Chronic Diseases Journal
Year:2024 | Volume:12 | Issue:2|Papers Count:8

BACKGROUND: Presently, some treatments such as neurofeedback therapy (NFT) have become of great importance in the treatment of psychological disorders. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of NFT on attention and working memory, processing speed, and anxiety of dyslexic children. METHODS: This quasi-experimental research was conducted with an unbalanced control group, a pretest-posttest design, and follow-up. The statistical population was all dyslexic children of 7-10 years of age in Karaj, Iran, from December 2021 to January 2022. The participants included 45 dyslexic children who were randomly divided into 3 groups of 15 people. The first and second groups received cognitive rehabilitation and NFT, respectively, and the third group received no treatment (control group). NFT was presented in 15 sessions (30-minutes) in the experimental groups. The instruments included the Integrated Visual and Auditory (IVA) + PLUS, Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS), Clinical Q Assessment, and the ‎Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS)‎. SPSS software was applied for data analysis. RESULTS: The findings showed that after NFT, the scores of the experimental group in all outcomes decreased in the posttest and follow-up phases (P < 0. 0001). CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that the educational content of NFT can be used to increase attention, working memory, and processing speed, and reduce anxiety in dyslexic children. Therefore, it is suggested that the results of similar studies be applied in educational fields

BACKGROUND: Identifying children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and treating them early is essential. This study was conducted to determine the structure of sleep in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). METHODS: This cross-sectional, retrospective-descriptive study was performed in the sleep center of Qods Hospital, Qazvin City, Iran, from April 2017 to June 2021. Using simple random sampling, 46 children and adolescents aged 2-12 years, who underwent polysomnography, were selected. Electroencephalography (EEG), chin and limbs electrooculography (EOG) and electromyography (EMG), and electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes were implanted. The information recorded using polysomnography were interpreted manually according to the standards of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Due to the quality of the data, frequency distribution tables were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Among the 33 patients with OSA included in the study, 24 (72. 72%) patients had severe OSA and 9 (27. 3%) patients had moderate OSA. The mean of respiratory disorders in each patient included: 6. 73% central apnea, 58. 92% obstructive apnea, 3. 87% mixed apnea, and 30. 45% hypopnea. The average total sleep time (TST) was 6 hours and 47 minutes. Furthermore, the mean hypopnea apnea index (AHI) was 30. 86 per hour. Sleep structure consisted of 9. 03% stage N1, 51. 33% stage N2, 23. 18% stage N3, and 14. 39% rapid eye movement sleep (REM). Sleep efficiency was estimated to be 79. 57% CONCLUSION: Sleep apnea-disordered breathing including severe OSA, moderate apnea, central apnea, obstructive apnea, and mixed apnea-hypopnea were observed in the studied children

BACKGROUND: Isoniazid (INH) is one of the first-line drugs used for the treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). This study aimed to determine the mutations in katG and inhA promoter regions associated with INH resistance in clinical isolates of Mtb from Tehran, Iran. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the tuberculosis (TB) center of Tehran in 2020. 50 samples obtained from these patients were cultured on Löwenstein-Jensen medium (LJ), then, INH-resistant strains and their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were determined using the proportional method. To determine the INH-resistance mutations, sequencing was performed following the amplification of both katG and inhA genes using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The genetic relationships were determined based on each strain's genetic pattern using the primers related to enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR (ERIC-PCR), which is a proper tool used for typing Mtb strains. In this study, the phylogenetic tree was plotted using NTSYS software. RESULTS: Five INH-resistant Mtb strains were isolated from 50 patients with TB in Tehran. All the studied resistant strains (100%) showed a mutation in codon 315 of the katG gene,none of them exhibited any mutation in the promoter. I335T mutation was observed in one INH-resistant strain (20%). The phylogenetic tree of the strains indicated seven clusters as well as 31 patterns in the strains. The strain with two mutations in 335 and 315 had MIC > 8. CONCLUSION: KatG mutation could result in a high level of INH resistance. Therefore, routine identification of this mutation can help in determining the INH resistance, thereby preventing further propagation of these strains

Background: If nurses have acceptable mental health in the workplace, they will be better able to provide specialized services to patients. This study aimed to provide a model of the relationship between personality traits and feelings of loneliness and the mediating role of nurses' preoccupation with body image. Methods: According to the data collection method used, the present study was part of a correlation descriptive study performed with path analysis. The statistical population consisted of all nurses at Ibn Sina Hospital (235 nurses), Omid Hospital (280 nurses), and Erfan Hospital (320 nurses) in Tehran, Iran, in 2022. Using convenience sampling, ‎ 300 d' nurses were selected as the study participants. The data collection tools were the UCLA ‎Loneliness Scale (ULS), NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and Body Image Concern Inventory (BICI). Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and Smart PLS. Results: The results confirmed that all variables (neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness), with the mediation role of body image concern, were associated with loneliness except openness (P < 0. 05). The study found no evidence to support the idea that body image problems have a mediating role in the association of extraversion, openness to experience, and agreeableness with loneliness (P < 0. 05). Conclusion: Knowing the health-related components of nurses can help researchers and managers in mental health to design and apply accurate and effective psychosocial interventions

