Estimate the prevalence of daily caffeine consumption, caffeine use disorder, caffeine withdrawal and perceived harm in Iran: a cross-sectional study.

One of the informal diagnoses in DSM-5 is Caffeine Use Disorder (CUD). CUD and high levels of caffeine consumption could impact mental health conditions. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of CUD, caffeine consumption, caffeine-related harms, and related psychiatric symptoms in Iran. A cross-sectional survey with a convenience sample of 1228 adults were conducted in Iran. Caffeine consumption was assessed across 20 products in Iran. Caffeine Use Disorder Questionnaire (CUDQ), Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms Questionnaire (CWSQ), 14-item Caffeine-related Harm Screening (CHS), and Symptom Checklist-25 (SCL-25) were used in the present study. We used SPSS (desktop version 26.0) to analyze the data using descriptive statistics, chi-square, and the least significant difference (LSD) post hoc test. The daily average caffeine consumption was 146.67 mg. The prevalence of CUD and caffeine withdrawal (C.W.) were estimated at 19.5% and 46.62%, respectively. Also, 12.9% of responders received CUD and C.W.s simultaneously. The prevalence of CUD was higher in men than females (25.08% vs. 13.93%). 95% of participants (n = 1166) reported using at least one caffeine product yesterday. Moreover, the most reported caffeine-related harms were the desire for sugar (42.9%), insomnia (39.3%), and caffeine dependence (38.3%). Age significantly correlates with CUD (- 0.07) and daily caffeine intake (0.08). Moreover, all SCL-90 subscales had a significant correlation with daily caffeine intake. Finally, responders at younger ages reported higher levels of CUD and caffeine consumption than older adults(P < 0.05). High rates of C.W. and CUD in the Iranian population suggest that it is necessary to develop evidence-based treatments.

A Network Analysis Study to Evaluate Obsessive-Compulsive Beliefs/Dimensions and Personality Beliefs in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A Cross-Sectional Study in Two Common OCD Subtypes.

Objective: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has been considered a heterogeneous psychiatric disorder. Identifying this heterogeneity can lead to better diagnosis and treatment. The two most common OCD subtypes include contamination/cleaning and danger/checking. This study aimed to identify the network structure of OCD symptoms, personality, and obsessive beliefs in these OCD subtypes. Method : 333 patients with OCD were included in the study (156 patients with the danger/check subtype and 177 patients with the contamination/cleaning subtype). In addition, 276 healthy individuals participated in this study. We used a network analysis approach to determine the OCD central symptoms [nodes]. The Personality Beliefs Questionnaire-Short Form [PBQ-SF], Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised [OCI-R], and Obsessional Beliefs Questionnaire-44 [OBQ-44] were used for network estimation. Results: The results indicated that the network structure in healthy individuals was different from the network structure in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder [PwOCD]. In healthy individuals, "obsessive" personality belief and "danger" obsessive belief were the most strength nodes and formed the core of the central communication between symptoms in these subjects. Regarding the contamination/cleaning subtype, the most central symptoms include "washing" obsessive symptom, "danger" obsessive belief, and "wash" obsessive symptom. However, "perfect" obsessive beliefs, "check" obsessive symptoms, and "avoidant" personality beliefs were the most central symptoms in the danger/check subtype. These results demonstrated that each of the studied groups had a unique network structure, which is consistent with the heterogeneous nature of OCD. Conclusion: Different OCD subtypes have different cognitive-behavioral network structures. According to the results of this study, these symptoms should be given priority in OCD theoretical models and treatment strategies.

Identifying emotional components of event-related potentials in the brain functioning of individuals with contamination obsessions and comparison with healthy control group.

