Archives of Rehabilitation (Journal of Rehabilitation)
Year:2013 | Volume:14 | Issue:3 (58)|Papers Count:18

Objective: The purpose of the present research was to compare speech intelligibility in children with cochlear implant, with hearing aids and normal hearing in Tehran province.Materials & Methods: Sixty children underwent this analytic and comparative research. They were divided into three groups and each group contains 20 children. First and second group were selected, ordinarily, from children with cochlear implant and hearing aids by the in available method; while that third group were selected from children with normal hearing randomly. The instruments of this research were Riven intelligence test and Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR). The obtained data were statistically analyzed by oneway ANOVA and Post-Hoc Scheffe.Results: The findings of the research showed that mean scores of speech intelligibility in normal hearing children was significantly more than children of the two groups (P<0.05), while that mean scores of speech intelligibility in children with cochlear implant had not a significant difference with children with hearing aids (P>0.05).Conclusion: Speech intelligibility in children with normal hearing was better than children with cochlear implant or hearing aids. Since, speech intelligibility is multidimensional and complex phenomenon, requires specific rehabilitation program in order to achieve more development in speech skill of children with cochlear implant or hearing aids.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of core stabilization training program on the balance of mentally retarded educable students.Materials & Methods: The research was use Application of Quasi-experimental design with pretest and posttest control group. Our subjects included 31 students boys mentally retarded in the two groups (control, 14 patients with a mean age of 11.07±3.02 years, height 152±7.86 cm, weight 44.07±8.08 kg) and (17experimental group with a mean age 11.23±1.95years, height 147±7.07cm, weighing 38.11±4.85kg) of the sample selected. Demographic data includes: height, weight and medical records and also the IQ of them were collected. The training program of experimental group that for 6 weeks, 3 times a week in the first three weeks experimental group performed exercise the 2 sets with 5 repetitions and three the second week of 2 sets with 10 repetitions and for evaluate used the dynamic balance Y test. For analysis data used the paired T test and independent test.Results: Results showed significant differences in mean posterior lateral and posterior-medial in the experimental group in post-test (p≤0.05).Conclusion: People with mental retardation compared with normal people have problems with delays in motor development that seems to cause deficit in the balance. Due to the lack of balance in the people with mental retarded and the importance of balance in daily activities and the effects of core stability training on the balance was showed this training improve balance in these individuals, on base of the results of this research the core stability exercises can be performed for mental retarded by coaches and teachers.

Objective: Intellectual Disability (ID) characterize by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior, originates before the age of 18. Over 70% of severe to profound intellectual disabilities (ID) caused by genetic factors. The aim of this study was to investigate genetic causes of ID in fourty Ahvazi families and provide information for genetic counseling, carrier detection, and prenatal diagnosis.Materials & Methods: In collaboration with Welfare Organization of Khuzestan Province, a total of 183 ID families from Ahwaz were investigated from which 40 (62 male and 42 female) families whose ID had been confirmed by psychiatrist and had more than one affected individual were selected for molecular analysis. Blood samples were collected from all normal and affected individuals in each family on EDTA pre-coated tubes. Thorough clinical characterization, dysmorphism examinations, karyotype analysis were carried out for all of the patients.Results: Three out of 40 (7.5%) families had full mutation of Fragile X syndrome. No chromosomal abnormalities were identified. Metabolic screening revealed none of families had metabolic disorder. None of three families with primary microcephaly showed linkage to any of the seven known MCPH loci.Conclusion: The most common causes of ID in Ahvaz were Fragile X syndrome and Autosomal Recessive Primary Microcephaly with the frequency of (7.5%). It seems that autosomal recessive primary microcephaly is a relatively common heterogenous condition in Ahvaz.

Objective: The purpose of the research was to investigate the effectiveness of social behaviors training on improvement of the social skills of 14-18 years old girl adolescents with intellectual disability in Mazandaran province.Materials & Methods: In this semi-experimental study with pretest and posttest design with control group, were selected fourty girl adolescents with intellectual disability of 14-18 years old through multi–stage cluster sampling method. Subjects allocated randomly to two groups (experimental and control) and each group consist of 20 individuals. Experimental group attended in social behaviors training in the 8 sessions lasting for 90 minutes on the one month, but the control group did not receive any of instruction. The instruments consist of Revan intelligence test and Matson’s social skills scale. The data analysis was done by using MANCOVA.Results: The findings of this research showed that there were a significantly increasing in the mean scores of social skills (P<0.05).Also, scores mean of all of the social skills subscales (appropriate social skills, asocial behaviors, impulsive & aggression, superiority & high self-confident and relation with peers) significantly increase on the post intervention in experimental group (P<0.05).Conclusion: The social behaviors training program lead to improve social skills of adolescents with intellectual disability. Therefore, planning for social behaviors training has a particular importance for adolescents with intellectual disability.

