Health support of people with intellectual disability and the crucial role of support workers.

Background: People with intellectual disability have a poorer health status than the general population. In The Netherlands, support workers play a key role in meeting health support needs of people with intellectual disability. Research on how people with intellectual disability and their support workers experience the support worker's role in preventing, identifying, and following up health needs of people with intellectual disability is scarce.

Organization and dynamics of the cortical complexes controlling insulin secretion in β-cells.

Insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells is regulated by cortical complexes that are enriched at the sites of adhesion to extracellular matrix facing the vasculature. Many components of these complexes, including bassoon, RIM, ELKS and liprins, are shared with neuronal synapses. Here, we show that insulin secretion sites also contain the non-neuronal proteins LL5β (also known as PHLDB2) and KANK1, which, in migrating cells, organize exocytotic machinery in the vicinity of integrin-based adhesions.

Perspectives on access and usage of assistive technology by people with intellectual disabilities in the Western Cape province of South Africa: Where to from here?

Background: Whilst assistive technology (AT) can play an important role to improve quality of life, health inequity regarding access to appropriate AT for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) is still very much present especially in low resource countries.

Objectives: This study focused on exploring factors that influence access to and continued use of AT by people with ID in the Western Cape province of South Africa and to suggest potential implications of these findings and actions required to promote access to AT.

Method: A qualitative approach was used to explore the experiences of people with ID and providers of AT.

Ultrasound-Guided Nerve Blocks as Analgesia for Nonoperative Management of Distal Radius Fractures-Two Consecutive Randomized Controlled Trials.

Objectives: To investigate whether a conventional fracture hematoma block (FHB) or an ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve block has more superior analgesic effect during nonoperative management of distal radius fractures in an emergency department setting. Two peripheral nerve block types were investigated, one at the level of the elbow, or cubital nerve block (CNB), and another an axillary nerve block (ANB).

Design: Two prospective randomized controlled studies were performed to compare the difference in pain intensity during closed reduction of a distal radius fracture between FHB-, CNB-, and, ANB-treated patients.

Effectiveness of medication reviews in identifying and reducing medication-related problems among people with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review.

Background: Polypharmacy is common in people with intellectual disabilities. Using multiple medication may lead to unintended medication-related problems (MRPs). Medication review may serve as a tool to reduce MRPs.

Are there differences in factors influencing access and continued use of assistive products for people with intellectual disabilities living in group homes?

The World Health Organization has launched a program to promote Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE) to implement those parts of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) referring to assistive technology and products. A particular vulnerable group deeply affected by health inequity affecting access to assistive products are people with intellectual disabilities. The objective of this study is to understand the barriers and facilitators to effectively access and continuously use essential assistive products for people with intellectual disabilities.

Access to assistive technology for people with intellectual disabilities: a systematic review to identify barriers and facilitators.

Background: The World Health Organisation has launched a programme to promote Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology. Its aim is to increase access to high-quality affordable assistive products (AP) for everybody in need. People with intellectual disabilities (ID) are a specific group that could benefit from AP, but use less AP compared to their non-intellectual disabled peers.

Assistive technology and people: a position paper from the first global research, innovation and education on assistive technology (GREAT) summit.

Assistive technology (AT) is a powerful enabler of participation. The World Health Organization's Global Collaboration on Assistive Technology (GATE) programme is actively working towards access to assistive technology for all. Developed through collaborative work as a part of the Global Research, Innovation and Education on Assistive Technology (GREAT) Summit, this position paper provides a "state of the science" view of AT users, conceptualized as "People" within the set of GATE strategic "P"s.

Distinct fecal and oral microbiota composition in human type 1 diabetes, an observational study.

Objective: Environmental factors driving the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) are still largely unknown. Both animal and human studies have shown an association between altered fecal microbiota composition, impaired production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and T1D onset. However, observational evidence on SCFA and fecal and oral microbiota in adults with longstanding T1D vs healthy controls (HC) is lacking.

Early CT scanning in the emergency department in patients with penetrating injuries: does it affect outcome?

Background: To be a level I trauma center in the Netherlands a computed tomography (CT) scanner in the emergency department (ED) is considered desirable, as it is presumed that this optimizes the diagnostic process and that therapy can be directed based on these findings. Aim of this study was to assess the effects of implementing a CT scanner in the ED on outcomes in patients with penetrating injuries.

