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Background and aim: Down's syndrome is the most common chrosomal disorder in which the fine and gross motor skills due to lack of proper sensory experience are disturbed. the role of dexterity in Activity of daily living, interaction with environment and independency is quiet crucial in Down's syndrome. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of simultaneous application of exteroceptive and proprioceptive stimuli on the dexterity of 6-7 year old educable children with Down's syndrome.  

Materials and methods: 33 Educable children with Down's syndrome were assigned in three groups (i.e. extercoceptive, proprioceptive, simultaneous application respectively) and participated in this study. In the first group, children received only exteroceptive stimulation for 30 minutes, 3 times a week. Children in the second group received only proprioceptive stimulation in the same period. Children in the third group received both stimulations simultaneously. Dexterity was evaluated through purdue peg bourd test after 5^th, 10^th, 15^th, 20^th, 25^th, and at 30^th sessions.

Results: Dexterity changes were significantly differed in all 3 groups (p<0.05) using repeated measurement test. In order to assess the improvement process of dexterity, every group was evaluated separately with dexterity test ( purdue peg board). Third group showed significant improvement in comparison with other groups (p<0.05). There was no significant improvement in dexterity in first and second groups (p>0.05).  

Conclusion: The findings of current study suggest that simultaneous application of exteroceptive and proprioceptive senses could be used for improvement of dexterity in children with Down's syndrome and perhaps in children with motor control problems.  

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Background and aim: The shoulder area is the most complex region of the body and inherently unstable that motions are produced and controlled by sequenced activation of muscles in force couple patterns. It seems that investigating of shoulder muscle activation pattern is essential in the various tasks in healthy subjects due to the unstable structure of the shoulder and vital role of muscles in the stability. In order to evaluate motor control changes in the various movement, designing the therapeutic programs suitable to the shoulder pain and to evaluate effects of physiotherapy and preventing of side effects, this study was conducted. Up to now, it has not been evaluated in the D1flex & D1ext patterns yet.

Materials and methods: Thirteen female healthy volunteers participated in the experiment. Dependent variables of muscle activation such as onset and offset as well as sequencing of muscles (upper trapezius, lower trapezius, serratus anterior, pectoralis major, anterior deltoid and posterior deltoid) of dominant side were calculated during D1flex & D1ext patterns by surface EMG and Data log software in the standing position with speed movement of 25 degree/second.

Results: Special patterns of muscle activation were observed during D1flex & D1ext. Sequencing of muscle activation was different in the both movement patterns. Also, significant differences were found in the latency time of all muscles (p<0.05) except upper fibers of trapezius related to flex/ext goniometer (p=0.33) between both movement patterns.

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that there are special patterns of activation of muscles around the scapulohumeral articulation in the normal subjects. Rehabilitation and conditioning programs should be designed to restore and optimize the activation sequences and task specific functions of these muscles.

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Background and aim: Altered muscle activity in the scapulothoracic and glenohumeral muscles is commonly believed to be a factor contributing to shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS), then, the aim of the study was to determine and compare the activity pattern of the shoulder muscles in subjects with and without SIS.
Materials & Methods: In this case-control study, 9 female subjects with shoulder impingement syndrome and 13 matched healthy female subjects were participated voluntarily by simple random sampling. Surface electromyography of serratus anterior, pectoralis major, upper trapezium, lower trapezium, posterior deltoid, anterior deltoid muscles of dominant side were recorded during D1ext and D1flex movement. Muscle activities were processed and compared in subjects with and without SIS. Non parametric test (Mann-Whitney Test)) was used for data analysis
Results: In both movement patterns, all muscles of the patient showed a greater normalized RMS than healthy group but this increase was statistically significant in anterior deltoid (p=0/003, p=0/04), pectoralis major (p=0/01, p=0/02), serratus anterior (p=0/01) and posterior deltoid (p=0/01) during D1ext and in lower trapezium (p=0/005,p=0/006) and pectoralis major (p=0/01) during D1flex.
Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that patients with impingement symptoms show abnormal muscle activity. The findings support the theory that shoulders impingement may be related to altered muscle activity in the scapulothoracic and glenohumeral muscles.

