Middle East Journal of Rehabilitation and Health Studies
Year:2018 | Volume:5 | Issue:1|Papers Count:14

Background: One of the most important metabolic disorders is hyperlipidemia. ApoAI protein plays an important role in lipoprotein metabolism. In this study, the association between MspI polymorphisms in the promoter (G-75A) and first intron (C83T) of the apoAI gene and hyperlipidemia was investigated in Semnan, Iran. Methods: A total of 151 unrelated subjects were divided into two groups: the hyperlipidemic (N = 75) and control (N = 76) groups. Genotyping was carried out by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Results: In the hyperlipidemic group, the frequency of the (+-) variant of the MspI (C83T) locus was higher than that in the control group (P < 0. 05). Significant differences were found in serum HDL-C and apoAI levels between different genotypes of MspI (C83T) (P < 0. 001 and P = 0. 02, respectively). In the hyperlipidemic group, the odds ratios for the (+-) and (– ) genotypes of the MspI (C83T) locus in comparison to that for the (++) genotype were 0. 26 (P= 0. 023) and 3. 62 (P = 0. 254), respectively. The allelic frequency at the (G-75A) locus was not significantly different in the hyperlipidemic and control groups (P = 0. 36). The serum levels of lipid and lipoprotein were not significantly different for all genotypes of MspI (G-75A). The AA/++ and GG/– haplotypes had the lowest and highest apoB/apoAI ratios, respectively (0. 73 0. 03 vs. 1. 9). Conclusions: The presence of (+) and A alleles in the apoAI (C83T) and (G-75A) haplotypes in the Semnan population may be protective against cardiovascular disease.

Background: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is one of the most important causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. It has been accepted that an effective way for preventing PPH is active management of third stage of labor. Objectives: This studyaimedatfinding the effect of 800 g of sublingual misoprostolcomparedto60units of intravenous oxytocin in Ringer-lactate to reduce PPH after cesarean delivery. Methods: This single blind randomized clinical trial was conducted at Amir Al-Momenin hospital in Semnan, Iran, from June 2013 to April 2014. A total of 100 pregnant (Gravidity 1, 2) women entered the study. They were randomized into 2 groups. One group received 800  g sublingual misoprostol (n = 50) and the other group received 60 IU oxytocin intravenously (n = 50) in the cesarean section under spinal anesthesia, immediately after the opening of the peritoneum. Results: The mean  SD decline in hematocrit level after 24 hours of delivery was 2. 6%  2. 3% in misoprostol group and it was 3. 2%  2. 5% in oxytocin group, and the difference was not significant (P = 0. 27). The need for the additional uterotonic drug was significantly higher in the oxytocin group (16%) than in the misoprostol group (2. 1%) one hour after delivery (P = 0. 031). During one hour after delivery, the incidence of shivering was significantly lower in oxytocin group (P = 0. 001), but on the contrary, the incidence of hypotension in the oxytocin received patients was higher (P = 0. 003). Conclusions: The effectiveness of sublingual misoprostol is similar to intravenous oxytocin in reducing cesarean section hemorrhage. Moreover, because shivering as an untreatable adverse effect of misoprostol was very bothersome for the patients, we recommend that sublingual misoprostol not be used in high dosage.

Background: Averting recurrent stroke among stroke survivors requires a choice of the appropriate arm for blood pressure (BP) measurement, especially among high-risk survivors. Objectives: This study aimed at determining the appropriate arm for BP measurement in stroke survivors. Methods: This cross sectional study comprised of 100 volunteer and willing stroke survivors enrolled using the convenient sampling technique from 2 public hospitals in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Each participant’ s BP was measured as stipulated by previous studies. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the socio-demographics and clinical characteristics of the stroke survivors. Student’ s t-test for independent samples was used to compare mean BP between unaffected and affected arms of the participants. Results: Mean age and age range of the participants in years were 53. 8 + 17. 7 and 20 to 90, respectively. Participants that had had a stroke within the previous 7 months accounted for 69. 0% of cases. Spastic stroke constituted 71%. Sides of the body afflicted with stroke were equally distributed. A significant difference (p = 0. 017) existed in blood pressure between unaffected and affected arms of stroke survivors. Conclusions: Health workers involved in the management of stroke patients were advised to take blood pressure measurement from both the affected and non-affected arms; the arm with the higher value should be taken as the reference arm.