Objective: Recently, researchers have increasingly turned to study the relation between stuttering and utterance length. This study investigates the effect of utterance length on the amount of speech dysfluency in stuttering Persian-speaking children and adults in conversational speech. The obtained results can pave the way to reach a better understanding of stuttering of child and adults, as well as finding more appropriate treatments.Materials & Methods: In this descriptive- analysis study, the participants were 15 stuttering Persian- speaker adults, upper from 15 years old, and 15 stuttering Persian-speaker children in the age range of 4-6. In this study, first 30 minutes sample of adults and child's spontaneous speech was provided and then utterances of each person studied for the amount of dysfluency and utterance length. The obtained information entered to computer via spss software and analyzed using paired T test.Results: In both groups of stuttering children and adults, while increasing the utterance length, there was a significant increase in the amount of dysfluency.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that by increasing of utterance length at the spontaneous speech level, stuttering children and adults had more dysfluency. Also, by increasing of utterance length, dysfluency amount of stuttering children and adults increased samely.

Objective: in normal walking, repetitive vertical ground reaction forces are transformed on musculo-skeletal system.Magnitude of force during impact is major contributor to overuse injuries. Purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of standard and beveled heel at orthopedic shoe on vertical ground reaction forces during walking in healthy subjects.Materials & Method: 30 healthy adults (12 male, 18 female) participated in this study by simple impossible sampling. Subjects walked along an 8-meter walkway in three different conditions: barefoot, orthopedic shoe with standard heel and orthopedic shoe with beveled heel. Vertical ground reaction force data collected in initial stance phases of walking using Kistler force plate.Results: Results of this study showed significant increasing in impact force in barefoot compared with orthopedic shoe with standard and beveled heels (p<0.0001). First peak of vertical force and loading rate showed significant reduction in orthopedic shoe with beveled heel compared with orthopedic shoe with standard heel (p<0.05).Conclusion: using the beveled heel by changing the location of the ground reaction force from the ankle joint axis, facilitated first rocker and reduce first peak of vertical force and loading rate. because of complication of deleterious loads on lower limb during walking, we could use this type of heel for some of the patient with special orthopedic disease.

Objective: The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of hospital based cardiac rehabilitation on quality of life of patients with myocardial infarction, which have referred to Baghiatallah hospital in Tehran during the year of 2010.Materials & Methods: In this semi-experimental research, 50 patients with myocardial infarction in the form of sequential sampling for experimental group and control group in the form of matched probability group (based on age, sex and education) were divided into two groups. First group includes hospital based cardiac rehabilitation (n=25) and later control group (n=25). The information collected with demographic and MC New quality of life questionnaires. The rehabilitation program consisted of twenty session education program and cardiac rehabilitation program. To investigate the differences between experimental and control group, independent samples t-test and paired t-test were used. The education material included some information on diet, medication, coronary risk factors and explanation of the patient cardiac event and exercise.Results: The research finding indicates the improvement in quality of life for experimental group following the application of hospital based cardiac rehabilitation, this improvement includes all dimensions such as physical (P<0.05), psychological (P<0.05), social (P<0.05) and overall (P<0.05) aspects of quality of life.Conclusion: Since there is no meaningful differences in quality of life between experimental and control groups before the application of hospital based cardiac rehabilitation, it can be concluded that this differences derived from hospital based cardiac rehabilitation.

