Avicenna Journal of Neuropsychophysiology
Year:2014 | Volume:1 | Issue:2|Papers Count:8

Background: During the recent decades, there have been two major leaps in treatment of depression using the medication to pacify and relieve depression signs and behavior cognitive therapy. The available evidences emphasize the treatment success with some group training methods including stress management, cognitive group therapy, and eye movement desensitization in reducing depression.Objectives: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of these methods on reducing depression in patients with spinal cord injuries.Patients and Methods: In a quasi-experimental project, 60 patients with spinal cord injuries were recruited and randomly allocated to one of the following treatment groups: stress management, cognitive group therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and no cognitive treatment groups. Depression status and severity was determined using Beck depression inventory.Results: Although baseline depression state was comparable across the study groups, following training, the mean depression score in the groups received eye movement desensitization (14.60±3.15) and stress management (22.66±3.37) were significantly lower than in cognitive group therapy (27.33±4.15) or in no cognitive treatment groups (32.13±1.80) (P<0.001). Between-group covariate analysis showed superiority of eye movement desensitization method on other treatment methods including stress management and cognitive group therapy (P<0.001).Conclusions: Our study showed higher effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing methods compared with stress management and cognitive group therapy in reducing depression severity in patients with spinal cord injuries.

Background: The Mammograms and Papanicolaou (Pap) test of women aged 25 to 64 years are Iran’s national strategy for breast and cervical cancer screening, respectively. Widespread primary care services are supplied through a network of primary health centers; nonetheless, little is known about breast and cervical cancer screening-related practices among healthcare workers in hospitals.Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the frequency of undergoing breast and cervical cancer screening among Iranian healthcare providers.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 460 female healthcare providers from four public hospitals in Hamadan were recruited. Data were collected using a questionnaire, which included socio-demographic characteristics, family history of breast and cervical cancers, and history of undergoing mammography and Pap smear test.Results: The rate of positive family history of breast cancer was 15.6%. The mean age at undergoing the first mammogram was 40.7±3.9 years and the mean number of lifetime mammographies was 1.12±0.33. From 460 women in this study, 42.6% had undergone mammography. Specialist physicians had undergone mammography more frequently than other healthcare providers had done. Only 72 participants (15.6%) had positive family history of breast cancer among which 15 (62.5 %) had undergone mammography. The frequency of undergoing mammography was significantly different among different healthcare providers (c2=12.16; P=0.007) and positive family history of breast cancer were significant. A total of 268 cases out of 420 had the positive history of undergoing Pap test. The mean age at undergoing the first screening was 27.9±4.6 years and the mean number of lifetime Pap test was 1.64±0.92. Most of the midwives (88.1%) had undergone Pap test; the rate was 77.8% in specialist physicians, 61.8% in nurses, and 51.7% in general practitioner. Only 14 out of 420 respondents had positive family history of cervical cancer among which 13 (92.9%) had undergone Pap rest. The frequency of undergoing Pap test was significantly different among different healthcare providers (c2=12.16, P=0.007) and positive family history of cervical cancer among those older than 40 years (c2=7.24, P=0.02) were significant.Conclusions: Screening for gynecologic cancer is important in early diagnosis and women wellbeing. The acceptance of cancer screening test was low in most of the healthcare providers. The attitude and practice of healthcare provider can affect women’s acceptance of cancer screening test.

Background: Lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora) has been known to have various pharmacologic activities.Objectives: Lemon verbena leaves are used to make an herbal tea, which is traditionally used for treating spasms, common cold, severe abdominal pain, indigestion, insomnia, anxiety, and headache. Although it has been known to have various pharmacologic activities, no scientific study has been done to assess its effects yet. In this study aimed to assess the effect of the aqueous extract of lemon verbena on memory of male rats by using the passive avoidance task.Materials and Methods: In this study, Wistar male rats (weight, 180-250 g) were recruited. Aqueous extract of lemon verbena leaves was prepared. A total of 40 Wistar male rats were randomly allocated to five groups (n=8). Saline for control group and aqueous extract of lemon verbena in four experimental groups were administered intraperitoneally (respectively 10, 100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg) for seven days. Then passive avoidance learning test was used to evaluate learning and memory. On the seventh day, acquisition test was performed an hour after treatment and the retention test was performed on the next day.Results: Analysis of data showed that in comparison to controls, treatment with the aqueous extract of lemon verbena (³100 mg/kg) had decreased the step-through latency (STL) (P<0.001). Moreover, treatment of the rats with the extract doses of ³500 mg/kg had increased the total time spent in the dark compartment (TDC) in comparison to controls (P<0.001).Conclusions: These results indicated that aqueous extract of lemon verbena (³100 mg/kg) has undesirable effects on memory; however, understanding the underling mechanisms needs further investigation.