Fractures of the scaphoid are the most common fractures of the carpal bones. Because of the distal perfusion of the bone, there is a great chance to present complications such as avascular necrosis, delayed union of the fracture and subsequently, early osteoarthritis (up to 32%). For those reasons, the treatment of scaphoid fractures remains a challenge. Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) have been used for decades as an alternative option in delayed bone healing fractures with good results. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are scarce reports, if any, on scaphoid fractures. The objective of this case report was to show delayed union fracture as a common complication of scaphoid fracture and to postulate PEMF as an effective treatment option for such a condition, reflected by our clinical and radiological evaluations and supported by a thorough review of the literature. The patient received 20 sessions of PEMF, using the QS Magneto therapy device® , with a dose of 20Hz-50Gauss-20 minutes, 5 times a week for 4 weeks. PEMF could recover delayed nonunion of scaphoid fracture and decreased pain as evaluated clinically and radiologically in our case report.

Background: Having a child with autism spectrum disorder is a stressful event for parents. Mental health status of the parents of children with chronic disabilities has a considerable impact on welfare and development of their children. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and quality of life in mothers of children with autism. Methods: In this descriptive analytic study, 50 mothers of children with autism, with the mean age of 33. 9 years (SD = 6. 8), referred to autism clinics in Tehran, were selected using convenience sampling method. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Iranian version of the short-form health survey (SF-36) and the emotional intelligence was measured by the Iranian version of H-Wesinger emotional intelligence inventory. Results: Given the findings, there was a significant correlation between the scores of quality of life and the emotional intelligence (r = 0. 304, P = 0. 032). Also, there existed a significant correlation between the subscale tests in the physical performance (r = 0. 286, P = 0. 044) and the Mental health (r = 0. 293, P = 0. 032). Conclusions: The current study showed that the quality of life in mothers of children with ASD could be affected by emotional intelligence and the increased emotional intelligence is a factor to promote the quality of life. In addition, there is a positive relationship between emotional intelligence, mental health, and physical performance. High emotional intelligence is effective in improving the status of these 2 areas.

Background: Ability of the students to perform a variety of functional activities leads to their participation in school-based learning activities. Therefore, it is essential to provide a reliable and credible criterion that provides information about the students’ actual performance in school activities. The purpose of this study is to assess the reliability of the Persian version of school function assessment (SFA) for Iranian students 6 to 12 years old. Methods: The SFA was designed to assess a range of school-specific functional skills in the three areas of participation, task support, and activity performance. In this methodological study, 150 students were randomly selected from the public schools in Tehran. A demographic questionnaire was used to gather data. The SFA was completed by teachers. To test the reliability of the test-retest, after 2 weeks, the questionnaire was completed by the 40 teachers. The internal consistency was examined by using the Cronbach’ s alpha and the reliability of the test-retest was examined by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The average age of students in this study was 9 years old. The Cronbach’ s alpha coefficient for the different parts of this tool was excellent (0. 84 < alpha < 0. 99). The test-retest reliability of the test was good for the subtest of this tool (0. 85 < ICC < 0. 99). Conclusions: The results showed that the Persian version of the SFA is a good test for the assessment of the school performance of Iranian students in terms of internal consistency and the reliability of the test-retest. Therefore, the SFA can be used as a research study to evaluate students in Iran.

Background: Informal caregiverswhogive regular care to their relative, needing help for a time, are at risk of manydifficulties such as financial dependency, anger, wandering, social problems and communication problems. The purpose of our study is to translate and validate a Persian version of “ burden scale for family caregivers-short (BSFC-s)” to measure the burden of informal caregivers. Methods: The BSFC-s was translated into Farsi by the world health organization (WHO) method. Content validity was evaluated by 15 experts in the field of occupational therapy and physical therapy using Lawshe’ s method. A total of 11 caregivers of stroke families’ patients scored each item for face validity. Results: The results indicated that BSFC-s has good face validity. The impact factor was between 2. 94 and 4. 14. No item had a content validity index (CVI) below 0. 79 and based on the Lawshe’ s method, the items’ content validity ratio (CVR) was above 0. 49. Conclusions: The BSFC-s was translated into Persian and its face as well as content validity were acceptable. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to evaluate its reliability and validity.

Background: Nowadays, regarding the increasing awareness of health empowerment models in the field of the nature of the activity, the importance of the participation of children with functional disabilities is emphasized. The purpose of this study is to assess the psychometric properties of the Persian version of school function assessment (SFA). Methods: A group of 80 children with physical disability along with their parents, teachers, and occupational therapists participated in this methodological study. Cronbach’ s alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were calculated to assess the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of Persian version of SFA, respectively. The statistical analysis was done using SPSS software (version 21). Results: The mean age of children in this study was 9. 6 years (SD = 1. 1). 40 participants were females and 40 were males. Except for a few items, all items had acceptable content validity index (CVI > 0. 7) and content validity ratio (CVR > 0. 4). The Cronbach’ s alpha score for different parts of SFA was also calculated (0. 90 <  < 0. 98; P < 0. 001). The test-retest reliability of sub-tests of SFA was excellent (0. 87 < ICC < 0. 98; P < 0. 001). Conclusion: The Persian version of SFA has a desirable validity and reliability to use in children with physical disabilities and it can be used as a tool for clinical evaluation and physical therapeutic planning by specialists.

Musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders are very prevalent in a rehabilitation setting. These disorders involve muscle, tendon, ligaments, as well as nerves, and are related to overuse due to work or sports, and degeneration due to aging. These conditions are usually diagnosed based on clinical signs and symptoms; however, a more accurate diagnosis is required. The imaging techniques for diagnosis include radiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasounds (US). In this review article, US is proposed to be an effective technique in diagnosing MSK pathologies, which, in hands of a Rehabilitation specialist, constitute a dynamic, accurate, economic, and cost-effective tool.

Background: Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) are commonly present in daily life all over the world. This study was designed to investigate the effects of the different exposure intensity of the low frequency electromagnetic fields on the liver tissue. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats (n = 30) were randomly allocated in one of the experimental groups including; group A, exposure to 0. 5 millitesla (mT) for 2-week (n = 5); group B, exposure to 0. 5 mT for 4-week (n = 5); group C, control without radiation (n = 5); group D, exposure to 1 mT for 2-week (n = 5); group E, exposure to 1 mT for 4-week (n = 5); and group F, sham group (n = 5). At the end of the experiment, their liver tissue was dissected and clinically assessed by a pathologist. Results: Our results show that for 1 month of exposure at 1 mT, focal hepatocitolysis and mild to moderate portal inflammation is visible and for 2 weeks exposure at this flux density, apoptosis and hepatocyte inflammation has occurred. However, for the groups exposed to 0. 5 mT, 1 month exposure has caused hepatocyte focal inflammation, parenchymal hepatocitolysis, and focal apoptosis while, the exposure for 2 weeks did not affect the liver tissue. Conclusion: Exposure to ELF-EMF at the occupational limit cannot lead to irreversible changes and its effects on cells are enough below moderate changes. At the flux density of 1 mT, effects are moderate and irreversible and they are spread in larger areas than the lower flux density of 0. 5 mT. Exposure time correlates with the level of stress on the cells; therefore, for a halftime exposure at occupational level, there exist no changes relative to the control group while for the fulltime exposure, some adverse effects were visible.

Background: The objective of this study was to compare the lifestyles and sexual satisfaction of patients who received Narcotics Anonymous with patients who received methadone maintenance therapy. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 50 patients who received Narcotics Anonymous were compared with 50 patients who underwent methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). The participants were chosen from the city of Ghazvin (Iran) in 2016 and they completed the lifestyle questionnaire and Larson sexual satisfaction questionnaire. Results: The results of multivariate analysis of variance showed significant differences between the 2 groups in the components of lifestyle so that the MMT group achieved higher scores in the subscale of weight control and nutrition, disease prevention, mental health, social health, drug prevention, accident prevention, and environmental health (P < 0. 05). However, the difference between the 2 groups in components of health, exercise and fitness, and mental health was not significant. Furthermore, independent t-test results showed that the 2 groups have no significant difference in sexual satisfaction (P = 0. 000). Conclusions: The findings indicated the higher effectiveness of methadone maintenance therapy in MMT group compared to Narcotics Anonymous. It can be stated that the lifestyle was partly modified due to the avoidance of substance abuse in methadone maintenance treatment. Background: The objective of this study was to compare the lifestyles and sexual satisfaction of patients who received Narcotics Anonymous with patients who received methadone maintenance therapy. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 50 patients who received Narcotics Anonymous were compared with 50 patients who underwent methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). The participants were chosen from the city of Ghazvin (Iran) in 2016 and they completed the lifestyle questionnaire and Larson sexual satisfaction questionnaire. Results: The results of multivariate analysis of variance showed significant differences between the 2 groups in the components of lifestyle so that the MMT group achieved higher scores in the subscale of weight control and nutrition, disease prevention, mental health, social health, drug prevention, accident prevention, and environmental health (P < 0. 05). However, the difference between the 2 groups in components of health, exercise and fitness, and mental health was not significant. Furthermore, independent t-test results showed that the 2 groups have no significant difference in sexual satisfaction (P = 0. 000). Conclusions: The findings indicated the higher effectiveness of methadone maintenance therapy in MMT group compared to Narcotics Anonymous. It can be stated that the lifestyle was partly modified due to the avoidance of substance abuse in methadone maintenance treatment. Background: The objective of this study was to compare the lifestyles and sexual satisfaction of patients who received Narcotics Anonymous with patients who received methadone maintenance therapy. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 50 patients who received Narcotics Anonymous were compared with 50 patients who underwent methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). The participants were chosen from the city of Ghazvin (Iran) in 2016 and they completed the lifestyle questionnaire and Larson sexual satisfaction questionnaire. Results: The results of multivariate analysis of variance showed significant differences between the 2 groups in the components of lifestyle so that the MMT group achieved higher scores in the subscale of weight control and nutrition, disease prevention, mental health, social health, drug prevention, accident prevention, and environmental health (P < 0. 05). However, the difference between the 2 groups in components of health, exercise and fitness, and mental health was not significant. Furthermore, independent t-test results showed that the 2 groups have no significant difference in sexual satisfaction (P = 0. 000). Conclusions: The findings indicated the higher effectiveness of methadone maintenance therapy in MMT group compared to Narcotics Anonymous. It can be stated that the lifestyle was partly modified due to the avoidance of substance abuse in methadone maintenance treatment.

