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Background and Aim: Sports such as baseball, volleyball, and racquet sports demand skills that place substantial load upon the athlete's shoulder when his or her arm is in an overhead or abducted position. Athletes who participate in these sports are consequently at higher risk for overuse injuries of the shoulder. Infraspinatus syndrome is defined as a condition of frequently painless atrophy of the infraspinatus muscle caused by suprascapular nerve neuropathy. The syndrome typically causes symptoms that mimic those of rotator cuff tendinopathy, and the diagnosis is often overlooked until the condition fails to respond to a traditional rotator cuff treatment program.

In this study muscle timing and activities of shoulder rotator cuff compared between normal athletics and volleyball players with infraspinatus syndrome.

Materials and Methods: Thirty voluntary male professional volleyball players (20 healthy and 10 patient) in the range of 20 -30 years contributed in this study. Patients group in base of electroneurography had injury of suprascapular nerve at right side. Subjects lied prone on table and their shoulder were 90 degree of abduction and medial rotation with 90 degree of flexion in elbow with vertically position of forearm at the lateral side of table. Electromyographic activities of maximum voluntary contraction of infraspinatus, middle trapezius and teres minor . Muscles were recorded three times with monitoring of dynamometer for normalization of dynamic activities. Activities (RMS) of above muscles were recorded during three dynamic motions similar to spark skill and onsets of their activities determined by external synchronized apparatus.

Results: There was significant difference between normalized RMS of infraspinatus,. and middle trapezius of patients in dynamic motion (p<0.05). Whereas healthy subjects showed significant difference between infraspinatus. and two other muscles (p<0.05). Comparison of normalized RMS indicated different in all three muscles between two groups (p<0.05).  

The sequence of onset three muscle activities were different between two groups significantly (p<0.05). This sequence in patients was middle trapezius, teres minor and infraspinatus whereas in healthy subjects was middle trapezius, infraspinatus and teres minor. Duration of above muscle activities were different in two groups (P<0.05). In patients infraspinatus were active less than other two muscles.       

Conclusion: Professional volleyball players are candidate of suprascapular nerve and infraspinatus muscle weakness. Synergic and stabilizer muscles after this condition with more activities contribute and caused reduce of accuracy of motion and early muscle fatigue.

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Background and aim: The function of deep neck flexor muscles is very important in physiotherapy assessments. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of sphygmomanometer device to measure the strength of deep neck  muscles.

Materials and methods: Thirty healthy non-athlete females aged 18-24 years old voluntarily participated in this study. The maximal contraction of deep neck muscles were measured in different times, different days and by two different testers using a sphygmomanometer device. At each session subjects performed three maximum voluntary contractions and the maximum strength was chosen for data analysis. The Interclass Correlation of Coefficient (ICC), Pearson product moment and CV% were used to assess the reliability of different measurements between times, days and two different examiners.

Results: The results of ICC, Pearson product moment and CV% indicated that the strength measurement of cervical stabilizer muscles were highly repeatable between different times, days and testers (ICC ≥ 0.90, CV% ≤ %3.8 and r ≥ 0.91).

Conclusion: The sphygmomanometer and the method which was used in this study appeared to be a reliable and useful method to measure the force of deep neck flexor muscles. It can also be suitable for the assessment of physiotherapy or rehabilitation programs.

