Lip and tongue pressure and the functionality of oro-facial structures in healthy individuals

BACKGROUND

With the ageing process changes in the musculature of oro-facial structures take place, consequently there is a reduction in the strength and mobility of the lips, tongue and cheeks.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to correlate oro-facial structures and chewing and swallowing functions among a group of senior citizens and young adults and check the influence of lip and tongue pressure of these functions.

METHODS

This is an observational, cross-sectional and analytical study. Thirty seniors with an average age of 67.13 years and 30 young adults with an average age of 22.03 years participated in the study. The Oro-facial Myofunctional Assessment Protocol with Scores for the Elderly and the Oro-facial Myofunctional Assessment Protocol with Expanded Scores were also used. The evaluation of the force of pressure of the lips and tip and dorsum of the tongue was carried out using the Biofeedback device Pró-Fono: Lip and Tongue Pressure.

RESULTS

Young adults had a higher evaluation score for the aspect/posture of the face, cheeks, lips, mentalis muscle, tongue, mobility of lips, tongue, jaw and cheeks, chewing and swallowing functions, total time and chewing strokes, and tip pressure and dorsum of tongue. According to the Structural Equation Modelling, a direct relationship was found between the tongue dorsum pressure force and the swallowing function.

CONCLUSION

With healthy ageing changes occurring in the appearance, posture and mobility of the lips, tongue, jaw and cheeks, with the seniors and reduced performance of chewing and swallowing functions.

Fluency and reading comprehension as a performance indicator in the 3rd year of elementary school

PURPOSE

to verify whether fluency and reading comprehension vary throughout the third year of elementary school and can be used as performance indicators in reading.

METHODS

this is a prospective longitudinal study. 53 children participated in the study, regardless of gender. Four assessments were carried out throughout the year, using the LEPIC software to record the reading made by the children, recording reading errors, as well as the answers to questions regarding comprehension.

RESULTS

there was an evolution of reading fluency and literal comprehension throughout the tests, but not in inferential comprehension.

CONCLUSION

reading fluency and literal comprehension are good performance indicators in the third year of elementary school.

The learning performance and behavior of school children during the COVID-19 pandemic school closures: from the perspectives of parents and teachers

PURPOSE

To verify the association between caregivers' and teachers' perceptions of the changes imposed by social isolation and the impact on students' learning.

METHODS

This is an analytical observational and longitudinal study, with the participation of 19 caregivers (family members) of 2nd-grade students from a public financing school and their respective teachers. The caregivers were submitted to interviews by means of the questionnaires: Abilities and Difficulties Questionnaire, Family Environment Resources Inventory and COVID-19 monitoring questionnaire that checks the behavior of schoolchildren and families. The collection took place in two moments by telephone call: the first moment (M1) was started in June 2020, and the second, (M2) in December 2020. The progress reports prepared by the regular teachers were received in January 2021.

RESULTS

A negative implication was observed in the change of routine and an impact on the parents' lives. In parents' perceptions, significant and negative issues were also present in children's mental health, such as changes in routine. Teacher evaluation reports showed a similar pattern, with the vast majority of them lacking information about learning performance.

CONCLUSION

This study pointed out the importance of accompanying schoolchildren and families in a period of social withdrawal, in order to guide and intervene together with parents and teachers.

Reading fluency during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis

BACKGROUND

International studies performed during the periods of social isolation highlighted the potential loss of student's learning skills. The present study fills a gap in Brazilian research on this topic and focuses on the development of reading fluency.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the development of the reading fluency of students in the early years of elementary school during e-learning as a result of the social distancing measures put into effect due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

METHODS

Students from grades 2 to 5 were recorded. The number of words read per minute and of those read correctly per minute were analyzed. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed, using analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures with Bonferroni correction in the longitudinal study, and the t-test in the cross-sectional study.

RESULTS

In the cross-sectional study, 162 students participated. Only the comparison between the 2nd grade classes of 2020 and 2021 showed a statistically significant difference. In the prepandemic classes, the students had better results in reading accuracy than the students assessed during the pandemic. The longitudinal study included 75 students, who improved in fluency rate and accuracy as expected between March and December 2020. In March 2021, the results showed a drop, which may be related to school closures during the Brazilian summer vacation.

CONCLUSIONS

The present research demonstrates the results of Brazilian students in terms of the development of reading fluency during the pandemic. There was an expressive development in grades 2 and 3, with stability in the following grades. The 2nd grade class of 2021 suffered a major impact due to the pandemic.

Reading speed in Elementary School and Junior High

PURPOSE

To verify the influence of schooling on reading speed measures in Elementary School and Junior High, also aims to explore the levels of accuracy of the variables of reading speed in the epidemiological investigation stages of cases.

METHODS

535 students from the 2nd to the 9th grade from a private school and a state school system participated in the study. The oral reading of a simple text was evaluated in the following parameters: words read per minute and correctly words read per minute. Descriptive statistics and T-test measures with the significance of 5% were conducted, besides the z-score, standardized and individual.

RESULTS

The results corroborate the literature review which shows an increase in reading speed with the progression of schooling. The reading fluency was presented in the construction process between the 2nd and 7th grades, with stabilization from the 7th year. A more fluent and homogeneous reading was sedimented between the 7th and 9th grades. The study proposes the interpretation of the findings with scales suggestive of the deficit using the z-score. The data are stratified from values suggestive of significant deficit to non-suggestive, with a total of five strata. The stratification allows a clearer reference on which point the scholar found in the expected ranges for their schooling.

CONCLUSION

The measures of the expected values according to schooling are essential for better-quality knowledge of reading development, to provide reference standards for adequate monitoring in the clinical and educational sphere and prediction of reading skills and difficulties.

Apresentação de um Protocolo Assistencial para Pacientes com Distúrbios da Deglutição

RESUMO Objetivo Descrever o processo de implantação de Protocolo Assistencial para os Distúrbios da Deglutição em unidade hospitalar pública de alta densidade tecnológica no Distrito Federal. Método Trata-se de um estudo descritivo do tipo Relato de Experiência com descrição do processo de implantação de Protocolo Assistencial para os Distúrbios da Deglutição em unidade hospitalar pública de alta densidade tecnológica no Distrito Federal. Resultados A implantação do Protocolo consistiu em três etapas de trabalho: Etapa 1 - busca na literatura sobre os procedimentos que caracterizariam as melhores práticas propedêuticas e terapêuticas; Etapa 2 - discussão com equipe multidisciplinar para ajustes necessários à execução da proposta de implantação de um Protocolo Assistencial para os Distúrbios da Deglutição; e Etapa 3 - proposta final do Protocolo Assistencial para os Distúrbios da Deglutição considerando as particularidades do serviço. Conclusão A proposta final do Protocolo Assistencial para os Distúrbios da Deglutição (PADD) apresenta um método sistematizado pré-definido para acompanhar os pacientes com alteração da deglutição de unidades de saúde de alta densidade tecnológica. O PADD propõe-se a favorecer a detecção precoce do distúrbio, a tomada de decisões terapêuticas uniformes, a utilização de métodos propedêuticos e terapêuticos de baixo custo e a auxiliar gestores no processo de avaliar a qualidade do serviço ofertado através da mensuração de indicadores.