Archives of Rehabilitation (Journal of Rehabilitation)
Year:2009 | Volume:10 | Issue:1 (37)|Papers Count:10

Objectives: Lumbar segmental instability (LSI) is one subgroup of nonspecific low back pain which its diagnosis has not been clarified. The aim of this study was to present a reliable and novel method for evaluation of lumbar spine kinematics in sagital plane.Materials & Methods: In this comparative and validity testing study, 15 low back pain patients suspected to have LSI and 15 matched healthy subjects were recruited. Pulsed digital video fluoroscopy was used to investigate kinematics of lumbar motion segments during flexion and extension movements. Segmental linear transition and angular displacement, and Pathway of Center of Rotation (PICR) were calculated for each lumbar motion segment. Movement pattern of lumbar spine between two groups and during range of motion were compared. Data were analyzed by statistical methods such as: Chi-square, Kolmogr off - Smirnoff, Independent T test avd ANOVA with repeated measurements.Results: Segmental linear transition was different in patients during both flexion and extension movements at L5-S1 segment (P< 0.001). PICR was different in patients for L1 and L5 vertebrae during extension movement (P< 0.001). Six patients showed "Delayed-Sequence" movement pattern and were different from others (P< 0.001).Conclusions: Previous studies were unsuccessful to determine differences between LSI patients and healthy subjects. This study determined some differences between two groups during the middle range of lumbar spine.New devices such as digital video fluoroscopy can assist in identifying better criteria to diagnosis of LSI in otherwise nonspecific low back patients in hope of providing more specific treatment.

Objective: Phonological processes are the changes which children make in pronunciation while uttering words. The present study aimed at investigating phonological processes of 2-4 years old Farsi-speaking children. Materials & Methods: The subjects of this cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical study included 128 24-48 months old Farsi-speaking boys and girls without any auditory, visual, physical, mental, speech, language, emotional, structural and functional articulation disorders. They were selected by simple random selection method from nurseries of different areas of Tehran. The research tool was an experimental and researcher made test of phonological processes which were designed for this study, and composed of 43 one-to-four syllable words including all Farsi phonemes by which the categories of syllable structure, consonant substitution, vowel substitution, complete assimilation, replacement and other processes were gathered and assessed. The data were analyzed by Independent-test, Man-Whitney, One-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis. Results: Findings showed no significant difference at phonological processes between boys and girls (P>0.05). Phonological processes showed a decrease trend by increasing age. Different age groups revealed significant difference in syllable structure (P<0.001), consonant substitution (P<0.001), vowel substitution (P=0.003) and complete assimilation (P=0.003).Conclusion: The findings of the present research reveal that gender has no effect on phonological processes, but by increasing age, these processes decrease which may reflect greater mastery of older children on phonological perception and pronunciation.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of psychological and educational family- based early interventions on motor development of Isfahanian children with Down syndrome under age 5. Materials & Methods: In this experimental and interventional study, 36 parents who had children with Down syndrome were randomly selected and assigned into two groups by balanced randomized method. Hornby's counseling model and educational plan was implemented on experimental group. To collect data Winders motor developmental checklist and Gesell psycho-motor scale were used. Covariance statistical method was used to analysis the data.Results: Findings showed that there were significant differences in performance of children with Down syndrome, between experimental group and control group in both gross motor and psycho-motor skills (P<.0.001). Conclusion: The results showed that psychological and educational family- based early interventions had significantly increased motor development in gross motor and psycho-motor skills of children with Down syndrome.

Objective: This study investigated behavior problems and educational achievement between children with and without motor problems.Materials & Methods: Seventeen children with motor problems (as case group) and twenty five children without motor problems (as control group) whom had been identified by Lincoln-Oseretsky Motor Development Scale, were randomly selected and participated in this comparative study. The parent form of the Child Behavior Checklist was used to assess children's emotional and behavioral problems. Data were analyzed by Independent T test.Results: Findings revealed that children with motor problems obtained significantly poorer scores on school achievement areas than control group (P<0.001). Children with motor problems were also found to evidence relatively high level of total, Internal, external and social problems, somatic complaints, attention deficit and reclusion based on parent reports (P<0.001), but there was no significant difference between two groups in anxiety / depression, cogitation, sexuality, criminal behavior and quarrelsome behavior (P>0.05).Conclusions: These findings indicate that all children with movement problems are at risk for problems on behavioral and school achievement areas. Assessment of children with motor problems, regardless of the degree or severity of these problems should examine a wide range of functions in addition to motor functioning.

