indivíduos foram submetidos a um exame oftalmológico completo que consistia em avaliação da acuidade visual (com e sem correção), tonometria, biomicroscopia, fundoscopia e exame refracional. O diagnóstico de catarata foi dado aos indivíduos que apresentassem opacidade de cristalino na biomicroscopia, de acordo com o Sistema de Classificação de Opacidade do Cristalino II (LOCS II). Olhos apresentando deficiência visual ou cegueira, com a melhor correção e causados por catarata, foram considerados após excluir outras patologias que pudessem causar baixa da acuidade visual (AV). Olhos com deficiência visual foram considerados quando 0,05 < AV < 0,3 e olhos cegos quando AV < 0,05. Indivíduos com deficiência visual foram considerados quando 0,05 < AV < 0,3 e indivíduos cegos quando AV < 0,3, no melhor olho com a melhor correção. Foi considerado o número de olhos com catarata, o número de olhos com deficiência visual e cegueira e o número de indivíduos com deficiência visual e cegueira. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de catarata na população estudada foi de 4,94% (209 indivíduos), afetando principalmente indivíduos com mais de 50 anos (92,34%) e do sexo feminino (61,11%). A catarata foi a causa de deficiência visual para 0,96% e a causa de cegueira para 0,52% de toda a população estudada. CONCLUSÃO: Nossos resultados mostraram que a prevalência de catarata na população estudada é semelhante aos índices de países desenvolvidos.

Fatores associados à realização dos exames de rastreamento para o câncer de próstata: um estudo de base populacional

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Deficiência auditiva referida por idosos no Município de São Paulo, Brasil: prevalência e fatores associados (Estudo SABE, 2006)

O objetivo foi estimar a prevalência de deficiência auditiva referida numa população de idosos de São Paulo, Brasil e verificar os fatores associados, mediante pesquisa transversal, descritiva e quantitativa. A amostra foi composta por sujeitos acima de 65 anos derivada de setores censitários em dois estágios, com reposição e probabilidade proporcional à população para pessoas com 75 anos ou mais. A análise estatística foi realizada no software Stata 10, com dados ponderados, utilizando-se o teste de Rao-Scott e a regressão de Poisson do tipo stepwise backward. Foram entrevistados 1.115 idosos com prevalência de deficiência auditiva referida de 30,4%, maior em idades mais avançadas, no sexo masculino, em sujeitos com doenças osteoarticulares referidas, queixa de vertigem e/ou tontura, deficiência visual referida e com dificuldades para o uso do telefone. O conhecimento da prevalência e dos fatores associados à deficiência auditiva pode auxiliar na elaboração das políticas públicas relacionadas à audição, sendo imprescindível a abordagem deste tema com a população idosa, por conta da importante ocorrência encontrada.

Double-blind comparison of venlafaxine and amitriptyline in outpatients with major depression with or without melancholia

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of venlafaxine and amitriptyline in outpatients with major depression with or without melancholia. This was an 8-week, multicentre, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group comparison of venlafaxine and amitriptyline. Outpatients with DSM-IV major depression, a minimum score of 20 on the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), and depressive symptoms for at least 1 month were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned to venlafaxine or amitriptyline, both drugs titrated to a maximum of 150 mg/day until study day 15. The primary efficacy variables were the final on-therapy scores on the HAM-D, Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and Clinical Global Impression severity scales. Data were evaluated on an intent-to-treat basis using the LOCF method. One hundred and 16 patients were randomized, and 115 were evaluated for efficacy. Both drugs showed efficacy in the treatment of depression with or without melancholia. No significant differences were noted between treatments for any efficacy parameter. However, significantly (p < 0.05) more patients in the amitriptyline group had at least one adverse event. These results should support the efficacy and tolerability of venlafaxine in comparison with amitriptyline for treating major depression with or without melancholia.

Automedicação em oftalmologia

Purpose: To analyze the conditions, consequences and risks of self-medication in patients attended in ophthalmology emergency room at Hospital das Clínicas de Botucatu (UNESP). Methods: Sixty patients who had used any form of self-medication were studied according: age, sex, professional activity, mainly complain, visual acuity (best-corrected vision), who administrated the self-medication (friends/parents, pharmacy clerk, advertisement, or the person himself), sort of medication or product used (eyedrops/ointments/contact lenses), cost (R$), time expenditure to medical attention, ocular complications, risk of visual loss and final diagnose. Results: The majority of patients with self-medication were male (72%). The mean age was 40,9 years (7-77 years). Patients usually used eyedrops that they had at home and delayed 3 days to the first medical evaluation. The most frequently kind of topical eyedrop used was vasoconstrictor (17%). However, many patients even knew what kind of medication they had dropped in their eyes (21%). The great majority of the patients (68%) were exposed to the risk of visual loss. According to our results, self-medication may cause visual complications in 12% of patients, in which, 42% was related to the contact lenses fit without ophthalmologic assistance. Conclusion: The majory of the patients used medication that they had in home. The topical vasoconstrictor was the most frequently used drug, however, they did not know which medication were dropping in their eyes (21%).