Methods: In this retrospective descriptive study, patients with penetrating injuries (shot and/or stab wounds), presented between 2000 and 2014 were analysed using the hospital's electronic database, and data from the West Netherlands trauma registry and the financial department.

Intellectual Disability and Assistive Technology: Opening the GATE Wider.

The World Health Organization has launched a program to promote Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE). The objective of the GATE program is to improve access to high quality, affordable assistive technology for people with varying disabilities, diseases, and age-related conditions. As a first step, GATE has developed the assistive products list, a list of priority assistive products based on addressing the greatest need at population level.

Open reduction and internal fixation of posterior malleolar fractures using the posterolateral approach.

Aims: Involvement of the posterior malleolus in fractures of the ankle probably adversely affects the functional outcome and may be associated with the development of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Anatomical reduction is a predictor of a successful outcome. The purpose of this study was to describe the technique and short-term outcome of patients with trimalleolar fractures, who were treated surgically using a posterolateral approach in our hospital between 2010 and 2014.

Orienting responses to various visual stimuli in children with visual processing impairments or infantile nystagmus syndrome.

Quantification of orienting responses can be used to differentiate between children with cerebral visual impairment and infantile nystagmus syndrome. To further improve the sensitivity of this method, we compared orienting responses to a Cartoon stimulus, which contains all sorts of visual information, to stimuli that contain only Contrast, Form coherence, Motion coherence, Color and Motion detection. The stimuli were shown on an eye tracker monitor using a preferential looking paradigm.

Remote eye tracking assesses age dependence processing of coherent motion in typically-developing children.

The aim of this study was to quantify processing of different types of coherent motion in terms of ocular motor response times in a group of normally-developing children (age 0-12+ years old) using remote eye tracking. Motion coherence was applied in three different types of Random Dot Kinematograms (RDKs): vertical (RDK1) and diagonal (RDK2) motion and expansion (RDK3). Orienting eye movements were quantified using the Reaction Time to the first Fixation (RTF).

Delayed visual orienting responses in children with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities.

Background: Assessment of higher visual processing functions mostly requires active cooperation of participants, which is problematic in children with intellectual disabilities (ID). To circumvent this, we applied remote eye tracking to quantify (ab)normal visual orienting responses in children with ID in terms of reaction times to visual stimuli.

Methods: We presented visual stimuli (cartoon, coherent form, and coherent motion) to 127 children (2-14 years) with developmental and/or ID (risk group) and simultaneously measured their orienting ocular motor responses.

Factors related to impaired visual orienting behavior in children with intellectual disabilities.

It is generally assumed that children with intellectual disabilities (ID) have an increased risk of impaired visual information processing due to brain damage or brain development disorder. So far little evidence has been presented to support this assumption. Abnormal visual orienting behavior is a sensitive tool to evaluate impaired visual information processing.

Quantification of visual orienting responses to coherent form and motion in typically developing children aged 0-12 years.

Purpose: Brain damage or brain development disorders can affect (the maturation of) visual processing functions, such as form and motion detection. The aim of our study was to investigate visual orienting responses of children to a coherent form and motion stimulus as a measure for maturation of visual information processing.

Methods: The 213 typically developing children aged 0-12 years included in this study were shown a 100% coherent form and motion expansion stimulus on a remote eye tracking monitor.

Effects of visual processing and congenital nystagmus on visually guided ocular motor behaviour.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare visually guided ocular motor behaviour in children with visual processing and/or motor deficits with an age-matched comparison group and an adult group.

Method: Visual stimuli were shown to 28 children with visual processing and/or motor deficits (11 females, 17 males; mean age 7y 5mo, SD 2y 9mo, range 2-14y;) and an age-matched comparison group of 213 typically developing children (115 females, 98 males; mean age 5y 8mo, SD 3y 5mo, range 0-12y). The adult group consisted of nine females and two males with (mean age of 24y 4mo, SD 4y 8mo).

Cerebral Visual Impairment: which perceptive visual dysfunctions can be expected in children with brain damage? A systematic review.

The current definition of Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) includes all visual dysfunctions caused by damage to, or malfunctioning of, the retrochiasmatic visual pathways in the absence of damage to the anterior visual pathways or any major ocular disease. CVI is diagnosed by exclusion and the existence of many different causes and symptoms make it an overall non-categorized group. To date, no discrimination is made within CVI based on types of perceptive visual dysfunctions.