Mayla Myrina Bianchim Monteiro

A atenção fonoaudiólogica e a linguagem escrita de pessoas com baixa visão: estudo exploratório

The aim of this study was to: understand how people with acquired low vision (subnormal vision) used written language in daily living and to recommend speech and language pathology therapy during the process. A descriptive/exploratory study was conducted in order to build a data collection instrument. The sample was composed of subjects with low vision who attended Cepre / FCM / Unicamp in 2008. A questionnaire was applied during an interview, during which time the following variables were investigated: personal characteristics, use of assistive technology in reading and writing, reasons for performing reading and writing activities and the frequency of reading and writing after having acquired the visual loss. The sample was made up of 8 subjects with acquired low vision. The mean age was 47 years, of which 75,0% were males. Most of the subjects (62,5%) declared they used optical aids to read. All reported they used non-optical aids to read. The results showed that the subjects reported that they used to read to get information on topics 1 Mestrado pelo Programa de Pos-Graduacao Saude, Interdisciplinaridade e Reabilitacao do Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas em Reabilitacao (CEPRE) da Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). maylamonteiro@gmail.com 2 Professora Doutora em Ciencias Medicas, Area de Concentracao-Oftalmologia; Docente da Graduacao em Fonoaudiologia e do Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas em Reabilitacao (CEPRE) da Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). rcietto@fcm.unicamp.br 3 Professora Doutora em Ciencias Medicas. Docente da Graduacao em Fonoaudiologia e do Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas em Reabilitacao (CEPRE) da Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). gasparetto@fcm.unicamp.br

Avaliação da autonomia em atividades de leitura e escrita de idosos com baixa visão em intervenção fonoaudiológica: resultados preliminares

INTRODUCAO: A autonomia e a independencia, gerando melhora na qualidade de vida, vem sendo objeto de estudos nos ultimos anos, com a crescente taxa de envelhecimento da populacao, despertando tambem o interesse da area oftalmologica, fonoaudiologica e de reabilitacao. OBJETIVO: Conhecer as caracteristicas desta populacao e avaliar os resultados dos aspectos visuais e de leitura e escrita em idosos com baixa visao, pre e pos-intervencao fonoaudiologica. METODO: Realizou-se estudo descritivo e transversal, avaliando-se 23 sujeitos com baixa visao adquirida, atendidos no ambulatorio de Visao Subnormal do Hospital de Clinicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (VSN-HC-UNICAMP). O questionario foi aplicado antes e apos a intervencao fonoaudiologica, com duracao de tres encontros. RESULTADOS: A principal doenca ocular encontrada foi o glaucoma (47,8%). Quinze pacientes (65,2%) relataram usar algum tipo de auxilio optico, dentre eles oculos, lupa, telelupa e regua lupa. Antes de participar dos encontros, 34,8% dos sujeitos (n=8) relataram nao usar a leitura nem a escrita apos a perda visual. Depois de participarem dos encontros, 50,0% (n=4) dos que relataram nao mais usar a leitura e a escrita voltaram a utiliza-las. CONCLUSAO: Apos a intervencao fonoaudiologica, verificaram-se melhora e frequencia de realizacao das atividades de leitura e escrita. A importância das acoes de reabilitacao esta relacionada a promocao da independencia e autonomia para os idosos deficientes visuais.

The effects of therapeutic intervention on quality of life and use of optical devices for older individuals

