علی طلائی

This study aims to investigate the effect of combined working memory training (WMT) and attention control training (ACT) on craving, impulsivity, and working memory of opioid addicts under methadone therapy.

This is a randomized controlled clinical trial. Participants were 50 male opioid addicts who were selected from addiction treatment clinics in Mashhad, Iran. After their random allocation to the intervention and control group, the intervention group received WMT+ACT for 4 weeks using a mobile application. Pre- and post-test assessments were conducted using a craving scale, Barratt impulsiveness scale, and Wechsler's digit span test. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of covariance were employed for data analysis. 

The combined intervention significantly reduced craving and impulsivity in the intervention group compared to the control group, but it had no significant effect on working memory (P>0.05). 

The mobile-based WMT+ACT intervention is a useful intervention for male opioid addicts under methadone therapy.

This research aimed to compare the effectiveness of metacognitive therapy with direct current stimulation, non-enriched psychotherapy with transcranial direct current stimulation, and psychotherapy alone (metacognitive therapy) on the brain wave patterns of people with major depression. The method of this research was semi-experimental, with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population of the research was male and female outpatients with an age range of 20 to 60 years with a primary diagnosis of major depression suffering from a single or repeated course (4 weeks), aligned to the DSM-5 criteria, which were selected by purposeful sampling and were randomly divided into four experimental groups and a control group.A Beck depression questionnaire was used to collect data, and an electroencephalography recording device was used to record the activity of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The intervention was carried out in groups in 10 training sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, for the subjects of the experimental group, and the subjects of the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analysed using multivariate analysis of covariance and ANOVA for repeated measures. The results showed that the interventions had a significant effect on improving the brain wave pattern of depressed people (P<0.05).The effect of psychotherapy training enriched with transcranial direct current stimulation is greater, and this effect has been stable during the course.As a result, psychotherapy training enriched with transcranial direct current stimulation can be an effective and stable tool to reduce depression and improve brain frequencies in depressed patients.

People with gender dysphoria have a noticeable discrepancy between their assigned gender and their experienced/expressed gender. This study aims to know the understanding and experience of parents of people with gender dysphoria about their child's condition.

With the available sampling method, interviews were conducted with 15 parents of gender dysphoria referred to Ibn Sina Hospital in Mashhad in 2019. Strauss and Corbin method was used for data analysis. A semi-structured interview was conducted. MAXQDA software was used to organize and code qualitative data.

In total, 15 interviews and 121 conceptual codes were extracted. About 58% of children with gender identity disorder were girls. The average age of these people at the time of participation in the study was 24 years, the mean age since deciding to perform surgery was 21 years, and the average age of onset of symptoms in childhood was 9 years. The findings obtained in this study, in six central categories with the titles as follows: parents' experience since the childhood of a child suffering from gender dysphoria, unusual behaviors observed in adolescence of a person with gender dysphoria from the perspective of parents, parents' feelings, parents' misbehavior, the causes of this from the parents' point of view, the problem with the individual's own experience of gender identity disorder.

Considering the expression of parents' experiences and knowledge of the many challenges between families and children in this regard, in order to improve the quality of life and improve the mental health of people suffering from gender dysphoria, the need for educational interventions at general and specialized levels seems necessary.

Autism is a disorder characterized by anxiety, impairment in memory, and pain. Camel milk has antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to determine the effect of camel milk on pain, anxiety, and spatial memory in male offspring of female model rats induced via valproic acid.

In an experimental study, female Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally valproic acid (500 mg/kg) on day 12.5 of gestation. Then, male offspring were divided into five groups (n=6) including Naïve, risperidone, raw camel milk + risperidone, pasteurized camel milk + risperidone, and valproic acid. In the treatment phase, risperidone was injected at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg, and camel milk was given 10 ml/kg daily for 42 days with a gavage needle on the 35th day after the birth. Pain response, anxiety test, and spatial memory were measured before treatment on days 30 to 35 and also after completion of treatment on days 77-84. Data were analyzed using one-way and two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s multiple comparison tests

After receiving valproic acid and birth of offspring, there was a significant difference in pain response, anxiety, and spatial learning and memory between the naïve group compared to the entire groups after 42 days of treatment (p <0.05, p <0.01). P <0.001, respectively). Response to pain and anxiety decreased after receiving camel milk. Also, there was a significant difference between raw camel milk + risperidone and risperidone group in pain response test and platform finding time in spatial memory test (p <0.05).

With the improvement of autism symptoms such as anxiety, memory impairment and learning, camel milk can probably be recommended as a suitable dietary supplement for autistic patients.