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Background and aim: To investigate the effect of the light touch, vision and dual task interference on the surface electromyography (sEMG) activity of ankle muscles Participants: Thirty persons (12 male, 18 Female), right hand without any neuro-musculo-skeletal disorder and in healthy condition, participated in this study.
Methods and Materials: Participants stood in upright and semi tandem position. There was a high sensitivity sensor on the right side in direction of femur greater trochanter. They should press the sensor less than 50 gr. Also we examined the rate of activity in 3 muscles (Tibialis Anterior, Proneus Longuse, Soleuse) on both lower limbs by Biometrix sEMG device. 4 positions were experimented in semi tandem standing: No Touch, No Counting No Touch, Counting Light Touch, No Counting Light Touch, Counting. Each of the above positions was tested in 2 conditions: Eyes Open, Eyes Closed.
Results: Our findings detect that light touch contact especially during vision, resulted in reducing the rate of sEMG activity in the leg postural muscles. No touch and closed eyes, raise the rate of sEMG activity to maximum.
conclusion: On basis of findings, it seems that following skin receptors stimulation, some complicated mechanisms will be begun and in order to the orders of Central Nervous System (CNS), these muscles will make the hole body, stable. So it can reduce the entered pressure on leg postural muscles. Therefore we can see the lesser rate in sEMG activity of leg postural muscles.

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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: Aphasia is common symptom after acute stroke with a prevalence in earlier studies between 21 - 38% .In Iran unfortunately no investigation has been reported on the prevalence of aphasia .So the main aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of aphasia after stroke at hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of medical sciences (TUMS).

 aterials and Methods: This study is a cross-sectional design and has been done on 30 patients with brain injury who admitted to TUMS hospitals during three months. The Mississippi Aphasia Screening Test (MAST) was used to screening aphasia patients.

Results: The descriptive results indicated, from 22 patients with CVA five cases (22.7%) were aphasic. Mean age of aphasic patients (69.6 years) was more than non-aphasic patients (49.24 years) and of five aphasic patients, three cases (60%) were male and two of them (40%) were female. Also, regarding background diseases, four of five (80%) aphasic patients had history of high blood pressure and diabetes. 

Conclusion: Results of this study was consistent with prevalence of aphasia in last studies. Also results of this study confirmed other studies based on that etiology of lesion, age, and high blood pressure and diabetes history of the patients plays an important role in prevalence of aphasia.

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Background and Aim: Multifidus muscle is one of the short and deep posterior Paraspinal muscles, which gives stability to the spine during various activities. Studies have shown that in people with neck pain, weakness and atrophy of neck muscles are major factors in the incidence of neck pain. Measurement of muscle's dimensions by ultrasonography provides an opportunity to be able to objectively assess muscle atrophy or hypertrophy. This study aimed to assess symmetry of cervical multifidus muscle size in females with chronic non-specific neck pain and healthy by ultrasonography apparatus.

Materials & Methods: Twenty five women with unilateral chronic nonspecific neck pain and 25 healthy women were participated in this study. All subjects were employed and more than 4 hours working with computers or paying office in a day. Imaging of the cervical multifidus muscles were done bilaterally in the level of the fourth vertebra. Anterior-Posterior Dimension(APD), Lateral Dimension(LD), Cross-Sectional Area (multiplied of two diameters(APD&LD)) and the Shape ratio (Lateral diameter divided by the Anterior-Posterior diameter(LD/APD)) of the muscle were measured and recorded. 

Results: Multifidus muscle size in patients group was smaller than the healthy group. In patients group, size of multifidus muscle in the painful side was smaller than the opposite side. Asymmetry of muscle size between the two sides, in the patient group was higher than the control group (P < 0.05). The ratio of smaller size to the larger size of the muscle, in the healthy group was higher than the ratio in the patient group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: In patients group, asymmetry of the muscle size between two sides, also smaller size of the muscle in the painful side, showed that muscle atrophy has happened in the involved side.

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Abstract

Background and Aim: Visual impairment affects people's quality of life. Since the effect of rehabilitation services is measured by improving in quality of life, this study was performed to evaluate the effect of rehabilitation services on quality of life in the blind.

Materials and Methods: 121 blind and low vision people who covered by Zahedan Welfare Organization were studied by census method in this descriptive analytical study. Data was collected using demographic questionnaire (including demographic information and rehabilitation services information in the people) and quality of life questionnaire for the blind. This questionnaire was translated to Persian by Tavakol et al wich its and validity and reliability was assessed with using content validity and test-re-test method, respectively (0.89

Results: T-test results showed the mean score of quality of life significantly higher in patients who had rehabilitation service than persons deprived of services (p=0.03). Mann-Whitney test showed these patients have significantly higher quality of life in mobility domain (p=0.01) and self-care (p<0.001).