Traumatic isolated sixth cranial nerve palsy is a rare condition that has been reported to be as low as 1% to 2, 7% following traumatic brain injury. The sixth nerve innervates the ipsilateral lateral rectus which abducts the eye. Isolated loss of lateral gaze with no other cranial nerve signs and muscular entrapment is thought to be resulted from an injury to the peripheral nerve along its course from the brain stem to the lateral rectus. We presented a case of traumatic isolated unilateral sixth cranial nerve palsy in a female patient with diplopia and restriction left eye movement to lateral following head trauma after accident. Head Computed Tomography (CT) scan showed left frontal bone fracture involving the lateral wall of the orbit and also left retro orbital hemorrhage with no other lesions noted in the brain. Eye examination revealed isolated sixth cranial nerve palsy with normal vision of both eyes. Here we discussed about the possible mechanism, differential diagnosis and also management of the patient. Department of Ophthalmology, Saiful Anwar Hospital – Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia. *Corresponding author Vierlia, Wino Vrieda, Department of Ophthalmology, Saiful Anwar Hospital Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia, E-mail: vrieda_v@yahoo.com. Submitted: 09 Feb 2017; Accepted: 02 Mar 2017; Published: 07 Mar 2017

Life quality of low-vision elderly people: before and after hearing and speech intervention

Aim: To evaluate life quality of elderly people with acquired low vision before and after hearing and speech intervention. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study was made with 52 elderly people with acquired low vision. Two questionnaires that measures life quality were used in this study. The first was ‘Low Quality of Life Vision (LVQOL)’ and the second the ‘National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEIVFQ-25)’. The study included people with more than 60 years with acquired low vision and who accepted to participate signing the consent form. The hearing and speech therapy were made into three months, one meeting a week. The questionnaires were applied in the first and last day of the intervention. Results: The age ranged between 60 and 91 years. The macular disorder (38%), such as age-related macular degeneration, macular hole and high myopia were the main causes of visual loss. Although the tests show superior performance after the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference. On the question about difficulties seeing in general, 17 participants answered that they had much more difficulty before the intervention and only 5 participants have reported having much difficulty after the intervention. Conclusion: The intervention trended to positive results, and after the meetings, participants showed improvements in aspects of the two questionnaires used in the study, decreasing the degree of difficulty in performing activities.

Optical and nonoptical aids for reading and writing in individuals with acquired low vision.

PURPOSE To evaluate the use of optical and nonoptical aids during reading and writing activities in individuals with acquired low vision. METHODS This study was performed using descriptive and cross-sectional surveys. The data collection instrument was created with structured questions that were developed from an exploratory study and a previous test based on interviews, and it evaluated the following variables: personal characteristics, use of optical and nonoptical aids, and activities that required the use of optical and nonoptical aids. RESULTS The study population included 30 subjects with acquired low vision and visual acuities of 20/200-20/400. Most subjects reported the use of some optical aids (60.0%). Of these 60.0%, the majority (83.3%) cited spectacles as the most widely used optical aid. The majority (63.3%) of subjects also reported the use of nonoptical aids, the most frequent ones being letter magnification (68.4%), followed by bringing the objects closer to the eyes (57.8%). Subjects often used more than one nonoptical aid. CONCLUSIONS The majority of participants reported the use of optical and nonoptical aids during reading activities, highlighting the use of spectacles, magnifying glasses, and letter magnification; however, even after the use of these aids, we found that the subjects often needed to read the text more than once to understand it. During writing activities, all subjects reported the use of optical aids, while most stated that they did not use nonoptical aids for such activities.

A importância de um grupo de reabilitação auditiva para idosos

OBJECTIVE: To describe and analyze the results of an Auditory Rehabilitation Group, based on the self-perception of the auditory handicap among the elderly. Study design: Clinical prospective. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The research was implemented in a rehabilitation center, with 13 elderly patients, users of individual hearing aids. We used the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE), which was applied on the first day and after the last day of four rehabilitation sessions. Also, we used a semistructured interview after the fourth session. RESULTS: Most subjects who showed some degree of handicap perception, had it decreased after participating in the group. According to the statistical analysis, based on the HHIE results before and after participation in the rehabilitation group, the reduction of the handicap perception in the emotional and social areas was significant. Through the interviews, the elderly evaluated the meetings as a mean to achieve better results with the handling of the hearing aids. CONCLUSION: The Auditory Rehabilitation Group in association with the adaptation of individual hearing aids is very important for the elderly, stimulating an environment where the participants could share experiences, doubts and knowledge.