Objective: Increasing demand for memory assessment in clinical settings in Iran, as well as the absence of a comprehensive and standardized task based upon the Persian culture and language in children, requires the Persian version of the commonly used neuropsychological measure of verbal learning and memory, the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test in this group. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties (validity and reliability) of the Persian version of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Materials & Methods: In the present study for determining the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, 46 normal children and 37 children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, all right-handed and aged between 7 and 11 of both genders, were evaluated using the Persian version of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and Sustained Auditory Attention Capacity Test.Results: To determine determining convergent validity, a negative significant correlation was found between the three parts of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (sum, immediate and delayed recall) and the total score index of Sustained Auditory Attention Capacity Test (r=-0.536, p=0.001). By comparing the test scores between the normal and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder groups, discriminant validity analysis showed significant differences of their data in all parts of the test (p<0.001).Also, in evaluating reliability with the second version of the test on 23 normal children, results showed high correlation between the two versions.Conclusion: The Persian version of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test has good validity and reliability, and along with other neuropsychological tests, it can be used for the investigation of memory deficits in children suspected to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Objectives: There is evidence for differential executive function in Bipolar I Disorder (BID) and schizophrenia that may tend different cognitive deficits and abnormalities. The objective of this sudsy was to compare the executive function of BID and schizophrenic patients.Materials & Methods: We studied 50 patients with BID, and 50 with schizophrenia participants in outpatients' clinic of Rouzbeh hospital. All participants completed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the Persian version. The participants were matched in three basic variables which had most contributions in cognitive conditions in patients. The contributions were Age, educational status and period of illness.Results: The two patient groups had compared performance on the WCST in compared with general population (P<0.05). In the WCST, schizophrenic patients showed impairment executive function than BID patients (P<0.05).Conclusions: findings indicated that schizophrenic patients had more dysfunctions executive function than the Bipolar disorder I patients.Although, both disorders may show impairment in executive function, but the dysfunction in schizophrenia greater than Bipolar I Disorder patients.

Objective: Musculoskeletal disorders are a major part of occupational diseases in working environments.Prevention of the occurrence of these problems requires the use of ergonomic assessment techniques and intervention to improve working conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in workers in the blast furnace unit and the intervention to reduce the prevalence of these disorders.Materials & Methods: This study conducted on 24 people working in the furnace unit. Medical records of furnace workers were reviewed and Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaires (NMQ) was completed. Drilling operation and oxygenation task were assessed by using Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and workers were given the necessary training. Work stations of oxygenation for 24 workers were redesign and Drilling operation was mechanized. And employed workers with musculoskeletal disorders were changed. REBA and NMQ were used to reassess the intervention effects. The data were analyzed using paired t- test both before and after the intervention with P≤0.05 as the limit of significant.Results: According to medical records and results of NMQ about 37.5 percent of workers had musculoskeletal disorders. REBA final score was 11 and 10 for the drilling and oxygenation tasks respectively. After redesigning the workstation, REBA final score was 5 for the oxygenation task and the drilling operation removed by mechanized. After the intervention, a significant reduction were observed in the risk level of the REBA scores and questionnaire results (P<0.05).With the amendment procedures of musculoskeletal disorders was reduced 17.5 percent.Conclusion: According to REBA Score, the risk of musculoskeletal disorders was reduced by implementing amendments to the furnace unit and According to Questionnaire prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders also significantly reduced.

Objective: Febrile seizures are the most common seizure disorder in childhood, and occur in 2-5% of children.While simple febrile seizures are frequently described as inoffensive disorder; there are evidence suggesting the association between simple febrile seizures and hippocampal abnormalities in adulthood. This study was designed to evaluate the protein levels of Bcl-2 and Bax as two major apoptosis markers, in the rat neonates’ hippocampus due to Simple Febrile Seizure.Materials & Methods: Febrile seizure was modeled by hyperthermia-induced seizure in 22-day-old male rats using a hot water bath. Animals were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of seizure behaviours; Hyperthermia without seizure (n=10) and Hyperthermia with seizure (n=10). To control the effects of environmental stress a sham-control group was also added to the study (n=10). The rats’ hippocampi were removed 15 days after hyperthermia. The expression of Bax and Bcl-2 proteins were measured using Western Blot technique.Results: Our results showed that the protein levels of Bcl-2 were significantly lower in hippocampus of hyperthermia with seizure group rats than that of the sham-control and Hyperthermia without seizure groups. Whereas, the levels of Bax protein in hippocampi of hyperthermia with seizure group animals showed a markedly upregulation, when compared to sham-control and Hyperthermia without seizure groups.Conclusion: Simple febrile seizure is associated with changes in the level of Bcl2, and Bax proteins, indicating an apoptosis improvement in hippocampi of juvenile rats, which were measurable for at least 15 days.