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Background and Aim: This study was performed to compare the stiffness of hamstring and rectus femoris muscles in subjects with anterior knee pain and normal subjects.

Materials and Methods: In this non experimental and case-control study, 20 persons with anterior knee pain were selected simply from convenient sample and 20 healthy persons were selected by matching method. proximal and distal stiffness of hamstring and rectus femoris muscles were measured using an isokinetic device in the passive mode. Also, maximal concentric peak torque during flexion and extension movements of hip and knee, in two groups were compared by independent T-test and correlation analysis.

Results: There was no significant difference between anterior knee pain and proximal compartment of rectus femoris(P=0.320) and hamstring(P=0.125) stiffness, but there was significant difference between anterior knee pain and distal compartment of rectus femoris and hamstring stiffness (P<0.001). Significant relationship was found between anterior knee pain and muscles strength (P<0.001). No correlation was found between strength and stiffness of rectus femoris (P=0.356) and hamstring muscles (P=0.643) in patients group, but in healthy subjects this relationship was found (P<0.001). 

Conclusion: In patients with anterior knee pain, hamstring and rectus femoris muscles stiffness increased and muscle strength decreased. Increasing of muscle strength was effective on stiffness in healthy subjects, but there was no relation between them in patients group. Also rectus femoris and hamstring muscles possibly have different proximal and distal neuromuscular compartments.

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Background and Aim: The aim of the Community-Based Rehabilitation program is to enhance the quality of life of people with different disabilities including those affected by hearing impairment. The objective of this study was to explore the effect of CBR program on the quality of life of people of 15-65 years old with severe and profound hearing loss old who lived in the city of Sabzevar.

  

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional, the quality of life of people of 15-65 years old with severe and profound hearing loss who lived in the city of Sabzevar were assessed by using a standardized questionnaire SF36 in two groups consist of case group(those who were covered by Community Based Rehabilitation) and control group(those who were not covered by the Community Based Rehabilitation ). Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 17.

  

Results: The number of both groups of cases and controls was equal (each one 46 persons). In this study 63.04 percent of participants were hearing loss and 36.96 were deaf. There was a significant difference between case group and control group in general health perception, social functioning and role limitation due to emotional problems aspects. Overall quality of life scores in case group were higher than control group. Quality of life scores by age, gender, and education were not significantly different between case and control groups.

  

Conclusion: The results of this study confirmed that the effectiveness of community-based rehabilitation program on quality of life of people with hearing impairment.

  

Key Words: Quality of life, Community-Based Rehabilitation, Severe and profound hearing loss

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  Background and Aim: Social psychologists defines aggressive act a conscious behavior that its aim is creation physical or mental pain and suffering. Aggression is relatively permanent inclination to expressing behaviors along with ruff from a person in different position.

 

Materials and Methods: The research is done in frame a quasi-experimental design (pre-test and post-test) with two test and control groups with t reatment protocol (t3-t4: s tructures and complex communication networks that there are in under cortex or cortical that to it called limbic system or lateral and is responsible emotions and memory ), on 30 adolescents 13-15 years old with aggression disorder. Sampling method was accessible. Treatment has been implemented during 20 sessions, for 2 months and 3 sessions, in every week (30 minutes). For data collection is used of Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire that iranian reliability reported for the total scale (0/82) and validity (0/73).

 

Results: The results of analysis of covariance about anger show that calculated F (14/55) is greater from table F with significant 0/01. Thus with confidence 0/99 can be claimed that use of neurofeedback method is causing reduction “anger”. The results of analysis of covariance about physical aggression show that calculated F (36/5) is greater from table F with significant 0/01. Thus with confidence 0/99 can be claimed that use of neurofeedback method is causing reduction “physical aggression”. The results of analysis of covariance about verbal aggression show that calculated F (5/77) is greater from table F with significant 0/01. Thus with confidence 0/99 can be claimed that use of neurofeedback method is causing reduction “verbal aggression”. The results of analysis of covariance about hostility show that calculated F (36/5) is greater from table F with significant 0/01. Thus with confidence 0/99 can be claimed that use of neurofeedback method is causing reduction “hostility”.

