Avicenna Journal of Neuro Psycho Physiology
Volume:11 Issue: 3, Aug 2024

I am writing to express my thoughts on the basis of departmental presentation and reviews by faculty on a recent article published in Avicenna Journal of Neuro Psycho Physiology volume 9(1) 1-4,  titled “Impact of Suryanamaskar Training on Cardiovascular, Respiratory, and Cognitive Functions among Medical Students.” While the study provides valuable insights into the benefits of Suryanamaskar, I believe it is crucial to address several limitations that could impact the interpretation and generalizability of the findings.

The motivation for marijuana use can be a major predictor in actual marijuana use. This study focused on assessing the psychometric properties of the Marijuana Motives Measure (MMM) among young adult marijuana users in Iran.

This study was carried out in 2016, involving 166 young adults from Isfahan and Kermanshah, Iran. The study assessed the cultural acceptance, face validity, content validity, construct validity, exploratory factor analysis, and internal consistency of the MMM.

The average age of the respondents was 20.51 years (95% CI: 20.19, 20.82), ranging from 17 to 25 years. Face validity was assessed and approved by a panel of experts. Additionally, content validity was verified using the results derived from the Lawshe table. Five factors were identified based on Eigenvalues of ≥ 1.00 and factor loadings of ≥ 0.40. The variances and the factor load ranges of the MMM factors were respectively as follows: “conformity”: 24.860% and 0.635-0.894; “expansion”: 16.481 and 0.618-0.823; “coping”: 10.499% and 0.686-0.818; “social”: 8.900% and 0.676-0.775; and “enhancement”: 5.818% and 0.707-0.759. The questionnaire had a Cronbach's alpha of 0.833, with its components showing Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.717 to 0.850. This indicates satisfactory levels of internal consistency for each component.

Our findings suggested that the Persian version of MMM is a psychometrically sound questionnaire for measuring marijuana motivation use among Iranian young adults.

Marital satisfaction is regarded as a crucial aspect of overall well-being, affecting mental health, physical health, and overall life satisfaction. The present study aimed to assess the mediating role of anxiety in the relationship between perceived stress and marital satisfaction among married students.

This cross-sectional study employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the relationships among anxiety, perceived stress, and marital satisfaction. Participants were 356 married students recruited via stratified random sampling from Azad University in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2023. Data were collected using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Perceived Stress Questionnaire, and the Marital Satisfaction Scale. Statistical analyses, including SEM, were conducted using SPSS (version 26) and AMOS (version 26) software packages.

The obtained results indicated a significant positive relationship between perceived stress and anxiety (β= 0.37; P=0.001). Furthermore, perceived stress (β=-0.16; P=0.011) and anxiety (β=-0.19; P=0.002) were both negatively associated with marital satisfaction. Bootstrap analyses confirmed the mediating role of anxiety in the relationship between stress and marital satisfaction among married students (P=0.010).

As evidenced by the findings of this study, higher perceived stress leads to higher anxiety, which in turn, negatively impacts marital satisfaction. The results suggested that interventions targeting anxiety reduction could improve marital satisfaction among married students.

Many couples face challenges in maintaining healthy relationships, leading to decreased quality of life. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based couples therapy in enhancing marital quality of life and emotion regulation among distressed couples.

This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest design with a control group and a two-month follow-up period. The population for this research consisted of distressed couples seeking counseling and psychological services at centers and clinics in Ahvaz City during the fall of 2023. Forty-eight of these couples were selected using a convenience sampling method and randomly assigned to two groups of 24: an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of ACT-based couples therapy, while the control group received no intervention. Data was collected using marital quality of life and emotion regulation scales. Data analysis was conducted using repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS-25.

Results indicated a significant difference between the ACT-based couples therapy group and the control group in terms of marital quality of life and emotion regulation at the post-test (P<0.001). Findings revealed that ACT-based couples therapy led to an increase in marital quality of life and emotion regulation among distressed couples (P<0.001).

ACT-based couples therapy was found to be effective in improving marital quality of life and emotion regulation among distressed couples. It is recommended as a potential intervention for couples seeking to address relationship difficulties and enhance their overall satisfaction

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of reality therapy (RT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) programs in reducing high-risk sexual behaviors (HRSBs) among adolescents.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted based on a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population comprised all male students at the upper secondary schools in the city of Ghaen, South Khorasan Province, Iran, in the 2022-2023 academic year. Among them, 45 individuals were selected by purposive sampling method and then randomized into three groups in line with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Afterward, they completed the High-Risk Sexual Behaviors Scale (HRSBS) at the pretest and posttest stages. During the intervention programs, the experimental groups (EGs) I and II respectively received RT and ACT for eight 90-minute sessions, while the CG was only given daily training. To analyze the data, the SPSS Statistics (version 24) software package and the univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were utilized, considering the statistical assumptions.

