Middle East Journal of Rehabilitation and Health Studies
Volume:10 Issue: 1, Jan 2023

 Studies conducted in different countries have reported a relationship between suicidal tendencies and childhood trauma experiences, personality traits, and psychological pain. It would be valuable to re-examine such a relationship in Iranian culture.

 This study aimed to investigate early life experiences, temperament, character, and psychological pain in suicidal attempters and normal individuals.

 This cross-sectional, causal-comparative, basic research was conducted retrospectively on all individuals who had attempted suicide by drug poisoning and were referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital of Kermanshah, Iran. The study sample, consisting of 121 suicide attempters by drug poisoning and 121 healthy individuals (companions of suicide attempters), was selected by purposeful sampling, according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The participants completed the questionnaires about early life experiences, temperament, character, and mental pain. A discriminant analysis was also performed to analyze the data. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 26.

 Based on the simultaneous discriminant analysis, 4 predicting variables (early life experiences, temperament, character, and psychological pain components) could explain 91.7% of the variance in suicide attempts. Based on the stepwise discriminant analysis, six subscales predicting variables (emptiness/worthlessness, harm avoidance, persistence, worthlessness, cooperation, and self-transcendence) could explain 91.7% of the variance in suicide attempts, as shown in the discriminant function analysis for differentiation of suicide attempters from normal people.

 Based on the findings of the present study, emptiness/worthlessness, personality traits, and early traumatic experiences can predispose individuals to suicide attempts. Therefore, there is an urgent need for psychological interventions to reduce psychological harm in suicidal attempters.

 Swallowing difficulties or dysphagia is the main cause of aspiration pneumonia and death in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Although dysphasia occurs in 90% of patients with PD, there is insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of behavioral speech therapy in this disease.

 This study aimed to investigate the effect of a new telerehabilitation program that was a combination of speech and music therapy on dysphagia in patients with PD.

 This study was a 3-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT). Thirty-three subjects with PD (mean age, 58.88 years; 25 men and 8 women with complaints of swallowing problems) were randomly assigned to the combination therapy (including breathing, speech, voice, and singing exercises), conventional speech therapy, and music therapy groups. Each patient participated in 12 telerehabilitation sessions over 4 weeks. Swallowing Disturbance Questionnaire (SDQ) and dysphagia handicap index (DHI), as the outcomes of this study, were evaluated 1 week before the first intervention session, 1 week after the last intervention session, and 3 months after the last evaluation.

 The results showed a significant improvement in SDQ and all sub-tests (functional, physical, and emotional), as well as the total score of DHI in the combination therapy and conventional speech therapy groups after treatment (P < 0.05). Also, the music therapy group had a significant improvement in the SDQ score, emotional sub-test, and the total score of DHI (P < 0.05). The combination therapy group demonstrated a significant outperform in the SDQ score compared to the other 2 groups, as well as in all sub-tests and the total score of DHI compared to the music therapy group (P < 0.05). The combination therapy group also showed more improvement in all sub-tests, as well as the total score of DHI, compared to the music therapy group (P < 0.05). The results also indicated that the speech therapy group had a more significant effect on the physical sub-test of DHI compared to the music therapy group (P < 0.05).

 Although swallowing function improved in all 3 groups, this improvement was more in the combination therapy group than in the other groups. Therefore, it can be concluded that combination therapy has the potential to provide additional benefits for swallowing efficiency in this patient group. The results also suggest that the telerehabilitation method is feasible to deliver intensive therapy to individuals with PD to improve swallowing functions.

 Venous varices are vascular lesions caused by vasodilatation. These oral cavity lesions are usually seen as papules or dark blue nodules on the tongue’s ventral surface buccal and retro-commissural mucosae. They are generally asymptomatic but may cause problems such as bleeding on trauma or lack of esthetics. Although many treatment modalities exist for these lesions, the laser is a novel and less invasive method. It secures patient satisfaction more than other methods due to the lack of bleeding and pain. Unlike previous laser therapy methods used for cutting and excision of small vascular lesions, in this lesson, the coagulation properties of laser are employed to eliminate the lesion.

 To illustrate, a 70-year-old female person was admitted to the dental clinic of the Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, for a dental examination. She has no systemic problems. During the extra-oral examination, the lesion was visualized on the right side of her lower lip, and the initial diagnosis of a venous lake was made. The lesion was asymptomatic and had been present for several years. Likewise, after obtaining informed consent, treatment with a 940-diode laser was performed. Immediately after the irradiation, the lesion disappeared, and after four weeks, the lip’s texture was completely normal.

 Exploiting the coagulation properties of the laser to eliminate venous lakes is advantageous over other methods because of the lack of bleeding or pain. Furthermore, this method has a shorter healing time.

 Substance abuse and the risks of its consequences are the major public health problems in the world and Iran.

