This randomized controlled study aimed to investigate the effects of 8-week task-oriented activities of daily living (T-ADL) training on upper limb functions, activities of daily living (ADL), and quality of life (QoL) in chronic stroke patients. The 33 patients were randomly assigned to the T-ADL training or conventional occupational therapy (OT) group. The respective interventions were provided for 45-min a day, five times a week for eight weeks. To compare the upper-limb function before and after the intervention, the manual function test (MFT), box and block test (BBT), and grasp power test were performed; to compare the level of ADL performance, the modified-Barthel index (MBI) was measured. To evaluate QoL, stroke-specific QoL was measured. There was a significant group-by-time interaction in the affected side MFT score and both sides of BBT scores, but no significant interaction was found in the unaffected side MFT score, ADL, and QoL. Both groups showed a significant main effect of time in their ADL and QoL after the intervention (p < 0.001). The results of this study indicate that the eight-week T-ADL training has a positive effect on upper limb functions and gross manual dexterity, and both T-ADL training and conventional OT are effective in improving ADL and QoL in chronic stroke patients.

Our aim was to assess sleep quality in different subgroups of preclinical medical students, and then to identify specific lifestyle factors, academic and social factors as well as Corona virus related factors that were associated with poor sleeping quality and poor psychological health. Study participants were all medical students at King Saud University of Medical Sciences in the first and second years (648 students), and the study was conducted from December 2021 to January 2022. We administered the survey on paper as well as online. We used three types of questionnaires in this study. The first was a self-administered questionnaire, the second was a validated Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) for finding sleeping problems, and the third was a validated DASS 10 for determining Depression, Anxiety, and Stress. A total of 361 pre-clinical medical students consisted of 146 (40.4%) males and 215 (59.5%) females. The majority of the students, 246 (68.1%), were in their second year. Furthermore, in the current study, students who had poor academic performance (15.8%), satisfactory academic performance (21.3%), or good academic performance (30.7%) had significant sleeping problems found (χ² = 19.4; p = 0.001), among them poor academic performance students 21.6%, satisfactory academic performance students (29.3%), and good academic performance students (29.3%) had moderate to severe levelled sleeping problems. Similarly, poor, satisfactory, and good academic performers experienced the highest levels of anxiety (poor = 21.5%; satisfactory = 22.1%; and good = 22.8%); stress (poor = 22.4%; satisfactory = 25.2%; and good = 22.4%); and depression (poor = 40.5%; satisfactory = 40.5%; and good = 11.9%). The majority of students (64.8%) reported that during the pandemic crisis their anxiety levels were high. Additionally, students reported significantly high sleeping issues (χ² = 10.6; p = 0.001) and also serious psychological issues (Anxiety = 34.9 (0.000); Stress = 32.5 (0.000); and Depression = 5.42 (0.01)). There was a high prevalence of sleep issues, anxiety, stress, and depression among the pre-clinical medical students, with significantly higher sleeping disorders, anxiety, stress, and depression levels among those medical students who struggle with their academic performances, poor lifestyle factor, and poor Social and COVID management.

Introduction: The integration of technology into medical education has witnessed significant growth in recent years, with tools such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and telemedicine gaining prominence. These tool in medical education, offering immersive, experiential learning experiences. Methods: We approached medical students currently enrolled in medical education programs and who are familiar with and actively use AI in medical education. Initially, we invited 21 random students to participate in the study; however, only 13 agreed to interviews. Some students cited their busy exam schedules as the reason for not participating. The participants were informed of the objective of the study before the commencement of the recorded interviews. Semi-structured interviews were used to guide the record interviews. Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed using Atlas.ti, a qualitative data analysis software. Results: Participants exhibited a diverse range of perceptions and levels of awareness regarding VR, AI, and telemedicine technologies. Learning with virtual reality was considered to be fun, memorable, inclusive, and engaging by participants. The use of virtual reality technology is seen as complementing current teaching and learning approaches, helping to build learners’ confidence, as well as providing medical students with a safe environment for problem-solving and trial-and-error learning. The students reported that AI was seen as a potential game-changer in the healthcare sector. Participants hoped that telemedicine would provide healthcare services to remote and underserved populations. Conclusion: The study conducted focus group discussions with medical students and residents in Saudi Arabia to explore their views on integrating VR, AI, and telemedicine in medical education and practice. Their insights highlight the need for informed decision-making and strategic development to optimize the benefits and address challenges like initial investments, technical issues, ethics, and regulations. These considerations are crucial for fully realizing the potential benefits of technology in medical education globally.

We explored the prevalence of insomnia, confirm the associated psychological factors and current coping strategies among undergraduate medical during their clinical years. This cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive study was conducted at the department of medical education, college of medicine, King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The participants (n = 463) were the 3rd to 5th year, and intern medical clinical students. We collected responses about sleep, using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). We also used Kessler-10 (K10), Psychological Distress and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Items related to Coping strategies were also used from our previously published study and COVID-19 issues were explored using a self-developed questionnaire. According to the ISI ranking, 162 (34.9 %) of the participants had insomnia, among them 57.4% of females and 42.6% were males. Age groups between 22 and 25 have more sleeping disorder (43.2%) as compared to other age groups. 3rd-year students have more insomnia 36.41% as compared to other years. Individuals with insomnia symptoms were more likely (1.67 times higher) to be female students (OR = 1.67; P = 0.005) as compared to male students. A significantly high prevalence (3.37 times high) of insomnia was noted for those students or interns who have attended their clinical training irregularly as compare to regularly attending participants (OR = 2.32; P = 0.12) during COVID-19. Transition time i.e. year 3 of medical program was more stressful for the students and female students perceived stress and insomnia more than their male counterparts. It is important to address identified disorder early in order to reduce psychological morbidity and its harmful implications for medical students and young physicians.

Muscles are affected at the cellular level by exercised-induced fatigue, inducing changes in their stiffness. Examining muscle stiffness can improve the knowledge of various pathologic conditions, such as pain and injury. The objective of this study was to examine the stiffness of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle and the lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscle to determine the changes in stiffness, and to assess the differences in the stiffness between the MG and the LG, as affected by muscle fatigue measured using shear wave elastography (SWE) and a MyotonPRO after inducing muscle fatigue. A total of 35 healthy young adults participated in the study. The stiffness of the MG and the LG were assessed before and after a muscle fatigue protocol (MFP), which included three sets of 50 eccentric contractions of the calf muscles of the dominant leg, at rest, and at maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). The measurements were taken with SWE and the MyotonPRO simultaneously. Compared to baseline, the resting stiffness of the MG and the LG significantly increased immediately, 24 h, and 48 h after muscle fatigue (p < 0.05); however, during MVC, the stiffness of the MG decreased (p < 0.05) and that of the LG showed no change (p > 0.05). When the stiffness of the MG and the LG were compared before and after the MFP, changes in the stiffness of the MG were significantly greater than those in the LG (p < 0.05). This signifies that the MG was more affected by the exercise-induced muscle fatigue than was the LG. The assessment of musculoskeletal tissue and its characteristics, before and after eccentric exercise, is crucial in the prevention of overuse injuries associated with repeated exposure to both low and high levels of force.

BACKGROUND:One of the effects of diabetes mellitus (DM), peripheral neuropathy, affects the sensation in the feet and can increase the chance of falling. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of Tai Chi (TC) training combi...