Iranian Rehabilitation Journal
Volume:7 Issue: 10, Oct 2009

Editor-in-Chief Asghar Dadkhah, PhD., Professor University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation sciences Tehran, Iran [email protected] Executive Manager Dr. Reza Seyednour [email protected] EDITORIAL BOARD Harizuka Susumu, PhD., Professor Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan Helander Einar, PhD., President Community Based Rehabilitation Organization, Lisbon, Portugal Hosseiny Seyed Ali, PhD., Assistant professor University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation sciences, Iran Kamali Mohammad, PhD., Associate professor Iran University of Medical Sciences, Iran Kumar Surender, PhD. Professor Chikushi Jogakuen University, Japan Lotfi Younes, MD., Assistant professor University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation sciences, Iran McConkey Roy, PhD., Professor University of Ulster, Northern Ireland Mirzamani Seyed Mahmood, PhD., Professor Baqiyatallah University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran NajmAbadi Hossein, PhD., Professor University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation sciences , Iran Nillipour Reza, PhD., Professor University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation sciences, Iran Reife Carol, PhD., Associate professor Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

Manuscripts for Iranian Rehabilitation Journal should follow the following instructions: 1. MANUSCRIPT TYPES ACCEPTED A-Original Research Articles: Original Research Articles must describe novel and significant observations and provide sufficient detail so that the findings can be critically evaluated and, if necessary, repeated. B-Reviews: Reviews are selected for their broad general interest and balanced treatment of controversies, as well as on scientific accuracy. C-Case Reports/Case series: Case reports should be on clinical topics of relevance to the aim and scope of the Iranian Rehabilitation Journal. The reports should not be more than 2000 words. D-Commentaries: Are opinion pieces on topics of general interest to the rehabilitation community. 2. MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION PROCEDURE Manuscripts can be submitted in the following ways: A-Electronically via the online submission site http://www.rehab.ir B-E-mail submission. Submit all materials electronically to [email protected] if you cannot submit on line. C-Via Post. You can post the CD of the article and 3 copies to editorial address: University of social welfare and rehabilitation sciences, Evin, Kudakyar Ave., Tehran 1985713831, IRAN 3. MANUSCRIPT FORMAT AND STRUCTURE 3.1. Format Abbreviations, Symbols and Nomenclature: Iranian Rehabilitation Journal adhere to the conventions outlined in Units, Symbols and Abbreviations: A Guide for Medical and Scientific Editors and Authors.

It is our pleasure to inform our Iranian Rehabilitation Journal readers and contributors that the journal had been indexed in IndexCopernicus Journals Master List which can be seen in http://journals.indexcopernicus.com/masterlist.php. We intend to enrich the quality and variety of articles in the future issues, so we kindly request all scholars and researchers to submit their manuscripts in wide range of topics related to rehabilitation. Despite the increasing recognition of the magnitude of disability throughout the world, in many countries the existing services are still meeting no more than two per cent of those in need. The World Health Organization has presented Community Based Rehabilitation as one contribution to meeting the challenge. It explores the value of this approach within the context of a rehabilitation program that has been operating in the rural areas and the spiritual motivation of the volunteers who comprise the backbone of this project is explored. Community Based Rehabilitation is a topic which Dr. Einar Helander who is famous in this field reviewed a paper on this issue. We will welcome manuscripts related to management specially virtual aspects of rehabilitation such as Tele-rehabilitation