Background: The elevated plus-maze (EPM) has been broadly used to investigate anxiolytic and anxiogenic compounds. There is little information about the effect of interaction between calcium channels and cannabinoid system on the phenomenon of anxiety.Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effects of acute and chronic coadministration of AM251, as cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist, and Verapamil, as L-type Ca2+ channels blocker, on EPM test in rats.Materials and Methods: The data were obtained from male Wistar rat, weighing 220 to 260 g. Animals were allocated to five groups: Control, Verapamil, AM251, acute Verapamil+AM251, and chronic (injection for 8 days) Verapamil+AM251 groups. The percentage of entries into the open arms of the EPM, the time spent in the open arms, and the number of entries into the closed arms during ten minutes was recorded.Results: Intraperitoneally (IP) injection of AM251 before EPM trial decreased open arms exploration and open arm entry. On the other hand, Verapamil increased open arms exploration and open arm entry. Combined injection of Verapamil and AM251 had conflicting effects on the responses of each of these two compounds alone. AM251 and Verapamil had no effects on the number of closed arm entries.Conclusions: IP injection of CB1 receptor antagonist might have an anxiogenic profile in rat, whereas calcium channel blocker attenuated the anxiogenic effect of AM251. Our results suggest that there is an interaction between functions of L-type Ca2+ channels and cannabinoid system in anxiety.

Background: The present study was based on the Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, and Successive processes (PASS) theory.Objectives: We hypothesized that there would be significant differences between children with and without reading disability (RD) on PASS components. Furthermore, we predicted that deficits in children with RD would not be uniform across PASS components.Patients and Methods: Children with RD who participated in the study were two grades below the expected reading level for their age but were otherwise normal with respect to intellectual functioning, opportunities, and instructions. The comparison group consisted of age-matched children.Results: Independent-samples t tests (two-tailed) showed significant difference between the groups on all the PASS component subtests. The PASS scores of children with RD were scattered unevenly around the average to well below the average range.Conclusions: Kannada children with RD were particularly poor on simultaneous and successive processing. Our results support the heterogeneity view of RD.

Background: Ecstasy or 3-4, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), as an amphetamine derivate, could lead to learning and memory impairment.Objectives: As the hippocampus is responsible for learning and memory, herein we evaluated acute and chronic effects of MDMA on the structure of the hippocampus.Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats (200-250 g) received single or multiple injections of MDMA (10 mg/kg, IP). At the end of the study, rats were killed and their brains were removed. Hippocampus sections were prepared to study the structure of hippocampus CA1. Data was analyzed using SPSS 16 software and one-way analysis of variance test.Results: Our findings showed that cell density decreased in MDMA-treated groups in comparison to the intact group. Administration of multiple doses of MDMA significantly decreased the cell number when compared with intact (P<0.001) and acute (P<0.01) groups.Conclusions: These data suggest that MDMA treatment caused cell death in CA1, which was more extensive in the chronic treatment group.

Background: Among different crimes, burglary is a common criminal attitude that deranges security in society.Objectives: The aim of present study was investigated factors and incentives resulting in commitment of robbery according to prisoners accused of burglary in central prison of Kermanshah Province.Patients and Methods: In a qualitative research based on contractive content analysis, 19 male convict of burglary were studied. They all stated their satisfaction with attending the study and were selected objectively to gain data saturation in Kermanshah Central Prison. Participants went under deep individual interviews. Semi-structured general questions were designed as interview guide to be answered openly and descriptively and sample answers guided its process. All interviews were tape-recorded and transcripts were made later. Data were analyzed and conscious satisfaction, obscurity, information security, withdrawal from participation on will, and moral commitments were confirmed.Results: Five main themes resulted from interviews. Codes included “personal factors, family attitudes and conditions, others' effects, regulations on burglary punishment, and availability of stolen property”.Conclusions: Results from present study introduced several factors in regard of burglary; among these, personal and family factors were the most important. The present study could be a guidance to design proper interventions and introduce efficient measures to prevent burglary commitment among at risk groups.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia is accompanied by progressive memory loss and other cognitive functions. The conditionis estimated to affect approximately 36 million people, worldwide. AD is characterized by the presence of extracellular amyloid b (Ab) deposits, intracellular neurofibrillary tanglesand senile plaques in the cortex, hippocampus, basal forebrain and amygdale. Neurofibrillary tangles formation is the result of intracellular fibrillar aggregation of the microtubule-associated protein tau that is hyperphosphorylated and oxidized. Senile plaques consist of insoluble fibrillar Ab. It is established that Ab is formed after sequential cleavage of amyloid precursor protein and secreted to the extracellular space. It also inhibits hippocampal long-term potentiation and disrupts the synaptic plasticity. In addition, Ab accumulation induces an elevation in levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in neurons, leading to apoptotic neuronal death in rats and mice. Studies showed that the accumulation of Ab in brain plays an important role in the pathophysiology of AD and a close correlation exits between Ab procedure and the neurodegeneration process of AD. There exists evidence suggesting that memory impairment in AD begins with changes in hippocampal synaptic functions and then gradually progresses to neurodegeneration and neuronal loss in these patients.