Arnold Fredrick D'Souza

     Parkinson’s disease (PD) is classified into two subtypes based on the dominance of either of its primary motor symptoms: tremor-dominant (TD) or postural instability and gait difficulty (PIGD). The knowledge of these subtypes will allow the clinician to formulate an ideal exercise program for the client and predict the progression of the disease. It is fairly difficult for a novice clinician to reliably detect these subtypes.      A cross-sectional study by Prime et al. investigated the utility of various clinical outcome measures for the purpose of effectively identifying them. The authors used the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) or Movement Disorders Society revision (MDS-UPDRS) for the purpose of classifying the subjects as TD or PIGD. They compared the results of these exhaustive tests with brief balance tests such as the 360° turn test, one-leg stance, a reactive postural control test, and a tandem walk test. These tests were deri...

                The novel coronavirus pandemic has forced all human activity to a grinding halt with grave consequences in various sectors. With the growing number of infections in India, the government enforced lockdown has mandated the shutdown of all educational institutions. This has brought forth an unforeseen outcome where students and educators have to resort to attending academic activities from the confines of their home, without convenient access to resources made available to them by their institution. This predicament needs a suitable solution to prevent the loss of the academic continuity and maintain standards of education comparable to in-person classroom teaching. The immediate answer seems to be a switch to virtual classrooms. Such a quantum change would not be easy for the majority of institutions and students, due to a lack of basic resources and a proclivity to ensure a seamless transition. India has the second-highest numb...