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Parkinson disease is a prevalent neurodegenerative illness of the central nervous system that causes significant disability. Neurological and memory impairments are hallmarks of dementia, which has significant therapeutic implications for patients with Parkinson disease and is associated with elevated mortality. Non-motor symptoms, in addition to the traditional motor symptoms, were commonly acknowledged components of the clinical picture. Cognitive decline, including problems with memory and attention, was a crucial feature of the disease since it adds a great deal of burden to both the patient and caretakers. So, this study aims to find the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy and aerobic exercise on the attention and memory in Parkinson disease dementia.

A pilot study was conducted with 30 patients diagnosed with Parkinson disease dementia who had mild to moderate impairments in cognitive functions such as attention and memory. The participants were randomly divided into two groups, and the study was conducted in a private setting. Group A (n=15) received cognitive behavioral therapy, and group B (n=15) received aerobic exercise for 6 weeks daily for 30 minutes. Parkinson disease-cognitive rating scale and mini-mental state examination were used as outcome measures. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy demonstrated a significantly greater improvement in cognitive functions than aerobic exercise (P<0.001), evidenced by paired and unpaired t-tests.

The study concluded that cognitive behavioral therapy significantly outperforms aerobic exercise in enhancing attention and memory in dementia associated with Parkinson disease. These findings highlight the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral techniques as a key therapeutic intervention for improving cognitive function in this population.

The scientific methods for evaluating muscle activity involve the use of various techniques. Biofeedback, which consists of equipment providing individuals with real-time feedback regarding their physiological responses, is crucial in enhancing neuromuscular function. Despite its potential, the effectiveness of biofeedback interventions on motor performance remains a topic of debate. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of different biofeedback interventions on motor performance improvement in hand. This study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the role of biofeedback in motor function improvement in hand.

A total of 60 individuals were randomly assigned to one of four groups: Aircraft, visual gauge, pattern-tracking, and a control group. Preintervention and postintervention assessments were performed to evaluate motor performance in hand. Statistical analysis was conducted using the paired t-test to compare the root mean square error between groups.

The pattern-tracking group demonstrated significant motor performance improvement, with a statistically significant difference in root mean square error (P<0.001). This finding suggests that this specific biofeedback approach may effectively enhance motor performance in hand.

The study’s findings support the task-oriented approach, which emphasizes the importance of adaptability to environmental changes, and the part versus whole training theory, which argues that breaking down a motor task into smaller components improves performance. The results highlight the importance of similar practices to the final objective for motor function improvement in the hand area. The study’s findings have implications for developing effective biofeedback interventions for motor performance improvement in individuals with hand-related motor impairments. Furthermore, the conclusions can be applied to various populations, including athletes and individuals in different lines of work, who can benefit from improved motor performance in their hands.

Karate is one of the most popular martial arts in the world, but its practice carries the risk of injury. This study examines the mechanisms and prevalence of injuries in female elite kumite karate players.

This retrospective study investigated the prevalence of acute and chronic injuries during the last 6 months in black-belt female Karate players. The Oslo standard questionnaire was used in this study. This questionnaire covers musculoskeletal system care, comprising the severity of the injury, the location of the injury, the type of injury, the mechanism of injury, and the time of injury.

Results indicated that the knee was the most common location of acute injuries (χ2=248.052, P=0.001), and the lower back was the most common location of chronic injuries (χ2=129.342, P=0.001). Also, the findings showed that acute contact injuries are more prevalent than non-contact injuries (χ2=7.936, P=0.05), and these injuries have occurred more during training (χ2=7.263, P=0.064). In addition, the results demonstrated that sprain and fracture have the highest percentage in acute injuries (χ2=154.356, P=0.001) and other injuries and tendonitis have the highest rate in chronic injuries (χ2=7.263, P=0.064).

The knees and lower back are more prone to injury than other body areas. Coaches and athletes should consider preventive programs to help decrease the risk of injury in these areas.

Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a leading cause of foot discomfort and significantly impacts the overall quality of life. Trigger points dry needling is an alternative treatment for heel pain. 

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the quadratus plantae muscle dry needling on pain and variations in the thickness of the plantar fascia among individuals with plantar fasciitis using ultrasound imaging. Forty patients in the intervention and control group were taught to massage and stretch the plantar fascia for 2 weeks. The patients in the intervention group underwent quadratus plantae muscle dry-needling twice a week for 2 weeks. Plantar fascia thickness and pain were measured with ultrasound and visual analog scale, respectively. Study variables were measured before the first and last sessions in both groups. To analyze the data, paired t-test, and independent t-test were used with a significance level of 0.05. 

No significant difference in pain reduction was shown in between-group comparison (P=0.077). Between-group comparison after 2 weeks of treatment indicated a significant decrease in plantar fascia thickness following dry needling (P<0.001 with a moderate effect of 0.33). 

The results of the present study showed that quadratus plantae muscle dry needling is significantly effective in improving pain and reducing plantar fascia thickness in patients with plantar fasciitis.