BACKGROUND: It was argued that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown could affect eating disorders (EDs) by triggering EDs behaviors and exacerbating existing symptoms. This study was carried out to examine the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy (EFT) on body image of women with EDs during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest and a control group. The statistical population included all people with physical image disorder from September to October 2021. Thirty-four were selected using a purposeful sampling method. They were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 17) and control (n = 17) groups. The experimental group underwent eight sessions of 120-minute online treatment, one session per week. The control group did not receive any intervention until the end of the experimental group. Measurement tool was Cash Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ). The experimental group received eight sessions of EFT,however, the control group did not receive such training. The research data were examined through multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS software. RESULTS: The intervention yielded more substantial outcomes concerning the variables mentioned in the experimental group, surpassing the impact observed in the control group. Based on the scores from the appearance assessment scales (F = 0. 39, P < 0. 001), appearance orientation (F = 196. 71, P < 0. 001), and satisfaction with body area (F = 0. 25, P = 0. 61), there was a significant difference between the two groups. According to the eta-squared (η2), the appearance orientation scale had the most significant impact on the effectiveness of EFT. This means that only 0. 87% of the difference in appearance orientation scores after the test could be attributed to the therapy's effectiveness. CONCLUSION: Given the results of the current study and the research background, EFT can be recommended as an efficient interventional method to improve women’s body image

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a disease with a high prevalence that can lead to emotional and psychological disorders such as anxiety. Anxiety in these individuals weakens the body's immune system and makes it vulnerable to diseases, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of spiritual intervention on reducing anxiety caused by COVID-19 among patients with cancer. METHODS: This was a semi-experimental study. The statistical population consisted of patients with cancer referred to the oncology departments in Tohid Hospital in Sanandaj City, Iran, from June 2022 to February 2023. The samples were selected using random sampling. The sample size was 90 participants. The intervention group underwent spiritual intervention, which was held during 6 group sessions daily for 45 minutes. Data were collected using the COVID-19 Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS) and were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) using the Stata software. RESULTS: The average score of anxiety in the intervention group showed a significant difference in the post-test (P < 0. 001), but the average score of the individuals in the control group did not differ in the post-test (P = 0. 335). It showed that the difference between the two groups with regard to the dependent variables was significant in total (P < 0. 001). CONCLUSION: According to the results of the present study, spiritual intervention can be used to reduce negative psychological consequences and increase effective strategies to deal with anxiety in patients with cancer

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still a health problem worldwide. As our current knowledge about the interaction of various underlying diseases and their management in COVID-19 mortality is gradually evolving, the current study investigated the complications and outcomes of COVID-19 up to 1 year after infection in individuals with underlying diseases. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study, 725 patients with COVID-19 (414 women and 311 men) who had a history of specific diseases were selected and included in the study. The medical records of COVID-19 patients admitted to Kowsar Hospital, Iran, with cancer, kidney disease, history of organ transplant, history of cerebrovascular accident ‎(CVA), and rheumatic diseases between 2020 and 2021 were investigated. In order to collect information about the condition of the patients and the complications, the patients were contacted until 1 year after contracting COVID-19. For analytical purposes and hypotheses, the chi-square t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used. Data analysis was performed in Stata software. RESULTS: The most common underlying diseases among hospitalized patients were rheumatic diseases (28. 3%), followed by cancer (25. 5%), and a history of CVA (16. 6%). Despite the treatment, 241 patients (33. 2%) died, and 96 of them (13%) died after being discharged from the hospital. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study showed that decrease in appetite and increase in the duration of hospitalization can be predictors of the probability of death after COVID-19 infection in patients with a history of the studied underlying diseases

BACKGROUND: Mycetoma is introduced as a rare neglected disease in tropical areas. It is a chronic, localized, slowly progressive infectious granulomatous disease of soft tissue. It may be caused by true fungi such as eumycetoma or filamentous bacteria such as actinomycetoma. In India, there is variation in the species causing mycetoma according to geographical location. The purpose of this study was to review all currently available information to identify knowledge gaps and/or research priorities. METHODS: The study was conducted retrospectively in the Department of Histopathology for biopsy-confirmed cases of mycetoma. Eight histopathologically confirmed cases were found in the two-year study period from 2018 to 2019, and a clinicopathological analysis of de-identified patient data was done. RESULTS: Five cases were reported as mycotic mycetoma, and the rest were reported as actinomycosis. All patients were men, and the mean age of presentation was 41. 37 years old. The foot, ankle, head, and neck were the sites that were the most infected regions. CONCLUSION: Mycetoma is a rare disease but should be considered a differential diagnosis of any foot and ankle lump in a patient from the subtropics. An accurate and timely histopathological diagnosis is essential in mycetoma for its treatment and prognosis, as when left untreated, the disease progresses and leads to increased morbidity. Appropriate preventive and control measures can be utilized by health workers/community leaders to educate people at risk to reduce their exposure risk and report the cases as early as possible