International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences
Volume:1 Issue: 1, Summer 2014

The aim of this study was to compare obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) comorbidity in early and late onset bipolar I disorder and to explore the pattern of obsessive symptoms in these two groups. A total of 100 inpatients with early and late bipolar disorder were admitted in the child, adolescent and adult psychiatric ward. They were recruited to the study through convenience sampling. All patients had a current DSM-IV episode based on using K-SADs and SCID. They were evaluated to abut obsessive-compulsive disorder comorbidity using Y-BOCS. Clinical data were compared using multivariate test. Fifty-two percent with early onset versus twenty-eight percent of late onset bipolar cases had a comorbidity of OCD and the difference was significant (p<0.05). Obsessive symptoms in early onset group were more religious, aggressive, sexual and somatic types. Our study showed high comorbidity rate of OCD among patients with early onset bipolar disorder. Future large-scaled prospective studies are required for better understanding of factors related to bipolar and OCD co-occurrence.

Estimating ephedrine’s effect on animal’s locomotor activity and evaluation of cumin fruit essential oil (FEO) effect and mechanism of ephedrine-induced hyper-locomotion. A new protocol developed for evaluation of manic behavior induced by ephedrine in a dose and time dependent manner. Following the suppressive effects of cumin FEO on acquisition and expression of ephedrine induced manic behavior was examined. Furthermore, the effect of L-NAME on expression of manic behavior and effect of bicuculline on suppressive effects of cumin FEO was evaluated. Ephedrine at the dose of 100 mg/kg (i.p.) in a five days protocol significantly increased the locomotor activity in mice. In addition, cumin FEO at the specific dose of 2% significantly suppressed the acquisition and expression of hyperactivity induced by ephedrine. L-NAME at doses of 30 (p<0.01) and 40 mg/kg (p<0.05) showed similar effects as cumin FEO at the dose of 2%. Bicuculline (as a GABAA antagonist) at the specific dose of 2 mg/kg (p<0.01) could significantly reverse the suppressive effects of cumin at the dose of 2%. It could be concluded that cumin can suppress the manic behavior induced by ephedrine through the both previously suggested mechanisms of nitric oxide syntheses pathway and GABAergic system.

The dynamic interaction between mother and infant is one of the indicative factors of infants’ social and emotional development especially in stressful situations as cognitive evaluating. An experimental study was completed in 2010 in Tehran on a total of 40 infants (18 boys and 22girls) forming two alternative groups and varying in age of infancy (4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 months). We used a 60 second mute popular “Tom & Jerry” animation to compare the infants’ attention in the presence or absence of mothers’ lap. Changes in orientation time, duration of sustained attention, and the total look duration were measured in terms of eye movement and heart rate changes through pulse oximeter. Furthermore, infants’ presence of general irritability in both conditions was observed. We found that infants in their mothers’ laps showed more length of total look duration and sustained attention and less amount of general irritability than those sitting on baby seats. However, we have found no significant differences in infants’ total look duration, sustained attention and general irritability across age. Moreover, no significant differences in infants’ orientation were found across two groups of infants’ positioning. Mother’s presence in the site can be considered as an external force of controlling for kids in doing their tasks thereby increasing their duration of focusing attention on the task.

We aimed to assess the status of sensory processing in children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, high-functioning autism and typical peers. Participants in this study are children 7 to 10 years old with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (n = 30), autistic children with high cognitive function (n = 28) and 30 matched typical children. Parents of children in all the groups have completed the Dunn sensory profile questionnaire (SP). The results of the present study showed that children in high-functioning autism and normal sensory processes act different. The autistic children differ in sensory seeking, emotional reactivity, low muscle tone and endurance, oral sensory sensitive, inattention and distractibility, poor sensory registration, sensory sensitivity, fine movement/perception. Children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder differ in seven factors of the nine factors. These factors were sensory seeking, emotional reactivity, low muscle tone and endurance, inattention and distractibility, poor sensory registration, sensory sensitivity, fine movement/perception. Different sensory processing function in these children may explain their abnormal behaviors. This sensory processing dysfunction affects on child's daily life in areas such as play, academic skills, peer relationships, and self-help activities. Therapists should consider the child's sensory processing functions when they set therapeutic planes.

