فصلنامه علوم پیراپزشکی و توانبخشی
سال یازدهم شماره 4 (زمستان 1401)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of specific SportsMetricsTM training on core stability, tuck jump scores, and hops in soccer players.

The present study is a randomized controlled trial. The subjects of the study were 29 soccer players with three years of experience in soccer clubs. Subjects were randomly divided into experimental (n = 14) and control (n = 15) groups. The experimental group performed soccer-specific SportsMetrics exercises for six weeks. The control group continued normal exercises. For assessment, McGill tests, tuck jumps, and hop tests were used. Data was analysed using a Repeated Analysis Variance Measure (p≤0.05).

The results of the repeated analysis of the variance measure showed a significant difference between the scores of trunk flexion (p = 0.001), trunk extension (p = 0.001), right side plank (p = 0.001), left side plank (p = 0.013), tuck jump score (p = 0.000), hop (p = 0.001), and in the experimental and control groups after six weeks of training.

The results of the present study showed that football-specific sports metric exercises improve core stability and lower limb function. Due to the relationship between core stability and lower extremity function and injuries, especially ACL rupture, to prevent injury and improve the performance of soccer players, it is recommended to use a football-specific injury prevention training protocol.

Congenital hearing loss causes disturbances in the development of language and speech. The P300 test is an auditory electrophysiological test that examines auditory attention and discrimination abilities. The purpose of this study is to investigate P300 waves and its relationship with speech and language skills in children with moderate to severe hearing loss and compare it children with normal hearing.

This is a cross-sectional study performed in 2022. The results of the P300 test, language and speech tests (SIR, TOLD and Wepman scale) in 21 children with sensorineural hearing loss compared with the results of 21 matched children with normal hearing. All children in two groups were right-handed. Comparison between two groups was performed with t-test. Pearson's test was used to investigate the significant relationship between the results of P300 tests and speech tests.

There was a significant difference between the P300 wave latency results in the two patient and normal groups, but no difference was observed in the amplitude of P300 waves (p> 0.05). Also, all of speech and language tests had statistically significant differences between the two groups. A significant relationship was also observed between P300 latency and speech and language tests (p= 0.01).

The obtained results showed the difference of central auditory processing in hearing impaired and normal hearing children and P300 waves can be helpful in identifying attention and central processing problems.

People with Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) suffer from weak quadriceps muscles and decreased proprioception in the knee joint. Therefore, one of the most important complications that patients with KOA face is imbalance and falls. This study aimed to determine the effect of four weeks of Swedish massage on the fluctuation indices of the center of pressure of middle age women with KOA.

The present study is a controlled randomized trial and has a Swedish massage intervention group (age 52.6±6.72 y, height 1.57±0.05 m, weight 74.4±9.95 N) and a control group (age 52.4±6.71 y, height 1.61±0.05 m, weight 75.93±9.83 N) (n=15 in each). 30 adult women with unilateral knee osteoarthritis were purposefully and accessibly selected based on the inclusion criteria. Then, they were divided into two groups based on Blocked Randomization with Randomly Selected Block Sizes. The static balance of patients had been measured by a foot scan device. And after that, the intervention group received quadriceps muscles Swedish massage (Including exfoliation, petrissage and tapotement techniques) 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks. After four weeks, both groups conducted the post-test. The descriptive and inferential data analyses were conducted using SPSS statistical software with a significance level of p≤0.05. According to the number of subjects, the data’s normality was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test and the Homogeneity of variance was assessed by Leven’s test. After confirming these assumptions, the Analysis of Variances was used with SPSS software for between and within groups comparison.

The present study showed that a Swedish massage intervention course effectively improves the balance (with open and closed eyes) of the intervention group. Parameters related to static balance with eyes open: average speed of the center of pressure (p=0.040), ellipse area (p=0.011), minor axis length (p=0.015), major axis length (0.001) (p=0.001), as well as closed eyes: average speed of the center of pressure (p = 0.001), ellipse area (p = 0.001), minor axis length (p=0.001), major axis length (p=0.021) decreased in the post-test, which indicates the improvement of static balance in the intervention group (p≤0.05).

