navid mirzakhani araghi

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can lead to difficulties in various aspects of adult participation.

This present study aimed to investigate executive function, sensory processing, and participation in meaningful activities among adults with and without ADHD. Additionally, the study explored the relationships between executive function, sensory processing, and participation in meaningful activities in adults with ADHD.

In this cross-sectional study, 70 adults aged 18 to 40 with ADHD and 68 healthy peers were recruited from various clinics and centers across Tehran. Executive function and sensory processing were assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult version (BRIEF-A) and the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile Questionnaire (AASP), respectively. Participation in meaningful activities was evaluated using the engagement in meaningful activity survey (EMAS). Independent samples t -tests were used to compare adults with ADHD to healthy adults. Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients were utilized to explore correlations. A stepwise linear regression model was applied to assess the predictive effects of various variables.

Significant differences were observed in executive function, sensory processing, and participation in meaningful activities between adults with and without ADHD. Significant correlations were found between participation scores and all subscales of executive function and sensory processing.

The findings indicate that individuals with ADHD exhibit significant differences in executive function, sensory processing, and participation in meaningful activities compared to their non-ADHD peers. Executive function and sensory processing in adults with ADHD appear to impact their participation in meaningful activities. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a sensory processing, social communication, and occupational performance disorder. Sensory diets can have positive effects on these fields. Current research compared the effectiveness of the sensory diet program with and without teleoccupational therapy on sensory processing patterns, social competency and occupational performance in children with ASD.

The study sample comprised 32 children with ASD 4-10 years old. They were placed in the control and intervention groups. The number of sessions for both groups was 20 30-minute sessions administered over 8 weeks. Through photos, videos, and explanations, sensory problems were described in both groups, the mother presented and implemented activities and environmental adaptations, and the therapist supervised the implementation. This study used three tools—sensory profile 2, social responsive scale 2 and Canadian occupational performance measure.

According to the sensory profile 2, social responsiveness scale, and Canadian occupational performance measure, processing in the areas of auditory, visual, touch, movement, body position, oral, conduct, social-emotional, attentional, sensory seeking, sensory avoiding, sensory sensitive, low registration, social awareness, social cognition, social communication, social motivation, limited interests, repetitive behaviors, and occupational performance in both groups have a significant difference (P<0.05).

It seems that providing a sensory diet program through teleoccupational therapy on sensory processing patterns, social competency, and occupational performance is applicable, as well as face-to-face occupational therapy in children with ASD.

 Treatment adherence is a key factor in improving patient safety and the quality of care according to the needs of older people. Non-adherence prevents older adults from accessing the best treatment, and this issue may be especially problematic in chronic medical conditions. Therefore, the present study aims to determine the relationship between interpersonal conflicts and self-compassion with treatment adherence in the elderly with type 2 diabetes.

 The method of this research was descriptive and correlational. The study’s statistical population included all older people with type 2 diabetes referred to the endocrinology clinic of the fifth district of Tehran City, Iran, during the first 6 months of 2023. Based on the formula of Tabachnick and Fidell (2007), 138 people were randomly selected as a sample. In this research, Rahim’s standard interpersonal conflict resolution style questionnaire, self-compassion scale, and treatment adherence questionnaire were used. Finally, the data was entered into SPSS software, version 26 to check the correlation between the variables, and the Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression were used simultaneously to analyze the data.

This research showed that interpersonal conflicts predict 29.9% and self-compassion 26.5% of changes in treatment adherence. Among these, the components of interpersonal conflict styles included integrity (r=0.24), avoidant (r=-0.33), and required (r=-0.17), and the components of self-compassion, including self-kindness (r=0.24), avoiding self-judgment (r=0.21) and absence of over-identification (r=0.17) can predict treatment compliance in older people with type 2 diabetes

This research has shown that interpersonal conflicts and self-compassion have a positive and significant relationship with treatment adherence in older people with type 2 diabetes and can predict treatment compliance in these older people.

