A COMPARISON OF THE VISUAL PERCEPTUAL SKILLS IN TYPICAL AND CEREBRAL PALSY CHILDREN

Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the difference at occupational performance skills related to visual perception among typical developing children and cerebral palsy children by using measuring test of MVPT-R. Design And Sampling Technique: Quantitative cross-sectional study, convenience sampling method. Study Setting And Participants: A total of 400 Cerebral palsy children (all types) and typical children each from different mainstream schools, rehab centers, pediatric occupational therapy departments, and special education centers located in Karachi. Interventions / Data Collection: Test of visual perception that is Motor Free visual perceptual test- Revised MVPT-R. Result: Result shows difference in perceptual ages (PA) between typical and cerebral palsy children. Perceptual age (PA) was greater than the chronological age (CA) in the typical group. Conversely, in the CP group the perceptual age (PA) was lesser than the chronological age (CA). Conclusion:  Visual perception skills play a key role in a child’s achievement at school and at home. Children require intact visual perception for the successful performance of their daily living as well as academic tasks like good eye-hand coordination, handwriting, reading, shape perception, play skills, and copying patterns, etc. This study is helpful to identify those children who have visual perception issues and sorting this problem will form the baseline for better evaluating and planning of useful visual perception activities for typical and cerebral palsy children.

Effect of Video-Based Information on Pre-Operative State Trait Anxiety Inventory Scores in Adult Patients Presenting for Elective Caesarean Section

Background: Preoperative anxiety is a common occurrence in patients presenting for surgery with a reported incidence of up to 80%. Higher incidences have been reported in the female population and in the obstetric population compared to general surgical patients. Increased preoperative anxiety has been associated with increased anaesthetic requirements, a more turbulent immediate postoperative course, poor patient satisfaction, protracted hospital stays, and poorer surgical outcomes. Provision of information relating to surgery and anaesthesia to patients has been proven to have benefit in allaying anxiety. However, the best format of information dissemination remains unknown and especially so targeting a specific patient population. Objective: The primary objective was to determine the effect of video information in addition to the pre-anaesthetic review on the mean preoperative STAI-S score in adult patients presenting for elective caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia at AKUHN. Secondary objectives were to determine the prevalence of preoperative anxiety in the obstetric population presenting for elective caesarean section at AKUHN as well as to determine the effect of age, level of education, parity and exposure to previous anaesthetic on preoperative anxiety. Study design: A randomized control trial. Study setting: Aga Khan University Hospital- Nairobi, Anaesthesia clinic. Study population: Adult patients presenting for elective caesarean section. Sample size: A target sample size of 36 patients,18 patients per arm, calculated to detect an 8.85 points difference in mean STAI-S scores from baseline between the two arms. Randomization: Computer-generated random numbers in sealed envelopes. Inclusion criteria: Adult patients booked for elective caesarean section reviewed in the clinic who had consented for spinal anesthesia. Exclusion criteria: Previous spinal anaesthetic, unable to read or write, poor eyesight, non- English speaking, high risk pregnancies, use of psychotropics, history of psychiatric illness. Data collection: Demographic data were collected using a data collection tool, and cumulative STAI S and T scores were recorded from filled questionnaires as per the accompanying manual. Data analysis: Continuous data were described in terms of means with standard deviation, and percentages as appropriate. Comparison of means was done using Student’s t and paired sample t tests. Fisher’s exact test was used to investigate the association of the independent factors and the anxiety scores. Results: 37 patients were randomized in this study. The mean STAI-T score in the sampled population was 45.64 (SD 5.625). The mean baseline STAI-S score was 46.32 (SD 4.911). There was no statistically significant difference in change in STAI score between