Background and Aim : The purpose of the present study was to determine the influence of demographic variables and disease characteristics on the quality of life scores and the distribution of the scores at different stages of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) .

Materials and Methods: One hundred patients with COPD participated in this cross-sectional study. Interview and the validated Persian version of the clinical COPD questionnaire (PCCQ) were used for data collection. The method of data collection for the study was interview with a demographic and validated Persian version of the clinical COPD questionnaire (PCCQ).

Results: Six percent of patients were revealed as mild COPD, 34 percent of patients as moderate COPD, 49 percent of patients as severe COPD and 11 percent of patients as very severe COPD. Significant differences were observed for total score and the component scores of the PCCQ among four stages of the disease. The age and length of the disease correlated significantly with the total PCCQ score (P<0.05). In order to compare between the CCQ total score and three domains of male and female groups , the results showed that women compared to men had lower quality of life in CCQ total score and functional areas (P<0/5).

Conclusion: Distribution of the quality of life scores in patients with different stages of COPD patients showed that there is an overlap quality of life scores in the mild, moderate , severe and very severe stages of COPD patients. As a result, classifying the disease using spirometry cannot distinct patients with COPD according to impairments in their health status. In adittion, the age, sex and length of the disease are the main factors that may affect the quality of life.

Keywords: Quality of life, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Demographic information, Clinical COPD questionnaire

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

Background and Aim : Investigating the relationship between sensory processing and behavior in 7 to 10 years old children with attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity

Objective: This study examined the association between behavioral problems and emotional status of children with attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity

Materials and Methods : In this descriptive-analytic study, 24 children with ADHD and 24 normal matched children in the age range of 7- 10 years old were participated. After completing a demographic questionnaire and consent informed Letter , The children's parents were asked to complete Sensory Profile Questionnaire (SP) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).

Results: Data analysis was performed using SPSS 16 software. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test are used to assess compliance of each variable distribution with normally distributed variables. T-test were used to compare variables (CBCL and SP scores) in the 2 groups. T-test results show that the difference between the means of two groups in sensory seeking, emotional reactivity, and low endurance /muscle tone.

  Inattention / distractibility, poor sensory registration, fine movement/ perception and emotional reactivity are significant. The calculated t value is lower from the t-critical (1.96) and the probability error (CI 5%). But in variables such as the oral sensory sensitivity, sensory sensitivity and sedentary difference between the two groups’ averages is not significant.

 There are significant correlations between some of Child Behavior Checklist questionnaire variables and sensory profile in sensory seeking and emotional reactivity variable, low endurance / muscle tone variables, the variable inattention and distractibility, fine movements/ perception and sensory registration.

Conclusion : our study suggest that behavioral problems in the Child Behavior Checklist grows by increasing these problems in sensory profile questionnaire .

Key words : Sensory processing, Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, Behavioral problems.

Background and Aim: One of the most common complaints of gait disorders in children is intoeing gait. The aim of this study was to investigate the immediate effect of gait plate insole on gait angle of intoed children.

Materials and Methods: Angle of gait was measured in 17 children aged 4 to 10 years with intoeing gait in 3 modalities: barefoot, ordinary shoes and gait plate insole with ordinary shoes for 3 times consecutively with Rs scan pressure platform.

Results: Gait plate insole with ordinary shoes as well as ordinary shoes alone caused a significant increase (p<0.05) in angle of gait in intoed children. As gait plate insole with ordinary shoes and ordinary shoes increase angle of gait 11.16 and 3.85 degrees respectively versus barefoot.

Conclusion: Use of gait plate insole in association with ordinary shoes can improve gait appearance in children with intoeing gait.

Keywords: Intoeing gait, Gait plate insole, Angle of gait, Gait angle

Background and Aim: Physical and cognitive performance changes such as impairment in balance and reaction time occur with aging. In according to some studies, these disorders may be delayed by systematic physical activities. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Pilates training on the improvement of balance and reaction time of sedentary adulthood men in Kermanshah city.

Materials and Methods: In this study, 40 sedentary adulthood men, aged (72.15±6.74), selected and divided into two equal groups randomly. These old men lived in Elderly centers in Kermanshah. In order to measure the participants’ balance and reaction time, static balance test stork, timed up and go test and reaction time system was used. Participants participated in a course of 8-week Pilates exercise program such as stretching movements in the muscular joints balance practicing of legs, standing on one foot and deep breathing. After assurance of normality using K-S test, independent t-test was used

  for data analysis.

Results : The results showed in comparison with control group, participation in Pilates protocol, could improve balance and reaction time in elderly men significantly (p<.0.05).

Conclusion: According to results of this study , Pilates training can improve balance and reaction time of the elderly . So to improve the cognitive and motor functions of the elderly , it can be recommended to participate in physical activities such as Pilates training .

Key Words: Pilates training, Elderly, Static balance, Dynamic balance, Reaction time

Background and Aim : Chronic non-specific low back pain is one of the important health problem in military and different factors have been reported in its emergence. The aim of this study is to determine the association between low back pain and education level, Body Mass Index (BMI), exercise, smoking status ,work status and bad postures in military men.

Materials and Methods : In this non-experimental case-control study, 92 subjects (mean age= 29.16 year, SD= 8.55 year) with chronic non-specific low back pain and 93 subjects (mean age= 26.80 year, SD=9.22 year) without low back pain were selected by simple non-probability method from military centers in Tehran. Evaluation tools of this study included a self-administrated questionnaire, weighting scale and metal tape measure.

Results : According to the results of bivariate logistic regression, risk factors of exercise (P= 0.003), smoking status (P= 0.042), grade of BMI (P= 0.034), bad posture grades including heavy objects lifting movements (P= 0.007), bending movements (P= 0.003), rotating movements from the lumbar (P= 0.011), carrying bulky objects (P= 0.034), carrying heavy objects (P= 0.05) and working in squatting position (P= 0.005) had a significant association with low back pain. Job status (P= 0.999), education level (P= 0.056) and bad postures grades movements like wringing clothes (P= 0.958) had not a significant association with low back pain.

Conclusion : Doing regular exercise and having normal BMI decrease the risk of suffering from low back pain in the military while smoking and doing injurious physical activities during work (lifting heavy objects, bending movements and rotating from the lumbar, carrying bulky and heavy objects, and working in squatting position for a long time) increase the risk of suffering from low back pain.

Key Words : Chronic non-specific low back pain, Military forces, Biomechanical risk factors, Exercise

Background and Aim: Researches had shown that the high levels of shear and compression stresses that appear in the articular cartilage after meniscectomy are partly responsible for cartilage pathologies, such as osteoarthrosis . In this study, we probe to determine the stress distribution of the medial and lateral meniscus and to choose the appropriate region of meniscectomy.

Materials and Methods: Biomechanical 3D finite element model of the knee joint was generated from CT-scan images. Mimics modeled the bony structure of knee and Solidworks developed the medial and lateral meniscus.

Results: Under an axial femoral compressive load, the maximal contact stress in the articular cartilage after meniscectomy was about twice that of a healthy joint. The maximal contact pressures took place in the posterior region of the medial meniscus, with average values of 1.622 MPa and in the anterior horn of the lateral menisci with 1.159 MPa.

Results: Critical regions determine the allowed region of menisectomy for surgeon. Not only stress distribution doesn`t change by increasing of body weight or meniscectomy, but also the rate of stress increase after meniscectomy.

Background and Aim : The tracking tests are a known method to measure and quantify the performance of the neuromuscular system. They are also one of the accurate and flexible methods for measurement of the performance capacity of sensory-motor control or sensory-motor coordination. The purpose of the present study was to examine reliability of the torque error during trajectory tracking tasks in trunk region in torque-time plane in healthy subjects.

Materials and Methods: Twenty healthy subjects (7 female and 13 male) randomly performed target tracking tasks with two patterns (sinusoidal and saw shape). The sinus and saw tracking tasks had two periodic cycles included 10 seconds (3 cycles) and 15 seconds (2 cycles). The amplitude of the signal was set at about 30% to 70% of Maximum Voluntary Exertions (MVE) of each participant. The tracking tasks were performed in 6 directions of uniaxial exertion (flexion, extension, left and right rotation, and left and right lateral bending). Absolute error mean and the performance of the tracking task were determined by calculating Relative Root Mean Square Error (RRMSE) for each participant during each trial. Relative reliability (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient: ICC) of the error mean and RRMSE for all participants was determined. Also absolute reliability (Standard Error of Measurement: SEM) and Minimal Detected Change ( MDC₉₅ ) were computed.

Results: The results have shown that ICC, SEM and MDC₉₅ for error mean ranged from 0.5 to 0.87, 0.002 to 0.006 and 0.007 to 0.016, respectively. Also these variables for RRMSE ranged between 0.5- 0.86, 0.05- 0.024 and 0.065- 0.139, respectively.

Conclusion: The repeatability analysis showed high and very high reliability for torque errors ( Error Mean, RRMSE ) measures during trajectory tracking tasks in torque time plane in asymptomatic subjects. Therefore this performance can be used for quantification of trunk controllability and also mentioned variables as reliable parameters in researches.

Keywords: Reliability, Trajectory tracking tests, Torque error, Isometric trunk exertion

Back ground and Aim: Feeding is the most essential behavior in infants for vitality, learning and interaction. Because of feeding importance in developmental process and its primary role in infant’s vitality, the study of dysphagia has an important role. Diagnosis, assessment and treatment of this disorder are primary professional action for speech therapists. Therefore, basic information about prevalence of such disorders can be effective in treatment planning. In this study, the number of infants with oral feeding disorders is determined in NICU .

Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-sectional study, all infants that were in NICU at Tehran University of medical sciences hospitals were evaluated in three first months of 1390 year through information from medical history, interview and observation. The data were analyzed with SPSS 16.

Results: Data analyzing of this study showed that 45 infants (27.10%) from 166 cases in NICU had oral feeding disorders. The incidence in male is more than female (91.11% versus 8.88%). Twenty two of cases feed normally, 18 cases feeding with NGT and 5 cases with OGT. The rate of difficulty in oral phase and esophageal phase were 88.88% and 2.22% respectively. No infants have difficulty in Pharyngeal phase.

Conclusion: Feeding disorder assessment by speech therapist provides essential information about feeding intervention and so early diagnosis can prevent later speech problems. Therefore, the role of a speech therapist in NICU is important.

Keywords: Incidence, Oral feeding disorders, Infants, NICU

Background and Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the structure of passive resistive moment of elbow joint acting against movement and also to apply it in order to create a similar moment mechanism for rehabilitation and practical equipment to perform joint movements according to sports medicine and rehabilitation scopes and notifications.

Materials and Methods: Eight healthy men were recruited in order to establish the subjects group which had no history of neurological or musculo-skeletal pathology. Five cyclic passive elbow flexions were performed by a Cybex isokinetic dynamometer at 15 and 45 deg/s through 0 to 130 degree of range of motion. The experimental data was exported to the MATLAB software for analysis.

Results: Investigation of the structure of the components of the passive resistive moment showed that the most compatibility with passive resistive moment observed in the combined use of weight and pneumatic resistive moments.

Conclusion: Finally it was concluded that the possibility of reaching optimized movement, reduction of damage to the tissues and joints and also reduction of energy dissipation due to inertia were provided by the use of the function of natural resistive moment of the limbs in order to create a resistive mechanism for rehabilitation and practical equipment

Keywords: Elbow joint, Passive resistive moment, Rehabilitation equipment, Viscoelastic

Background and Aim: Mothers of children with cerebral palsy (CP) experience limitation in occupational performance because of caring of their children. It is proposed that the standard measurements need to be assessed their occupational performance problem. The aim of this study was to translate "Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) into Persian and to test its content validity and reliability in Iranian mothers of children with cerebral palsy.

Materials and Methods: It was a non experimental methodology study. After permission from innovators, COPM was translated into Persian language in three phases with respect to IQOLA project. Each of the items was validated by a panel of ten experts to review each item on “appropriate” and “not appropriate”. For examining test-retest reliability Iranians version of COPM was responded twice within at least two days or at most one week interval, by 30 Iranian mother of a child with CP in the rehabilitation clinic under the supervision of University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation Sciences (USWR). We used to sample of convenience and non probability design for sampling. Then, data were analyzed with SPSS software from the aspects of content validity and test-retest reliability.

Results: Content validity rate of the Persian version demonstrated a high content validity (80.95±0.222). The Spearman correlation coefficients of the test and retest scores ranged from r=0.84 for performance to r=0.87 for satisfaction and this indicated a high correlation between scores and acceptable reliability of the Persian version of COPM.

Conclusion: It was concluded that the Persian version of COPM can be applied reliability to mothers of children with CP and it can be used for clinical as well as research purposes.

Key words: Canadian occupational performance measure, Mother, Cerebral palsy, Validity, Reliability

Background and Aim: Idiopathic scoliosis is a common orthopaedic condition affecting 1.5% to 3% of the adolescents. Conservative treatments for idiopathic scoliosis involve bracing, exercise therapy, electrical stimulation and chiropractic treatment. Bracing in association with exercise is a well known method in the treatment of scoliosis. In spite of the disagreement among researchers, no study has assessed the effect of Blount &Moe exercises accompanied with a milwaukee brace on the kyphotic and scoliotic cobb angle at the beginning of weaning phase up to now. Therefore the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of Blount &Moe exercises on improvement of kyphotic and scoliotic cobb angle at the beginning of weaning phase.

Materials and Methods: The patients were evaluated in terms of the quantity and quality of performing the exercises. Mean Cobb angle was compared  before bracing and at the beginning of weaning phase.

Results: Kyphotic and scolioitic cobb angle were reduced after using the milwaukee brace(p> 0.05), but no significant difference was found among all groups for the kyphotic and scoliotic cobb angle.

Conclusion: Miwaukee brace reduces kyphotic and scoliotic cobb angle, but the quantity and quality of exercise doing before weaning phase does not affect this parameter.

Key words:Kyphoscoliosis,Milwaukee brace, Exercise, Cobb angle

Background and Aim: There are many studies about differences between children who stutter and normal pairs in language and cognition domains. On the other hand, a variety of treatment approaches is suggested for stuttering therapy in children. One of them is prolongation (a fluency shaping approach). The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of prolongation approach on phonological working memory in children with mild and moderate stuttering.

Materials and Methods: Twenty five children who stutter 4 to 6 years old were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and then non-word repetition test, pre and post treatment were conducted. Intervention process was based on Hedge’s treatment protocol (prolongation). Their score in non word repetition test and stuttering severity was calculated by SSI, pre and post intervention and compared by SPSS soft ware (version 18) And Wilcoxon singed – rank test .

Results: Severity of stuttering was diminished significantly after and before treatment (p<0.05). In non word repetition test, the number of correct non word including single syllable, two syllable and three syllable, pre and post treatment showed significant differences (p<0.05).  There was no relationship between children’s age and their improvement (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Results revealed that prolongation approach had significant effect on improving non word repetition ability and diminishing severity of stuttering. This approach as a form of fluency shaping which usually is based on motor theories had significant effect on increasing phonological working memory capacity.

Key words: Stuttering, Phonological working memory, Fluency shaping, Prolongation approach

Background and Aim: One of the main causes of chronic non-specific low back pain is inappropriate working conditions, high repetition of one activity or work heaviness. An appropriate, accurate, inexpensive and easy assessment tools is necessary for measuring intensity of exposure to injurious  work activities, Identify individuals at risk and using appropriate treatment. The aim of this study is to compare the single-item Borg scale with JRPD scale to identify individuals at risk of exposure to injurious work activities in chronic non-specific LBP.

