Journal of Rehabilitation Sciences and Research
Volume:7 Issue: 4, Dec 2020

Codes of ethics are a set of moral standards based on a value system widely accepted by members of a profession. In order to choose the right course of action and resolve potential ethical challenges, these codes will need to be developed so that ethical values can be identified and prioritized. Medical ethics covers all areas of medicine, and surely, rehabilitation is not an exception. This study aims to codify the ethics of the rehabilitation profession while considering the cultural and religious issues in Iran. For this purpose, we used a qualitative research method, including literature review, questionnaire, targeted interviews, content analysis, group discussion, and code extraction. The results were categorized into seven sections: “respect and empathy”, “autonomy”, “offering responsible care and reducing suffering”, “doing the right thing”, “beneficence”, “privacy and confidentiality”, and “social responsibility”. The development of ethical codes for rehabilitation determines moral norms in order to protect the rights of people who need rehabilitation services. These codes can also be used as a guide to the ethical challenges of the profession.

Voice production is a complex mechanism, and the primary tool of the population of professional voice users requires special care. Hence, one area of learning provided by speech and language pathologists to this population is vocal hygiene. The current study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of vocal hygiene education on actors' knowledge. In this semi-experimental study of one-group clinical trials, 50 actors (29 males and 21 females aged 18-50 years) were selected based on available sampling. Participants were asked to complete the "assessment of actors' vocal knowledge" questionnaire. During 4 sessions lasting 60 minutes each, the participating actors were trained on the vocal hygiene package. One week after the last training session, participants were again asked to complete the questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 21, and indicators of descriptive statistics were analyzed. The mean score of voice abuse and non-abusive behaviors, which was 23.34 before training with the vocal hygiene package increased to 28.56 after education, a statistically significant change (p <0.001). The level of knowledge of participants on the mechanism of phonation increased after education from an average score of 10.12 to an average score of 11.21 (p <0.001). The mean score of knowledge of larynx pathology after education rose from 16.58 to 21.44, a significant change (p <0.001). The provided vocal hygiene educational package increased the actors' knowledge of the mechanism of phonation, voice abuse and non-abusive behaviors, and the functional and structural disorders of the voice.

Manipulating resistance training program variables is a commonly used tool for optimizing maximum muscle strength in rehabilitation and/or exercise training programs. The current study purposed to compare the effects of 12 weeks of concentric and eccentric resistance training on neuromuscular adaptation of quadriceps muscle. Methods  Twenty-six male subjects (age, mean ± SD, 22.1 ± 2.4 yr; body mass, 72.3 ± 9.9 kg; height, 1.75 ± 0.08 m) were recruited for this controlled laboratory study. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups: the eccentric training group (No = 13) and the concentric training group (No = 13). The maximal isometric voluntary contraction (MVIC) of quadriceps muscles, vertical jumping, and surface electromyography (EMG) signals were recorded before and after 12 weeks of resistance concentric and eccentric training. Repeated-measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test differences between means before and after resistance training. Results  The maximal isometric voluntary contraction of the quadriceps muscle and vertical jumping were significantly increased after eccentric and concentric training (p <0.05). Eccentric exercise resulted in a greater increase in maximal isometric voluntary contraction of the quadriceps muscle and vertical jumping compared to concentric training (p <0.05). The amplitude of surface EMG signals was also significantly increased after eccentric and concentric training (p <0.05), with a greater increase observed in the eccentric than the concentric training group (p <0.05). Conclusion  The results of this study showed higher increases in muscle force output and EMG activity after eccentric training. This may indicate that stretch combined with overloading is the most effective stimulus for enhancing neuromuscular activity during dynamic resistance exercise. The knowledge gained from this study may be relevant for designing exercise and/or rehabilitation training to improve muscle output.

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting is an effective treatment for reducing symptoms and mortality in coronary artery patients.Although patients experience post sternotomy complications such as musculoskeletal disorders. So, the aim of this study was to compare the head, neck and upper trunk postures between patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and healthy individuals.

In this cross-sectional case-control study, twenty-one men (56.38 ± 8.64 years) were randomly selected from among patients who had been referred to Al-Zahra Cardiac Rehabilitation Center in Shiraz and undergone coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and the angles of forward head, thoracic kyphosis, and rounded shoulder were measured. Twenty healthy men (51.70 ± 10.40 years) were also evaluated and compared in terms of the above variables. This study was designed and conducted as a pilot. The angles of the forward head and rounded shoulder were assessed by placing reflective markers on the body and processing the images by Digimizer MedCalc software, version 4.6.1. Thoracic kyphosis angle was measured by a flexible ruler. The Persian version of the SF36 questionnaire was used to assess the quality of life, and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to verify the normal distribution of data. Independent sample t-test and Mann-Whitney test were used for between-group comparison for data with normal and non-normal distribution, respectively.

The comparison of the forward head, rounded shoulder, and thoracic kyphosis angles showed no significant difference between post-surgical and healthy subjects (P> 0.05). Patients' quality of life was significantly different from that of the control group in all aspects, except for general and mental-emotional health (p <0.05).