 

Conclusion: The results are expression that intervention with protocol (t3-t4) is causing reduction aggression behaviors in adolescents.

 

Key words : Neurofeedback , Aggression, Adolescents , I ntervention , Education

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Background and Aim: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is the most common overuse injury occurring at the knee. Reduction of proprioception, pain, changes in muscle activity patterns are seen in PFPS. Therefore these patients may demonstrate less balance. Thus the main objective of this study was to determine the postural control in patients with patellofemoral syndrome and compare it with healthy subjects.

Materials and Methods: Ten subjects (age 31.1 ± 5.31, weight 59.6 ± 8.95, height 1.62 ± 0.05) presenting with PFPS were compared with 10 matched control subjects (age 27.2 ± 1.81, weight 60.6 ± 2.36, height 1.67 ± 0.01).

Pain was measured with VAS scale and patella position was assessed using the method first described by McConnell. Force Plate was used to measures COP paths in sagittal and frontal plane with open and close eyes.

Results: The data showed that COP paths were different between PFPS and healthy subjects with open eyes in sagittal and frontal plane (P< 0.05). Means of COP paths increase in patients with PFPS. No differences were detected between PFPS and healthy subjects with closed eyes in sagittal and frontal plane.

Conclusion: Body sways increase in patients with PFPS with open eyes due to pain, lateral tracking patella and reduction of proprioception in knee.

Keyword:  Postural control, Patellofemoral syndrome, Open & close eye

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Background and Aim: Hearing impaired children encounter many problems for learning language and communication skills. The aim of this research is to compare morphological skills in conversational speech and story retelling of hearing impaired with typically normal children.

Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional analytic research 16 typically normal and 9 hearing impaired children between 48 to 72 months were selected in a convenience sampling method .After considering inclusion and exclusion criteria, linguistic sampling for conversational and story retelling data was gathered. Parametric, nonparametric statistical analysis and U Mann-Whitney and t- test was performed on gathered data.

Results: In story retelling there was significant difference between using conjunction,whole free grammatical morphemes, clitics, zero morphemes (p˂0.05). There were significant differences between using conjunction, proposition, conversational grammatical morphemes, inflectional affixes, clitics zero morphemes and whole bound grammatical morphemes in conversational speech (p˂0.05).

Conclusions: Hearing impaired children have more morphological errors than typically normal children. They tend to omit lexical morpheme in story retelling, but typically normal children tend to substitute a lexical morpheme with another one in story retelling. The most kind of error in both groups was omission of morpheme in conversational speech.

Keywords: Hearing impaired children, Morphological errors, Conversational and Story retelling

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Background and Aim: Measures of oral diadochokinesis are widely used in the assessment and detecting motor speech disorders and functional abnormalities of speech performance. Preschoolers have great difficulties with this clinical task. One reason for this problem is application of using of non-words in the test. Since, such words were not designed in Farsi; therefore we compared some words and non-words repetitive articulatory rate in preschool children.

Materials and Methods: In this analytic cross-sectional study design, 142 children (65 boys & 77 girls) aged 4 to 6 years old were participated. We compared timing for 10 fast repetitions between two meaningful words /motæk&Lambda;, gol&Lambda;bi/ and tri-syllabic sequences /p&Lambda;t&Lambda;k&Lambda;/. Data was analyzed by repeated measures of ANOVA test.

Results: In children aged 4 to 5 years old, mean ± SD of timing for 10 repetitions of /p&Lambda;t&Lambda;k&Lambda;, motæk&Lambda;, gol&Lambda;bi/ were 7.72±1.02, 6.58±1.68 & 6.65±1.13 seconds respectively, and in children aged 5 to 6 years, were 7.57±0.95, 6.35±1.38 & 6.30±1.01 seconds respectively. This Analysis showed that regardless of all factors, the main effect of type of words on oral diadochokinesis was significant (p=0.0001). There were no other significant main effects or interactions.