Conclusion: According to the results, developing rehabilitation services and providing social programs for the blind is suggested.

Keywords: rehabilitation service, quality of life, blind people, low vision people

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 Background and Aim : Cerebral palsy is the most common physical disability in childhood. Children with cerebral palsy require long-term therapy for achieving improved motor function. It seems to be a need for treatment and training at home. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of “handling training” for caregivers at home on the gross motor function of 15-72 months cerebral palsy children.

 

 Materials and Methods : In this experimental single-blinded study, 40 children with cerebral palsy (15-72 months old) were recruited from some of Tehran public or private rehabilitation clinics based on pre-determined inclusion criteria, and after matching for child age, type of clinic referred to (public or private), type of cerebral palsy, IQ score, GMFCS level and number of occupational treatment sessions already provided at the rehabilitation clinic. The children were allocated randomly into intervention and control groups. For data collection, a demographic information questionnaire, gross motor function measurement (GMFM66) test and gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) test were used. Data were collected on three occasions: before the intervention, 1.5 months and 3 months after intervention. For intervention, researchers went to the intervention group's homes and explained educations related to handling for caregivers in a 4-hours session. During 3 months, researchers would follow up to implement the intervention. Data were analyzed by one sample k-S, chi-square, independent sample t test, general linear model and analysis of Covariance.

 

 Results : There were significant differences in gross motor function of two groups in 1.5 months and 3 months after intervention than before intervention (p<0.001). There were significant difference in gross motor function improvement in pre-post (1.5 months after intervention) (p=0.006) and pre-follow (3 months after intervention) (p<0.001) between two groups and was greater in the intervention group.

 

 Conclusion : Handling training on caregivers in home improves gross motor function in 15-72 months old cerebral palsy children.

 

Keywords : Cerebra l palsy, Handling, Gross motor function

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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.

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Background and Aim: Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) is a technique widely used in developing marketing strategies and improving products or service quality. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality of rehabilitation services in two aspects of importance and satisfaction with performance in four selected centers in Tehran by using IPA and also examine the relationship between demographic variables and dimensions of the service quality.

 

Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study which was done among the 196 patients who visited four selected rehabilitation centers in Tehran (Helal­-e­-Ahmar, Molavi, Emam Khomeini and Shafa). A questionnaire was used to assess the quality of services in these centers. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 17.

  

Results : According to the results, the quality of services in selected centers took place in the first quarter of Importance-Performance Analysis that means they are in desirable situation. In addition, no significant difference was observed among importance and performance of dimensions of service quality and age and sex variables (P>0.05). But there was a correlation between importance (P=0.04) and satisfaction with performance (P=0.03) in tangibles dimension and also between importance and level of education variable in assurance dimension (P=0.01).

  

Conclusion : Although the selected centers were in the favorable situation, but the managers should be aware of strengths and weaknesses of the organization so that they provide quality improvement and increase customer’s satisfaction.

 

Key words : Customer satisfaction, Quality of services, Rehabilitation services, Importance-Performance Analysis

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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

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Background and Aim: An immaculate review of the literature reveals some changes on the vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) in ACL deficient knee subjects. However, the details are not clear yet. The current study aimed to study these changes in the ACL-deficient and apparently healthy knees of the coper and non-coper ACL-deficient knee subjects in comparison with the normal knees.

Materials and Methods: Sixteen unilateral ACL-torn subjects included 8 copers and 8 non-copers were recruited in this quasi-experimental study and were compared with 16 normal knee subjects (8 subjects matched to each coper and non-coper groups). All subjects walked barefoot and with their preferred speed in a 6-meter walkway and placed their wanted foot on the platform of a Zebris pedobarograph tool. The patients were asked to place their injured and healthy feet separately on the platform. The control group placed their foot matched to the ACL-deficient legs on the platform. The testes were repeated so much to have five acceptable trials. The outcome measures included the peak F1Z, F2Z, F3Z of the vertical ground reaction force values and the times to reach these peak values as well as total stance time of the tested feet.

