Client and therapist perspectives on the influence of low vision and chronic conditions on performance and occupational therapy intervention.

Objective: We explored how vision loss and comorbid chronic conditions influence occupational therapy intervention by gathering perspectives from occupational therapists treating clients with low vision and from older adults with low vision.

Method: We surveyed 59 occupational therapists on the frequency of comorbidities in their clients and their influence on low vision intervention. Eight older adults with low vision participated in in-depth interviews and observations on the influence of low vision and comorbidities on their occupational performance.

Superoxide release from contracting skeletal muscle in pulmonary TNF-α overexpression mice.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often results in increased levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a proinflammatory cytokine, which circulates in the blood. However, it is not clear whether pulmonary TNF-α overexpression (a COPD mimic) induces excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation in skeletal muscle and thereby may contribute to the muscle impairment often seen in COPD. We hypothesized that ROS generation in contracting skeletal muscle is elevated when there is TNF-α overproduction in the lung and that this can induce muscle dysfunction.