Medical Sciences Forum, Volume 37, Issue 1

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are chronic respiratory disorders often leading to dyspnoea, reduced exercise tolerance, and poor quality of life. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves symptoms and function but remains underused in Portugal, with...

Accurate cancer prognosis remains a major challenge, as single gene expression biomarkers often lack clinical reliability, and most ML approaches fail even when considering large gene panels. In this study, we used a novel AutoML framework (O2Pmgen)...

Legal documents signed by individuals with Parkinson’s disease are often disputed due to inconsistencies in their signatures when compared to those executed prior to the disease. This exploratory study aims to develop a handwriting rehabilitati...

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease often face legal disputes over documents signed before the ongoing disease, since fine motor skill changes can lead to alterations in handwriting. Generally, rehabilitation programs focus on mobility in the...

This study explores the implementation of competency-based professional development for correctional staff through the DACUM (Developing A Curriculum) methodology. A National Adaptation Workshop in Portugal engaged professionals from multiple sectors...

This study highlights the role of forensic psychology in supporting juvenile offenders within the Portuguese Justice System. Forensic psychologists ensure that legal proceedings are developmentally appropriate and psychologically informed, helping mi...

This study explores legitimising beliefs about intimate partner violence (IPV) among Portuguese forensic cases. Using the ECVC scale, data from 45 assessed individuals revealed that IPV offenders—particularly men, those with lower education lev...

This study evaluated parental satisfaction with nursing care in a pediatric emergency department short-stay unit. Using the Citizen Satisfaction with Nursing Care Scale, 205 parents of hospitalized children participated in a descriptive, cross-sectio...

Big wave surfing, a high-risk sport involving rides on waves over 30 feet tall, exposes athletes to intense physical demands, particularly during wipeouts requiring extended breath-holding (apnea). Despite its growing popularity and professional stat...

Laser technology is becoming an essential part of endodontic practice due to its clear clinical advantages. A cross-sectional survey of 501 participants found that, although awareness remains limited, the results suggest that patients are willing to...

Amidst the increasingly complex and interconnected challenges of our time, from climate change and emerging pandemics to deepening social inequalities, the One Health approach has gained renewed relevance as a guiding framework for research, policy,...

Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to its unclear etiology and complex symptomatology. This study, part of a doctoral research project, explores diagnostic delay, triggering factors, and psychotropic medic...

Transverse myelitis is a rare spinal cord condition that can cause severe motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunction. This case report describes a 16-year-old male with incomplete paraplegia due to idiopathic transverse myelitis who underwent robotic-...

This study assessed satisfaction with physiotherapy care for individuals with cystic fibrosis across face-to-face, online, and blended formats at the National Association for Cystic Fibrosis. Forty participants, including patients and legal represent...

Sexual harassment, globally recognized as a complex phenomenon, presents gaps regarding its characteristics and diversity of impacts, particularly in the Portuguese context. This study aims to better understand sexual harassment in Portuguese univers...

Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months is the gold standard in infant nutrition, yet rates in Europe remain below recommendations. This descriptive cross-sectional study identified maternal, perinatal and social determinants associated with...

Clear orthodontic aligners, primarily composed of thermoplastic polymers, are increasingly popular but susceptible to degradation through thermal, chemical, and mechanical stress. This preliminary pilot study assessed the release of microplastics fro...

Facial palsy (FP) is a nerve disorder causing unilateral facial muscle paralysis, impacting facial symmetry and non-verbal communication. This case study describes two idiopathic FP patients treated with physiotherapy and inhibitory kinesiotape (KT)...

The present study had the purpose of creating and studying the psychometric properties of the Compassion Fatigue Scale (CFS) in a sample of 286 firefighters, 69% of whom were males and 78% had previous exposure to a limit situation. All participants...

This work presents the Integrated Multi-Strategy Teaching (IMST) model, developed for science education to enhance autonomy, engagement, and professional competencies. Applied in a pharmacy course, IMST combines flipped classrooms, peer assessment, a...

This study examined quality of life and deep learning among 109 veterinary medicine students across three cohorts (2021–2023) in an integrated modular curriculum in Portugal. Quality of life was measured three times per academic year using the...

Institutionalized psychiatric patients on chronic psychotropic medication are prone to xerostomia due to reduced salivary flow. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a topical sialogogue gel (Xeros Dentaid^®) in relieving drug-induced dry mout...

This study investigates the use of food supplements (FS) among polymedicated elderly individuals and assesses potential FS–drug interaction risks. A total of 98 community-dwelling older adults were surveyed and 18.4% reported FS use. FS were mo...

Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid used in pain management, has seen a marked rise in outpatient use in Portugal between 2015 and 2022. During this period, consumption nearly doubled, with transdermal patches and sublingual tablets dominating the ma...

University Social Responsibility (USR) integrates academic goals with ethics, civic engagement, and sustainability. This study assessed community service attitudes among 529 higher health sciences students using the Portuguese Community Service Attit...

This study explores the clinical, behavioural, and environmental risks of chronic proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use in older adults through a One Health perspective. Among 246 participants, 32.5% were receiving PPI therapy, with 91.3% on long-term trea...