Level of empathy among medical students in Kuwait university, Kuwait

To evaluate the level of empathy among medical students in Kuwait University Medical School and its association with sociodemographic factors, stress levels and personality. A cross-sectional survey of 264 medical students was conducted in the Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University. Empathy levels were measured using the Jefferson Scale, personality was assessed using the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale was used to measure stress levels. Factors associated with empathy were evaluated using t test/ANOVA for categorical variables and correlation for continuous predictors. Mean empathy score was 104.6 +/- 16.3. Empathy scores were significantly associated with gender, year of study, mother's level of education, household income, satisfactory relationship with the mother and stress levels. Male medical students in their clinical years also had significantly lower empathy levels. However, factors such as grade point average, desired specialty, marital status of parents, father's educational level and relationship with father were not significantly [p > 0.05] associated with levels of empathy. Stress scores were significantly and positively associated with empathy [r = 0.13; p = 0.041]. Medical students in Kuwait University had low empathy level and this may be a cause for concern; as such we suggest a possible inclusion of emphasis on empathy in the curriculum

Simultaneous pattern visual evoked potential and pattern electroretinogram in strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia

Amblyopia is a relatively common condition in which visual acuity through an eye is subnormal despite no overt pathology. Pattern visual evoked potential [PVEP] can detect any defect from optic nerve to occipital cortex and pattern electroretinogram [PERG] can detect retinal defects specially the ganglion layers. This study was performed to evaluate the cortical and retinal activity in strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia. PVEP and PERG were recorded simultaneously in 40 amblyopes [20 strabismics and 20 anisometropics] and 20 normal control subjects. Normal subjects were age and sex matched with patients. The P100 latency in PVEP was increased in both groups of patients but the P100 amplitude was reduced only in anisometropic group. In PERG, the amplitude of P50 was reduced in all patients with no significant change in latency. Beside reduced PVEP responses in strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia, the activity of retina reduced too. It is likely that retinal impulses can affect the development of visual system