The present study aimed to examine the emotional components of event-related potentials (ERPs) in individuals with contamination OCD and compare them with a healthy control group. A convenience sample of 45 participants was included, consisting of 30 individuals diagnosed with contamination-type OCD and 15 individuals in a healthy control group. Both groups participated in an ERP study where they encountered a computer-based task presenting both contamination and neutral pictures, while their brain activity was recorded. The data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (RANOVA) with SPSS-24 and Matlab software. Findings suggest that in P3 amplitude, only individuals with OCD exhibited a larger positive amplitude (p < 0.05) in response to contaminated pictures compared to neutral pictures and in N2 amplitude, only individuals with OCD exhibited a larger negative amplitude (p < 0.05) in response to contaminated pictures compared to neutral pictures in the central vertex (Fz). These findings hold promising implications for the development of more targeted and effective treatments for contamination OCD, emphasizing the importance of emotion-oriented approaches to address the unique neural patterns observed in the frontal vertex.

Exploring the structure of the university-students obsessive-compulsive tendency scale in Iranian university students: a network analysis study.

INTRODUCTION: A risk factor for developing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in non-clinical samples is obsessive-compulsive tendencies (OCT). An OCT scale has recently been developed for university students (UOC) and showed promising psychometric properties. However, no validated Persian language scale evaluates OCT in non-clinical samples. Accordingly, this study aimed to validate the Persian version of the UOC in Iranian university students. METHODS: Three hundred sixty-eight university students (54.6% females, mean ages: 22.4 ± 4.51) entered the study. The Persian version of UOC was evaluated concerning the structure of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and Exploratory graph analysis (EGA). Regarding the construct validity, the concurrent validity was assessed between the UOC and The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). We calculated Cronbach's alpha to evaluate the reliability of the UOC. All statistical calculations were done in R programming language (in R-Studio Desktop version 4.2.1). RESULTS: The Persian version of UOC showed a convenient internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total scale 0.88. UOC scores were significantly correlated with OCI-R, K-10, and YBOCS. The EFA and EGA showed four and three-factor solutions with 25 and 28 items, respectively. Also, CFA showed that these two solutions were reliable, and the three-factors solution showed higher fit indexes. Finally, the results showed that item-27 was the most central item in the UOC network structure. CONCLUSION: The findings from the present study indicated that the Persian version of UOC has acceptable psychometric properties. So, this scale can be used for examining obsessive-compulsive tendencies in Iranian university students.

Prevalence of externalising disorder comorbidities in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Externalising disorders are some of the most prevalent problems in childhood and particularly during adolescence that can change into more severe psychopathology in adulthood if left unattended. In the research literature, these disorders include attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional/defiant disorder, conduct disorder and substance use disorders. The comorbidity prevalence of these disorders is significant and cannot be considered a random factor. The dimensional structure of psychopathology has always been studied by researchers to address disorder comorbidities and aetiology. There has always been controversy over the number of spectra and the lower levels. Currently, the new top-down, Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology model conceptualising psychopathology is being used, which is a dimensional classification system for the different spectra of psychopathology based on a combination of conceptual modelling and factor analysis of symptoms. This systematic review investigates the comorbidity prevalence of spectra of externalising disorders to provide valuable information and feedback on this model. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This systematic review will include all the studies conducted from 1/1/1990 to 1/12/2020 to examine the prevalence and comorbidity of each of the externalising disorders in the general population, schools and outpatients using any instrument (questionnaires or interviews). There will be no language restrictions in selecting the studies. The studies are age restricted and must be conducted on adolescents only, but there are no restrictions on the gender and nationality of the participants. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This systematic review is based on previously published articles and therefore will not require ethical approval. The results of the systematic review will be disseminated as publication in a peer-reviewed journal and conference presentation. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022327629.

Effectiveness of memory bias modification in reducing depression and rumination symptoms and autobiographical memory bias: a pilot study.

There is a strong interest in cognitive bias modification as a new intervention that targets key underlying vulnerability factors of depression. Memory bias is believed to be a risk factor for the onset and maintenance of depression. In this study, we aimed to examine the effectiveness of memory bias modification on depression symptoms, ruminative thoughts, and autobiographical memory bias. We recruited 40 participants with mild depression who were randomly assigned to two groups of positive (n = 20) and neutral (n = 20) training. The participants were instructed to read and learn French-paired words with their Farsi translations. Next, they were encouraged to recall positive or neutral Farsi translations of French words according to their groups in the first session. After training, and in the second session (follow-up), they were asked to recall all the Farsi translations of the French words. Data were collected using Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), Rumination Response Scale (RRS), Self-Referent Encoding Task (SRET). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Repeated retrieval practices resulted in better recall of the target words of the training in both conditions. Still, none of the groups had significant changes in depression scores, ruminative thoughts, and emotional aspects of memory bias. Our results suggest that two sessions of modifying memory biases were not sufficient for reducing the symptoms of depression and rumination. Implications of the finding from this study for future works are further discussed.

Uncovering Negative Interpretation Bias in Remitted/Recovered Depression with Laboratory Task.

Objective: Research has demonstrated that individuals with a history of depression engage in complicated strategies (e.g., thought suppression) that may mask the possible existence of major depression. Increasing the mental strain, such as retrieving a six-digit number, may reveal depressive thinking in previously depressed individuals. This study examined the hypothesis that thought suppression could mask a cognitive vulnerability to depression and illustrated how cognitive tasks disrupt mind control. Method : This case-control study recruited 255 participants with a convenience sampling method conducted at the Razi Educational and Therapeutic Psychiatric Center (Tehran, Iran) in 2021. Participants were divided into five groups, then they were evaluated by a scrambled sentence test (SST) after random assignment to either mental load or no mental load conditions. The number of negative unscrambled statements was used as an index of negative interpretation bias. After gathering data, analysis of variance (ANOVA) for different group factors and conditions was carried out to test the main hypotheses. Results: The effect of the intervention provided to each group on the score of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HRDS) was significant (F (4, 208) = 511.77, P < 0.001). A significant correlation (r = 0.36, P < 0.01) was found between depression (HDRS) and negative interpretive bias (SST). Analysis of ANOVA has revealed a significant effect on the group (F (4, 412) = 14.94, P < 0.001). The effect of the mental load was not significant (F (4, 412) = 0.09, P = 0.75), but the group × load interaction was significant (F (4, 412) = 5.03, P < 0.001). Post hoc test was used to draw multiple comparisons between the five groups. Conclusion: The results revealed that people who are vulnerable to depressive disorders are predominantly engaged in thought suppression, which can conceal their depressogenic thinking until cognitive requests consume their mind control efforts.

The story of memory and executive functions in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: Neuropsychological findings in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are mainly clustered around the role of memory and executive functions. However, outcomes vary across different OCD populations. In addition, the extent to which each of these factors can distinguish patients with OCD (PwOCD) from healthy individuals remains uncertain and attracts great attention. The present study aims to investigate the above issues. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study of 182 individuals (90 PwOCD and 92 matched healthy controls). After screening for inclusion and exclusion criteria, the participants were administered neuropsychological tests including, the Wechsler Memory Scale-III (WMS-III), the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), and the Stroop Color-Word Test (SCWT). Data were analyzed to test the study hypotheses using comparison of means and regression analysis methods. RESULTS: The results showed that PwOCD had poorer performance than the control group in Immediate Memory, General Memory, and Working Memory and also according to response inhibition indexes. The results also showed that General Memory and Reaction Time2 from the SCWT index could be predictive variables for discriminating between PwOCD and controls. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study support the prior assumptions that PwOCD would have impaired memory dimensions and response inhibition, but did not support worse set-shifting performance. We also present an initial model for the predictive role of these neuropsychological variables in discriminating OCD from healthy individuals and increasing diagnostic accuracy.

The story of memory and executive functions in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a case-control study

Abstract Objective Neuropsychological findings in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are mainly clustered around the role of memory and executive functions. However, outcomes vary across different OCD populations. In addition, the extent to which each of these factors can distinguish patients with OCD (PwOCD) from healthy individuals remains uncertain and attracts great attention. The present study aims to investigate the above issues. Method This was a cross-sectional study of 182 individuals (90 PwOCD and 92 matched healthy controls). After screening for inclusion and exclusion criteria, the participants were administered neuropsychological tests including, the Wechsler Memory Scale-III (WMS-III), the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), and the Stroop Color-Word Test (SCWT). Data were analyzed to test the study hypotheses using comparison of means and regression analysis methods. Results The results showed that PwOCD had poorer performance than the control group in Immediate Memory, General Memory, and Working Memory and also according to response inhibition indexes. The results also showed that General Memory and Reaction Time2 from the SCWT index could be predictive variables for discriminating between PwOCD and controls. Conclusion The findings of this study support the prior assumptions that PwOCD would have impaired memory dimensions and response inhibition, but did not support worse set-shifting performance. We also present an initial model for the predictive role of these neuropsychological variables in discriminating OCD from healthy individuals and increasing diagnostic accuracy.

The Cognitive Model of Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia: A Hierarchical Component Model With PLS-SEM.

The cognitive model of negative symptoms suggests that some dysfunctional beliefs mediate the relationship between neurocognitive deficits and negative symptoms and disability. This study tested the hypothesis that dysfunctional performance beliefs mediate neurocognitive deficits, negative symptoms, and disability. We used a hierarchal component model with 85 men patients diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia. Results showed a moderate to strong correlation between dysfunctional performance beliefs, neurocognitive deficits, negative symptoms, and disability. These results support the Hierarchal component model (HCM) of the cognitive model of negative symptoms. Our results indicated that the disability in schizophrenia is mediated through dysfunctional performance beliefs, neurocognitive deficits, and negative symptoms pathway. Further, dysfunctional performance beliefs have a crucial role in this pathway. Therefore, targeting this vicious cycle of dysfunctional beliefs can improve disability in patients with schizophrenia.

Time course of attentional bias to painful facial expressions and the moderating role of attentional control: an eye-tracking study.

INTRODUCTION: This study investigated the time course of attention to pain and examined the moderating effect of attentional control in the relationship between pain catastrophizing and attentional bias in chronic pain patients. METHODS: A total of 28 patients with chronic pain and 29 pain-free individuals observed pictures of pain, happy and neutral facial expressions while their gaze behaviour was recorded. Pain intensity and duration, anxiety, depression, stress, attentional control and pain catastrophizing were assessed by questionnaires. RESULTS: In all subjects, the pattern of attention for pain faces was characterized by initial vigilance, followed by avoidance. No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of orientation towards the stimuli, the duration of first fixation, the average duration of fixation or number of fixations on the pain stimuli. Attentional control moderated the relationship between catastrophizing and overall dwell time for happy faces in pain patients, indicating that those with high attentional control and high catastrophizing focused more on happy faces, whereas the reverse was true for those with low attentional control. CONCLUSION: This study supported the vigilance-avoidance pattern of attention to painful facial expressions and a moderation effect of attentional control in the association between pain catastrophizing and attentional bias to happy faces among pain patients.

The Effect of Personality Traits on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Outcomes in Student Pharmacists with Rat Phobia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Little is known about which personality traits determine the effectiveness of various types of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on animal phobia. The objective of the present study was to investigate a possible association between personality traits and the outcome of single- and multi-session CBT. Methods: The present randomized clinical trial was conducted from November 2018 to May 2019 in Shiraz, Iran. Forty female students with rat phobia, who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) criteria, were systematically allocated into a single- and a multi-session therapy group (odd numbers one-session treatment, even numbers multi-session treatment). In both groups, the students were gradually exposed to rats as part of the treatment. Psychological measures (state-anxiety, rat phobia, and disgust questionnaires) were used to compare pre- and post-intervention outcomes. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to assess which personality traits influenced the intervention outcome. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (version 20.0) and P values<0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Rat phobia was positively and significantly affected by conscientiousness (P=0.001) and agreeableness (P=0.003). Of these personality traits, only a higher degree of conscientiousness resulted in a further reduction of state anxiety after the intervention (P=0.005). There were no significant differences between the pre- and post-intervention outcomes. Conclusion: The outcome of single- and multi-session rat phobia therapies was associated with specific personality traits of the participants, namely conscientiousness and agreeableness. Both intervention methods had an equal effect on reducing rat phobia.

