Journal of Isfahan Medical School
Year:2016 | Volume:33 | Issue:365|Papers Count:9

Background: Osteoporosis is a prevalent disease in the elderly, but several studies have shown that prevalence of the disease in different age groups differ among each other which may be due to epidemiological characteristics, genetic, style of nutrition, physical activity, some of chronic diseases and consumption of corticosteroids. However, there is controversy regarding this issue. So, the aim of this study was to determine the bone density in different age groups of women in Isfahan, Iran in the years 2013-2014.Methods: This cross sectional study was done in Isfahan Osteoporosis Diagnostic Center (IODC) during 2013-2014.2536 women suspected to have a low bone density who were referred to Isfahan Osteoporosis Diagnosis Center were scanned in the hip (femoral neck and trochanter) and vertebral column (L2-L4); bone density status was determined and compared in several age groups.Findings: Of the 2536 studied women, 1244 (49.1%) had normal bone density, 1084 (42.7%) had osteopenia and 208 (8.2%) had osteoporosis. No patient had osteoporosis in 30-39 or less than 30 years age groups. The prevalence of the disease in 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70 years and older age groups was 1.2%, 7.3%, 16.2% and 26.5%, respectively. The prevalence of osteoporosis in various age groups had a significant difference (P<0.001).Conclusion: Osteoporosis in various age groups had different prevalence rates and however other risk factors such as background diseases and physical activity may play a role; but, the age has been identified as a significant risk factor of this disease. Therefore, further studies are recommended, and it is suggested that regardless of age, patients at risk of osteoporosis should be referred for bone densitometry at least for one time.

Background: Autism is a complex social-relations type developmental disorder that its main cause is unknown.Complete inability to recognize faces is one of the serious problems in these patients. This study aimed to determine the effect of “Let's Face It” (LFI) educational software in improving face cognitive skills in children with autism.Methods: 33 patients with autism, including 17 case in intervention and 16 in control groups, were studied.After obtaining the consent from the parents, the intervention group underwent “Let's Face It” training program for 20 hours and both the groups received the training programs consistent with autistic centers. At the end, both the groups were tested using “Let's Face It” application and the results were compared using t test and analysis of covariances.Findings: Most of the studied areas, the expressed emotional states (tap link) (P=0.003), the identity of the parts (monkey links) (P=0.003), the immediate memory for faces (zebra link) (P=0.032), the face-latency mode (rhinoceros link) (P=0.015) and the size of face (stork link) (P=0.043) significantly increased in the intervention group. However, There was not any significant change in any of the the studied areasin the control group (P>0.050). According to “Let's Face It” software, only the face-latency mode (rhinoceros link) was significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group.Conclusion: This study indicated that the use of educational software such as “Let's Face It” can be effective in education of patients with autism and face recognition; this can lead to improve the treatment of these patients.

Background: The retinal laser photocoagulation is the gold standard treatment of the proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Nowadays, we can perform panretinal photocoagulation with single spot or pattern scan laser methods. This study aimed to compare the retinal ischemic changes and the retinal neovascularization regression between these two techniques.Methods: In a prospective clinical trial study, 146 eyes of 73 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy was enrolled. One eye of patients was treated with single spot laser photocoagulation randomly and other eye was preserved for pattern scan laser photocoagulation. The changes of retinal ischemia on the basis of noncapillary perfusion and the regression of neovascularization on the basis of amount of leakage on fluorescein angiography were compared between the two groups after 6 months.Findings: There was no significant difference in the retinal neovascularization regression of disc and elsewhere in eyes treated with pattern scan (P=0.26) or single spot laser (P=0.31). While the areas of the retinal ischemia progression was significantly higher (9 cases) in group treated with pattern scan in comparison to other group (2 cases) (P=0.02).Conclusion: The areas of retinal ischemia progression were higher after treatment with pattern scan laser compared to single spot laser. Future researches are recommended to find a better modality than the pattern scan to induce regression of the retinal ischemia similar to the single spot laser technique.

Background: Alopecia areata is a chronic inflammatory disorder that causes nonscarring hair loss. The cause is unknown, but an interaction between autoimmune and psychological factors may trigger the disease. Sleep deprivation is associated with a variety of adverse consequences including the effects on both psychological and physical health. Sleep deprivation can adversely affect immune function and exacerbate autoimmunity. Poor sleep quality is also associated with stress.Methods: A case control study was conducted on 92 patients divided into two groups of 46, those diagnosed with alopecia areata and a healthy population. The demographic information of both groups was gathered with a questionnaire and the sleep quality was evaluated using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a self-rated questionnaire that assesses sleep quality and disturbances over a 1-month time interval. SPSS16 was used to analyze the data. P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.Findings: 45.7% of patients with alopecia areata and 21.7% of the control group had sleep disorders. The difference between these percentages was significant (P<0.05). There was not any significant difference in the scores of PSQI between the two groups (mean score=5.37 and 4.04 in alopecia areata and control groups, respectively). The mean night sleep hours in patients with alopecia areata (6.73 hours) was significantly lower than the normal population (7.76 hours).Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that the poor sleep quality is more common among patients with alopecia areata compared to the normal population; but the difference of the severity of sleep disturbances between the two groups was not statistically significant.