 The objective of the present study is determination the epidemiological status and spatial distribution of high-risk and low-risk clusters along with estimating the relative risk of drug poisoning in Semnan in 8 years.

 A descriptive-analytical and retrospective longitudinal study was conducted that examined all 3360 poisoned patients who referred to the hospitals of Semnan province from 2011 - 2018. The total number of visits was received and analyzed by year with the relevant diagnostic code in ICD-10 from hospitals of the province, and data were analyzed using Joinpoint regression analysis, global Moran’s index and Kuldorff's spatial statistic scan at a significant level of 0.05.

 The number of clients varied from 219 in 2011 to 570 in 2015. The patients' mean age was 26.7 years. The average annual number of cases per one hundred thousand individuals (annual cases/100000) was 598.4. The AAPC of the incidence of drug poisoning was 9.8 and significant in the whole province, demonstrating that the incidence of poisoning increased by an average of 9.8% per year in the whole province from 2011 to 2018. Semnan County with LLR = 533.07 was the most likely low-risk cluster, and Shahroud County was the most likely high-risk cluster with LLR = 219.94.

 Drug policies need to be adapted to the geographical differences in the place death. After clustering regions in poisoning incidents, the necessary interventions can be concentrated for these specific geographical locations.

 It has been demonstrated that pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) are involved in the pathophysiology of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Sense of force, an aspect of proprioception, has never been evaluated in PFMs.

 This study aimed to assess the proprioception of PFMs by evaluating the accuracy of force sense in adult women with SUI compared to those with continence. A further aim was to study the accuracy of force sense between various lengths and tensions of PFMs.

 Twenty-three women with SUI and 18 women without it were recruited in six trials with four different test conditions: 5 mm/40% (speculum opening/maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) percentage to produce), 5 mm/70%, 10 mm/40%, and 10 mm/70%. All participants were asked to reproduce the target force based on their own perceptions. The dynamometer was used to evaluate the sense of force.

 The accuracy of force sense differed between women with SUI and those without it. In all test conditions, women with SUI had higher force reproduction accuracy. The highest amount of error was recorded at 10 mm and 40% MVC for either group.

 Women with SUI were more accurate in reproducing the target force than those with continence. Higher force sense accuracy may result from more attention to the pelvic floor area and a lack of automaticity of movements in women with SUI. Therefore, developing therapeutic management focusing on restoring automaticity seems advisable.

Context: 

This systematic review aimed to investigate the salivary biomarkers interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) in burning mouth syndrome (BMS) to determine whether proinflammatory cytokines are effective in causing and sustaining pain due to nerve damage and whether some salivary interleukins are elevated in BMS patients.

Evidence Acquisition: 

A systematic review was conducted in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus from 2000 to 2021. All information was categorized in tables.

 We found 264 articles in abstract screening. After removing duplicates, 61 articles were selected. Further screening reduced the number of articles to 28. After reviewing the full texts, finally, 15 articles had the inclusion criteria and met the objectives of the present study.

 Burning mouth syndrome is a chronic disorder with an unknown origin that involves systemic and neuropathic factors. We require further studies due to inconsistent studies and very few clinical trials deciding whether there is an association between IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β and BMS.

 Infants’ admission to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) leads to the psychological vulnerability of their mothers. Providing education and implementing supportive interventions can improve the quality of parental care of premature infants and empower parents. The presence and participation of parents in the care of preterm infants may improve parents’ resilience.

 This study aimed to examine the effect of a virtual educational and supportive intervention on the mothers’ resilience with preterm infants admitted to NICUs in 2020.

 This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 100 mothers with preterm infants admitted to Afzalipour Hospital in Kerman in 2020. The participants were selected by purposive and convenience sampling and were divided into intervention and control groups using a random number table. The educational and supportive training intervention program was implemented for 2 weeks in the intervention group. However, the control group only received routine care. The data were collected using a demographic information questionnaire and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 at a significance level of 0.05.

 Resilience and all its dimensions showed significant improvements in the intervention group compared to their resilience before the intervention. The mean resilience scores in the intervention group were 57.62 ± 13.95 and 76.96 ± 08.07 before and after the intervention (P < 0.05). The mean resilience scores in the control group were 60.40 ± 14.41 and 62.70 ± 11.09 before and after the intervention (P > 0.05). Overall, the mean scores of resilience and its dimensions increased significantly in the intervention group than in the control group (P < 0.05).

 Implementing a virtual educational and supportive intervention improved the resilience of mothers with preterm infants. Overall, this program can be used by nursing managers and nurses to provide supportive care for parents of premature infants to improve the quality of care in these wards. Further research can be done to examine the attitudes and experiences of health care workers in this field.

 Following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, proprioceptive deficiency may be responsible for functional balance defects and joint instability. Recently, using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) or biofeedback has been recommended for athletes with ACL rupture.