There was no significant difference between the case and control groups in the angles of forward head, thoracic kyphosis, and rounded shoulder. Patients who underwent CABG, however, experienced a significant reduction in their quality of life compared to the control group. Therefore, it seems necessary to pay attention to patients and find solutions to manage and improve various aspects of life, such as physical and mental health.

Voice disorder is a multifactorial impairment. Several studies have shown that there is a direct relationship between voice problems and voice-related jobs. Therefore, professional voice users, including teachers, are at high risk of voice disorders, which threatens the employment positions. Also, the investigation of voice impairments among faculty members seems essential. The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of voice disorders in faculty members, its impact on the physical, emotional, and functional status of this job group, with and without voice disorders, and the correlation of voice disorders with some risk factors. Methods The participants of this study were 114 university teaching faculty members of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, with a mean age of 43.95±0.98 years. The current cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study used a demographic questionnaire and Voice Handicap Index (VHI) as the data collection instruments. In the present study, based on VHI test results, participants with a total VHI score greater than 14.5 are considered to have voice disorders. Results The prevalence of voice disorders among university teaching faculty members was 27.19%. There was a significant correlation between allergy and voice disorders (P= 0.04). Significant differences were also found between the two study groups in terms of the total score of the VHI and its subscales (P <0.001). Conclusions Considering the 27.19% prevalence of voice disorders among university teaching faculty members and its effect on the total VHI score, our results confirm that education, prevention, and treatment programs are critical to lessen the frequency of voice disorders related to teaching. However, it has been found that this job group with voice disorders is four times more likely to have allergies than those without voice disorder, which indicates the importance of controlling this problem.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is the most common cause of smell loss and has a strong association with asthma. Breathing exercise training has been known to be an effective treatment for decreasing asthma symptoms. However, its effect on the olfactory disorder in asthmatic patients with CRS is unknown. This research aimed to investigate the effects of regular aerobic with nasal breathing exercise trainingon olfactory rehabilitation in asthmatic patients with CRS. In this quasi-experimental study, thirty-five inactive asthmatic women with CRS and olfaction disorder (mean age = 34.7±7.5 years) were selected and grouped into experimental (n=18) and control (n=17) groups. The experimental group participated in an aerobic and breathing exercise program (60 min/day, three days a week), and the control group refrained from participating in regular exercise for 12 weeks. Self-rated olfactory acuity and function questionnaires were used to assess changes in exercise-induced olfactory acuity and function. After 12 weeks, the exercise group improved smell function (p =0.002) and exhibited significantly increased acuity in smelling the odor of gas (p =0.019) compared with the control group. BMI decreased (p =0.019) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1( increased (p =0.002) significantly in the exercise group. There was a negative relationship between mean change in BMI and mean change in acuity in smelling the odor of gas (r=-0.381, p =0.024). According to the self-report olfactory acuity and function questionnaires, the improvement in the smell function of asthmatic patients with chronic sinusitis after 12 weeks of regular aerobic with nasal breathing exercise was promising and should be studied further.

Forward head posture is a major postural deformity in the head and neck area. Considering the importance and secondary consequences of this deformity, current study aims at investigating this deformity among boys and girls of different educational levels of Tehran universities.

This is a cross-sectional descriptive and field study (causal-comparative). A total of 1017 students, 511 girls (age: 23.74±3.91, height: 162.42±7.14, weight: 57.33±8.87) and 506 boys (age: 23.82±3.57, height: 174.70±7.97, weight: 69.19±12.18) were selected. Their forward head angle was measured 3 times by a specific goniometer and the subjects' final angle was considered as the average of three measurements. Data were analyzed using SPSS V.22 software and the two-way ANOVA, Tukey and one-way ANOVA tests.

The results of one-way ANOVA analysis showed a significant difference in the head angle of the students at different educational levels (p <0.05). The results of Tukey post-hoc test showed a significant difference between post-graduate and undergraduate female students and doctoral female students (p <0.05). Also, there was a significant difference only between male undergraduate students and male doctoral students (p <0.05). The results of two-way ANOVA showed that gender and educational level factors had a significant effect on head angle (p <0.05), but neither factor had an interaction effect on head angle (P>0.05).  

According to the results of this study, educational level and gender were the major factors in the development of forward head posture, so considering these two variables could be effective in prevention, control, and correction of related deformities.

the following strategies are suggested for using rehabilitation service for children with autism spectrum disorder: Collaborating and forming a conversation between all organization in charge of people with autism spectrum disorder, such as welfare organization, the ministry of health, autism associations, etc.  Participation and employment of individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their families.  Strengthen and empower NGOs related to autism spectrum disorder.  Increasing the media participation in order to raise awareness and improve public attitudes.  Holding the training courses for health care providers to become more familiar with the phenomenon of autism spectrum disorder.  Expand the special healthcare and rehabilitation centers for people with autism spectrum disorder.  Changing the insight, attitudes and approach of policy makers and managers in allocating credits and insurance coverage.