 The rising prevalence of mental and psychological issues among immigrants has garnered increased attention due to the significant growth in immigrant populations in recent years. In this context, exploring the connection between psychological health, cognitive flexibility, brain-behavioral systems, and sensory processing in Iranian immigrants in Canada is becoming an essential research goal.

 The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between psychological health, cognitive flexibility, brain-behavioral systems, and sensory processing among Iranian immigrants in Canada.

 A cross-sectional study design was used, gathering data from 400 Iranian students (198 males and 202 females) enrolled at universities in Canada and Iran. We collected participants' demographic details and assessed their psychological health, cognitive flexibility, brain-behavioral systems, and sensory processing through standardized instruments. Psychological health was evaluated using the Beck Anxiety Inventory, cognitive flexibility was measured with the Dennis and Vander Wall Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire, and sensory processing was appraised via the adolescent/adult sensory profile. The Carver and White behavioral inhibition system (BIS)/behavioral activation system (BAS) scales were utilized to measure brain-behavioral systems. Statistical analyses, including correlation analysis and multivariate regression, were conducted to investigate the relationships among these variables.

 The correlation analysis revealed significant positive associations between anxiety and low registration (r = 0.283, P < 0.001), sensory sensitivity (r = 0.442, P < 0.001), and sensory avoiding (r = 0.307, P < 0.001) in immigrant students. Anxiety also showed nonsignificant negative correlations with the behavioral activation system-drive (r = -0.042, P = 0.551) and behavioral activation system-reward responsiveness (r = -0.090, P = 0.203). The multivariate regression analysis found that low registration (B = 0.177, P = 0.036), sensory sensitivity (B = 0.336, P < 0.001), and cognitive flexibility (B = 0.119, P = 0.025) significantly predicted anxiety levels in immigrant students. An adjusted R-squared value of 0.191 indicated that these variables together explained 19.1% of the variance in anxiety levels.

 This study underscores the significant links between sensory processing patterns, cognitive flexibility, brain-behavioral systems, and anxiety among Iranian immigrant students. These findings highlight the need for interventions focusing on teaching cognitive skills strategies and increasing awareness of sensory needs to help reduce anxiety levels in this population.

Evidence supports a close relationship between emotional intelligence and quality of life. This study aimed to determine the relationship between emotional intelligence and quality of life among students of the School of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.

In this descriptive study, 182 undergraduate students of the School of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, were selected, and they answered the standard 12-item Quality of Life and the Bradberry-Greaves’ Emotional Intelligence questionnaires. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data.

One-way ANOVA showed that there is a statistically significant relationship between self-awareness score and quality of life (p=0.022), self-management score and quality of life (p<0.001), relationship management score and quality of life (p=0.003), and the overall score of emotional intelligence and quality of life (p<0.001).

The findings of the present study confirm the relationship between emotional intelligence and the quality of life of students. It is recommended that universities take steps to provide an appropriate platform for enhancing the quality of life of students by incorporating emotional intelligence skills into their educational programs.

Due to the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), these children must be screened as soon as possible and receive the necessary and appropriate treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine all the ASD screening tools and examine their psychometric properties in available languages.

This was a systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to review the articles published between 2000 and 2023 and were published in PubMed, EMBASE, ProQuest, and Scopus databases. English keywords were as follows: autism spectrum disorders (ASD), screening/screen, tools, psychometric properties, validity, reliability, translations, pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), and children. The COnsensus -based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist were used to investigate the psychometric properties of the studies.

Among the 476 primary studies, 35 ASD screening tools (132 articles related to the psychometric properties of 35 ASD screening tools in different languages) were identified based on our criteria, and their psychometric properties were examined. Various tools, including performance-based, direct observation, interactive play, and parent and teacher reports tools, were included in the list of tools.

Considering that each of these tools has advantages and limitations, they need to be selected and used according to the goals of the researchers and the therapists. Another important point is that many of these tools still need more extensive studies in relation to their psychometric properties.

