فهرست مطالب mitra omidi

The visual system plays a crucial role in controlling the posture of individuals by updating information on the positions and movements that different parts of the body perform. This study aimed to investigate and compare the role of vision in balance recovery strategies between healthy, prone to injury, Coper, and chronic ankle instability (CAI).

The current research was of an applied and comparative type, which was conducted on male athletes in the age group of 18 to 30 years. Subjects were divided purposefully into four groups including CAI (n=15), Coper (n=15), prone to ankle injury (n=15), and healthy group (n=15). In this study, treadmills were used to create disturbance in the subjects’ postures in both anterior and posterior directions, and Kinovea software to record kinematic information about subjects during sudden disturbances. Paired t-test was used to compare the scores of the subjects in open and closed eyes.

The results of the paired t-test showed that in the variables of ankle oscillations, hip oscillations, and the ratio of the hip to ankle oscillations in both anterior and posterior disturbances in the groups of CAI, Coper, prone to injury, and healthy, there was a significant difference between open eyes (P=0.001) and closed eyes (P=0.001). The order of most fluctuations in all variables was from CAI group to Coper, prone to injury, and healthy, indicating the greater effectiveness of balance recovery strategies by eliminating visual feedback in the CAI group.

To summarize the research findings, compared with uninjured and Coper participants, those with CAI had less balance and more functional limitations. Therefore, in training programs for ankle sprain rehabilitation, special attention should be paid to balance recovery strategies and the role of visual feedback to control posture.

Perturbation training is a type of exercise in which participants frequently experience loss of balance to practice and improve control of balance reactions. Due to postural control impairment in blind people, this study aimed to investigate the effect of 4-week perturbation-based balance training on risk of falling, movement function, and balance in people with visual impairment.

In the current, 30 men with absolute visual impairment were randomly divided into control (n=15) and experimental (n=15) groups. The experimental group performed perturbation exercises for four weeks and three sessions per week for 60 minutes. To evaluate the static balance of the modified stork test, the dynamic balance of the Berg balance tests, the movement function of the Tinetti test, and the fall risk of the functional reach test before and after the training intervention were used. Data were analyzed using an independent t-test and repeated measures analysis of variance at the level of α=0.05.

The results showed that the experimental group had an increase in the mean scores of static balance (P=0.001), dynamic balance (P=0.001), movement function (P=0.001), and decreased risk of falling (P=0.001) and is significantly better than the control group. Also, in the post-test, the findings of intragroup changes showed that the experimental group had a more significant effect on increasing balance, increasing movement function, and decreasing the rate of falling than the control group (P<0.05).

According to the results of the present study, the use of perturbation exercises improves balance, increases the level of movement function, and reduces the risk of falling in blind people. Due to the positive effects of exercises and the benefits of this type of rehabilitation, it is recommended that this rehabilitation program be performed on the blind and visually impaired. Sports instructors are advised to use the balance-based perturbation exercises in this study and other exercises for people with visual impairment to increase their fitness.

Increased prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and treatment of infections due to these resistant strains is one of the most important health challenges. In this study, antimicrobial resistance patterns of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from patients were determined to commonly prescribed and last-resort antibiotics, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains were isolated according to detection of mecA and femA genes.

This research was done on 146 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from hospitalized and outpatients who referred to Isfahan Hospitals and Shahid-Beheshti Hospital of Kashan from June 2017 to September 2018. Antimicrobial resistance patterns to common antibiotics were determined by disk diffusion method according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2018 guidelines. Also Vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of MRSA strains was determined using broth microdilution method. Isolation of MRSA strains were phenotypically done using cefoxitin disk and for confirmation mecA and femA genes were detected in these strains.

From 146 collected clinical samples, frequencies of MRSA and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) were 24 (16.4%) and 122 (83.6%) respectively. The most resistance rate were detected to erythromycin 44 (30.1%) and vancomycin resistance was not seen among the S. aureus isolates, whereas linezolid resistance was 2/1 percent. In molecular study using PCR method, all MRSA strains carried mecA and femA genes.

Current study showed that the frequency of MRSA among clinical samples isolated from Isfahan and Kashan Hospitals is relatively high. Also the presence of resistance to new and important antibiotics as last resort treatment is considered a serious alarm.

Less training, along with a lack of visual symptoms, leads to less movement in people with visual impairment. This inactivity causes a delay in motor growth, and movement as the most important factor in the survival of each person is an important factor in promoting the health of disabled children. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of vestibular stimulation exercises on balance and motor performance of the blind.

In the current quasi-experimental study, 30 males and females were randomly selected from the blind volunteers and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. After selecting the students and obtaining their consent to participate in the training program, dynamic balance was measured using TUG test and motor function using tinetti test as pre-intervention. The experimental group participated in the training for six weeks (3 sessions per week, each session for 30 minutes). Finally, the pre-intervention tests were repeated as post-intervention. Data were analyzed using independent and dependent t-test at a significance level of 0.05.

The results showed that after six weeks of vestibular stimulation training, there was a significant improvement in the dynamic balance and motor function scores of the experimental group compared to the pre-exercise period of the vestibular stimulation exercises. However, there was no significant change in the control group.                                                                         

According to the results, it seems that vestibular stimulation exercises are effective on dynamic balance and motor function of the individuals. Considering the importance of mobility and balance, especially in children with visual impairment, it is recommended that vestibular stimulation exercises be used as an effective method for the physical mobility of these people.

Visual impairment affects all movement aspects of children. Furthermore, moving, as the primary means of physical education, is essential for promoting health in disabled children. Therefore, the present study determined the effect of core stability exercises on the risk of falling and the quality of life in blind individuals.

In this quasi-experimental research, 30 blind male and female students were purposively selected and randomly divided into the experimental and control groups. After selecting the students and obtaining their consent to participate in the training program, Functional Reach Test (FRT) and 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey questionnaire (SF-36) were conducted before and after the intervention. The experimental group participated in a 6-week training program for three weekly 45-minute sessions. The obtained data were analyzed by univariate analysis to determine intergroup differences. Moreover, the Paired Samples t-test was applied to determine within-group differences at a significant level (α=0.05).

The achieved results suggested that after 6 weeks of training, there was a significant improvement in the risk of falling and the quality of life of the experimental group, compared to the pre-training scores of the core stability (P˂0.05); however, there was no significant change in the control group. The Independent Samples t-test revealed a significant difference between the control and experimental groups.

The core stability exercises affected the risk of falling as well as the quality of life in the studied blind individuals. Considering the importance of mobility, especially in children with visual impairments, it is recommended that core stability exercises be used as an effective method to maximize physical mobility in this group.