Objective: The goal of this study was to design and manufacture the novel spider splint and compare its effect with conventional metallic splint on improvement of hand function in patients with radial nerve injury.Material & Methods: In this quasi experimental study, 24 patients with radial nerve injury from clinics of Sina and Imam Khomeini hospitals who were randomly selected and assigned into two groups by balanced randomized method, were treated with new splint and conventional metallic splint. For the first visit range of motion at Wrist, Metacarpophalangeal, Proximal interphalangeai and Distal interphalangeal joints was measured and evaluated the comfortance level and skin eczema. After 4 months follow up the variables was evaluated again. Data were analyzed by Chi square and Independent T tests. Results: The range of motion of joints at Wrist (p<0.001), Metacarpophalangeal (p=0.003) and Proximal interphalangeal (p=0.029) were significantly more in spider splint group than other group, but there was no significant difference in range of motion of Distal interphalangeal joint (p=0.054), although function improvement of Distal interphalangeal joint was better too in spider splint group than other group.Conclusion: The new splint and conventional metallic splint were effective on improvement of radial nerve problems (fingers disextension, drop wrist and secondary deformity), but new splint was more effective on hand function improvement.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine parents' experiences, expectations, and needs regarding service providers and their roles in the process of copping with a child with a disability.Materials & Methods: A qualitative phenomenological method has been designed for this study. Nine parents of children with variety of disabilities including children with cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, and autism were purposefully selected and semi-structured in-depth interview were conducted. Interviews records were transcribed and analyzed using Van Manen's method. Results: Findings were classified in four domains as experienced and perceived by the participants of the study: medical, consoling, rehabilitation and education services. Problems accessing information were due to interpersonal relationship skills, early diagnosis, and frank and honest communication. Consoling are two folds support and education. In rehabilitation promote (progress) of child's function, to possible of observation and comparison with other children with similar situation and attitude of therapists were emerged. Education included: present and future.Conclusion: Findings indicate that the families are faced with ongoing challenges when receiving professional services. These findings revealed that early diagnosis and intervention, empathic relationships, and appropriate consultation will help the parent’s better cope with their children disabilities and become more positively involved in the care and development of their children with disability.

The purpose of this review article is to provide scientific evidence how resistance training and aerobic exercise are key constituents of health, fitness and longevity, and bring to realization that including both of them in our physical activity programs allows patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) to increase their exercise capacity. To date cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although genetic factors and age are important in determining the risk, other factors, including hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, insulin resistance, diabetes, and lifestyle factors such as smoking and diet are also major risk factors associated with the disease. Researches show that cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is effective in reducing mortality risk after myocardial infarction (MI), and variety of exercise prescriptions can improve VO2peak and possibly improve the quality of life of patients with CVD. Peak aerobic power (VO2 peak), muscle strength, quality of life (QOL) and physical activity have been reduced in patient with coronary artery disease (CAD) that lead to high prevalence CVD risk factors. These abnormalities increase with age too. Exercise interventions that can improve O2 peak, muscle strength, and may also result in an improvement in QOL. In conclusion, it is now widely acknowledged that exercise training is an important component of the management of CVD that can improve functional capacity, quality of life, and prognosis.

Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS) is a rare speech disorder that occurs as a consequence of the left hemisphere lesions. This syndrome is usually manifested by a combination of segmental and supra segmental deviations in production. Despite the segmental difficulties, prosodic errors often are considered as the main feature of Foreign Accent Syndrome. In this article, we report a case of a fifty three years old Persian – speaker woman who presents, in marked degree, with the characteristic features of FAS as a result of a stroke. To our knowledge, she is the first reported case of this syndrome in Iran. The suprasegmental features of this patient were analyzed by Praat Software (Version 4.1.9.) and were compared with the speech characteristics of Persian normal speakers. The results, in accordance with the previous findings, confirm major deviations in the prosodic aspects of stress, rate of speech and junctures in the patient's speech.