Autism spectrum disorder is one of the neurodevelopmental disorders. The main symptoms of this disorder are problems in communication and social interactions, and having repetitive and limited patterns of behaviors. Considering the importance of the theory of mind (TOM) and pretend play in cognitive and social development of children and the existence of mentioned problems in children with autism, this study aims to compare the effects of pretend play and the TOM between normal children and children with high-functioning autism (HFA).

In this analytical-comparative study, 45 normal children and 18 children with HFA were selected. They underwent TOM test and Child Initiated Pretend Play Assessment (CHIPPA). Then, the collected data were analyzed.

The mean total score of TOM test was 9.94 in autistic children and 28.96 in normal children. The mean percentages of elaborated pretend actions in total were 87.96 and 43.45 in normal children and children with HFA, respectively. The mean number of object substitutions was 16.47 in normal children and 2.81 in children with HFA. Also, the mean number of imitated actions in total was 2.02 in normal children and 3.06 in children with HFA.

Autistic children have poorer performance in the TOM test and pretend play compared to normal peers. They have poorer elaborated pretend actions and object substitutions; however, the number of imitated actions in the pretend play is low in both groups.

Autism is a common disorder among children. Physical and architectural factors of rehabilitation centers may affect the quality of rehabilitation. This study aims to investigate the effect of physical and architectural elements of educational and therapeutic spaces on autism rehabilitation.

The present analytical-observational research was cross-sectional. This study used the standard Minnesota Questionnaire (MSQ) to assess employees’ job satisfaction. The standard sensory profile questionnaire 2 (short form) was employed to determine the sensory function pattern of autistic children aged 3 to 14 years. Finally, a researcher-made questionnaire of architecture quality assessment was used to evaluate the quality of physical space architecture, interior architecture, and standard facilities of educational and therapeutic spaces. In this cross-sectional study, 32 occupational therapists from university and hospital treatment centers, welfare centers, and private clinics, and 50 parents of children with autism participated as the available sample group. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship between variables.

Findings from the study population showed significant relationships between the variables studied in the groups of sensation seeking, sensation avoiding, sensation sensitive, and sensation register (from the analysis of sensory profile) and improving the quality of rehabilitation of children with autism (P<0.05).

According to the study findings, job satisfaction, physical factors, sensory processing, and assessing the quality of architecture in the design of educational and therapeutic spaces of rehabilitation centers for children with autism are of particular significance. Utilizing the factors studied in this study will not only positively affect the treatment process of these patients, but it will also increase the job satisfaction of occupational therapists working in rehabilitation centers for autism.

Sensory processing patterns can be related to children's preferences for various activities. Still, our understanding of how different sensory processing patterns are related to children's participation in leisure activities is fairly limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between sensory processing patterns and children's participation in leisure activities.

In this systematic review, the PRISMA (The Preferred Reporting Items For Systematic Reviews And Meta-Analyses) Guidelines were followed. We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, Springer, ProQuest, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Medline, OT Seeker, SID, and Healio databases using the following keywords: “Participation”, “leisure”, “play”, “sensory processing”, “sensory integration”, “sensorimotor”, “sensory”, and “children”. A total of 5040 articles were found, of which 5027 were eliminated after the review, and finally, 13 articles were included in the study based on the inclusion criteria; 6 of them entered the meta-analysis process. The meta-analysis was performed using CMA software. 

The meta-analysis of 6 studies illustrated a significant correlation between the energy level and desire to participate in leisure activities, the auditory-visual sensitivity and willingness to participate in leisure activities, the sensory processing patterns and the intensity of involvement in leisure activities, the general sensory processing and desire to participate in leisure activities, the sensory processing patterns and desire to participate in informal activities, the olfactory sensitivity and desire to participate in leisure activities, the auditory filtering and desire to participate in leisure activities, the sensory processing patterns and enjoyment of participation in leisure activities, and finally sensory processing patterns and desire to participate in recreational activities. 

