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Background and Aim: Internal Evaluation is an appraisal of abilitieshttp://mrj.tums.ac.ir/files/0allsites/wysiwyg_en.gif and potentials. The Internal Evaluation process, especially in an Educational Department, is an effective mechanism of the Departments quality process. The Aim of this research was to determine level of factors in the Occupational therapy Department and determining points of the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Occupational therapy department in order to improve the programs and activities after this research.

 Material and Methods: This research was descriptive and analytical study. In this evaluation, nine important factors were taken into account. These include:  1- missions statement and goals 2- managerial and organization structure 3- faculty members 4- students 5- educational course and curriculum 6- graduate students 7- educational and research facilities and equipment 8- research 9- quality of treatment. Data were collected by questioner. Results were analyzed descriptively and were expressed as raw data and percentage. Scores of 49.9% was undesirable, between 49.9% and 74.9%, and more than 75% were desirable and very desirable, respectively.

 Results: The nine above factors were scored as follows: 1- missions statement and goals (very desirable 4.06, 81.2%) 2- managerial and organization structure(very desirable 3.95, 79%) 3- faculty members (desirable 3.63, 72.6%) 4- students(desirable 3.1, 62%) 5- educational course and curriculum (desirable 3.56 , 71.2%) 6- graduate student (undesirable 2.25 , 45%) s 7- educational and research facilities and equipment (desirable 3.18, 63.6%) 8- research (desirable 3.11, 62.2%)  9- quality of treatment(very desirable 4.22, 84.4%) The score of the Occupational therapy department, as the main factor is 3.44 out of 5 that is 68.1%.

 Conclusion: An analysis of the findings of this research study led to the understanding that the Department of Occupational therapy was desirable.

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Background and Aim: Aging is a natural phenomenon that affects on different systems of our body. This process is not due to diseases and accidents. Activity of Daily Living (ADL) is important for elderly persons. The aims of this study are to investigate the effects of progressive resistive exercises on Activities of Daily Living of elderly persons.
Material and Methods: Fifty elder men with age above 61 years old participated in this study. Twenty five elder men in exercise group with mean age of 69.45 and 25 elder men in control group whit mean age of 72.24. Strength of shoulder and knee extensors were evaluated by Tekdyne Incentive Dynamometers (TID). Activities of Daily Living were evaluated by Barthel - Index
Results: The measurements of shoulder and knee extensors of elder men were evaluated with TID. The data showed significant differences between mean score of pre and post interventions (p ≤ 0/0001). The measurements of self care activities, mobility and total score of elder men were evaluated with Barthel-Index. The data showed significant differences between mean score of pre and post interventions (p ≤ 0.0001).
Conclusion: Presents data showed that progressive resistive exercises could be an effective approach to increase strength upper and lower body and improve Activities of Daily Living of elder men.

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Background and Aim: The role of function of upper extremity in activity of daily living is critical and any impairment of function could cause major problems for diplegic spastic cerebral palsy (CP) patients. So, the application of rehabilitation protocols that could regain the hand function is very important.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of simultaneous activation of exteroception and proprioception on function of upper extremity in children with diplegic spastic CP, 3-7 years old.

Materials and Methods: Thirteen CP patients (3-7 years mean: 4.92 years 4 boys and 9 girls) were participated in this study. Simultaneous activation of exteroception and proprioception were done 3 times a week (for 8 weeks). Function of upper extremity was evaluated by Quest Test and the degree of spasticity in wrist was evaluated by Modified Ashworth Scale.

 Results: The results of this study showed that after simultaneous activation of exteroception and proprioception, function of upper extremity was significantly improved (P<0.001). In addition, degree of spasticity in wrist muscles was significantly decreased (P<0.022).

Conclusion: Based on results of current study, it might be suggested that simultaneous activation of exteroception and proprioception could improve the function of upper extremity and decrease of spasticity. This in respect could reduce the disabilities of patients. So, the application of current protocols for the patients is suggested. 

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Background and Aim: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor impairment in childhood and affects 2 in 1000 live births, in which postural and motor control involved. In hemiplegic type, two sides of the body have differences in postural tone that cause weight shift to the intact side. In these children postural disorders appear as postural stability disorder. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of lateral wedge insole on postural control in cerebral palsy children.
Materials and Methods:  Sixteen hemiplegic children attended in this program and stood in two conditions on the force plate with and without lateral wedge on the hard plate. Center of pressure displacement measured for medio-lateral and antro-posterio directions. Every test took 20 seconds. It was repeated 3 times.
Results: Range of sideways decreased significantly with use of 5º wedge. Also a shoe wedge of 5º provided symmetrical weight distribution.
Conclusion: The results represent that a 5º lateral wedge applied to the unaffected limb, can improve factors of postural control and gain the symmetry in hemiplegic children

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Background and Aim: Constraint-induce movement therapy is one of the treatment methods to treat those who have  stroke disorders. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of constraint-induced movement therapy(CIMT) on quality of life , function and range of motion of upper extremity of patients with stroke.

Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in 15 patients in accordance to random clinical trial during the treatment operation, the patients were asked to restrict their upper extremity movement with orthopedics sling for 3 days per week and each day for 8 hours. They were asked to practice on affected upper extremity for 2 hours
while their hands were restricted.  Additionally, the present study was conducted for 6 weeks.

Results: The statistical analysis illustrated that quality of life was significantly changed which measured by SF36 test (p=0.008). Furthermore,  the upper extremity function which was assessed by Box & Black test  was statistically analyzed by t-coupled in this regard, it showed a significant change when the treatment ended up (p=0.009). However, active range of motions in wrist extension and elbow extension did not significantly changed (p=0.227).

Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be implied that Constraint-induce movement therapy is an effective method for improvement of life quality and the upper extremity function .Three mechanisms are discussed: involvement of non used affected limbs, neural plasticity in CNS, and amelioration of mental and physical health of patients can be resulted in life quality and patients' hand improvement.

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Background and Aim: Improving the affecting factors of balance could be a critical procedure in managing the elderly's balance dysfunction. The goal of this study is to find out how and to which amount a prolonged period of stretch and massage impact on elderly's balance. Materials and Methods: In this RCT study with a simple randomized case selection, 205 normal subjects screened and after that, 18 subject (74.6 5.45 Years) for intervention group and 17 (75.8± 4.27 Years) subjects for control group contributed for the study. The procedure was 15 sessions in 5 weeks (3 sessions per week). Each session last about 1 hour. Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Timed Up and Go (TUG) were used for evaluation of balance.

Results: Using by SPSS-19 software and after independent T-test, significant differences in balance scales were found between the intervention and the control groups (p<0.05).

Conclusion: According to present evidence, stretch and massage are significantly effective on elderly's balance function. 

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Background and Aim: In recent years transcranial stimulations, action observation and motor imagery training have emerged as nonaggressive and attractive choices beside the common rehabilitation treatments for neurologic patients. Mirror therapy using visual feedbacks is one of these newfound methods that its therapeutic effects on impaired upper limb of stroke patients are still under investigation. In this case report, Impact of mirror therapy in treatment of the paralyzed upper extremity in 2 stroke patients will be described. Materials and Methods: Two adult patients with hemiplegia due to cerebrovascular accident and with 1 and 5 years passed since stroke went under 12 sessions of mirror therapy. Each session of mirror therapy lasted 45 to 60 minutes in which patients have been practicing specific exercises under direct supervision of therapist. Patients were evaluated for function and motor recovery level, spasticity, range of motion and power grip before and after one month of treatment. Results: In both individual, function and motor recovery level, active range of motion, and power grip were improved and spasticity just showed a decrease in one of the patient. Conclusion: Mirror therapy for 12 sessions can be beneficial to treatment of affected upper extremity in these two stroke patients

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Background and Aim: The number of elderly population in the world and also in Iran has increased due to health improvements and therefore, the quality of life has been focused in this group of population. Physical disabilities and particularly balance disturbances are among the consequences of the ageing process and hence, would affect the quality of life in elderly population. Mental practice is in fact the cognitive review of a physical skill without performing obvious bodily movements. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of mental practice of a movement skill on improvement of the quality of life in elderly men (60-80 yrs).

  

Materials and Methods: This was a Single blind Randomized controlled trial (RCT) study. The study was approved by the research ethics committee of the Tehran university of medical science (Irct ID: IRCT201107041722N3). The elderly population was 44 elderly men (60-80 yrs.) who were living in Kahrizak Nursing Home. They were randomly assigned in two groups and entered the study based on inclusion criteria. After baseline assessment, the quality of life of all of participants were assessed by SF36 test and also at 3 various stages (i.e. respectively, before the beginning of ,baseline assessment two weeks after intervention ,short term follow up and 3 months after intervention, long term follow up). Elderly population in the intervention group did mental practice of one movement skill for 4 weeks and during this periods, the control group did no mental practice.

  

Results: The results of our study showed the scores of SF36 in physical component, after the intervention of mental practice, have had a significant difference between the control and intervention groups. Although test scores in mental component and the whole test score showed no significant difference between the case and control groups at 3 stages of assessments.

  

Conclusion: The results of this study showed the significant effects of mental practices on physical component of SF36 in elderly population. However, these results also showed that this type of mental practice had no significant effects on mental component and total score of SF36.

  

Key Word: Quality of life, Balance, Mental practice, Elderly men