Estratégias de ensino para alunos deficientes visuais: A Proposta Curricular do Estado de São Paulo

Strategies and resources are primary to the participation of students with visual impairments in physical education classes. The objective of this study was to plan teaching strategies and resource adaptations focusing on educational inclusion of students with visual impairment based on the activities held in the Curriculum Proposal for São Paulo State. Three steps were outlined from the analysis of the Proposal: 1) identify the subjects for each bimester, 2) analyze the teacher's book in terms of learning situations and their development, and 3) plan educational strategies and resource adaptations. Ten teaching strategies were planned, four new resources were indicated and two teaching resources were adapted for the classes. The activities of the Curriculum Proposal allow strategy planning aimed at the participation of students with visual disabilities together with students without disabilities.

A tecnologia informática como auxílio no ensino de geometria para deficientes visuais

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Educação matemática inclusiva no ensino superior: aprendendo a partilhar experiências

Pós-graduação em Educação Matemática - IGCE

Estudo evolutivo de concepções de crianças e adolescentes sem deficiência sobre as deficiências e suas atitudes sociais em relação à inclusão

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Audiodescrição: um recurso de acessibilidade na televisão digital

Pós-graduação em Televisão Digital: Informação e Conhecimento - FAAC

Prevalence of Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy in a Brazilian Population

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Escala de atitudes sociais em relação à inclusão: versão específica para cada categoria de deficiência

An adequate understanding of social attitudes toward inclusion is part of the study of necessary conditions to the construction of an inclusive education. he aim of this study was to translate and atapt a simple scale used to measure social attitudes toward the inclusion of blind students. From the translation, it was developed a version for each of four disabilities categories: hearing disability, physical disability, intelectual disability and visual impairment. he 637 participants answered a version of this scale and one of the ELASI (Escala Likert de Atitudes Sociais em relação à Inclusão) forms. hese participants were students of several Special Education specialization courses given in the State of Paraná. Most of them were Basic Education teachers. he results indicated a high correlation between the form A ELASI scores and the scores of each of the speciic scale version. In form B there were no signiicant correlations found relating to the visual and hearing disabilities. Moreover, the scale was capable to identify diferences between the disabilities categories. More complete assessments and new studies are necessary to clarify the divergence found between the A and B forms of ELASI.

Escala de Atitudes em Relação à Inclusão: Versão Específica para cada Categoria de Deficiência

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Formação do professor para o uso de tecnologia assistiva

The specialized teachers' training to work in multifunctional resource classrooms still has to reach a satisfactory level. These teachers are expected to keep a set of resources and devices used to teach a wide range of students with different disabilities. That fact leads to reflection by the academic community. Thus what specific content should such training address? This paper aims to analyze the set of resources and equipment in a classroom and infer the teaching knowledge underlying their use. The analysis was conducted by classifying 63 resources and equipment items, which led to three categories: 1) set of materials that do not require academic knowledge; 2) set of materials that require academic knowledge related to any training course for teachers; 3) set of materials that require specific academic knowledge on working with students with disabilities. It concluded that around 36% of the resources do not require academic knowledge to be used; 35% of these resources and equipment require some academic knowledge to be properly handled, and around 29% of these resources and equipment require specific academic knowledge of their content. For instance, a specific training of those resources is necessary for acting with students with severe communication disorders, multiple disabilities and visual impairment or deafness.

Strategies used by the children's education teacher for orientation and mobility of the visually impaired student

This study aims to identify, describe, and analyse strategies used by a teacher to support the mobility of students with visual impairment in various school environments. A female student with visual impairment in Brazil, aged 5 years, and her classroom teacher participated in the study. Their interactions were videotaped, and later, their dialogue and actions were transcribed. Six themes of analysis were elaborated, one for each support strategy used by the teacher. The results revealed that the strategies employed by the teacher often hampered the child’s orientation and mobility. This was probably the result of a lack of assistance by professionals specialised in Orientation and Mobility, as stipulated in Brazilian legislation.