فصلنامه طب توانبخشی
سال سوم شماره 2 (تابستان 1393)

Memory is the integral part of the learning process. There is strong correlation between academic achievements and components of short-term and working memory. The aim of the present study was to investigate the evolution of digit span memory in primary school-aged children. This comparative، cross-sectional study was conducted on 180 students from six grades of primary schools (30 students from each grade، 90 female and 90 male) selected by available sampling. They were evaluated by forward and backward digit span task. Two way ANOVA was used for data analysis. There was significant difference between Forward and Backward Digit span scores across children in different grades of primary school (p<0. 05). No meaningful relationship was found between gender and memory scores. The short term and working memory performances improve with age in primary school children، suggesting functional maturation of underlying cognitive processes and brain areas.

The role of selective attention in promotion of learning and memory، particularly in academic success، is very important. Computerized assessment of attention recently، due to its high precision and attraction، is being deliberated by many researchers. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors influencing the computer based assessment of selective attention in children with 7 to 8 years old. In this descriptive study 20 experts in five specialized fields related to cognitive sciences and computer science were invited and ask them to Complete picture banks including 600 pictures and questionnaire including 10 questions related to type، shape، color، location، speed، orientation of target movement during watching picture on screen. The mean scores attributed by experts to each of the factors influencing selective attention and to any of the picture stimulus on computer based assessment were calculated. The scores to the type of stimulus، primary location، staic or dynamic and type of movement was 100% in agreement but related to the color of target and background and the time of target stimulus there was not complete agreement across all experts. To make the computer based assessment for selective attention in children it is essential to consider the combination of impact factors. These factors should be considered in designing children''s tasks or even computer games by inventors.

Respecting the increase in the number of elderly in societies, upraising the phsyco-somatic health among elderly is one of the important pillars in each government. The government should try its best in order to preserve the health and wellbeing of the elderly society by accurate planning for recognizing the wellbeing factors and reinforcing the superior plans in this age group. Being nonathletic is a factor for mal performance that could affect health, so in this research we have decided to compare depression, anxiety and stress among athletic and nonathletic elderly groups. This comparative study had been done on 142 elderly in Kermanshah city with the accessible sampling method. The used tools were general information questionnaire (Demography) and also depression, anxiety and stress (DASS- 21). Descriptive (mean, standard deviation, and percent) and deductive statistic (T- test and Chi- square) were used for analyzing the data. Analyzing data by using T-test for independent groups shows that the level of stress, depression and anxiety among athletic elderly is noticeably less than nonathletic group (p<0/05). The results of this study showed that elderly athletes had less depression, anxiety and stress than their non-athletic peers. Exercising is being recognized as a factor for better somatic operation, increasing longevity and also preferment of mental health.

Human body is an integrated unit that acts as a whole in such a way that the function of every part may influence the other parts. In this study the effect of hamstring muscle stretching on the amount of mouth opening in healthy people was investigated as a component of this integrated body. Eighty volunteers, 54 men and 26 women, aged 18 to 30 years old, participated in this study. Subjects were divided randomly into two groups. Group 1 underwent a single 60-second hamstring muscle static stretching for dominant leg. The control group received passive patellar mobilization as a placebo intervention for dominant leg. Outcome measure was maximum active mouth opening and popliteal angle which were measured by a digital caliper and a hand goniometer respectively. These measurements were done at baseline, 5 minutes, 1 hour and 24 hours, post intervention by an examiner blinded to the intervention allocated to each subject. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant decrease in mouth opening in group 1 (p<0.05); that was also significant when compared to control group (p<0.05). Popliteal angle was not significantly changed in both groups. In addition positive correlation was found between the active mouth opening and popliteal angle. The present study demonstrated an decrease in active mouth opening in response to the static stretching of hamstring muscles which confirms the hypothesis of a functional relationship between the masticatory and hamstring muscle. This relationship can be explained through myofascial meredians, nervous system, muscle chains and biomechanical linkage

Stuttering is one of the most current speech disorders، which is marked by sudden occurring، alternate and abnormal interruptions in the natural flow of speech. It also has consequences such as behavioral، cognitive and attitude changes in the patient. The main aim of this study was to compare and analyze the speed of naming in 7-8 year old children with and without stuttering. This cross sectional study was conducted on 36 children with and without stuttering. The case group (n=18) was recruited from the admitted patients inTehran’s speech therapy clinics. Matched sampling of control group (n=18) was done considering the criteria of age، sex، and being monolingual in Persian. In order to do this research، 4 sub-scales were used: pictures، colors، numbers and alphabetic letters and the results were recorded according to the responses of the participants in terms of speech reaction time (SRT) in naming speed task. The outcome showed that there is a significant difference in naming speed at all sub-scales (p<0. 001) between the case and control groups. We also found out that the speech reaction times between the two groups were different in numbers in telling the numbers، alphabetic letters، colors and pictures respectively. According to research findings، the speech reaction times in stuttering children was slower in all the 4 sub-scales، and it was slowest in the pictures task subscale compared to the other subscales.

