Journal of Rehabilitation Sciences and Research
Volume:9 Issue: 1, Mar 2022

Stroke is considered a common and major problem in the field of healthcare because of its high prevalence and long-term disabilities. The mainaim of rehabilitation is to increase the participation of stroke patients in differentareas of life. The current study purposed to review the factors influencing theparticipation of Iranian stroke patients in life areas.

Databases including ISI-Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Google Scholar,and Scopus were searched using keywords such as occupational therapy,participation, activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of dailyliving (IADLs), work, play, leisure, education, social participation, sleep, andrest in combination with Iranian stroke patients and CVA. The quality of thestudies was evaluated using the PEDro scale. All papers reviewed in this studyconcerned factors influencing the participation of Iranian stroke patients andwere published from 2000-2020.

In total, 178 articles were identified as eligible for an Iranian strokestudy. Of these, 104 articles were discarded, and an additional 38 were removedbecause of repetition and duplication. After careful evaluation of the papers, 34were selected for final analysis. Most of the included studies concerned the ADLarea of participation (N=32), and the lowest number of articles were in the areasof play (N=1), sleep/rest (N=2), and health management (N=3).

In Iran, researchers have not paid enough attention to theparticipation of stroke patients in areas of life. Most studies focus mainly onpatient’s performance components, such as sensory and motor skills.

The acquisition of reading skills is one the most important challenges a cochlear implanted child faces in his/her life. Although cochlearimplants can improve speech, language, and reading skills, some childrencontinue to experience reading difficulties. Some studies have reviewed thereading skills in English-speaking children with cochlear implants; however,language and cultural discrepancies may result in diverse aural rehabilitationprograms and varying effects of factors on reading in these children. The aimof the present study is to review evidence regarding reading skills, includingphonological awareness, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and story retellingin preschool and school-aged children with unilateral cochlear implants in Iran.

Overall, the findings of studies in this area suggest that Persianspeakingpreschool and school-aged children with unilateral cochlear implantsshow worse reading performance compared with their normal hearing peers.

Impaired reading skills in children with cochlear implantsnecessitates the identification of reading problems and targeted auralrehabilitation programs to improve reading skills in these children. Futurestudies over longer periods are necessary in order to determine the readingdevelopmental trajectory of children with cochlear implants in Iran. In addition,investigating the precise role of underpinning abilities such as language andhearing skills in reading development can help children with cochlear implantsachieve age-appropriate reading skills.

Anxiety disorders have high prevalence in diabetes patients and low-middle income countries like India. Research has provided evidence about biofeedback effectiveness on stress-related psychophysiological parameters. This study aimed to verify the impact of GSR biofeedback relaxation on stress-related psychophysiological parameters (galvanic skin resistance, stress, and anxiety) among type II diabetes patients with high levels of anxiety.   The present study was a single-blinded randomized controlled trial. Initially, 228 type II diabetes patients were assessed with the state trait anxiety inventory (STAI). Seventy participants identified as having high anxiety with STAI scores above the 75th percentile were invited to participate. Patients were randomly divided into a biofeedback relaxation and a sham-control group. Participants of the biofeedback group received training on how to use the GSR biofeedback device for management of stress parameters for twenty 30-minute sessions. The sham-control group received no intervention. Both groups were assessed before and after the biofeedback relaxation training program. The results of the STAI, GSR, and the inventory of stress for type II diabetes patients were compared. SPSS 16 version was used for analysis. The biofeedback group reported a significant change in the state of anxiety (t=5.089; p <0.001), GSR (t=-2.199; p <0.035), and stress (F=46.850; p <0.001) post-test. The control group reported a moderate increase in stress and trait anxiety at the same time. These results are consistent with previous studies. Biofeedback relaxation is a useful technique for managing stress and anxiety in diabetes type II patients. During an emotional disturbance, it may also be helpful in promoting overall psychological health. Further research is necessary to determine the long-term effects of GSR biofeedback relaxation and the effects of cortisol on mood among diabetes patients.

The use of epidural steroid injection in spinal stenosis pain management has expanded greatly. Calcitonin is also effective in relieving neuropathic pain in spinal canal stenosis through the mechanisms of arterial dilation, anti-inflammation, anti-edema, and rises in beta endorphin levels. The current study was designed to evaluate the effect of mesotherapy with calcitonin compared with epidural steroid injection for pain relief and functional improvement in patients with lumbosacral canal stenosis.

A total of 39 patients comparable in age and gender with signs and symptoms of lumbosacral canal stenosis participated in this randomized control trial. Group A comprised patients receiving mesotherapy of 100 IU Calcitonin+Marcaine 0.5% (4 mL) in three repeated injections in the lumbosacral area; group B received a single caudal epidural injection of Marcaine 0.5% (4 mL)+80 mg methyl prednisolone (2 mL) under the guide of a fluoroscope. Patients were evaluated before and 4 and 8 weeks after intervention using the visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Quebec back pain disability scale (QBPD), and Ronald-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ).

Based on the VAS, ODI, QBPD, and RMDQ scales, a significant improvement in pain and functional disability was observed in both groups 4 and 8 weeks after intervention (P<0.05), which was comparable between the two groups (P>0.05).

Mesotherapy with calcitonin Marcaine is just as effective as caudal epidural steroid injection; considering its advantages, mesotherapy can be a proper alternative method for managing pain and functional impairment in patients with lumbosacral canal stenosis.