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the influence of therapeutic parameters of radiation therapy on the quality life in patients suffering from head and neck cancer after being treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT).Methods: In this study, the quality life of 45 patients with organs at risks of thyroid, salivary glands and eyes was assessed after treatment of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy under the influence of parameters such as the treatment region, prescribed dose, the grade of cancer and the type of treatment. The European organization for research and treatment of cancer quality of life questionnaire-core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the Quality of life questionnaire-head and neck 35 (QLQ–H& N35) were used to assess the quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer. Having collected data, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyze. The level of significance was considered as 0.05 in all the tests.Findings: There was a significant correlation between the site of the tumors in different regions of head and neck and the reduction in quality life due to thyroid dysfunction (P=0.002). However, there was not any significant correlation between the quality life and total received dose, the grade of cancer, and the type of treatment.Conclusion: According to the results of this study and other researches, three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy with protection of organs at risk lead to satisfactory maintenance of normal tissues of head and neck regions after the treatment. This reveals the importance of using new techniques and methods to reduce the probability of normal tissue side effects and finally improve the quality life of the patients after taking the course of treatment.

Background: Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that its side effects like hyper-trophic and atrophic scars and long-term pigmentation has adverse psychological effects on the individual. This study aimed to compare the psychological effects and quality of life in two groups of patients with acne and Healthy individuals.Methods: In this case-control study, 100 patients with and 100 individuals without acne were selected. The prevalence and severity of psychological effects, including depression, anxiety and stress was assessed using Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) questionnaire and quality of life was assessed using World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. The data were compared between the two groups.Findings: In two groups of patients and controls, 7% and 8% had minor depression, respectively, 5% of patients had moderate depression and 2% of the control group had severe depression with no significant difference between the both groups (P=0.070). In patients and control groups, 7% and 5% had mild, 4% and 2% had moderate and 1% and 2% had severe anxiety, respectively with no significance difference between the both groups (P=0.660). In addition, 8% of patients and 1% of controls suffered from mild stress; the level of stress had significant difference between the both groups (P=0.017). The score of quality of life was 80.00±11.19 and 79.30±10.73 in patients and controls, respectively with no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.940).Conclusion: The prevalence of psychological effects was higher in patients. On the other hand, patients with acne (mainly mild and moderate) had a lesser degree of support from others, quality of life and health satisfaction. So, it is necessary to evaluate psychological aspects in patients with mild to moderate acne.

Background: Aloe vera is a well-known plant, has been used as alternative medicine. This study aimed to determine the antioxidant activity and phenolic and flavonoid quantities of Aloe vera to investigate the nephroprotective and curative effects of aqueous extract of this plant on gentamicin-induced tubular toxicity in male Wistar rats.Methods: This preclinical study was performed on 60 male Wistar rats randomly divided into 6 groups of 10.Group I were treated with vehicle (distilled water) as control. Group II received 300 mg/kg/day Aloe vera for three days next orally, then, the same oral Aloe vera plus 80 mg/kg/day intravenous gentamicin for seven more days. Group III received the same amount of oral Aloe vera for 10 days. Group IV received the same amount of intravenous gentamicin for 7 days. Group V received the same amount of intravenous gentamicin for 7 days and then, saline for ten days. Group VI received the same amount of intravenous gentamicin for 7 days and then, the same amount of oral Aloe vera for 10 days.Findings: The amounts of flavonoid and phenolic component in Aloe vera extract were 43.0±3.8 mg/g of rutin equivalent and 80.1±3.8 mg/g of gallic acid equivalent, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the extract was 38%. The intensity of nephrotoxicity in group 2, which received 300 mg/kg/day Aloe vera orally as prophylaxis was not significantly different from the group I and from the group II, which received the same amount of Aloe vera without gentamicin. In 4, 5, 6 groups the intensity of nephrotoxicity was more than 1, 2 and 3 groups.Conclusion: This finding reveals that despite the antioxidants and polyphenol compounds of Aloe vera, it cannot prevent or treat the gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity.