Background and Aim: Memory and learning specially auditory-verbal learning affected on developed and forming the cognitive skills in children. The auditory- verbal learning assessed with several methods. The Rey auditory verbal learning test is a useful tool for the assessment of auditory verbal learning. The Persian version of Rey test is not used for assessment auditory-verbal learning in Persian language children. The aim of the present study was to assess the auditory verbal memory and learning performance of 9 to 11 year old healthy children using the Persian version of rey auditory-verbal learning test and comparing these data with children from other countries.

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on 86 healthy children with age ranging from 9 to 11. Different aspects of memory like immediate recall, delayed recall, recognition, forgetting rate, interference and learning were assessed using the Persian version of Rey auditory-verbal learning test.

Results: It was observed a significant correlation between the scores on the first trial to fifth trial. The mean scores of the participation increased from 7.34 on the first trial to 13.93 on the fifth trial. The correct answer was more in girls than the boys. There was not significant correlation between immediate and delayed recall. There was significant correlation between delayed recall and recognition. The proactive and retroactive interference and forgetting rate scores were 0.97, 0.87 and 0.37 respectively.

Conclusion: The Persian version of Rey test in the clinical setting is a useful tool for assessment of memory and auditory-verbal learning. The scores increased from first trial to fifth trial show learning effect in Persian language children. The auditory verbal memory and learning performance of Persian language children in Persian version of Rey test was compared to the performance of the same population in other countries.

Key Words: Memory, Children, Rey auditory verbal learning.

Background and Aim: Reliability or unreliability of the results achieved from recording of surface electromyography of muscles has always been questioned. The aim of present study was to  measure the reliability of the delayed reaction time of muscle electromyography of the knee joints on the exposure of unexpected rotary turbulence in the transverse plane from the area of supporting surface.

Materials and Methods: Twenty healthy women from 19 to 30 years old and free from any clear deformities in the lower extremities were participated in the present study. Surface electromyography of the six knee musculature was carried out for every subject separately in 4 situations including: External Rotation (Ext Rot) from plantar area on the transverse plane with bent and straight knee, Internal Rotation (Int. Rot) with the same conditions, Single Leg Stance situation in 4 stages, and repeatability of Intra Session through intra-class correlation coefficients when the muscles are in action on the exposure of turbulence in four applied forms were analyzed.

Result: The results from 24 analyzed forms showed that 18 forms of muscles at the time of action had moderate to high repeatability (Monroe Classification)

Conclusion: Regarding reliability, the muscles indicated different amounts in onset latency time, on the exposure of rotary turbulence, according to joint angle and the direction of applying rotation on the transverse plane. In respect to direction of rotation, most of the muscles indicated more reliability on the exposure of external rotation turbulence (clockwise) in relation to internal rotation (anti-clockwise) and also regarding the joint angle in turbulences with straight knee in relation to turbulences with bent knee. 

Keyword: Knee muscles, Surface electromyography, Reliability, Rotational turbulence

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

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

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

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

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

Background and Aim: Different aspects of the motor control parameters of dominant and non-dominant legs are investigated but the effect of dominancy on motor control strategy is still unclear. The aim of the present study is to compare the pre- motor time, motor time and reaction time in dominant and non- dominant leg muscles of the non- professional healthy athletes in response to visual stimulus during forward jumping.

Methods and Materials: Eleven non- professional healthy athletes participated in this cross-sectional study determined by convenience non probability sampling. Surface electromyography were performed in the dominant and non-dominant leg muscles including  gastrosoleous , peroneus longus, peroneus brevis, and tibialis anterior in response to visual stimulus during forward jumping.

Results: There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between the dominant and no-dominant legs with respect to the pre-motor time, motor time and reaction time of the gastrosoleus, peroneus longus, peroneus brevis and tibialis anterior.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that limb dominancy is not an important parameter in the motor control studies.

Keywords: Motor control strategy, Visual stimulus, Forward jumping

Background and Aim: Several studies have investigated the effects of angular velocity on mechanical and physiological variables such as joint net torque, muscle force and myoelectrical activity, but so far its effects on the control of the pattern of synergist muscle activation during isokinetic movements have not been studied. In this experiment, a computational method of identifying and analyzing muscle synergies were used which is based on the framework of the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis to determine the variability of muscle synergies following movement velocity alteration.

Materials and Methods: Twelve healthy females without any known neurological or motor disorders participated in the experiment. The participants were positioned on a Biodex dynamometer. They were asked to perform ten continuous knee extension and flexion motions with maximal strength at 45˚/s or 300˚/s. Electromyographic activity of the vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris (RF) were recorded and variance within the UCM (VUCM) and orthogonal to the UCM (VORT) with respect to an appropriate Jacobian matrix was computed. An independent t-test was used to compare VUCM between two velocities.

Results: Across subjects, VUCM was significantly higher than VORT (VUCM>VORT) in both tasks. There was no significant difference in VUCM between two velocities (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that angular velocity is not an important parameter when a controller of a multi-element system wants to stabilize a particular value of a performance variable.

Keywords: Variability, Angular velocity, Muscle synergie, Externsor muscle.

Background and Aim: Providing rehabilitation care of deglutition disorders or dysphagia is a challenging issue for speech and language pathologists. Comprehensive assessment of dysphagia includes early screening, clinical tests and finally instrumental tests to be assured. In spite of the importance and the advantages of clinical tests; accurate diagnosis and decision in dysphagia management largely depend on instrumental ones. These tests provide dynamic assessment and information about structures and physiology of normal and affected swallow for clinician. The aim of this review article was to find instrumental tests of swallowing with their application, limitation and advantages.

Materials and Methods: An electronic search was done via the PubMed, Google scholar, Science direct, Medline, Scopus, Iranian web of knowledge data bases and web of knowledge data bases from 1956 to 2012. Based on the used keywords, 150 papers were found of which 90 papers were selected in accordance with the selection criteria.

Results: Fourteen related instrumental tests were found. Only one of the tests is usable for screening and others for diagnosis and treatment of dysphagia. Three tests are used only in adults and others in children too.

Conclusion: The literature review showed that among the instrumental tests, (Video fluoroscopy swallowing study; VFSS), (Fiberoptic Endoscopic evaluation of swallowing; FEES) are golden standards for dysphagia assessment and treatment. Therefore, they are widely accepted among clinicians and researches in despite of their limitations, our study offers the possibility to professionals for selecting the appropriate instrumental test in dysphagia.

Keywords: Assessment, Dysphagia, Screening, Instrumental tests.

Background and Aim: There are various questionnaires to assess public attitudes towards various human traits but few standard tools to evaluate public attitudes about stuttering. The purpose of the present study was to translate the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes -Stuttering (POSHA-S) into Persian and investigation of psychometric properties of the scale.

Materials and Methods: Thirty adults without stuttering (8 men and 22 women) who have mean age of 24.9 participated in this developmental test study. After taking permission from test design, the translation of the test according to Protocol IQOLA and its equalization to Persian Language, face validity of it were determined by the opinions of participants. Then, Test-retest reliability of the scale was carried out by two methods; Pearson correlation coefficient and determination of point-to-point agreement.

Results: Entirely relevant items had simple translation. The translation items had face validity. The results showed that there was a high correlation between two completions in the whole questionnaire (p=0.000, r=0.70).

Conclusion: The present research showed that the Persian version of the "Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes –Stuttering" is a reliable and valid tool. Therefore, the Persian version of this test can be used as a valid and reliable scale to assess community attitudes towards stuttering

Key Words: Stuttering, Reliability, Validity