The evidence in articles on sensory processing patterns and participation in play and leisure activities is inadequate. The only conclusion drawn from all patterns of sensory processing is the significant relationship between these patterns and the preference to participate in recreational activities (which is just one of the several leisure activities).

 Participation is defined as involvement in life situations and the ultimate outcome for individuals with disabilities. One of the most common causes of chronic disabilities that restrict individuals’ participation is cerebral palsy (CP). The main goal of rehabilitation is to empower clients’ participation in various life areas. To affect participation, assessing the outcomes in individuals with different health conditions is necessary. Accordingly, this study aims to overview the psychometric properties of participation assessment scales for 4 to 18-year-old individuals with CP.

 A systematic review using PRISMA guidelines was completed. The searched keywords included the following items: participation, cerebral palsy, ADL, IADL, education, play, leisure, social participation, rest/sleep, work, leisure, scale, assessment tools, activity, meaningful activity, purposeful activity, function, performance, creational activity, physical activity participation, recreational activity, self-care, mobility, and functional mobility. The inclusion criterion for articles was being published in a peer review journal from 2000 to 2020.

 After examining the title, abstract, and full text, 22 articles were eligible to be included. Among 1482 studies, a total of 22 studies assessing the participation of children with CP in meaningful activities were included in this review. 

 The psychometric properties of 8 outcome measures for 4 to 18-year-old individuals with CP were available and 5 assessment scales have the potential to be used for this population; however, the psychometric properties of these scales were unavailable.

COVID‑19 virus is on the rise globally, and people with the disease experience a variety of physical and mental problems. According to studies, depression can be a complication of the virus. So far, limited measures have been taken to prevent and treat emotional–psychological complications of COVID‑19. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on depressive symptoms in recovered patients with COVID‑19.

This study was conducted in a quasi‑experimental design. A sample of 150 recovered patients with COVID‑19 who referred to Imam Reza Hospital in Tabriz city, were selected by random sampling method. The patients’ emotional–psychological status was assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory, and they entered the treatment process according to the inclusion criteria. As a therapeutic intervention, a scientific and valid approach called CBT was implemented, which two occupational therapists performed in eight treatment sessions in the context of a social communication application. Paired sample t‑test was used to analyze the time sequence of quantitative data due to its normality.

After the last session of the intervention, the effect of this therapeutic approach on reducing the depressive symptoms of patients was evaluated. According to the findings, the Beck score of the participants decreased significantly after the intervention (MD = ‒45/9, P < 0/001).

Therefore, in order to promote the recovery of patients with COVID‑19 and help health authorities to develop preventive measures and effective treatment of emotional–psychological problems caused by this virus, it is recommended to use the online CBT approach.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have destructive effects on patients’ mental health and quality of life (QoL).

This study aimed to assess the relationship between QoL and coping strategies in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

This cross sectional descriptive-analytical study was performed at Imam Reza Hospital in Tabriz City for 2 months. Seventy hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were recruited by convenience sampling. The patients completed the adapted version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ). We indicated a critical value of 60 as the optimal cut-off point to assess perceived QoL. Also, low, moderate, and high coping strategies are dedicated to 0 - 66, 66 - 110, and > 110, respectively. Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS version 21.

Seventy patients were enrolled, including 35 males and 35 females with a mean age of 39.69 ± 11.31 years. QoL’s social and physical dimensions had the highest and lowest mean scores (65.18 ± 18.99 and 41.40 ± 17.22, respectively). The results showed that 3 out of 5 dimensions had a mean score of < 60. Regarding CSQ, the mean scores of problem- and emotional-oriented coping strategies were 87.27 ± 15.45 and 85.05 ± 12.47, respectively. Most participants had moderate problem- and emotional-oriented coping strategies (85.5% and 92.8%, respectively).