Conclusion: Children aged 4 to 6 years old could repeat meaningful words /motæk&Lambda;, gol&Lambda;bi/ faster than non-word /p&Lambda;t&Lambda;k&Lambda;/. Sex and age group factors had not significant effect on oral diadochokinesis function. Finally, it is suggested that speech therapists can examine this ability with meaningful words.

Keywords: Oral diadochokinesis, Word, Non-word

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Background and Aim: Children with cerebral palsy have impaired quality of life for reasons such as sensory-motor impairments. There is no tool in Persian to examine quality of life of children with cerebral palsy based on their specific conditions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess psychometric properties of the  Persian version of the parent report of the Quality of Life Questionnaire for adolescence with Cerebral Palsy (CP QOL Teen).

Materials and Methods: In this psychometrics measurement study, CP QOL (parent report) was translated to Persian based on the International Quality of Life Assessment Project (International Quality Of Life Assessment Project: IQOLA), and then its face validity, content validity, construct validity, and reliability were assessed. A convenient sample of subjects including 82 parents of adolescence with cerebral palsy (13-18 years old), were recruited.

Results: Face and content validity were obtained by parents and experts respectively. Content Validity Index was 0.62. There was a significant correlation between total score and subscales scores of the questionnaire and also, between total score and GMFCS. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the total score was 0.994. Also, cronbach's coefficient &alpha; for the internal consistency of all of the questions of the questionnaire were 0.996

Conclusion: Persian version of the parent report of CPQOL has acceptable reliability and validity. It is a useful assessment tool for evaluating the quality of life of adolescence with cerebral palsy.

Keywords: Reliability, Validity, Persian version of parent report of the quality of life questionnaire for adolescence with cerebral palsy.

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Background and Aim: Whole body vibration (WBV) is a new therapeutic modality which improves muscle function, proprioception and postural control by creating an oscillatory mechanical stimulation. The aim of this research was to investigate the immediate effect of WBV on postural control in young adults.

Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 22 healthy subjects were participated as a single group. Non-probability simple sampling method was used. Subjects were treated with 4 minutes WBV bout. The subjects repeated four times a 60-s light exercise program according to instructions which was shown by the therapist. During the vibration intervention, the vibration frequency increased in 1 minute intervals from 15 Hz for the first minute to 30 Hz for the last minute. Postural control indexes were recorded using the Biodex Balance system in situations of two leg standing with open and close eyes that included overall stability index (OSI), anterior-posterior stability index (APSI), medial-lateral stability index (MLSI) . In order to analyze the data, paired t-test was used.

Results: The results indicated that in the case of standing on two legs with eyes open, OSI and MLSI were statistically significant (P = 0.02; P = 0.01, respectively) and with eyes closed, OSI, APSI and MLSI were statistically significant (P = 0.000; P = 0.001; P = 0. 001, respectively).

Conclusion: Four minutes WBV bout can induce improvement of postural control and balance in young adults.

Keywords: Whole body vibration, Balance, Young adults, Stability

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Background and Aim: The purpose of the present research is to investigate the relationship between syntactic complexity (in terms of sentence and clause structure) on the stuttering occurrence in pre-school Persian speaking children who stutter (CWS).

Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was carried out on 15 monolingual CWS (12 boys and 3 girls) ranging in age from 4 to 6 years old in Mashhad. The convenience sampling method was used to collect data. The 30 minute spontaneous speech samples were recorded in a quiet room in speech therapy clinic while the child was speaking with the speech therapist or the parent (mother or father). The 60 numbers of the utterances produced by CWS were transcribed and then a paired T-test was used to analyze the data.

Results: The results showed significant differences between fluent and non-fluent utterances in terms of syntactic complexity of sentence and clause structure. The results indicated that at clausal level, by increasing the verb arguments in both the main and subordinate clauses, the stuttering occurrence was significantly increased (P<0.01). Moreover, the stuttering occurrence was higher among the compound sentences compared to the simple ones (P<0.01).

Conclusion: The research findings denoted that there was a meaningful relationship between the syntactic complexity based on sentence and clause structure and the stuttering occurrence in Persian CWS.

Keywords: Syntactic complexity, Sentence, Clause, Verb argument, Stuttering