Background: Many studies have indicated that the use of social networks and online communication by seniors can improve their general health and social welfare as well as promote the quality of their lives. However, problems with the use of online social networksmaypreventthemfromusing the networks. This studyaimsto explain the experiences of older adultswhenfacing barriers and challenges of using social networks. Methods: This qualitative study takes a phenomenological approach and was carried out in 2016 using purposive sampling. We collected the in-depth semi-structured interviews with 9 seniors) 3 males and 6 females) with an average age of 68. 3 years. Subjects confirmed to be active members in at least 1 of the online social networks. The data were analyzed using Colaizzi’ s 7-step method. Results: Two main themes of “ preconditions of use” and “ individual concerns” were extracted from the data analysis. A total of 6 relevant subthemes were as follows: “ need for equipment and facilities, ” “ adequate income” , “ need for technical knowledge” , “ trust in information” , “ trust in other users” , and “ security and privacy” . Conclusions: People of older age reported barriers and difficulties using online social networks. It seems that the elderly can be encouraged to use these social networks and improve the quality of their lives through educational planning.

Background: Elderly individuals make up a large part of the population, many of whom use walking aids and also tend to have a higher percentage of cardiovascular complications. There is a need to document the effects of walking with different aids on walking speed and selected cardiovascular parameters. Objectives: This study aimed at determining and comparing the effects of walking with cane, tripod, and walking frame on walking speed and selected cardiovascular parameters in apparently healthy elderly individuals. Methods: Thirty-five (35) elderly individuals participated in this study. Participants’ systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) were measured after ambulation with and without walking aids. Walking speed (WS) was measured as each participant walked at their normal comfortable pace without aid and with 3 walking aids on separate days. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to find a significant difference between variables. Results: Participants’ meanage was 74. 89 7. 15 years. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) (138. 57 16. 62 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), (80. 37 9. 57mmHg), and heart rate (HR) (75. 51 9. 54 beats/min) after walking frame ambulation were higher than with cane (132. 91 18. 97 mmHg; 78. 74 8. 59 mmHg; 75. 37 10. 28 beats/min) and tripod (130. 40 16. 59 mmHg; 77. 31 9. 13 mmHg; 74. 63 9. 92 beats/min) ambulation, respectively. Walking speed (0. 58 0. 21 m/s) with a cane was significantly faster (P = 0. 001) than with frame (0. 31 0. 12 m/s), and tripod (0. 50 0. 19 m/s). Conclusions: Walking frame ambulation elicited a higher blood pressure, a higher HR and a slower WS than cane and tripod ambulation, respectively. The participants walked significantly faster with a cane than tripod and walking frame.

Background: Safety is recognized as an important factor in personal independence. The aim of this study was to determine the association of factors, such as fatigue, duration of disease, age, dominant involved body side, gender, and severity of disease with safety performance and to identify safety predictors among effective factors for activities of daily living (ADL) among patients with Parkinson’ s disease (PD). Methods: Sixty patients with PD participated in this study. Fatigue was assessed using the 16-item Parkinson fatigue scale (PFS-16), while performance safety was examined with the performance assessment of self-care skills (PASS). Linear multiple regression analysis was performed between PASS safety parameter as the dependent variableandindependent variables with significant correlations with performance safety, using SPSS version 18. Results: A significant relationship was observed between ADL safety and fatigue (r = 0. 557; P < 0. 001), disease severity (r = 0. 558; P-0. 001), and age (r =-0. 636; P < 0. 001). Performance safety in physical and cognitive instrumental ADL showed the most significant correlation with fatigue severity. The stepwise multiple linear regression model revealed that age (F(1, 58), 39. 32; P < 0. 001) with an R2 of 0. 64 could predict safety in ADL performance. Conclusions: Age, fatigue severity, and disease are predictors of performance safety in ADLamong patients with PD. For implementing more effective interventions on safe ADL performance, rehabilitation teams should conduct more detailed safety assessments with a special focus on the effects of fatigue, aging, and disease severity on the performance of each activity.