Background and Aim: Genu varum and genu valgum are two most common deformities of the knee joint in children and adults. In these deformities knee muscles function maybe affected by the alteration in mechanical axis of lower limb. The aim of this survey was to provide some basic knowledge about the function of knee muscles in patients with genu varum and genu valgum deformities.

Materials and Methods: Studies were identified by searching in the Pub-Med, Science Direct, Google Scholar databases and authoritative references available on the internet and library for articles and books published after 1990,with the key words such as genu varum, genu valgum, knee muscles, bow leg, knock knee and knee frontal angle.

Results: Among 102 papers and 10 books resulted from the first search, only 30 papers and 5 books were related to this literature review and just10 papers and 2 books among them were about changes in knee muscles.

Conclusion: The results of this survey indicated that patients with genu varum and genu valgum deformities have architectural and functional alteration in their knee muscles. According to the results most of these studies have noticed the basic changes in quadriceps muscle function and architecture. It is necessary to study more about the function of other knee muscles.

Key words: Genu varum, Genu valgum, Bow leg, Knock knee, Knee muscles.

Background and Aim: The aim of this study was to collect and review Aphasia screening test s for speech- language pathologists .

Materials and Methods : Searching was done in databases of MEDLIN, SID, Magiran, IRAN MEDEX and 5 site of ASHA, Pub Med, Google Scholar, Science Direct , and Web of Science from 1949 to 2012 , and Screening tests were collected and reviewed on the basis of time of composition, subtests ,validity, and reliability.

Results: In this study, 14 screening tests were identified. The maximum number of items were ( 72 subtests) for screening test and the minimum number of test items were ( 4 subtests) for Franchay Aphasia Screening test (FAST). The latter is the first test which evaluated the areas of comprehension and writing in addition to reading and speech . The results indicated that 10 test s have one type of validity, and eight tests have reliability .

Conclusion: Considering the importance of the aphasia disorder and lack of a complete source for quick and easy identification of Aphasia, and also finding screening tests in this disorder in Persian language, the results of this study can be useful to familiarize speech and language therapists with this disorder. A pplication of these test s is recommended in various stages of rehabilitation .

Key words: Screening, Assessment, Stroke, Aphasia, Review article.

Background and Aim: Muscle fascicle length and pennation angle can be non-invasively studied by applying methods like ultrasonography. The aim of this study was to introduce fascicle length and fascicle angle for the estimation of the strength of skeletal muscle by using ultrasonography.

Materials and Methods: The data of this study have been driven from pubmed and authoritative references available on the internet and in libraries. In all fifteen full text articles and 30 abstracts have been collected and reviewed. Keywords such as: muscle, fascicle, pennation angle, force and ultrasonography were searched to fulfill the purpose of this study.

Results : Detailed information about the angles of pennation and fascicles length are important to predict muscle force. It has been suggested that changes in muscle pennation angles are positively correlated to the length of fascicle in a muscle contraction. While muscle thickness may in some case be remained constant in this relation.

Conclusion: Real-time ultrasonography is a noninvasive procedure to monitor the architecture of the living muscle at rest and during static and dynamic sets. It is a valuable measurement tool to estimate muscle force by measuring the muscle architecture parameters such as angle of pennation and fascicle length.

Keywords : Muscle, Fascicle, Pennation angle, Force, Ultrasonography

Background and Aim : Vision plays an important role in maintaining balance in the body so that the visual defects produce some disturbances in the body balance. In order to establish balance, the first afferent signals to the brain are provided through the visual system. Therefor, diagnosis and treatment of visual disturbances are so most effective and important. This paper reviews the importance of the visual system in body balance control and visual disorders which affecting on balance.

Materials and Methods : In this study, the articles from 1989 to 2012 with issues of vision and body balance were reviewed. The research with medical subject heading terms and key words of “vision” and “balance” in Pub-med, Science Direct, Scopus, Iran Doc, Scholar Google, Iran Medex, Magiran were done.

Conclusion: Correction of visual disorders and improving vision in patients with balance disorders can hasten the healing process.