 This study aimed to evaluate the effects of tDCS and biofeedback modalities while performing contraction exercises in athlete with an ACL rupture.

 Thirty-three athletes with ACL rupture were randomly divided into three groups of tDCS, biofeedback, and control, with 11 people in each group. All groups underwent a ten-session training of intermittent contractions of the lower extremity muscles in a standing position at different knee angles, including 30, 45, and 90 degrees of knee flexion during four weeks. The control group received no tDCS or biofeedback modalities except the contraction exercises. All subjects were evaluated both before and at the end of interventions. The proprioception measured as rate of absolute error in the knee joint reconstruction was assessed by the digital photography technique at knee flexion angles of 30, 45, and 90 degrees. The functional balance was assessed by the star excursion balance test in eight different directions. All measurements were carried out on the injured limb.

 The results showed no significant difference among three groups regarding all variables related to the proprioception and functional balance (P > 0.05). Intra-group comparison (before and after intervention) indicated that biofeedback significantly improved both the functional balance in all directions and the proprioception of the injured knee at three knee flexion angles (P < 0.05). Moreover, tDCS significantly improved the functional balance in six directions, except anterior-lateral and posterior, and also improved the proprioception at all angles of knee flexion.

 Although the results did not show a large difference among groups, both tDCS and biofeedback modalities, along with intermittent isometric exercises, may have reduced knee absolute error at the knee flexion angles of 30, 45, and 90 degrees as well as improved the functional balance. Therefore, it was recommended that these modalities should be included in rehabilitation program targeting ACL-deficient knee subjects.

 Theater actors are a subgroup of professional voice users who may present their performances at a high-pressure vocal demand, like loud talking, shouting, or even stage singing. Disturbances in auditory-perceptual or acoustic parameters of voice are commonly experienced by theater actors and are known as a frequent occupational hazard for them.

 This study aimed to examine the relationship between auditory-perceptual and acoustic parameters of the voice in Iranian theater actors.

 This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 45 Iranian theater actors, including 22 females and 23 males, with a mean age of 30.76 ± 7 years. The auditory-perceptual evaluation was performed using the Persian version of the Consensus Auditory-perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V). Acoustic characteristics, including mean fundamental frequency (F0), local shimmer, local jitter, and harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR), were extracted from the subjects’ “speech sample.” Correlation analyses were performed to examine the relationship between the measures of auditory-perceptual and acoustic voice characteristics.

 The overall auditory-perceptual severity was negatively correlated with mean F0 (r = -0.592, P < 0.05) and HNR (r = - 0.324, P < 0.05). Roughness was also negatively correlated with voice mean F0 (r = -0.629, P < 0.05) and HNR (r = -0.322, P < 0.05) and positively correlated with voice local jitter (r = 0.310, P < 0.05). We also found that pitch was negatively correlated with voice mean F0 (r = -0.309, P < 0.05) and positively correlated with voice local jitter (r = 0.292, P = 0.050).

 Acoustic measures, including F0, HNR, and jitter, correlate with auditory perceptual parameters of the voice quality in Iranian theater actors. These findings highlight the significance of acoustic parameters in assessing voice quality in professional voice users such as theater actors.

 Shoulder pain felt when performing daily activities is a common complaint at all ages. Shoulder impingement syndrome is one of the most common causes of shoulder pain. Since this disease is relatively prevalent, there is an urgent need to develop a treatment method with fewer complications. Magnet therapy (MT) is one of the therapies that has been recently used to treat various musculoskeletal disorders.

 This study aimed to evaluate the effects of MT on pain and disability in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome.

 In this double-blind clinical trial study, 60 patients diagnosed with shoulder impingement syndrome were randomly assigned to three groups including the "MT 18 Hz" group, the "MT 100 Hz" group, and the "Sham" group. All patients received Magnet therapy three times a week for four weeks in addition to routine treatment. In the sham group, Magnet therapy was used as a placebo. All three groups received routine electrotherapy and exercise therapy. Before and after the treatment, the pain level was evaluated by the NRS scale, the disability level was assessed by the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Questionnaire (DASH), and the range of motion of the shoulder was measured using a goniometer. The values obtained in the groups and for the groups were compared before and after the treatment.

 The intragroup comparison of the three groups revealed a statistically significant improvement in all variables (including NRS score, DASH, and shoulder range of motion) (P < 0.05). The intergroup comparison, on the other hand, showed no statistically significant difference for any of the variables (P > 0.05).

 It was concluded that routine physiotherapy significantly reduced pain and disability as well as improved shoulder range of motions in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome. Moreover, using magnet therapy with two frequencies of 18 and 100 Hz along with the routine electrotherapy and exercise therapy had no additional positive effect on the recovery process of patients with shoulder impingement syndrome.