National Guidelines for Cognitive Assessment and Rehabilitation of Iranian Traumatic Brain Injury Patients.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) often have prolonged cognitive impairments, resulting in long-term problems with their real-life activities. Given the urgent need for evidence-based recommendations for neuropsychological management of Iranian TBI patients, the current work aimed to adapt eligible international guidelines for cognitive assessment and rehabilitation of the TBI patients in Iran. METHODS: The project was led by an executive committee, under the supervision of the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME). Following a systematic literature search and selection process, four guidelines were included for adaptation. Clinical recommendations of the source guidelines were tabulated as possible clinical scenarios for 90 PICO clinical questions covering all relevant phases of care. After summing up the scenarios, our initial list of recommendations was drafted according to the Iranian patients' conditions. The final decision-making, with the contribution of a national interdisciplinary panel of 37 experts from across the country, was conducted in two rounds using online and offline survey forms (Round 1), and face-to-face and telephone meetings (Round 2). RESULTS: A total of 63 recommendations in six sections were included in the final list of recommendations, among which 24 were considered as key recommendations. In addition, some of the recommendations were identified as fundamental, meaning that proper implementation of the other recommendations is largely dependent on their implementation. CONCLUSION: Iranian health policy makers and rehabilitation program managers are recommended to address some fundamental issues to provide the necessary infrastructure to set up an efficient cognitive rehabilitation service system.

Psychometric Properties of the Farsi Version of Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (F-ECBI) in Iranian Population.

Objective: Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) is one of the most frequently used tools for measuring behavioral problems; however, no research has been done to evaluate its psychometric properties in Iran. Method : The present study sought for exploring the factor structure and psychometric properties of the F-ECBI in an Iranian sample. A total of 495 mothers (mean age = 33.83 years; SD = 4.78) who reported behavioral problems in their children aged 3 to 12 years (mean age = 6.36 years; SD = 2.66) were selected via convenience sampling in 2018-2019. The psychometric properties of F-ECBI, including reliability (Cronbach's alpha) and validity (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and convergent validity) were assessed using SPSS version 25 and LISREL 8.80. Results: By performing EFA on the first sample part (n = 360), the examination of scree plot supported a 3-factor or 4-factor solution, and pattern matrix resulted in a 3-factor structure. The factors were called as "behavioral problems related to oppositional defiant", "behavioral problems related to inattentive", and "behavioral problems related to conduct", according to their content and the research. CFA was performed on the second part of the sample (n = 135) to test the fitness of the 3-factor solution. According to CFI (0.91), NFI (0.91), NNFI (0.90), IFI (0.91), PNFI (0.77), GFI (0.75) AGFI (0.70), PGFI (0.62) and chi-square (540.31) indexes, the model had acceptable fitness. Cronbach's alpha was employed to measure the internal consistency and it revealed to be at a good to excellent level (behavioral problems related to oppositional defiant = 0.88; behavioral problems related to inattentive = 0.84; behavioral problems related to conduct = 0.74). The 3-factors subscales were associated with total difficulties, internalizing and externalizing SDQ, indicating the good convergent validity of F-ECBI. Conclusion: The F-ECBI has good psychometric properties in Iran and can be employed as a useful instrument for measuring children's behavioral problems.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of One- and Multi-Session Exposure-Based Treatments in Reducing Biological and Psychological Responses to Rat Phobia Among Students.