Objectives: Amblyopia is most common binocular vision anomalies. To comprise is decrease of visual acuity witch doesn''t remove by optical correction. Nowadays because of the psychosocial problem with amblyopia, is a functional disability. Awareness of parents of children with amblyopic life experience, when facing with curing system can provide effective for promotion of self-assessment, treatment and rehabilitation. Method: To explore parent''s experience in relation with health care provider utilize a qualitative study with phenomenological method. This study involving semi-structured on-depth interviews with 9 parents of child with amblyopia. Interviews were tape recorded. Data analysis was based on Van manen method. Results: parents of children describe five subjects in relation with health care providers include: on time and correct diagnosis, consultation, therapist''s behavior, change the therapist and visual screening. Discussion: This study indicates that on time diagnosis and intervention, therapists appropriate behavior, consultation and prescribe an appropriate treatment can effect on parental and child acceptance and successful treatment.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the Effectiveness of group Coping Skills training on reducing stress of mothers with mentally retarded children''s. Method: The research method was quasi experimental with pre-test and post-test design with a control group. Population of the study was all of the mothers of mentally retarded children''s that referred to welfare organization centers in Tehran. The sample was 44 mothers of mentally retarded children''s that randomly selected from participations that had inclusion criteria. They were placed randomly in case group (22 mothers) and control group (22 mothers). Case group received 12 session’s of coping skills training، while control group didn’t receive any intervention. Results: The results showed that case group had significantly decreased in stress level after intervention than control group (p<0. 001). Conclusion: Results of this study indicated that coping skills training for decreasing stress level of mothers with mentally retarded children''s is effective. Based on the results، coping skills training can be considered an effective program for prevention of stress and promoting coping skills in mothers with mentally retarded children''s.

Objectives: Major depression and anxiety disorders are common psychiatric disorders among cancer patients and are associated with psychosocial impairment and decreased quality of life. Depressed and anxious cancer patients also experience a more rapid progression of cancer symptoms, increased mortality, more metastasis and pain, and increased medical utilization. Although some research has explored psychological interventions with cancer patients, outcome studies investigating the benefits of behavior therapy among cancer patients with well diagnosed depression and anxiety are new. So the aim of this study was to introduce a new psychotherapy for depression and anxiety in cancer patients. Method: Behavioral activation (BA) is a structured, brief psychosocial approach that aims to alleviate depression and anxiety and prevent future relapse by focusing directly on behavior change. The treatment aims to increase activation systematically in ways that help cancer patients to experience greater contact with sources of reward in their lives and to solve life problems. The treatment procedures focus directly on activation, and on processes that inhibit activation, such as escape and avoidance behaviors and ruminative thinking of cancer patients, to increase experiences that are pleasurable or productive and improve their life context. Results: Results of various studies have shown the effectiveness of BA on reducing depression and anxiety and increasing of quality of life in patients with cancer. Researchers also report strong treatment integrity, good patient compliance, excellent patient satisfaction with the BA protocol, and significant pre–post treatment gains across measures assessing depression, quality of life, and medical outcomes. Conclusion: We believe that BA is an important new treatment for depression and anxiety in cancer patients for two main reasons. First, its efficacy is supported by recent empirical research; second, it is based on simple and easily grasped underlying principles and utilizes a small set of straightforward procedure. BA may represent a practical primary care treatment that may remedy problems associated with cancer.

Clinical competencies are learning outcomes the student should display by the end of the program and competency based instruction measures what participants have learned as opposed to what instructors think they have thought. Objective of this study was to compare student and faculty perceptions of the importance and achievement of clinical competencies in rehabilitation programs. Method: The survey instrument was a dual-response 5-point Likert-type questionnaire consisting of 29 competencies based on content and skill areas in the management of patient with chronic illnesses. The instrument was administered to all faculty members and final year undergraduate students of three rehabilitation programs including Speech therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy at the University of Rehabilitation and Social Welfare in Iran. Results: 45 students and 19 faculty members participated in the study. Overall, most of the students (81%) rated themselves as moderately competent (mean between 2 to 4). Perceived self-efficacy of male students was significantly higher than female students. (p=0.014) Differences between perceived importance and perceived achievement were statistically significant in each subject group. (p=.000). Discussion: Faculty members and students shared very similar perceptions on the importance & achievement of competencies. Difference between importance and achievement of competencies may suggest a failure in consideration of required competencies or successful implementation of them in the current curriculum.