Substance abuse/dependency is one of the most important comorbidity in bipolar patients. Therefore, recognizing the patterns of substance use is valuable in treatment and management of patients. This study was conducted to determine patterns of substance abuse among bipolar patients who were hospitalized in an educational hospital. This was a descriptive-analytical study on existing data of 322 patients with bipolar disorder admitted in the psychiatric ward of Imam-Hossein hospital. Types of used substances studied and some variables such as gender, types of bipolarity, duration of admission, age of onset of bipolar disorder, number of hospitalization and types of prescribed treatments were compared in users and nonusers groups. In this study, 84 patients (26.1%) had substance abuse. 40.5% were using opioids, 6% mood-elevators, 7.1% alcohol, and 46.4% were using multiple substances. It can be concluded that substance abuse frequency among patients with bipolar disorder is high. Using more than one substance was the most frequent pattern of substance abuse in these patients as well. Thus, it is necessary to consider possible comorbidity of bipolar disorder in front of patients with substance related disorder.

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the frequency of behavioral problem in pre school-aged children with visual problem. In this expost facto study, which was selected via convenient sampling, 143 children ranging in age from 3-6 years that refer to optometry clinic for routine eye examination were evaluated.After complete ocular exams including evaluation of visual acuity with and without glasses, refraction with and without cycloplegic eye drops; we took written consent from parents, and obtained a detailed history of the children. One parent of each child completed the Conner’s Parent Rating Scale(CPRS).The CPRS scores of children with eye problem (30 cases) were compared with the normative sample (113 cases with normal eye exam) by t-test.We used ANOVA test to determine differences in outcomes between groups. After complete ocular exams in order to diagnosis visual problems in 143 children 77 (54%) boys and 66(46%) girls that participated in our study with a mean age of 5.14 years (SD =3.64), 113 clients were normal, 23patients with refractive error and 7 child had amblyopia. Our results suggest that children ranging in age from 3to 6 years with eye problem have not a higher behavioral problem as measured by the CPRS than normal children.

The history of studies on blood groups dates back to early 20th century. Studies have demonstrated that certain blood groups dictate tendencies toward physical or psychiatric illnesses. The present study aimed to find out the frequency of ABO and Rh blood groups in obsessive-compulsive disorder. In this survey, descriptive study with convenient samples, male/female patients who attended our psychiatry clinics with OCD (n=200) and depression (n=201) diagnosis, were enrolled according to DSM IV-TR criteria. Group one included two hundred patients with OCD (41 male and 159 female; mean age: 32.86 years) and second group consisting of two hundred and one patients were used for ABO/Rhesus (Rh) blood group antigen typing. The ABO blood group phenotype distribution in OCD and depression subjects were respectively as follow: 31% (29.9%) for group A, 21% (22.9%) for group B, 40% (36.8%1) for group O and 8% (10.5%) for group AB. Rh positivity was found in 87% (85.6%1) of patients. Also, According to the Iranian Red Cross (2004), blood groups in OCD and depressive group were not significantly different from the distribution in the total Iranian population (chi-square=1.87, DF=6, p=0.93). According to our results, there were no differences in ABO-Rh blood groups distribution among OCD and depressive patients and normal population.

Vulnerability has an important role in PTSD, which can be either genetic or acquisitive. According to research, the disorder coexists simultaneously with at least another psychiatric disorder and can be a disorder comorbid with a predictive factor, which influences the process from afflicting to medication. This study was performed to determine PTSD accompanying disorders in the patients referring to psychiatric centers in Tehran between 2009-2010. A total of 71 patients referring to psychiatric centers were examined for the co-occurring symptoms and disorders through questionnaires after initial interview, DSM-IV-TR criteria, and PTSD diagnosis. 78.9% of the studied group was female and 21.1% was male. 39.4% of patients had acute PTSD, 60.5% chronic PTSD, and 93% had at least one other disease simultaneously. Insomnia, depression, and anxiety are the most important co-occurring diseases, and physiological symptoms are the most common symptoms of the disorder.