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Background and aim: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common synovial joint diseases (i.e. weight bearing joints) of the human body. This problem probably is more common in Iranian society that is used to sit on the floor and carpet. Following knee OA, patients complain of pain, inflammation, decrease of range of motion and muscle weakness. Therefore, they can not independently do their activity of daily living (ADL). Consequently, the side effects of physical incapability may render to psychological problems and this in respect do affect on their quality of life.Various treatments such as pharmalogical, surgical and physiotherapy have been recommended at different stages of OA by specialist. In the present study, the effect of physical therapy agents (considering the point that physiotherapy has no or negligible side effects) have been studied on OA. 

Materials and methods: 40 patients participated in this study the patients were refereed by orthopedic surgeon to the physiotherapy clinic of the Faculty of Rehabilitation. University ethical committee approved the procedures. Patients were randomly divided in two groups and physiotherapy treatments were applied as following:

Group I.  Low Level Laser Therapy, heat, exercise.

Group II. Placebo (i.e. inactive Laser), heat, exercise.

Results: The result of current study shows that both methods of physical therapy were quiet efficient on 7 variables that measured in this study (p< 0.05).  However, the result of this study showed that in laser group, pain and speed of gait were more effectively influenced (p< 0.000 and p<0.048 respectively) in comparison with routine physiotherapy. Consequently, patients can fairly independently do their activity of daily living and this in respect may reduce the psychological side effects of illness. 

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Background and aim: In physical evaluations, measuring the joint angle is one of the most important outcomes to assess the patient's progress, the effectiveness of various treatment techniques and to delineate the need for future treatments. The aim of this study is to study the reliability of a system consists of skin markers, digital photography, and AutoCAD software for measuring the knee joint angles.

 Materials and methods: In first section, reliability of markers placement was evaluated within three different intervals (five minutes, two days, and twenty days). At second section, reliability of digital photography was evaluated while position of the skin markers and subjects was the same. At the end, in third section, reliability of angle measurement by means of AutoCAD software was assessed.

Results: In first section, the ICC for test-retest reliability of markers placement between first and second sessions, first and third sessions, and also first and forth sessions were 0.97, 0.94, and 0.73, respectively. In second section, the ICC for test-retest reliability of digital photography was 0.99 and in third section, the ICC for intra-rater reliability of angle measurement by means of AutoCAD software was 0.99 (p=0.05).

Conclusion: It was noted that the introduced system was highly reliable, so it could be utilized to measure the knee joint angles.

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Background and Aim: The rapid growth of the athletic training profession has been accompanied by an equally rapid increase in focus on basic and clinical research. Lateral ankle sprain (LAS) is an extremely common athletic injury. Despite extensive clinical and basic science research, the recurrence rate remains high. Chronic ankle instability (CAI) following LAS is hypothesized to predispose individuals to re-injury because of neuromuscular control deficits which result following injury. No investigation has been carried out on the existence of joint position deficits in the knee joint of patients with CAI. In this study, joint position sense (JPS) was evaluated in patients with CAI.

Materials and Methods: Ten female patients with CAI and ten healthy control subjects participated in this study. JPS was evaluated by reproduction of the angles in two standing and sitting positions, and in each position two target angles were tested. The knee joints in both lower limbs of patients and the dominant knee-limb of healthy subjects were evaluated. The knee angles were measured by using a system comprised of skin markers, digital photography, and Auto CAD software. Absolute error was considered as a dependant variable.

Result: There were no significant differences between the knee JPS of dominant leg in healthy subjects and both knee joints of patients. There were also no significant differences between knee JPS in two standing and sitting positions and in two different target angles (p>0/05).

Conclusion: The result of this study suggests that subjects who have CAI do not have deficit in knee JPS when tested in sitting position and also under functional weight bearing conditions.  

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Background and aim: The most prominent problems that is produced after stroke are spasticity or increase in muscle tone, decrease in range of motion and function of upper extremity. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of Volar-Dorsal Wrist/Hand Immobilization Splint on function of upper extremity, range of motion of  the elbow, wrist and metacarpophalengeal joints and spasticity of the elbow and wrist joints.

Material and methods: Fourteen patients were participated in these experiments. The patients were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria and they had been given the splint after primary evaluation and were reevaluated after one month. Spasticity were evaluated with Modified Ashworth Scale.Range of motion were measured by goniometer. Fugl-meyer test were used to assess function of upper extremity. The splints were used 2 hours daily and whole night (6-8 hours) in one month.