Objectives: Dyscalculia is specific learning disabilities affecting the acquisition of mathematic skills in an otherwise normal child. The aim of this study was investigation of occupational therapy interventions effect on mathematical problems in students with special learning disorders. Method: 40 students with dyscalculia (2-5 grades) were selected and divided through randomized permuted blocks method into two groups; 20 persons as intervention group and the others as the control group. Initially both of groups were administered by the "Iran Key math Test". Then intervention group received occupational therapy interventions for 20 sessions individually and two groups were administered by the Test again. Data was analyzed by using Paired and Independent T tests. Results: By the paired sample t-test the mean of total marks of Iran Key math Test demonstrated statistically significant difference in both of groups (P<0/05)، but the measure of difference in intervention group was more than control group. The mean of marks of Basic Concepts، Operations and Applications demonstrated statistically significant difference at intervention group. Conclusion: Occupational therapy interventions had clinical effect on mathematical problems in students with special learning disorders.

Objectives: There are two sub systems of paraspinal muscles، the global-mobilizing system and the local stabilizing system. The multifidus muscles are assigned to the local system and stabilize the joints. In contrast، the longissimus muscles are assigned to the global system and force exertion. This study aimed to investigate the median frequency changes in mobilizing and stabilizing muscles following fatigue. Method: A cross sectional study was designed. sEMG measurements were recorded from twenty participants following a fatigue protocol in B200 dynamometer. Participants performed dynamic trunk flexion-extension against a moderate resistance while standing in a static dynamometer until they could no longer performs the task because of fatigue. Results: Statistical analyses showed significant differences between median frequencies pre and post fatigue (p<0. 05). Median frequency of the right and left multifudus muscles reduced from “99. 12 and 93. 2” to “86. 55 and 85. 85” respectively. Also Median frequency of the right and left longissimus reduced from “76. 54 and 76. 82” to “66. 43 and 68. 55” respectively. Conclusion: Median frequency shift toward low values following fatigue in global and local paraspinal muscles was seen. However، median frequency values for the local stabilizer muscle were higher than median frequency values for the global muscles.

Objectives: Quality of life for disabled children often has been assessed based on functional status or parental perceptions rather than direct reports from the children. The objective of this study was evaluating the quality of life of mothers with disabled children. Method: There is widespread acceptance of the need for disabled children to be fully integrated into society but there needs to be further attitudinal change. Totally forty mothers with a cerebral palsy child and forty mothers with health problems participated in a study. Health Survey was used to assess a mother’s quality of life Results: The mean scores on Health Survey were significantly lower in mothers of children with disabled child than those of the other group. The quality of life scores also was correlated with the severity of disability. Coping strategies were clear correlates of health related quality of life when socio-demographic, disability related and social support variables were studied. The relationship between coping strategies and quality of life was the more revaluation of life values. Conclusion: The results suggest that greater focus needs to be directed to coping strategies and to ways of facilitating adaptive outcomes in rehabilitation. Different coping strategies and psychosocial programmes must be designed and implemented to decrease the burden of care.

A person with moderate mental retardation would, in a western country, be "diagnosed" early on in life. Consequently, such a child is likely to be sent for special education. Given the high level of job requirements, such a person is unlikely to be employed in the open market later in life. Mental retardation is one of the most frequent disabilities; in most studies, mental retardation is found in about three percent of the population. Persons even with mild mental retardation have very large difficulties finding employment and are for this reason often deprived of opportunities for suitable and productive income generation; this is why most stay poor. But disability does not only cause poverty; poverty itself causes disability. This study follows an analysis, based on a review of the Swedish programme for mental retardation during the period 1930-2000. It is concluded that in Sweden a very large proportion of mild and moderate mental retardation has been eliminated though the combination of poverty alleviation with a community-based rehabilitation programme. For these situations a pro-active programme analysing and meeting the needs of the target groups should be useful as a means to achieve poverty alleviation.

The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-II is useful in assessing an individual’s daily functioning. They can be used as an evaluation and diagnostic tool for individuals who are mentally retarded or individuals with other handicaps.

To determine the efficacy of VABS in clinical settings, 3 cases with mental retardation and behavioral or emotional problems were evaluated according to instruction scale in clinical settings. The subjects were referred to take rehabilitative and psycho educational aids.

The analyses of the obtained scores exhibit a powerful dimension of the VABS to discriminate weakness and strength adaptive behavior''s components.

The VABS can be used to develop individual educational, rehabilitative, and treatment programs and can monitor progress during such a program. Finally, the VABS can be used in research in which the development and functioning of handicapped and non-handicapped individuals are investigated.