Respiratory disorders during sleep are considered a health problem affecting the life quality. There is some evidence indicating the higher prevalence of apnea in substance-dependent patients. However, there is no information on the prevalence of the disease in people under methadone maintenance therapy (MMT). Therefore, the present study was designed to estimate the disease rate in these patients and consider the relationship of the increasing risk of apnea with some psychiatric problems.

Study group included 152 individuals under the MMT program. Baseline data were collected with the interview, and patients were considered using the STOP-BANG questionnaire to evaluate the risk of apnea. Furthermore, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) tests were performed for all participants. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.

Based on the STOP-BANG score categories, 37.5%, 40.1%, and 22.4% of patients indicated low, intermediate, and high risk of apnea, respectively. Moreover, severe daytime sleepiness, fatigue, depression, and anxiety were observed in 5.3%, 5.5%, 6.0%, and 21.1% of participants, respectively. Sex (P = 0.007) and daytime sleepiness (P = 0.048) were significantly different between low and high-risk groups of apnea after adjustment. Besides, age (P < 0.001) and fatigue (P = 0.007) were factors predicting the STOP-BANG score.

These findings revealed the higher prevalence of apnea in MMT patients compared to the general population of Iran and rising of the risk of apnea along with an increase in age and fatigue score. However, attention to the sleep disorders in MMT is a prominent factor that should be considered as a route of therapy.

 Considering the increase in prevalence of gender dysphoria during the last decade and few studies in this issue in Iran, this study aimed to assess the epidemiological characteristics of transgender individuals in the northeast of Iran.

This study is a cross-sectional descriptive study done in Khorasan Razavi Forensic Medicine Organization in 2018-2019. All individuals referred to Forensic Medicine Organization due to gender dysphoria and applying for sex reassignment during 2013-2017 were included in the study. To complete the information, the researchers contacted people using personal information in their case files. One-hundred two cases between 2013 until 2017 were assessed in the psychiatric commission of forensic medicine organization.

The frequency of patients with gender dysphoria has decreased from 2013 (24.8%) to 2015 (9.9%), and from this year to 2017 (29.7%) has increased. Most of the transgender individuals were 22 years old. The unemployment rate before sex reassignment surgery was 17.5% and after surgery was 23.2%.Regarding the history of psychotic disease, 20.6% of all transgender individuals had a history of suicide attempt, 15.7% self-cutting, 3.9% tattoo, and 8.8% had substance abuse. Most of the participants had diploma and associate degree (43%), and then bachelor and higher degree (37%).

The present study showed that over the five-year period of the study, the most requested sex reassignment was related to the year 2016. This may be due to increased awareness and reduced stigma of this issue in recent years.

Social phobia may interfere with academic achievements in medical students. According to the fact that individuals with social phobia have difficulty in establishing social relationships, it can be concluded that social phobia is reversely related with emotional intelligence. This research investigates the causes of social phobia in medical students and its relationship with emotional intelligence.

In this descriptive-analytical study, 244 medical students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences who were doing basic sciences course in the academic year of 2012-2013 participated. The level of social anxiety and emotional intelligence were assessed by the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) questionnaire and the Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT). The collected data was analyzed by employing SPSS 16 and statistical tests including ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and T-distribution.

The average scores of emotional intelligence and social phobia were 43.34±21.74 and 123.5±15.98 respectively. There was an inverse relationship between social phobia and emotional intelligence (P= 0.001). The average emotional intelligence of women was higher than men (P=0.006). Grade Point Average (GPA) was remarkably linked to emotional intelligence (P<0.001). We also showed a negative significant relationship between social phobia  and emotional intelligence in students of semesters 1, 2, 3 and 5, in  students with GPA below 17, in local students, in non-local students living in dormitories and in those from families with medium and high incomes (P<0.05). 

There is a significant and inverse relationship social phobia and emotional intelligence in medical students.

 The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between transdiagnostic factors and psychotic symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia disorder. Materials and 

In this descriptive-correlational study, 60 individual with schizophrenia disorder in Mashhad and Neyshabur in 2017 were selected by convenience sampling method. The participants completed Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS), Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (SAQ), Metacognition Questionnaire (MCQ), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Data were analyzed by Pearson correlation and regression analysis.

The result showed that there are significant relationships between transdiagnostic factors, namely intolerance of uncertainty (p=0.01), cognitive avoidance (p=0.01), experiential avoidance (p=0.01), worry about worry (p=0.01), adaptive (p=0.01) and maladaptive (p=0.05) cognitive emotion regulation, and psychotic symptoms. In addition, experiential avoidance and intolerance of uncertainty predicted psychotic symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia disorder.

The results of this study emphasize the importance of transdiagnostic factors in experience of psychotic symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia disorder.