This is the first study investigating the mid-term effect of quadriceps Swedish massage on static balance in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The results of this study showed that massage can improve the fluctuation indices of the center of pressure of adult women with KOA. Therefore, it is suggested to use this technique in addition to other therapeutic interventions to improve balance and prevent falls in these populations.

Metaphors are grounded in correlation with embodiment experience, and any defect in the sensory-motor system leads to the lack of bodily experiences and, consequently, to a lack of understanding of abstract concepts, including metaphors. Poor understanding of metaphor is one of the main characteristics of autism spectrum disorder. Due to the linguistic nature of metaphors and the lack of similar results in previous research, it is necessary to study the comprehension of metaphor and its effective factors in Persian-speaking children with autism.

In this study, 20 Persian-speaking primary school children with autism were selected from autism centers (Peyke honor, Besharat, and Payambare Azam) in Tehran (age of 7 to 11 years) and after performing a language test, 11 children with a language age of 5 to 6 years were selected and compared with 11 normal language-matched children. To examine the understanding of embodiment metaphors in Persian, Soltani et al (2021). test was used and to evaluate the language level of autistic and normal children, language development test  of Nilipour et al (2021) was used.

The results showed that the comparison of metaphor Comprehension between the two groups showed that in all three scores, ie visual metaphor Comprehension score, auditory metaphor comprehension score and general metaphor Comprehension score, there is a significant difference between the two groups of children with autism and normal children (p<0/000). In both groups, the average Comprehension score of visual metaphors is lower than auditory metaphors. In children with autism, there is a positive correlation between language and metaphorical understanding in all tasks except auditory discrimination, morphology, and syntactic perception.

Therefore, Persian-speaking children with autism are weak in comprehending metaphors in both visual and auditory channels and need attention, assessment and treatment, and attention to related factors such as can be useful in designing their treatment protocols.

Purpose‌‌‌‌:

Low back pain is one of the most common, debilitating, and costly health problems. Repetitive movements, improper lifting of objects, obesity, severe trauma or aging can cause disc herniation. Disc herniation occurs when the disc comes out of place or protrudes and puts pressure on nearby nerves or nerve roots. The present study evaluated the effects of 6 weeks of Pilate’s rehabilitation exercises on disability, flexibility of the trunk, strength, and endurance of the core muscles in women with lumbar disc herniation.

Methods‌‌‌‌:

Thirty women with lumbar disc herniation were purposefully and randomly divided into two groups: experimental (n=15, age: 55.6 years; height: 1.61 meters; weight: 66.2 kg) and control (n=15, age: 56/4 years ; height: 1/7 meters ; weight: 67/4 kg). Disability, flexibility of the trunk, strength and endurance of the core muscles, were measured with the oswestery questionnaire, the Schubert test, the Hundred Pilates test, and the Planck McGill test, respectively. The experimental group performed Pilate’s rehabilitation exercises for 6 weeks, 3 sessions per week, and 60 minutes per session. Data were analysed using repeated measures analysis of variance and the Bonferroni post hoc test at a level of 5% error and using SPSS software version 22.

Results‌‌‌‌:

Pilates largely avoids high impact, high power output, and heavy muscular and skeletal loading. Pilates largely avoids high impact, high power output, and heavy muscular and skeletal loading.

Conclusion‌‌‌‌:

Due to the effective results of Pilates rehabilitation exercises, these exercises can probably be used to improve the symptoms of people with lumbar disc herniation. ‌‌‌‌‌

Propose:

The presence of lower limb abnormalities in cross-fit athletes may cause a great impact on possible injuries and the skill and performance of movements. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of using PU insole on static - dynamic balance and the plantar index of elite male and female cross-fit athletes.