Many available questionnaires fail to distinguish between the severity of symptoms and functional limitations caused by neck pain in different areas. Therefore, determining symptoms and functional limitations that are associated with existing neck pain is difficult. The lack of a specific questionnaire for functional symptoms and constraints related to neck pain in Persian has made it necessary to develop new and reliable tools in this field. Therefore, this research aims to localize and validate the Persian version of this questionnaire. 

The questionnaire was finalized after necessary corrections were made using the translation back-translation method. The content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) were used to ensure content validity. The internal consistency test (Cronbach α) reliability and test re-test reliability were assessed. 

The CVI results indicated that all questions scored above 0.79 in communication, clarity, simplicity, and ambiguity. The questionnaire demonstrated a high level of content validity with an S-CUI/Ave (scale-level. CVI. based on the average. method) of 0.94. Statistical analysis revealed high internal consistency for the symptoms (27 questions, Cronbach α=0.91) and functional limitations (20 questions, Cronbach α=0.93) sections of the questionnaire.

After conducting the questionnaire, it is possible to identify people with varying levels of pain and functional limitations associated with neck pain. It can help determine the progression of symptoms and limitations.

Low back pain (LBP) is a health problem. Rehabilitation could be a suitable therapy for LBP patients. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of movement pattern training on LBP patients has not been assessed scientifically. So, this research examined the effects of movement pattern exercise on general lower limb muscular co-contraction in patients with non-specific chronic LBP during walking.

The current research was quasi-experimental. Forty male adults who experienced non-specific chronic LBP voluntarily enrolled in this study. Twenty samples were assigned in the intervention group and 20 in the control group. The exercise protocol used in this study was based on the Harris-Hayes et al. protocol, which takes 18 supervised training sessions (during 6 weeks). The assessments were conducted before the intervention and again after 6 weeks. General co-contraction of the lower limb muscles was recorded using electromyography while walking, and the total activation of the muscles that abounded the joint was calculated. 

The findings indicate a significant decrease in general co-contraction of the ankle in the intervention group at propulsion (P=0.011, ƞ2=0.160). Also, the results show that at the loading phase, general knee co-contraction is greater in the experimental group compared with the control group (P=0.037, ƞ2=0.110).

Our research reveals that the training program improves the general co-contraction of the lower limb muscles in individuals with LBP.

Opioid use disorder has increased worldwide in recent years, and Iran ranks first in terms of opium smoking in the world. Opium smoking by traditional methods, in addition to dependence on morphine, is a behavioral addiction in Iran. The body position during opium smoking is usually non-ergonomic. This study aims to compare sway-back posture and musculoskeletal problems between opium smokers and non-drug users. 

This cross-sectional research is a comparative study. We selected 80 people with opium use disorder (whose main method of their consumption was smoking) and 74 non-drug users. We compared them regarding sway angle (sway back posture) and musculoskeletal complaints (NORDIC questionnaire), and the association of possible risk factors was investigated. We analyzed data using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, correlation coefficient, and paired t-test using SPSS software, version 23. 

Two study groups were significantly different in terms of sway back posture (P=0.007), neck (P<0.001), upper back (P<0.001), and lower back (P=0.006) musculoskeletal complaints. Homelessness had a significant correlation with sway back posture and musculoskeletal complaints. Also, the daily duration of opium smoking (in minutes) and opium smoking duration in lifetime (in months) were significantly correlated. Homelessness was the strongest predictor and had the strongest correlation. 

In general, increasing the duration of sitting in non-ergonomic positions can increase sway angle and sway back posture and increase musculoskeletal complaints of the neck, upper back, and lower back due to the non-neutral posture of opium smoking. It seems that plasticity and structural and functional adaptations of the posture occur due to opium smoking. So, further studies are recommended.

Music is one of the most widely used artistic elements in different societies. Today, it has drawn much attention due to its extensive societal effects. Music stimuli can affect human sports performance and gait as important indicators of different health conditions. This review study investigates how listening to music affects sports performance and gait. 

This systematic review based on a descriptive-analytical method was conducted to investigate the interaction of music with sports performance and gait. We searched in reliable citation databases based on the keywords “gait”, “music”, and “biomechanics” in articles published between 2003 and 2023. After the final screening, the full texts of 11 studies were extracted and analyzed. 

Based on the interpretation of the qualitative findings of the articles, it was observed that music can improve sports and gait performance. For example, changes in walking speed, step length, rhythm, and step time were significantly improved in the gait kinematic section.

Listening to music improves motor performance in clinical settings and functional environments. In addition, music can be used as a therapeutic agent or directly in treating people with movement disorders.

The use of morphine should be carefully considered and administered under the supervision of medical professionals due to the risks associated with opioids, including respiratory depression and the potential for addiction or dependency. Additionally, it could be potentially harmful in late stages of severe COVID-19, especially in the presence of septic shock. Close monitoring and dosage adjustments are necessary to ensure patient safety and optimal pain management.

Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis involves the diffuse infiltration of neoplastic cells in the central nervous system, affecting 5-8% of leukemia, breast, and lung cancer cases. Gastric cancer instances are rare, mostly in poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas. We report the first Peruvian case, featuring gastric adenocarcinoma.

A 51-year-old woman presented with severe headache, vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus, bradyphrenia, reduced verbal fluency, sixth cranial nerve paresis, and non-reactive anisocoric pupils. Pleocytosis was found, with positive cytology for metastatic adenocarcinoma in cerebrospinal fluid, and a solid gastric mass defined as poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Due to her condition, the patient did not receive oncological management, evolving unfavorably and passing away twenty days later.

Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis should be considered in patients with advanced cancer and meningeal symptoms. It is more predominant in women, with an average age of 53.84 years. Clinical presentation of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis varies, and diagnosis involves neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid cytology. Prognosis is unfavorable, often leading to fatality. Treatment protocols lack standardization, and personalized approaches, including targeted and systemic therapies, are explored for improved outcomes. The exceptional aspect of our case lies in the unique diagnosis of an abdominal tumor following the manifestation of neurological symptoms.

It is important to suspect this condition among the causes of meningitis, especially in the presence of an underlying malignancy.

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare disease caused by the accumulation of surfactant in the lung's alveoli, as a result of malfunction in the cleaning function of alveolar macrophages. The major symptoms include cough and dyspnea. Computed tomography scan usually reveals crazy-paving pattern. Lung biopsy confirms the diagnosis by showing accumulations of periodic acid-schiff-positive lipoproteinaceous materials.

In this report, we present a middle-age man with progressive dyspnea on exertion, and frequent cough with no noteworthy medical history. The results of initial examinations and laboratory tests were non-diagnostic, so imaging studies were requested for the patient. After imaging and suspecting PAP as a differential diagnosis due to results of high resolution computed tomography, a transbronchial biopsy was performed to confirm the diagnosis. Then, according to the histopathology reports, the diagnosis of PAP was made. During the biopsy procedure, the patient developed pneumothorax, and accurate treatment approaches were considered for this complication.

In patients with chronic progressive dyspnea and cough, appropriate and timely imaging and other paraclinic investigations must be considered by the physicians.

Medication errors are a significant cause of adverse events in cancer patients. The study aimed to investigate unintentional medication errors during chemotherapy regimen prescription.

During the six months’ follow-ups, 201 adult patients admitted to outpatients’ chemotherapy ward of Omid Hospital, Isfahan, Iran were examined. An information checklist by the aim of data gathering including patients' demographic information, laboratory data, medications history, chemotherapy drug doses and protocol of administration, pre-medications drugs, and supportive treatment was prepared. The data was compared by standard guidelines and data were presented in percent and frequency.

Among the enrolled patients, 327 errors were identified. Sixty-five percent of patients were females and the mean age of patients was 49.2±2.8 years old. Gastrointestinal and breast cancers were among the most frequently reported cancers. The highest frequency of errors (67.27%) was attributed to the prescription of pre-medication drug administration primarily in the management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Medication errors in selection and volume of infused serums (20.18%) and in adjusting the dosage of chemotherapy regimens (10.39%) were the most observed errors. 

This study highlighted the important areas to improve cancer management at the medical center. By addressing these challenges and implementing necessary changes, the center can enhance the quality of care provided to cancer patients, ensure adherence to international standards, and improve patient outcomes.

Chemotherapy regimens with anthracyclines, widely used in treating breast cancer and lymphoma, are associated with significant cardiac toxicity. While previous studies have primarily focused on left ventricular (LV) function, limited research exists on right ventricular (RV) function. This study aimed to evaluate RV echocardiographic function in breast cancer patients undergoing anthracycline-based chemotherapy.

A cohort of 72 breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline treatment at Ghazi Tabatabai and Madani Hospitals from April to March 2022 participated in this study. Echocardiography was performed before treatment initiation, 15 days after the second chemotherapy session, and 15 days after the final session. Cardiotoxicity levels were calculated using SPSS V22 software with inferential statistical methods, including repeated measures analysis and the Friedman test.

RV-free wall strain remained stable 15 days after the second treatment session compared to baseline but showed a statistically significant decrease 15 days after the final session (P = 0.044). The prevalence of abnormal RV-free wall strain increased significantly during the final assessment (P = 0.037). Tumor regression grade (TRG) also demonstrated significant changes over time (P = 0.003). Right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) increased significantly throughout the study (P = 0.035), while no significant changes were observed in other parameters such as LVEF, E/E', LAVI, or TAPSE.

Anthracycline-based chemotherapy leads to a decline in RV-free wall strain over time, highlighting the importance of monitoring RV function alongside LV function during treatment. Advanced echocardiographic techniques, including strain imaging, may help detect subclinical RV dysfunction earlier.