Results: The results showed only a significant lower F₁Z value in the non-coper ACL-deficient knee subjects (p=0.008). No significant changes were shown in the F₂Z, F₃Z or the times reach to F₁Z, F₂Z and F₃Z values (p>0.05). The stance time of the coper ACL-deficient knee subjects increased significantly in the non-coper ACL-deficeint knee subjects when compared to the coper and healthy knees (p=0.005).

Conclusion: The reduced F1Z of the vertical ground reaction force at initial contact as well as increased total stance time seen only in non-coper ACL-deficient knee subjects reveals inadequate compensatory mechanism in these patients as a counter force stress at initial contact and weight bearing. However, the coper ACL-deficient knee subjects compensated these forces with good strategies and walked very similar to the control group.

Keywords: Vercial ground reaction force (VGRF), Time to peak vertical ground reaction force components, Coper & non-coper ACL-deficient knee subjects, Pedobarography.

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Background and Aim: Shifting paradigms about how to assess the support needs of person with intellectual disability, in 1980, posed necessity of design and development of appropriate tools more than ever. In this regard, American Association on intellectual and developmental disabilities developed the supports Intensity scale to respond the lack of an appropriate tool. The aim of this study was to do the cultural adaptation and evaluation of psychometric properties of supports intensity scale in adult people with intellectual disability.

 

Materials and Methods: In this descriptive – analytic study, 43 adult persons with intellectual disability participated. Translation and adaptation of the SIS through International Quality of Life Assessment (IQOLA ) protocol was done. Validity of the test was evaluated by qualitative content validity. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were used for evaluation of reliability.

  

Results: Based on the IQOLA protocol, The SIS had easy translation and relatively good quality. According to results, all items of the test had content validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficients fall in the range (.80-.99) and ICC ranged from .90 to .99

 

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the Persian version of the SIS has good validity and reliability for identifying pattern and intensity of needed supports in adult people with intellectual disability.

 

Key words: Adaptation, Validity, Reliability, Intellectual disability, Supports Intensity Scale

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Background and Aim: Perceptual motor abilities are based on motor functions and conceptual growth. Therefore, regarding the weak perceptual motor abilities in mental retarded children, it will be an effective step in eliminating their learning problems and improving their functional activities at school, at home and in the society. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of instruction of balance exercises along with gross movement exercises on the balance function and gross movement in mental retarded children.

Materials and Methods: Using a simple non-probability sampling method, based on a pilot sample and the sample size formula were considered 10 children in the treatment group and 10 children in the control group. Inclusion criteria include educable children with mental retardation without significant skeletal, neurological and mental illness and the age group is between 4.5 to 14.5 years. Exclusion criteria include uncooperative child and absence of more than one session. Treatment group for 10 weeks, 3 sessions per week for 30-minute exercises; balance training and gross motor was taught. No intervention was done on control group. Then all subjects retested. The effectiveness of the treatment on balance and gross motor function were performed by statistical analysis.

Results: Before treatment, balance and gross motor scores were not significant (P&ge;0.05) between the intervention and control groups. In the interventional group, gross motor scores were significant (P&le;0.05) but balance scores were not significant (P&ge;0.05). Balance and gross motor scores between pre-and post-intervention in control group were not significant (P&ge; 0.05).

Conclusion: Lack of experience in the motor skills resulted poor motor skills in mental retarded children. Therefore, according to the findings of this study, we can provide requirements for gaining motor experiences with planning, targeted training and utilization of effective rehabilitation and occupational therapy.         

Keywords: Balance exercises, Gross exercises, Mental retardation