Results: Comparison of data before and aft er the experiment showed significant mprovement in upper extremity function (P=0.04). Range of motion and spasticity were not significant (P>0.05).

Conclusion: Volar-Dorsal Wrist/Hand Immobilization Splint can improve the function of upper extremity. Although spasticity and range of motion showed a little changes in short-term use (1month) but the differences were not significant that will need more studies.

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Background and aim: Spinal injury especially during occupational lifting is one of the most common neuromuscular disorders in the general population of the world. Asymmetric motions of trunk frequent bending and twisting, lifting and forceful activities contribute to spine disorders. Sport as a comprehensive activity might be able to cause less force to the spine and decrease spinal injuries. The purpose of present study was to determine the effect of lifting on motor control pattern during combined symmetric and asymmetric trunk motions on athlete and non-athlete subjects.
Materials and Methods: Seventeen non-athlete female subjects and seventeen athlete female subjects performed to lift four loads ( 5,7,9 ,12 kilogram ) at symmetric and asymmetric conditions. Under each condition temporal parameters of motor control were measured on flexor and extensor of trunk muscles.
Result: In two groups of athletes and non-athletes with increasing load , muscles begin their activity faster ( P<0.05 ). No significant change was found at asymmetric condition. Also, in athletes premotor time of muscles during lifting was less than non-athletes.
Conclusion: With increasing load, according to the feed forward control mechanism and awareness of subjects from amount of loads, muscles quickly prepared to contract for starting the movement. It seems that the response of movement on the neuromotor system of athletes is preprogrammed and automatic due to sport experience. Actually muscles have anticipation activity.

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Background and Aim: Semantic test "Pyramid and Palm Trees"(PPT) Test was used for assessing cognition and semantic system in brain disorders, semantic dementia, Alzheimer disease and aphasia. This test was designed in 1992 by Howard and Patterson and includes both versions picture and word. It has validity and reliability. The aim of this study is to determine of validity and reliability of Persian picture version "Pyramids and Palm Trees" Test and compare with aphasia and normal adults.

Materials and Methods: In this cross - sectional study, 45 subjects included 15 Aphasia and 30 normal adults respectively the mean age and standard deviation of 53 (7.77), 53 (7.91) years participated. All of participants were matched in the age and sex, and education and bilingualism. In the first stage, the picture version PPT had given to 14 expert(11 Speech and language pathologists, 3 Linguists) in order to determine content and face validity. According to their comments, pictures that were very far from Persian culture were replaced with proportional pictures with Persian culture. Then the reliability was calculated by performance of PPT during an interval of 5-7 days in two stages for all of aphasia patients. In order to compare of results, PPT was performed on normal adults. Then, the results were analyzed by SPSS18 software. The statistic tests were included of lavashh correlation for validity, Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) for reliability and independent T-Test for comparison of scores mean of picture version PPT between aphasia and normal adults.

Results: ICC ranges for reliability were 0.88 – 0.93. Also difference of scores mean of picture version PPT between aphasia and normal adults were significant (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The Persian version PPT have validity and reliability. This study showed semantic disorder in aphasia patients in compared with normal adults. 

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Background and Aim: “Executive function” is a term describing the processes required for conscious control of thought, emotion, and action that have centered role in management of one's day-to-day life. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between executive function and performance on selected linguistic tasks in persons with aphasia (PWA) and left frontal lobe lesions.

  

Materials and Methods : Subjects were 12 right-handed, left hemisphere stroke patients and 12 normal adults as control group. Farsi aphasia test were administered to determine of persence and type of aphasia, as well as auditory comperehension(AC) and naming scors. Wisconsin Card Sort Test(WCST) and Tower Of London(TOL) were used to assess the executive function skills of planning, working memory, mental flexibility, self monitoring, inhibition irrelevant behavior, shifting between concept and action.

 

Results: The control group scored higher than the individuals with aphasia on the executive function tests (P<0/001). In WCST there was not a significant correlation between the AC and category completed (CC) as well as preservative errors(PE). There was a significant correlation between the AC and total errors (TE) (p=0/02) . There was a significant correlation between naming and CC (p=0/01) and TE (p=0/005). There was not a significant correlation when comparing the naming and PE (p=0/194). A comparison between naming scores and TOL showed a significant correlation (p=0/009). There was not a significant correlation between AC and TOL (p=0/113).