The current study showed that the QoL score was less than 60 in most of the QoL dimensions in COVID-19 patients. Moreover, most of the participants used coping strategies moderately. Therefore, it is recommended to perform further studies to compare the impact of coping strategies on QoL in patients and the control group.

Many elderly populations feel lonely and it has a significant negative relationship to their health status. Doll therapy may seem childish and ridiculous for adults, but it can have an undeniable effect on the elderly's health. The positive impact of doll therapy has already been proven in depression and dementia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of doll therapy in agitation, aggression, and interactions of elderly people..

Methods and Materials:

 Sixty elderly people were selected at the Kahrizak charity foundation in Tehran. Ten different dolls (5 popular characters and 5 newborn dolls in neutral and specific genders) were presented to them. Their reaction to all dolls recorded (no reaction: 0, watch closely: 1, caring the doll: 2, communicating with the doll: 3) and each elderly chose one doll to keep it for 6 weeks. The aggression, agitation, and interactions with other elderly people and also with the nursing home staff were asked before and after a 6-week period of doll therapy from their caregivers by the Likert scale.

Twelve of 60 samples exited from the study because they were unwilling. Twenty elderly did not meet the inclusion criteria. After 6 weeks, 8 subjects donated their dolls to someone else. Eventually 26, people stayed in the study, and their dada were analyzed. The highest doll selection rate was for neutral gender dolls and popular dolls were almost ignored by the elderly. Paired sample T-test showed significant differences for aggression and agitation (P<0.001) and also interactions (P<0.05)

Although the sample size after all exclusion seems to be small, we can conclude that doll therapy is not a consistent method for all elderly, but it is beneficial and can improve their relationships and reduce their aggression and agitation. More researches with larger samples are suggested.

Stroke is a prevalent cause of disability in adults. The fall is the most common balance and motor impairments, which affects the quality of life in stroke patients. This study aims to employ random effects hurdle model for evaluating the balance improvement in stroke patients under the occupational therapy. In this longitudinal study with repeated measurement during one year between 2013 and 2014, the data was collected using non-random sampling method from three occupational therapy clinics. For a total of 38 stroke patients, the number of falls was recorded every two weeks. The random effects hurdle model and random effects zero inflated Poisson (ZIP) model were fitted to the data and were compared together. Data analysis was carried out using SAS Software version 9.2. The results of random effects ZIP model showed that the covariates of sex and age and affected side of stroke and follow up duration had statistically significant effect on balance improvement (p< 0.05). The occupational therapy has been effective on balance improvement more than 40% during one year. The ZIP model with random effects can capture zero inflation and correlation structure in longitudinal count data simultaneously. Older patients, women and patients with left-side impairments were more at risk of fall and balance impairment, so they need more care and therapy.

Individuals suffering from Autestic spectrum disorder are impaired in interpersonal and social skills highly due to deficiency in facial emotion recognition. The objective of this study was to compare this ability between children with High-Functioning Autism with Typical peers. Comparing recognition of neutral state was used for the first time. Twenty seven High-Functioning Autism and 27 Typical boys between 7 and 11 years of age who were matched based on age, and performance, verbal and overall IQ participated in this study. Comparison of neutral face and facial emotions, including fear and surprise was made using a computerized researcher-made test in MATLAB software. A repeated measures ANOVA and an independent t-test were used for statistical analysis using SPSS software version 19. There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of facial emotion recognition (F (1,50) = 7.288, p = 0.009). The difference was significant in the recognition of neutral face with female gender (t = 2.574, p = 0.013). There was no difference in reaction time between groups (F (1,50) = 4.002, P =. 051). Differences in reaction time in both groups and in three facial expressions were observed in male targets (t = -2.305, p =. 025), (t = -2.160, p =. 035), (t = -2.654, p = 0.011). In recognition of neutral faces with female gender targets, people with High-Functioning Autism performed weaker than typical peers and their reaction time were increased in male gender targets.