Thirty-two professional male and female cross-fit athletes were divided into two groups of control and intervention groups.  Variables of plantar index, static balance and dynamic balance were then evaluated. The intervention group used the PU insole in their shoes for 10 weeks, but the control group did not receive any intervention during this period. Both groups were re-evaluated after ten weeks. Paired t-test was used to compare the differences between pre-test and post-test and independent t-test was used to compare the effect of insole on static balance, dynamic and foot index of elite cross-fit men and women athletes.

Dynamic balance variables were statistically significant between female in the control and intervention groups in the pre-test (p=0.000) and post-test stages (p=0.002), and in the intervention group only in the female post-test (p=0.003) and male.

Considering the positive effect of insoles on static balance of female athletes in cross-fit, it is expected that athletes enhance their static and dynamic balance by performing correct exercises and continuous use of insoles.

To determine the distribution of blood types and their relationship with some anthropometric indices and systemic diseases in Tehran, Iran.

The present cross-sectional study was conducted in Tehran, Iran. The study population was people aged 60 years and above, and sampling was performed using the multi-stage stratified random cluster sampling method. A total of 160 clusters were randomly selected from 22 districts of Tehran. After selecting the samples and transferring them to the study site, examinations were performed. All study participants underwent anthropometric evaluation and blood sampling. Blood type determination was performed using Cinnagen antibodies (Cinnagen blood group detection kit, Sinohe Biotechnology Company, Iran). The Rh blood group was reported.

Blood type was determined for 2645 of 3310 study participants. Of these, 1661 (62.8%) were female and the mean age was 68.1±6.5 (range: 60 to 95) years. The prevalence of blood groups A, B, AB, and O was 30.4%, 24.9%, 6.9%, and 37.8%, respectively. Moreover, 89.3% of the subjects were Rh+. Participants with blood type B+ had higher body mass index and waist-to-height than other people (P=0.010). Blood group O- had the lowest prevalence of diabetes (P=0.039), while blood groups A and B had the highest prevalence of diabetes. The highest prevalence of hypertension (P=0.034) was observed in participants with O- blood type.

O and A were the most common blood types in the present study. Some cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity and diabetes were significantly more prevalent in people with blood types A and B. Hypertension also had a significant relationship with blood type O. Paying attention to these findings can play a role in preventing cardiovascular diseases in people.

Mental retardation is a condition in which the general performance of the mind is lower than average and is accompanied by limitations in two or more applicable skill and adaptation levels (1). Control of body posture and poor balance is one of the problems of mentally retarded people. It is possible. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate and compare static and dynamic balance and body posture in the mentally retarded.

The current research is semi-experimental. The statistical population of this research included all mentally retarded female students of Gilan province, among them 30 mentally retarded female students in two groups of children with an average age of 8.20±0.862 years and teenagers with an average age of 16±0.756 years and Body mass index with an average of 20.98±5.159 in the child group and an average of 24.636±4.479 in the adolescent group were selected as samples. Single limb standing (SLS) test was used to evaluate static balance and Y test was used to evaluate dynamic balance. To analyze the results, SPSS version 26 software and independent t-test and Yeoman-Whitney test were used at a significant level (p ≤0/05).

Based on the results of this research, there is a significant difference in dynamic balance in the children group (p=0.823) with the mean and standard deviation (7.06±9.67) and the adolescent group (8.39±4.65), the condition Body in conditions of vestibular and sensory disturbances (participation of the visual system) (p=0.174) with (2.94±10.0) in the children group, (3.62±9.40) in the adolescent group, the condition Body in the conditions of visual and sensory disturbance (participation of the vestibular system) children group (p=0.818), (4.64 ±7.91), adolescent group (2.80±7.64), between the two groups was not observed. In two states, body posture in the children group in the condition without disturbance (p=0.026) (3.24 ± 7.15), in the adolescent group (2.24 ± 5.82) and in the condition of vestibular and vision disturbance (participation Sensory system) in the children group (p=0.039), (3.02 ± 9.80), in the adolescent group (2.50 ± 11.28), a significant difference was observed between the two groups.