Objective: The goal of the present study was to evaluate spasticity variations by increasing the velocity of motion and MAS value in the elbow flexor and extensor muscles during elbow joint extension and flexion of CVA patients based on the biomechanical indices.Materials & Methods: Biomechanical viscose and elastic indices were calculated at different parts of passive extension and flexion torque-angle curves in fifteen adult patients with a history of CVA and upper-extremity spasticity and fifteen healthy subjects, by using isokinetic dynamometer to log data and MATLAB software for analysis. Subjects were divided to group 1, 2 and 3 according to the degree of modified ashworth scale (MAS) and also healthy subjects as control group. Biomechanical indices were calculated for subjects at velocities of 15, 45, 75 and 120 Deg/s.Results: It seemed that regular increment of viscoelastic and viscose stiffness indices and MAS values due to increasing the velocity of motion in both extension and flexion in all test groups and there was significant regular increment of elastic stiffness index due to increasing the velocity in both extension and flexion between the control group and group 1 and also an irregular increment observed between group1 and group 2 and 3 and also the effect of mentioned index was decreased at higher level of MAS.Conclusion: Finally it seemes that more effect of viscose stiffness in spasticity in CVA patients at higher level of MAS and also results showed the increment of viscose stiffness by increasing the velocities of motion and the rate of MAS.

Objective: Hallux Valgus is one of the most foot deformities which increases plantar pressure beneath big toe and first metatarsal. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of foot orthosis on plantar pressure distribution in subjects with mild and moderate Hallux Valgus.Materials & Methods: in this quasi-experimental study, females 16 with Hallux Valgus were recruited. Plantar pressure in eight areas of foot was measured by Pedar-X insole when wearing standard shoe only; shoe with foot orthosis and shoe with foot orthosis after one month of using orthosis. Data were analyzed by repeated measure analysis of variance test.Results: using foot orthosis for a month leaded to decrease pressure in the big toe (p<0.019); first metatarsal and 3-5 metatarsals (p<0.001) and also increased pressure in medial mid foot (p<0.001).Conclusion: Foot orthosis decreased peak pressure in fore-foot and increased it in medial mid-foot. Therefore redistribute plantar pressure to the more normal pattern in Hallux Valgus subjects. So it could be one of the effective methods to prevent the progression of this deformity in its initial steps of formation.

Objective: In recent years many papers have emphasized on the relationship between specific language impairment (SLI) and significant weakness in non word repetition task (NRT). The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of NRT training on some related linguistic indicators in children with SLI.Materials & Methods: In this single subject study with multiple baselines examine the effect of NRT training on some language indicators, in four available children with SLI aged 6/6 to7/6. The language indicators include mean length of utterance (MLU), the percent of content morphemes, inflectional morphemes and grammatical morphemes. In order to determine the effect of NRT training, effect size index was applied.Results: The effect sizes of MLU in all of them were high. This training also increased the percent of content morphemes in three subjects.Although it had no effect on one of them. Training made grammatical morphemes increase in three subject but it decrease in one them. Finally Three subjects showed a decrease on the index of inflectional morphemes and one of them showed an increase.Conclusion: considering effect size, it seems that NRT training improves language indicators in SLI group. As conclusion NRT training would be recommended for SLI group.

Objective: Evaluation of paraspinal muscles endurance in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) seems to be of great importance. Many studies demonstrated that surface electromyography has merit to assess muscle fatigue using frequency spectrum. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the eligibility of the surface electromyography in the assessment of paraspinal muscles fatigue changes following different interventions in patients with chronic LBP.Material & Methods: A literature search for the period of 2000-2012 was performed, using PubMed, Science Direct, OVID, CINAHL and MEDLINE databases. Paraspinal muscles, fatigue, low back pain, therapeutic interventions, exercise, endurance and surface electromyography were used as keywords.Results: The literature search yielded 158 studies using the above keywords. Eight articles were relevant according to the inclusion criteria of the study. There was a wide variation among studies in terms of methodology, main outcome measures, sample size, procedure, electromyography parameters, etc.Conclusion: The results indicate that there does not appear to be a convincing body of evidence to support the merit of surface electromyography in the assessment of paraspinal muscles fatigue following interventions in patients with chronic LBP.