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional survey study, 92 subjects with non-specific low back pain by mean age of 29.16 (SD= ± 8.55) years and 93 healthy subjects by mean age of 26.80 (SD= ± 9.17) years and matched of work time, age and type of service with subjects with non-specific low back pain were selected by simple non-probability method. Single-item Borg scale and JRPD scale were used to assess the intensity of injurious work activities.

Results: Considering JRPD scale as a criterion scale, the sensitivity rate of 82% and specificity rate of 28% was obtained for single-item Borg scale at the moderate threshold. While the severe threshold for this scale, sensitivity and specificity rate were 25% and 85%, respectively. Also, the results showed that both single-item Borg scale and JRPD scale has significant ability to classify subjects with non-specific low back pain which are exposed or not exposed to injurious work ability (P<0.001). 

Conclusion: The single-item Borg scale has high sensitivity and low specificity at the moderate threshold and above and high specificity and low sensitivity at severe threshold to identify individuals Exposed to injurious work activities in military with chronic non-specific LBP.

Keywords: Injurious work activities, Non-specific LBP, Single-item Borg scale, JRPD scale

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

Background and Aim: There are many disputes concerning the role of skin receptors on excitability of spinal motoneurons. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the motoneuron excitability and H-reflex recovery curve of Soleus and Gastrocnemius muscles after application of local anesthesia on the skin of vertebral column.

Materials and Methods: Thirty healthy non-athlete female volunteers with a mean age of 27.20 ± 3.11 years old, were tested in two separated sessions. The H-reflex recovery curve of Soleus and Gastrocnemius were recorded before intervention and 15 minutes after the application of anesthesia (lidocaine 10%) or placebo anesthesia (water), with two excitation intensity of 30% and 100% of Hmax and interval interpulses of 1-202 ms. After extraction the amplitude of H1 and H2 response and fitting the recovery curve their amplitude and interval of the peak, area under the curve and, thresholds of the early and secondary facilitation were calculated and analyzed.

Results: After application of lidocaine, the sensory threshold of the vertebral column skin increased significantly. Due to a significant increase in H1 amplitude, peak, and area under the curve of the early facilitation showed a significant decrease (p<0.05). Threshold of the secondary facilitation showed a significant decrease in the Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The results suggest that decrease of skin receptors activity after anesthesia can facilitate motoneurons excitability and H-reflex recovery. It seems that using the method of paired stimulation and H-reflex recovery curve may be useful to investigate the effect of physical therapy modalities on the fast and slow motoneuron excitability.

Keywords: H-reflex recovery curve, Local anesthesia, Cooling, Motoneuron excitability.

Background and Aim: Low back pain is the most common and most costly musculoskeletal disorder among nurses. The studies have showed that ergonomic risk factors are the main cause of back injury. Our aim in this study is to evaluate the incidence of low back pain in nurses with participating in manual handling of patients and determination of its relationship with ergonomic risk level of inpatient wards in a subspecialty hospital in Tehran.

Materials and Methods: Thirty nurses who were active in manual handling of patients, (aged between 25to43), participated in this study. The Nordic standard questionnaire and Slump clinical test were used for evaluation of low back pain and pressure on the nerve root, respectively. MAPO (Movement and Assistance of Hospital Patients) quantitative index was used for evaluating the ergonomic risk level of manual handling of patients in 16 sectors of a hospital including 174 wards.