The results of the research showed that in the conditions where all three sensory systems, vestibular and visual, were involved in the body posture, a significant difference was observed between the two groups of children and teenagers, that in the children group, the number of errors was more and the body posture was poor. They have more No significant difference was observed between the two groups in the conditions where vestibular and vision system information was involved in the body posture, and only in the conditions of disturbance in the vestibular and vision system, i.e. when the sensory system was involved in the body posture, there was a difference between the two groups. It was observed that the number of errors in the group of children was less and children were in a better condition than the group of teenagers, which can indicate the strengthening of proprioception with age. In addition, there was no difference between the two groups in the variable of dynamic balance.

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that causes motor and behavioral symptoms. So far, no medicine has been discovered for definitive treatment, and physicians prescribe rehabilitation to improve movement disorders along with drug treatment. In the movement rehabilitation method, the patients do the exercises specified by the therapist. Exercise can improve daily life tasks and lead to less dependency on caregivers. However, over time, patients get bored and rarely participate in rehabilitation programs due to the repetitive, non-motivating, or difficulty of regular programs. The advancement of technology and integration in traditional rehabilitation is a promising option in the rehabilitation of Parkinson's patients. In this review, a brief overview of tec-hnological progress in the field of neurological and motor rehabilitation of patients with Parkinson's disease has been made and the role of virtual reality, Wii, Kinect, tablets, and robots have been discussed.

The present study is a narrative review. Scientific databases including PubMed and Google Scholar were searched based on the keywords ‘rehabilitation’, ‘Parkinson's disease’, ‘virtual reality’, ‘robot’, and ‘tablet’ between 2000 and 2022. Also, the medical informatics and physiotherapy experts’ opinions were used to complete the topics.

Among the sources found by removing duplicates and reading the full text, 38 sources met the desired entry criteria for use in the present study. A combination of the results of articles and the experts’ opinions, showed that using new technologies including virtual reality, Wii, Kinect, tablets, and robots in the rehabilitation of people with Parkinson's disease can lead to greater improvement in motor function compared to conventional rehabilitation.

The results showed that despite the challenges in using new technologies to rehabilitate patients with Parkinson's disease, they can lead to significant improvement in motor function and individual independency compared to conventional rehabilitation in patients with Parkinson's disease.

People with Down’s syndrome are characterized by impaired psychomotor development. One of the characteristics of motor development of these patients is imbalance. Therefore, performing exercise interventions is one way to reduce the imbalance in this group. Few studies have examined various exercise interventions to reduce or improve this disorder in people with Down syndrome. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to summarize the findings of exercise intervention studies on the balance of people with Down’s syndrome.

A systematic review of experimental and quasi-experimental studies was performed, which are designed to influence exercise interventions on improving balance in people with Down’s syndrome. The searches were conducted between the period of 2002 and 2020 in PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Google scholar, Scopus databases and also in Persian databases, Scientific information database of Jahad Daneshgahi, MedLib (Comprehensive Bank of Medical Articles), IranMedex Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology (IRANDOC), Magazine Publications Database (MAGIRAN) and with a combination of Down’s syndrome keywords, balance, exercise program. Studies were selected using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data extraction was performed and an evaluation form was submitted to collect the main features of each article.

Out of 242 identified articles, by removing duplicates and reading the full text, 27 articles met the inclusion criteria for the final study. Findings showed that exercise interventions are more effective than control conditions to improve balance in people with Down’s syndrome. Also, studies showed that exercise programs and rehabilitation protocols have a positive effect on the balance of people with Down’s syndrome. Only super brain yoga exercises did not have a significant impact on static balance. Some studies also showed that the combined exercise program had a better effect on the balance of people with Down’s syndrome compared to other exercise programs.

The review of this study shows that in order to support health professionals in selecting, developing and implementing interventions to increase the physical health of people with Down Syndrome, more accurate training interventions and exercise reports are necessary. However, the present findings of this study should be considered, given the small number of studies and their limitations.