Internal Consistency and Item Analysis of the Persian Version of the Child Sensory Profile 2 in Vulnerable Populations.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to establish the item analysis and internal consistency of the Persian version of the Child Sensory Profile 2 in 2 groups of typical and atypical children (autism spectrum disorder and learning disabilities) aged 3 to 14 years. Method : The sample of this study included 120 typical and atypical children aged 3 to 14 years who referred to schools and rehabilitation centers in Tehran were selected using multistage sampling method. To collect data, the Child Sensory Profile 2 questionnaire was used, which is a set of questionnaires of the Sensory Profile 2. To analyze the data, the discrimination index was used to determine the discriminant validity of the Child Sensory Profile 2, and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to determine the reliability in terms of internal consistency. Results: Discrimination index was satisfactory for all the items of the Child Sensory Profile 2. The values of Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.795-0.919 in typical children and 0.617-0.901 in autistic children, and 0.792-0.920 in children with learning disabilities. Conclusion: The Persian version of the child sensory profile 2 is a valid (discrimination with vulnerable populations) and reliable (internal consistency) tool for assessing sensory processing.

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy Combined with Drug Therapy in Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome : A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: Chronic prostatitis/ chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a nonspecific pelvic pain in the absence of signs of infection or other obvious local pathology for at least three of the last 6 months. Evidence for treatment approach is limited. So the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) combined with pharmacotherapy in the treatment of CP/CPPS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this randomized clinical  trial, 31 patients with CP/CPPS were investigated in two groups: the intervention group (n=16) was treated with a combination of an alpha-blocker, an anti-inflammatory agent, a muscle relaxant and a short course of antibiotic in combination with 4 sessions of focused ESWT (a protocol of 3000 impulses, 0.25 mJ/mm2  and 3 Hz of frequency). The control group (n=15) received the aforementioned pharmacotherapy with 4 sessions of sham-ESWT . Follow-up was performed 4 and 12 weeks following ESWT by using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), International index of Erectile function (IIEF) 5, National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaires. Post void residual (PVR) urine and maximum flow rate (Qmax) were also assessed in both groups. RESULTS: The patients mean age was 43.7 ±12.6 years. In both groups, the mean scores of NIH-CPSI (total and sub-domains) and VAS showed statistically significant improvements after 4 and 12 weeks compared to the baseline (P < .001). In the intervention group, IPSS (mean difference: 4.25) and Qmax (mean difference: 2.22) were also significantly improved (P < .001).  There was a significant improvement in NIH-CPSI (mean difference: 1.1) and VAS scores (mean difference: 1.1) in the intervention group as compared to the control group (P < .01). Qmax, PVR and IIEF score were not statistically different in the two groups. CONCLUSION: ESWT in combination with pharmacotherapy could improve the treatment outcome in patients with CP/CPPS.

The Effect of High-Power and Low-Power Lasers on Symptoms and the Nerve Conduction Study in Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. A Prospective Randomized Single-Blind Clinical Trial.

Introduction: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common peripheral nerve entrapment. Various treatments have been suggested for CTS and there is no consensus on their superiority and the order of their use. Laser therapy is a non-invasive treatment method for many musculoskeletal diseases, including CTS. This study aimed to determine and compare the effect of high-power lasers (HPLs) and low-power lasers (LPLs) on pain severity, function, pinch strength, and nerve conduction study findings in patients aged 30-50 years with mild or moderate CTS. Methods: This is a prospective, randomized, single-blind clinical trial. The study population included 45 patients aged 30-50 years who came to the physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic of Shohada-e-Tajrish hospital and mild or moderate CTS was confirmed for them. Patients were randomly assigned to control, LPL therapy, and HPL therapy groups. Pain, function, pinch strength, and nerve conduction study findings were recorded in all groups before, immediately and 12 weeks after the treatment. All data were compared using SPSS version 21. Results: All groups showed improvement regarding pain, function, and pinch strength. Laser therapy showed significantly better results compared to a wrist splint, but no significant difference was seen between high-power and LPL therapy groups. Nerve conduction evaluation findings did not reveal any significant difference. Conclusion: Both the wrist splint and laser therapy can improve the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. HPL therapy showed better results, although not significantly different from LPL therapy.

Safety and Effectiveness of Low-Level Laser Therapy in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Introduction: Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) was introduced as an alternative non-invasive treatment for osteoarthritis, but its effectiveness is still controversial. The main objective of this article was to determine the safety and efficacy of LLLT in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Methods: In order to gather evidence, main medical databases as well as relevant websites were browsed without time limit. We searched with appropriate keywords and strategies. After quality assessment of studies, study data were extracted by two reviewers. Standard mean difference proposed through inverse variance was used in the meta-analysis using the random-effects model. Twelve values were used for the evaluation of heterogeneity. Results: A total of 823 studies, 14 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected after final review. There was a significant difference between LLLT and placebo in pain at rest (P=0.02), pain at activity (P=0.01), total pain (P=0.03), WOMAC function (P=0.01), WOMAC stiffness (P=0.02) and WOMAC total (P<0.0001) in favor of the LLLT. There was no significant difference between LLLT and Placebo in WOMAC pain (P=0.09) and range of motion (P=0.1). Conclusion: In spite of some positive findings, this meta-analysis lacked data on how LLLT effectiveness is affected with important factors: wavelength, energy density, treatment duration, numbers of sessions the treatment, severity of KOA and site of application.

An overview of platelet products (PRP, PRGF, PRF, etc.) in the Iranian studies.

Aim: The aim of the study was to carry out a review of published studies on various platelet products in Iranian studies. Materials & methods: Electronic databases were searched for relevant articles. Two review authors independently extracted data via a tested extraction sheet, and disagreements were resolved by a meeting with a third review author. Results: Bone disorders (25%), wound and fistula (16%), dental and gingival disorders (14%) and osteoarthritis (11%) have more relative frequency based on different fields. Conclusion: The necessity of pursuing standard protocols in the preparation of platelet products, stating the precise content of platelets and growth factors, and long-term follow-up of study subjects were the most important points in Iranian studies.

Survey of medical residents' attitude toward physical medicine and rehabilitation.

This survey was completed on 600 medical residents in 19 randomly selected teaching hospitals from three Iranian medical universities to delineate some possible factors associated with medical residents' awareness of and attitude toward 11 specified areas of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). Fifty-four percent of the participants had a history of consultation with physiatrists. Male residents and those with history of general medicine education in a university having a residency program in PM&R were the most likely to consult with physiatrists. Age and graduation date were not significant predictors of consultation. Residency specialty was the most powerful covariate of consultation rate, with the highest rate of consultation in neurosurgery, neurology, and orthopedics. The best known areas of PM&R were rehabilitation of central nervous system disorders, electrodiagnostic studies, and prescription of physical modalities. The most requested areas of PM&R for collaboration were therapeutic exercise, musculoskeletal and rheumatic disorders, and geriatric rehabilitation. Overall, the residents of various specialties showed different levels of familiarity and attitude toward the different areas of PM&R. This indicates that specific programs are needed to improve PM&R collaboration with all specialties. Policy makers in all levels, from hospital administrators to the ministry of health, need to further enhance the familiarity of medical residents with the field PM&R.