Thoracic hyper-kyphosis is one of the most common posturaldisorders of the spinal column. Decreased strength of spinal extensor musclesand range of motion of joints such as the shoulder is associated with hyperkyphosis,which can affect the physical function and life of an individual. The fpresent study aimed to investigate the effect of thoracic hyper-kyphosis on upperextremity function among female students. The current cross-sectional study included a population consistingof 226 female students aged 13-18 years old divided into two groups: 113participants with normal and 113 with abnormal thoracic hyper-kyphosis. Thekyphosis angle was measured using a flexible ruler, and the Y test, Davis test, anddisabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) questionnaire were used tomeasure upper extremity function. Independent t-test and Pearson’s correlationwere employed for data analysis. The Davis, Y, and DASH test results showed a significant differencein upper extremity function between subjects with and those without thoracichyper-kyphosis (P<0.05), with the abnormal thoracic hyper-kyphosis groupshowing poorer function than the normal group. The results also demonstrateda significant relationship between the kyphosis angle and the Davis, Y, andDASH tests (P<0.05). Overall, kyphosis abnormality was found to lead to weak upperextremity function, and an inverse relationship was observed between thekyphosis angle and the Davis test and Y balance test. Moreover, a directrelationship was found between the kyphosis angle and DASH test.

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to the largest disruption ineducation systems in human history. The use of online teaching increased daily,finally affecting more than 200 million students worldwide. The aim of thepresent study was to compare the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in femalestudents during the Covid-19 pandemic with the pre-pandemic period. This cross-sectional study was performed in two stages: beforethe Covid-19 pandemic (October to December 2019) and during theCovid-19 pandemic (January to February 2020). The Nordic MusculoskeletalQuestionnaire (NMQ) was used to determine the musculoskeletal pain points.Data was analyzed using the t-test, McNemar test, and logistic regression inSPSS ver. 22, and a P<0.05 was considered as the significance level. A significant decrease in the hours of physical activity (PA) was observedduring the pandemic (3.17±2.17 hours/week) (P<0.001) compared to the prepandemicperiod (4.76±4.92 hours/week), and a significant increase in hours ofusing e-learning aids was seen during the pandemic (45.29±23.24 hours/week)compared to the pre-pandemic period (13.01) (P<0.001). The McNemar testrevealed a significant difference in musculoskeletal pain in nine areas before andduring the Covid-19 pandemic (P<0.001). The results of the regression test alsoshowed that increasing the hours of online teaching and decreasing the hours ofPA increased the odds ratios of increasing musculoskeletal pain. Based on the present results, changing the teaching method duringthe Covid-19 pandemic and reducing physical activity has led to an increase inmusculoskeletal pain in students.

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery is associatedwith several complications. Balance disorders have been reported in patients.The impairments were associated with fall-related injuries and increase thepossibility of morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. The present studyaimed to compare postural balance before and after CABG surgery in patientswith established coronary artery disease. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 87 patients aged 45-65years who had undergone CABG surgery through the great saphenous vein.Participants were enrolled into the study by convenience sampling. To assessstatic balance, individuals were asked to perform the Single Leg Stance Test(SLST). In addition, dynamic balance was measured by the Y-balance test, andthe Functional Reach Test (FRT) was conducted before and after CABG surgery.These clinical tests were performed during the week before surgery and repeatedone month after that. Paired t-test was used to compare the Y-balance scores,and Wilcoxon test was used to compare the mean values of other outcomesbefore and after CABG surgery. A level of P<0.05 was considered statisticallysignificant. The results revealed a significant decrease in static and dynamic balanceafter CABG surgery (P<0.001). A significant reduction was also observed in themean FRT scores in the postoperative period (P<0.001). CABG surgery through the great saphenous vein influencedbalance in patients with coronary artery disease.

The objective of this study was to whether handgrip andquadriceps strength can predict post-stroke depression (PSD) and post-strokeanxiety (PSA). This cross-sectional study involved sixty-six consenting strokepatients whose symptoms of depression and anxiety and affected handgrip andquadriceps strength were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS) and handheld dynamometers. Data was analyzed using descriptive andinferential statistics. Alpha level was set at P<0.05. The participants’ mean handgrip and quadriceps strength were 19.03kg and 20.70 kg, respectively, while the prevalence of PSD and PSA were 33.4%and 42.4%, respectively. PSD was significantly correlated with PSA (r=0.61;P<0.001), handgrip strength (r=-0.24; P=0.049), functional independence(r=-0.26; P=0.036), and stroke severity (r=0.26; P=0.039), while PSA wassignificantly correlated with stroke severity (r=0.25; P=0.046) and age (r=-0.25; P=0.048). Multiple linear regression results indicate that handgrip andquadriceps strength were not independent predictors of PSD and PSA (P>0.05);however, the presence of PSA was an independent predictor of PSD (B=0.590;P<0.001), while the presence of PSD (B=0.621; P=0.001) and younger age (B=-0.307; P<0.001) were independent predictors of PSA. Handgrip and quadriceps strength are not significant predictors ofPSD and PSA in stroke survivors; however, PSD and PSA can predict each other,indicating a bi-directional relationship, while age is a negative predictor of PSA.

Ethics and law studies examine several issues in the field of medicine, one of which is the legal aspects related to patients living with mental disability. In a previous article, we introduced a 24-year-old female patient living with mental disability, diagnosed with large tumor growth in her right breast. Inadequate self-care as well as lack of breast self-examination were the causes of delayed referral and late diagnosis. The patient's family stated that no periodic breast examination was performed by the family or health centers. The patient's family did not have sufficient knowledge about caring for patients with mental disabilities. The question that will then arise under such circumstances is, will the legal system protect the incapacitated individuals if they or their family cannot provide for themselves? In this article, we discuss this issue and the existing legal vacuum.