SCHOOL OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES, COLLEGE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability worldwide, often resulting in impaired upper limb function that limits independence in activities of daily living. Physiotherapy interventions play a crucial role in rehabilitation, with Task-Specific Training (TST) and Conventional Physiotherapy (CP) being commonly employed approaches. However, the comparative effectiveness of these interventions on upper limb recovery remains a subject of interest. Objective: This systematic review aims to evaluate and compare the effects of Task-Specific Training and Conventional Physiotherapy on upper limb function among stroke survivors. Methods: A systematic search of relevant electronic databases was conducted to identify studies comparing Task-Specific Training with Conventional Physiotherapy in stroke rehabilitation. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials and experimental studies involving adult stroke survivors. Data regarding study characteristics, intervention protocols,outcome measures, and findings related to upper limb function were extracted and synthesized.Results: The reviewed studies demonstrated that Task-Specific Training generally resulted in greater improvements in upper limb motor function, dexterity, coordination, and performance of daily activities compared to Conventional Physiotherapy. The repetitive practice of meaningful, goal-directed tasks promoted neuroplasticity and functional recovery. While Conventional Physiotherapy contributed to improvements in muscle strength, range of motion, and general mobility, its effects on functional upper limb use were often less pronounced than those observed with Task-Specific Training. Nevertheless, both interventions showed positive outcomes in stroke rehabilitation. Conclusion: Evidence from the reviewed literature suggests that Task-Specific Training is more effective than Conventional Physiotherapy in enhancing upper limb function among stroke survivors. Incorporating task-oriented activities into rehabilitation programs may optimize functional recovery and improve patients' quality of life. Further high-quality studies are recommended to establish standardized treatment protocols and determine long-term outcomes.

Background: Physiotherapy plays a significant role in the health care system, the selection of career in Physiotherapy at the secondary school level is a difficult decision based on the information available to the students about the practice of Physiotherapy. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the level of awareness and perception of physiotherapy as a career among senior secondary school students in Edo State, Nigeria. Methodology: Descriptive cross-sectional study was used to select eight (8) schools within Egor local Government area and 278 students were selected from each class with the use random selection sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was used to get information on scio- demographic data, awareness of physiotherapy, perception of physiotherapy as a career choice and factors influencing awareness and perception. Descriptive and Inferential statistics of Chi- square tests and Man Whitney U was used to summarize the data. Significance level was p < 0.05 Results: 64.4% of respondents demonstrated good awareness. 175(62.9%) had heard of the term physiotherapy, indicating a moderate level of awareness among the students. 125(45.0%) knew who a physiotherapist is, 124(44.6%) understood what physiotherapists do. 184 (66.2%) had never interacted with a physiotherapist, which shows limited practical exposure to the profession. 65.5% of respondents demonstrated a good perception of physiotherapy. 150(54.0%) agreed that physiotherapy is a respected profession in Nigeria, 133(47.8%) believed it offers good job opportunities and income. 157(56.5%) rated physiotherapy as very important in healthcare. Conclusions: The study's participants showed a moderate level of awareness of physiotherapy, though their understanding of the profession is limited. Despite the general awareness, misconception and lack of structured career counselling continue to hinder interest in physiotherapy

Asthma is characterized by chronic inflammation of the lower respiratory tract, a state frequently seen alongside inflammatory disorders of the upper airway (Mims, 2015). The 1995 GINA guidelines classified a patient's off-treatment asthma status (intermittent to severe persistent) to guide initial therapy. However, modern guidelines have abandoned this severity-based classification in favor of a focus on achieving and maintaining disease control. Current clinical practice defines asthma severity by the level of pharmacological treatment required to keep the disease controlled; in the most difficult cases, severity is determined by the condition's refractoriness to therapy(Song et al., 2019). Asthma is typically suspected based on a patient's recurring symptoms and their positive response to a bronchodilator medication, which helps relax the airway muscles(Sockrider and Fussner, 2020). For individuals over the age of five, the diagnosis is usually confirmed with a breathing test called spirometry (a type of pulmonary function test or PFT), which detects airway narrowing or obstruction. However, a normal spirometry result does not rule out asthma(Sockrider and Fussner, 2020). First-line asthma medications include the short-acting β2-adrenergic agonist salbutamol for rapid relief of bronchoconstriction, the leukotriene receptor antagonist montelukast for its anti-inflammatory and bronchodilatory effects, and the corticosteroid prednisolone for potent anti-inflammatory action(Whirledge and Cidlowski, 2010), these drugs exert their effects through different mechanisms, including bronchodilation, anti inflammatory actions, and inhibition of leukotriene-mediated inflammation (Barnes, 2008). The induction of airway inflammation using Ovalbumin (OVA) in Sprague-Dawley rats serves as a widely recognized model for studying asthma (Kumar and Herbert, 2013). This model triggers a Th2-mediated inflammatory response, which subsequently elevates the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in oxidative stress (Rahman andMacNee, 2000)

Background of study: Musculoskeletal disorders can affect different parts of the body, upper and lower back, neck, shoulders and extremities. Driving involves routine muscular efforts, awkward sitting postures, long distance driving and exposure to whole body vibrations which are recognized as factors that can lead to musculoskeletal disorders.
Aim: To determine the prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorders among intra campus commercial drivers in University of Benin
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 80 male intra campus commercial drivers. Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was used to assess lifetime, 12 months and 7 days prevalence of low back pain, neck pain and shoulder pain. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the obtain data. Chi square and spearman rho correlation test were used to assess the association and correlation between driving hours, age, BMI, driving duration with prevalence of low back pain, neck pain and shoulder with p value set at 0.05.
Results: The overall lifetime prevalence of low back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain were 50%, 15% and 33.8%. BMI and driving hours were associated with lifetime prevalence of low back pain (p<0.05) while driving duration was associated with 12 month prevalence of neck pain (p=0.03). Driving hours was also associated with life time prevalence of shoulder pain (p=0.04)
Conclusion: The Intra-campus commercial drivers in University of Benin have high prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorders with low back pain taking the highest percentage, but low prevalence of shoulder pain and lastly neck pain in this study. It was also established from the findings of this study that BMI, driving hours, duration of driving contributes to the risk of experiencing MSDs