The purpose of the study was to determine the safety and feasibility of a 15-day protocol of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) combined with intensive occupational therapy (OT) on motor function and spasticity in hemiparetic upper limbs in poststroke patients. Fifteen poststroke patients (age at study entry 55 [plus…

Using a standardized assessment instrument, the authors compared 182 adults with congenital deaf-blindness and those with acquired deaf-blindness. They found that those with congenital deaf-blindness were more likely to have impairments in cognition, activities of daily living, and social interactions and were less likely to use speech for…

This paper summarizes, integrates and evaluates the literature on adventitious deafness. Issues explored include: a comparison of congenital and adventitious deafness, psychiatric problems among late-deafened individuals, effects of acquired deafness on identity and personal control, and adventitious deafness among the elderly. (Author/PB)

Performance by congenitally blind, adventitiously blind, and sighted persons on three types of tasks (manipulatory, simple locomotion, and complex locomotion) was assessed. The three groups tended to perform equivalently. Results offer little evidence of a set of spatial processes that rely on past visual experience and are applicable to a broad…

Using national survey data, this study found that the smoking prevalence among postlingually deafened adults was not significantly different than hearing adults. Prelingually deafened adults were found to be less likely to smoke than hearing adults, even though they had less education and lower incomes, factors usually associated with higher…

The article introduces five case study reports that illustrate augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions with adults who have severe acquired communication disorders. Issues common to AAC management of adults are considered as are issues specific to the conditions of amytrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, brain…

Forty adults with adventitious blindness were administered 12 different Braille discrimination tests representing combinations of standard or enlarged Braille and various amounts of horizontal and vertical spacing. Findings indicated that the most favorable discrimination conditions occurred with standard-sized Braille, with three spaces between…

Benign visual hallucinations ("phantom vision") were examined in 2 studies, involving a total of 443 adventitiously blinded and sight-impaired veterans. In one study, unusual visual events were reported by 38.7 percent, with 30.6 percent reporting complex hallucinations. Causes of the hallucinations and their treatment are discussed.…

This paper questions the acceptance of injuries obtained while participating in sport and in particular, the relationship between participation in boxing and brain injury/damage identified in boxers. A review of the literature indicates research findings support the tenet that brain damage found in boxers is cumulative and is directly related to…

The construct validity of the General Handicapped Attitude Scale was investigated with 44 spinal cord lesioned patients. Scores on the subscales of acceptance and social consequences did not correlate with scores for severity of handicap but did correlate significantly with scores for personal attitude toward the handicap. (Author/DB)

The article describes the Fishburne Code tactile labeling system as a practical alternative for those adult blind who are unwilling or unable to learn braille. Instructional materials, teaching methods, and practical applications of the Fishburne Code are noted. (Author/DB)

This paper describes four syndromes of acquired dyslexia in adults: deep (phonemic) dyslexia, surface (semantic) dyslexia, phonological dyslexia, and letter-by-letter reading (word-form dyslexia). Each description inquires whether reading performance is (1) sensitive to dimensions of words; (2) affected by experimental manipulations; and (3)…

An easy-to-use objective method for evaluating a blind person's knowledge about the spatial layout of a locale was used with 10 adventitiously blind adults. Preliminary evidence indicated that the representations of spatial knowledge generated from the scaling procedures are related to the person's mobility performance in that space. (Author)

A study of seven people with congenital blindness, three with adventitious blindness, and four sighted people investigated how people with congenital blindness experience body capability, body expression, and the social and psychological, identity creating aspects of the body and body experience. The value of exercise and body-awareness training…

The study examined the possible existence of a perceptual hierarchy which is systematically affected by the onset of adventitious visual impairment. Results with 80 persons with partial vision indicated a demarcation of difficulty between the simpler and more complex levels of the hierarchy. (DB)