Keywords: Vision, Balance, Visual Disorders

Background and Aim: An suitable prosthesis may have contributed effectively to amputee’s ability to accomplish activities. According to the search field and empirical evidence Dynamic-Response feet and SACH feet are common prosthetic components used. Consequently, the purpose of the present review was to compare the biomechanical studies of running with SACH and Dynamic-Response according to main parameters in running analysis.

Materials and Methods: An  electronical  search  was  done  in  PubMed,  Ovid and  Science Direct without time limitation. The abstract and title of papers were reviewed based on selected Criteria. The quality of the papers was evaluated based on Downs and Black tool. Key words include “Amputee”, “Dynamic-Response”, “energy-storing”, “SACH”, and “Running” were selected for the search.

Results: Based on the search keywords, 722 articles were found. Regarding the selection criteria, 4 articles were chosen. Amount of biomechanical studies have been found is not  too enough to distinguish preference between SACH feet and Dynamic-Response feet.

Conclusion: The biomechanical preference among SACH feet and Dynamic-Response during running feet is not cleared. In addition, various dependent variables among studies has made harder a comprehensive conclusion. So further studies with similar topics, measurement tools and outcome measures are recommended.

Keywords: Transtibial amputee, SACH feet, Dynamic-Response feet, Biomechanical, Running

Background and Aim: Autism-Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are neural connectivity abnormalities at global and local of brain levels. A one-dimensional non-invasive technique that allows a highly accurate measurement of brain function and connectivity is Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG). This is a systemic review that encompasses the key finding of QEEG application in subjects with ASD, in order to assess the relevance of this approach in characterizing brain function and clustering phenotypes.

Materials and Methods: QEEG studies evaluating both the spontaneous brain activity and brain signals under controlled experimental stimuli were examined. In despite of conflicting results, literature analysis suggests that QEEG features are sensitive to modification in neuronal regulation dysfunctions which characterizes autistic brain but features types are very important.

Results: Therefore QEEG may help in detecting regions of altered brain function and connectivity abnormalities, in linking behavior with brain activity, and subgrouping affected individuals within the wide heterogeneity of ASD. The use of advanced techniques for the increase of the specificity and of spatial localization could allow finding distinctive patterns of QEEG abnormalities in ASD subjects, paving the way for the development of tailored intervention strategies.

Conclusion: Autism is a disorder in which multiple aspects of behavior, emotion, language and cognition are disrupted, among which, autistic individuals appear to have a range of perceptual processing abnormalities, expressed especially entirely by a high level of sensitivity to auditory and tactile stimuli. It seems Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is potentially caused by unbalanced portion of excitation/inhibition, in other words a disproportionate high level of excitation (or disproportionately weak inhibition) in neural circuits that mediate language and social behaviors. Holistic approaches could help us to have better detections

Keywords: Diagnosis autism-spectrum disorder, Quantitative electroencephalography, Coherence, asymmetry, Non-linear techniques

Background and Aim: Providing rehabilitation care of deglutition disorders or dysphagia is a challenging issue for speech and language pathologists. Comprehensive assessment of dysphagia includes early screening, clinical tests and finally instrumental tests to be assured. In spite of the importance and the advantages of clinical tests; accurate diagnosis and decision in dysphagia management largely depend on instrumental ones. These tests provide dynamic assessment and information about structures and physiology of normal and affected swallow for clinician. The aim of this review article was to find instrumental tests of swallowing with their application, limitation and advantages.

Materials and Methods: An electronic search was done via the PubMed, Google scholar, Science direct, Medline, Scopus, Iranian web of knowledge data bases and web of knowledge data bases from 1956 to 2012. Based on the used keywords, 150 papers were found of which 90 papers were selected in accordance with the selection criteria.

Results: Fourteen related instrumental tests were found. Only one of the tests is usable for screening and others for diagnosis and treatment of dysphagia. Three tests are used only in adults and others in children too.

Conclusion: The literature review showed that among the instrumental tests, (Video fluoroscopy swallowing study; VFSS), (Fiberoptic Endoscopic evaluation of swallowing; FEES) are golden standards for dysphagia assessment and treatment. Therefore, they are widely accepted among clinicians and researches in despite of their limitations, our study offers the possibility to professionals for selecting the appropriate instrumental test in dysphagia.

Keywords: Assessment, Dysphagia, Screening, Instrumental tests.