Results: The results showed that ergonomic risk level was high. Ninety percents of evaluated wards were in red band. Based on results of Nordic questionnaire, %66.7 of nurses had experienced back pain in the past 12 months. Based on the results, 46.7% of  nurses who were active in sectors with high ergonomic risk have been suffering of back pain in the past 12 months and 53.3% of theirs slump test were positive. The Chi-Square test confirmed that there is a significant relationship between low back pain prevalence and risk level from the MAPO index in parts. (p=0.004)

Conclusion:  Findings from this study showed that there was a relationship between ergonomic conditions of hospital’s sectors with back pain in nurses. Therefore, it is expected to improve ergonomic conditions particularly supply of adequate human resources, supply of auxiliary equipments for patient transmission, repairs timely and implementation of reforms constructive is associated with reduced incidence of back pain in nurses.

Key words: Ergonomic risk level, MAPO index, Slump clinical test, Low back pain, Nurses.

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

Background and Aim: Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common musculo-skeletal problems and can effect on patient's daily activity and produce dependency in their daily activity and functional disability such as including the balance of these patients. Therefore, the aim of this research is to investigate the effect of a period of therapeutic exercise and detraining after that on balance in the women with knee OA.

Materials and Methods: This research was a semi-empirical and applied on 24 inactive female patients with osteoarthritis of the knee with a physician's diagnosis and entering in Research. Subjects randomly classified into two groups, the therapeutic exercise and control. The Biodex Balance machine was used to determine static and dynamic balance in patients with pre-test and post-test in order to stabilize the situation and jeopardize. After pre-test in order to evaluate the durability of training, the tests were repeated after one months of detraining experimental group subjects. The therapeutic exercise protocols executed on subjects over 20 sessions (4 weeks and duration of each session about 60 minutes). During this time, the control group did not do any practice. The raw data was analyzed by SPSS version19. Friedman test and wilcoxon were used.

Results: Application of one course of treatment on the static balance: the overall stability and also dynamic balance of women with knee OA was significantly affected of (P &le; 0/05). Also, one month detraining after of the training period showed lasting improvement of balance (static-dynamic).

Conclusion: Based on the results of the present research, execution of period of 4 weeks in therapeutic exercise can significantly effect on balance improvement in women with knee OA. This change will be stable after one month of detraining. Therefore, therapeutic exercise even in a short period of 4 weeks can be advised to be effective way to cure and improve balance in patients.

Key words: Therapeutic Exercise, Detraining, Balance, Knee Osteoarthritis

Background and Aim: One of the impaired senses in patients with chronic hemiparesis is the sole cutaneous sense. The role of this sense in maintaining the functional balance and mobility is still controversial in these patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the threshold of sole cutaneous sense and functional balance and mobility tests in patient with chronic hemiparesis.

Material and Methods: In this correlational study, seventeen chronic stroke patients by mean age of 59.10 (13.31) years and mean time after injury of 31.70 (23.61) months were selected by simple non– probability method. Functional Reach with ankle and hip strategy (FR), Step Test (ST) in affected and non- affected foot, Bend– Reach test (BR), Timed Up and Go test (TUG) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) were used for assessment of functional balance and mobility and Semmes- Weinstein monofilaments test was used to measure the cutaneous sense of seven different points of sole in affected and non– affected foot.

Results: The main effect of foot (affected and non– affected foot) and points (seven different points of sole) of cutaneous sense threshold was significant (P˂0.0001) and interaction effect of foot ˣ points not significant (P=0.2).

The cutaneous sense threshold in all seven points of affected sole showed significant (p˂0.05) low to high correlation (r= 0.24-0.81) with all of functional balance and mobility tests. There was not significant correlation between cutaneous sense threshold in seven points of non- affected foot and any of functional balance and mobility tests, with the exception of cutaneous sense threshold of the little toe floor with total, dynamic and static score of BBS, FR with ankle and hip strategy and TUG; cutaneous sense threshold of big toe with static score of BBS and FR with hip strategy; and medial border of sole with static score of BBS and FR with ankle strategy.

Conclusion: The cutaneous sense threshold of affected sole has a more correlation with functional balance and mobility tests. The cutaneous sense threshold of sole in big toe and medial border points has a significant role in functional balance and mobility tests in patients with hemiparesis.

Keywords: Functional balance and mobility, Cutaneous sense threshold, Hemiparesis