  

Conclusion: This study showed that individuals with aphasia have cognition disorder, other than language disorder. If they have a good naming ability, patients ' performance ontestsof executive function will be better.

 

Keywords: Aphasia, Executive function, Language function, Naming, Auditory comprehension, Persian Language

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Background and Aim: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is common in sports competition and training. Following ACL rupture, neuromuscular system performance is disrupted. Perturbation training can improve the function of patients with ACL reconstruction. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of perturbation training on ground reaction force and functional status of these patients .

  

Materials and Methods: Twenty patients with ACL reconstruction were randomly assigned into intervention (mean age: 24/2 ±3/4 years) and control (mean age: 27/1 ± 2/5 years) groups. The intervention group performed ten sessions perturbation training with rocker board, wobble board and Bosu. Peak vertical ground reaction force (GRF) and time to peak vertical GRF were recorded by KISTLER force plate during single leg landing from a 30cm height step. In addition, cross hop test also was evaluated as a functional test.

  

Results: Before perturbation training, both GRF and time to peak vertical GRF in reconstructed knee had not significant difference between two groups (P>0/05). In addition, functional test score had not significant difference between the groups (P=0/62). Following perturbation training, peak vertical GRF in reconstructed knee was greater than that in control groups (P<0/003).Although time to peak vertical GRF in reconstructed knee increased, there was not statistically significant difference between two groups (P=0/50). Furthermore, functional test score was statistically greater in intervention group (P=0/03).

  

Conclusion: This s tudy showed that perturbation training can improve functional status in patients with ACL reconstruction. In addition, force plate findings indicated that the patients tolerated more forces at longer time in single leg landing.

  

Key words: Perturbation training, Ground reaction force, ACL reconstruction, Function

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Background and Aim: A Concrete and Abstract Word Synonym Test is a test which assessed semantic system in patients with acquired language disorder specifically semantic impairment. The aim of this study is to design a valid and reliable test for assessment of comprehension of concrete and abstract words in different types of aphasia.

 

Materials and Methods: The type of study is test construction and was computed as cross-sectional. First, a collection of words based on frequency were chosen in order to construct the test. These words were given to 15 experts (10 speech and language pathologists and 5 linguists) in 3 stages, in order to rate words with 0-100 scale. Then words, which had higher average than 90 score were chosen. After determining face and content validity, the test was performed on subjects. Subjects included 20 aphasic patients (12 men and 8 women) and 50 normal people (28 men and 22 women) ranging in age from 20 to 65 years. After 5 to 7 days, to determine reliability of test, test was performed on subjects again. Results of this study were analyzed by SPSS 16.

 

Results: Results showed that this test has a higher validity than %90. Coronbach alpha for internal consistency was 0.500. For investigation of test-retest reliability, mean difference of test scores in 2 stages of administration was significance (p<0.038). Pearson correlation coefficient between mean scores of patients in 2stages were 0.857 and ICC range was 0.857-0.923 that was significant (p<0.001). The cut of point of test was also 46. Comparison of mean scores of concrete and abstract word synonym test in patients and normal people and also in patient with temporal lesion showed significant difference (p<0.001).

 

Conclusion: A Concrete and Abstract Word Synonym Test is a proper tool for assessing semantic system in aphasic patients and it can indicate semantic impairment in these patients.

 

Keywords: Synonym comprehension test, Concrete and abstract words, Validity, Reliability, Aphasia, Semantic impairment.

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Background and Aim:  Diabetes mellitus comprises a group of disorders associated with hyperglycemia. Diabetes can cause many complications for the person which can affect various aspects of health. This study aimed to assess the function in diabetic patients based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, evaluation of function was based on selection of assessment tools from the components of the ICF system, including the hand function (strength, dexterity, sensation), the ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living, quality of life, ability to work, social support and their self-management on 94 patients with diabetes type 1 and 2(refer to the community support for diabetic patients in Shiraz) took place. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS.

Results: In this study of the 94 participants with diabetes, 39 were male (41/5 %) and 55 females (58/5 %). 40 patients (42/6 %) with type 1 diabetes and 54 (57/4 %) patients had type 2. The results show that the strength, dexterity, sensation, self-management and work ability were significantly associated with blood sugar levels (P <0/001).

Conclusion:Using the ICF as a framework for evaluating the function and determining the health status of diabetic patients, hand function and the ability to work in patients with diabetes was not desirable. Hand function and ability to work decreases with an increase in blood sugar levels.

Keywords: Diabetes, function, International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.