The study results revealed that the RT program significantly reduced HRSBs; however, ACT exhibited no noteworthy effects in this vein. Moreover, a significant difference was detected between the effectiveness of both interventions in lowering HRSBs (P<0.001).

The present study ultimately demonstrated that the RT program was a better and more efficient practice for adolescents, as compared to ACT. It further provided a greater opportunity for counselors and therapists to manage the major problems facing this age group.

Adolescence is a unique period of transition that is associated with physical, psychological, and social changes. In addition to these changes, the discovery of identity is also considered one of the most important features of this period. As a result, the need for independence grows, prompting individuals to explore their self-concept and values, which in turn leads to changes within the family that trigger further transformations. In parent-child relationships, this research was conducted with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and reality therapy (RT) in a group setting on the parent-child relationship in teenage students.

The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The research population included all male secondary school students of the 2nd district of Hamadan city who were studying in the academic year 2022-2023. From these, 3 groups of 20 people each were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling method and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The samples completed the Parent-Child Relationship Survey by Fine, Moreland, and Scobel (1983) in two pre-post sessions. The participants in the experimental groups underwent treatment using the ACT and RT methods in eight 60-minute sessions each week, while the control group did not receive any training. The data were statistically analyzed in SPSS software (version 23) using the analysis of covariance test at a significant level of p < 0.05.

The findings indicated that the average post-test score for the group undergoing the ACT-based treatment for the father-child relationship was 20.5 points higher than that of the control group (i-j=20.5, sig=0.034). Additionally, the mean post-test score for the group receiving RT for the parent-child relationship surpassed the control group by 42.9 points (i-j=42.9, sig=0.0001).

The results of this study suggest that both ACT and RT contributed to enhancing the father-child relationship.

Education regarding illness in individuals with chronic diseases is a critical factor in fostering empowerment and enhancing patients' understanding of their conditions. Therefore, this study was designed to compare the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Reality Therapy (RT) in improving illness perception among women with multiple sclerosis (MS).

This quasi-experimental research was conducted using a pretest-posttest design and a 2-month follow-up with a control group. The research population included all married women with MS in Hamedan in 2023. Of these, 3 groups of 15 people were selected using the convenience sampling method and randomly divided into experimental and control groups and responded to Broadbent et al.'s Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire in three stages of pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. The subjects in the experimental group were treated with the ACT and RT approaches for a total of eight sessions, with each session lasting 60 minutes and held weekly as a group. In contrast, the control group did not receive any educational intervention. The data were statistically analyzed in SPSS software using a covariance test and a significant level of p<0.05.

The results showed that there was no significant difference between the mean scores of pre-test, post-test, and follow-up illness perception in the three groups. Regarding the between-group factor, the calculated F value was not significant at a level smaller than 0.05 (Eta=0.048, P<0.05, F=1.052). As a result, there was no significant difference between the overall mean illness perception in the three experimental and control groups.

According to the results of this study, it can be said that ACT and RT lead to improved disease perception in women with MS; however, the effect of RT was greater than that of ACT.

The parkinsonian brain undergoes a decrease in levels of somatostatin (SST) and substance P (SP). According to previous studies, brain SST deficit in rats simulated by i.c.v. injections of SST receptor antagonist, cyclosomatostatin (cSST), increases the speed of catalepsy development. Nevertheless, it is not clear how the SP, a natural ligand of neurokinin-1 (NK1) receptors, contributes to the growth of catalepsy.  The present study aimed to find out whether simultaneous blockade of central somatostatin and NK1 receptors can lead to catalepsy, a model for parkinsonian bradykinesia and rigidity. The experiments were conducted on Wistar rats. The blockade of somatostatin and NK1 receptors was simulated by intracerebroventricular injections of cSST and substance L-733,060, respectively. Bar test was used to evaluate the catalepsy. No catalepsy was induced by cSST at 1.0 µg and L-733,060 at 10.0 ng injected separately. Nevertheless, co-administration of these agents led to a clear cataleptic response. Cataleptogenic action of the combination was reversed by SP. These results show that cSST and L-733,060 can synergistically induce catalepsy in the rat. According to these findings, Parkinson’s disease-associated brain deficit in SST and SP could be relevant for pathogenesis of extrapyramidal dysfunctions. Considering the aforementioned findings, the processes mediated by central SST and NK1 receptors could be possible therapeutic targets for parkinsonism.