Presbyopia is an age-related loss of lens accommodation that results in an inability to focus at near distances. Intracor is a new surgical treatment for presbyopic patients which claim to be a replacement for near spectacle. Due to great desire among patients for not using spectacles, evaluation of efficiency and results of this surgical treatment has a great significance. The purpose of this study was determining visual acuity and refraction after Intracor surgery in presbyopic patients. In an observational cohort study, 22 eyes (left eye: 11, right eye: 11) of 15 presbyopic patients underwent intracore surgery were enrolled. Refractive error and visual acuity were evaluated before and 12 months after surgery. Patients with history of previous ocular surgery, corneal irregularity or incident of cataract were excluded. Statistical analyzes was performed by SPSS-19 software. Paired T-test and Wilcoxon signed ranked test was used. Mean age of patients was 50.1 ± 4 years (range 44.5 to 66 years). Average monocular uncorrected distance visual acuity increased from 0.74 ± 0.20 decimal at base line to 0.85 ± 0.16 decimal at the last visit (P< 0.01). Average binocular uncorrected distance visual acuity increased from 0.85 ± 0.16 decimal at base line to 0.92 ± 0.09 decimal at the last visit (P < 0.05). Average monocular and binocular near visual acuity with distance correction increased from 0.27 ± 0.07 and 0.30 ± 0.07 decimal at base line to 0.39 ± 0.15 and 0.50 ± 0.21decimal at the last visit respectively (P < 0.01). Average near visual acuity without distance correction increased from 0.23 ± 0.05 decimal at base line to 0.68 ± 0.24 decimal at the last visit (P< 0.001). Average of monocular spherical refraction and monocular and binocular corrected near visual acuity had a statistically significant decrease (P<0.001). There was a statistically significant improvement in both distance and near visual acuity after Intracor surgery. Improvement in near visual acuity was more significant.

Binaural perception is an important ability in human auditory system in noisy evironment. The human click-evoked binaural interaction component has been known as an index of binaural perception. The purpose of this investigation was to study the stimulus polarity effect on binaural interaction of auditory brainstem response (ABR). ABR’s were recorded monaurally and binaurally in 30 normal adults (12 men & 18 women) using different stimulus polarity. In order to determine binaural interaction component (BIC) from wave V، the binaural response was subtracted from the summed monaural waves (R+L) in each polarity. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze latency & amplitude differences of BIC between the three stimulus polarities. Condensation clicks produced BIC’s with longer latency compared to rarefaction clicks (p˂0. 05). BIC’s amplitude increased by using condensation polarity compared to rarefaction & alternate polarities (p˂0. 001 & p˂0. 01، respectively). Amplitude، latency & morphologic characteristics of BIC were dependent on click polarity. Latency differences have been accounted for by small latency shift of the components of monaurally or binaurally evoked potentials resulting from changes in click polarity. Recognition of BIC was easier using condensation polarity.

Little study about psychological health has been done in the sports setting. The present study was designed to assess depression، anxiety، stress، in a sample of athletes at the elite level. In this descriptive comparative study، 63 highly successful athletes who won medals in competitions such as Olympics were recruited. Sixty three elite athletes- (35 male -28 female) with mean age 23. 95 (SD=7. 32) were evaluated by DASS 21 test. The subjects were assigned into two groups (active and inactive athletes). There was a third control group including 70 subjects with same age and sex and education without history of sport activity. An ANOVA test was used to determine differences of outcomes between groups. The data were analyzed by SPSS 16 software. The results of ANOVA test for comparison among three groups (active and inactive athletes and normal) did not show significant difference on depression، anxiety and stress variables. Our results indicated that there is not any significant difference on depression، anxiety and stress between the elite athlete and general population.

The role of parents in children''s development is very critical. Proper recognition of this role and it''s tasks by parents is helpful in all aspect of children''s life. The purpose of this research was to construct and validate a questionnaire to assess parental role tasks. This study included two phases. In the first phase، information regarding the parental role was collected from resources such as books، articles، internet، and interview with professionals and parents. In the second phase، face validity and content validity were assessed by conducting a research with experts and scholars. In the first phase of the study، 75 items were extracted through the literature review، reduced into 34 by an interview with teachers and parents. In the determining of content validity and face validity، only one item deleted with low score. Mean content validity index was 0/93 and content validity ratio had a value of 0/80. According to the results، this tool is appropriate for assessment parenting role tasks in the community.