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Since its inception, the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences (CMMS) at the Arabian Gulf University (AGU) has adopted the problem based (PBL) pedagogy in Medicine relying on paper-based trigger material. However, delivery of such paper-based triggers during tutorial sessions was not optimal to promote medical student interactivity and engagement within tutorial sessions. As involvement of multimedia resources and tools in PBL are more valuable than simple print textual modes of learning and can have a positive impact on learning and knowledge integration, we aimed to digitize all our trigger material. Over the past three years CMMS has integrated after customization to PBL standards, the cloud-based operating system, UNIO into its problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum. The aim of UNIO integration was to digitize text triggers and enhance the quality of visual triggers in order to improve medical student interactivity and engagement within tutorial sessions. UNIO electronic platform was customized from a teacher-centered design to fit a PBL pedagogy. It was utilized to link student and tutor hardware within a group together for promoting interaction and collaborative learning. The effect of this teaching approach was evaluated from student responses to an in-house validated survey at the end of the fifth PBL module. Customization and integration of UNIO within the PBL curriculum resulted in an entirely paperless learning process. It created an integrated PBL system combining conventional text trigger in a digital form with digital media such as images, videos and other multimedia, while maintaining face-to-face setup. It also provided online and off-campus access to content embedded at campus and open access to open source content online to both tutors and students. Results of the student satisfaction survey pointed to a predominantly neutral attitude towards integration of UNIO within our PBL tutorial sessions, but the item related to effectiveness of media triggers within UNIO received favorable responses from students. Further evaluation for a longer term is necessary for additional student feedback. Other forms of evaluation may be required in the aim of improvement and for justification of subsequent implementation of UNIO within our PBL curriculum.

This an account of student feedback on the distance online tools adopted at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic for teaching cardiovascular (CVS) physiology to Year 2 medical students within a problem-based learning (PBL) medical curriculum. Students' achievement upon assessment of CVS physiology theory content was also evaluated. Most students were ready for online learning in terms of appropriate equipment and internet connectivity. Most students expressed a preference for face-to-face learning of CVS physiology; however, they relied on recorded videos mainly for learning, instead of real-time attendance of physiology learning activities. Most students also reported a negative experience of distance online learning of CVS physiology during the lockdown, and only a few students expressed connection with their instructor through the physiology learning activities. Students undertaking online learning and examination during the pandemic achieved comparably to the prior year's cohort of PBL students learning in person and undertaking paper-based assessment. This indicates that our medical students preferred asynchronous learning during the pandemic confinement and that they sufficiently achieved their learning outcomes in CVS physiology, displaying resilience in their adaptation to the online learning and examination format.

Background: Contextual processing dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) is not uniform and task-dependent. In SCZ, studies on the rod and frame test (RFT), which evaluates contextual modulation of verticality perception, are sparse. A main study that utilized a two-alternative forced choice design for judging rod verticality reported equivalent strength of RFT contextual modulation in healthy controls and SCZ. The current study aims to uncover any potential differences in contextual modulation between controls and SCZ with an adjustment method on a computerized RFT. Materials and methods: A total of 17 healthy controls and 15 SCZ aligned an oriented rod to their perceived vertical with a computer mouse under four randomized frame presentations: absent frame, non-tilted (Frame0°), or tilted by 18 degrees leftward (Frame–18°) or rightward (Frame+18°). Rod deviation error was assigned a negative or positive value when aligned leftward or rightward, respectively, of 0°. Signed and absolute errors, the rod and frame effect (RFE), and intra-individual variability (inconsistency) were used for analysis. Results: There was no group difference in rod alignment errors or derived measures, except that SCZ displayed greater inconsistency in rod alignment, compared to controls. The negative symptom scale (PANSS-N) scores correlated positively with the variability measure and with unsigned Frame–18° error. Conclusions: Only the variability measure was sensitive enough to distinguish between controls and SCZ. SCZ with more severe negative symptoms had larger variability in rod alignment, probably reflecting a state of indifference. The larger deviation errors only with a leftward tilted frame, as PANSS-N scores increased, may indicate a lateralized attentional abnormality that is correlated with severity of symptoms in SCZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Trail-Making Test (TMT) is used in different neuropsychological test batteries. It consists of two parts: TMT-Part A, which tests visual scanning and psychomotor speed, and TMT-Part B, which assesses more complex cognitive processes. TMT normative data have been established in many non-Arab countries either using the original English version or a version developed with the native language. The aim of this study was to compare TMT performance between the English TMT and a constructed Arabic TMT in young Arabic–English bilingual college students from three Arabian Gulf states. Scores from 83 participants who took the English TMT and 52 who took the Arabic TMT were included. Arabic TMT (both parts) scores were significantly poorer compared with English TMT scores. Arabic TMT scores were also poorer than were other norms for this age group and education level, but they were better than those reported from another study using the Arabic TMT. Moreover, there were nonsignificant differences in performance between participants from these three countries; however, these findings are inconclusive as sample sizes were small. These findings suggest that Arabic TMT norms cannot be unified for all Arabic countries, and separate Arabic TMT norms including all age groups and education levels must be established for each Arabic country. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A relationship between blood pressure (BP) and obesity has been found in young adults, but no data are available for adolescents in Kuwait. 257 adolescent (11–19 years) participants were categorized into two groups according to their BMI; 48 nonobese (21 males: 43.7% and 27 females: 56.3%) with mean age 15.61 ± 2.40 of years and 209 obese (128 males: 61.25% and 81 females: 38.75%) with mean age of 15.02 ± 2.82 years. The mean BMI was 21.7 ± 2.23  kg/m2 for the nonobese group and 34.47 ± 4.70  kg/m3 for the obese group. Most BP measures based on a single screening were significantly higher in the obese group. The prevalence of elevated BP was significantly higher in the obese subjects (nonobese: 13%; obese: 63%; P < 0.0001). In the obese group, there was a significant positive correlation between total sample BMI and all BP measures except the pulse pressure. There was a similar rate of elevated blood pressure between males and females (64% versus 60%; P = 0.66). For both isolated systolic elevated BP and isolated diastolic elevated BP, the prevalences were comparable between the males (systolic: 42%; diastolic: 5%) and females (systolic: 34%; diastolic: 14%). Only systolic BP was positively correlated with BMI in obese adolescent males (Spearman r = 0.18; P < 0.05), with a significant correlation between BMI with diastolic (Spearman r = 0.22; P < 0.05) and mean BP (Spearman r = 0.21; P < 0.05) in females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]