BACKGROUND: Animal phobia is one of the most common forms of specific phobias. This anxiety disorder challenges the medical student working with animal models. Regarding this, the present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of one- and multi-session cognitive exposure-based treatments in students with rat phobia. METHODS: For the purpose of the study, a total of 40 female students with rat phobia were allocated into two groups of one- and multi-session cognitive exposure-based treatments. The data were collected using psychological measures, including state anxiety, rat phobia, and disgust questionnaires, which were completed in three stages, including the baseline, pre-treatment, and post-treatment. The gene expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (ie, interleukin-1 [IL-1], nuclear factor-kappaB [NF-κB], and tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNFα]) associated with acute stress, as well as the serum levels of IL-6 and cortisol, were determined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods. This study was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20171123037602N1). RESULTS: According to the results, both treatments yielded a significant reduction in almost all psychological measures and biological variables, except for IL-6. Rat phobia was the only variable that showed a statistically greater reduction in the multi-session treatment group. Furthermore, rat phobia and disgust reduction were maintained in both groups to the same extent during follow-up. CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study were indicative of the incidence of habituation in psychological and biological factors following exposure therapy. Both one- and multi-session treatments reduced the factors associated with rat phobia almost to the same degree. As a result of the high levels of disgust, anxiety-related biological factors remained high in four students despite observing a significant reduction in their fear. This led to passive avoidance in this group. The OST enabled the students to handle rats in less than half a day. Accordingly, it could be applied as a half-day workshop for students in medical universities to avoid the incidence of associated anxiety-related disorders in this group.

How obsessive-compulsive and bipolar disorders meet each other? An integrative gene-based enrichment approach.

BACKGROUND: The novel approaches to psychiatric classification assume that disorders, contrary to what was previously thought, are not completely separate phenomena. In this regard, in addition to symptom-based criteria, disturbances are also considered on the basis of lower level components. With this viewpoint, identifying common biochemical markers would be beneficial in adopting a comprehensive strategy for prevention, diagnosis and treatment. MAIN BODY: One of the problematic areas in clinical settings is the coexistence of both obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and bipolar disorder (BD) that is challenging and difficult to manage. In this study, using a system biologic approach we aimed to assess the interconnectedness of OCD and BD at different levels. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) method was used to identify the shared biological network between the two disorders. The results of the analysis revealed 34 common genes between the two disorders, the most important of which were CACNA1C, GRIA1, DRD2, NOS1, SLC18A1, HTR2A and DRD1. Dopaminergic synapse and cAMP signaling pathway as the pathways, dopamine binding and dopamine neurotransmitter receptor activity as the molecular functions, dendrite and axon part as the cellular component and cortex and striatum as the brain regions were the most significant commonalities. SHORT CONCLUSION: The results of this study highlight the role of multiple systems, especially the dopaminergic system in linking OCD and BD. The results can be used to estimate the disease course, prognosis, and treatment choice, particularly in the cases of comorbidity. Such perspectives, going beyond symptomatic level, help to identify common endophenotypes between the disorders and provide diagnostic and therapeutic approaches based on biological in addition to the symptomatic level.

Combination Therapy and Opioids: Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Emotion Regulation Training in Reducing Current Drug Craving.

Background and objectives: Craving is the main symptom of addiction that is accompanied by dependence and relapse. The present study was aimed to compare the effectiveness of combined Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation (tDCS) and emotion regulation training with that of separate tDCS and emotion regulation training in reducing current drug craving and thoughts and fantasies about drug use. Materials and methodology: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and three intervention groups. The statistical population included all patients dependent on opioids in medium-term residential drug rehabilitation centers in Zahedan, Iran, in 2018-2019. From eight randomly selected centers, a total of 54 patients were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and randomly divided into three intervention groups. Data were gathered using the Personal Drug Use Questionnaire, Desires for Drug Questionnaire (DDQ), and Drug Use Thoughts, Fantasies, and Temptations Questionnaire. All analyses were performed using SPSS-16. Results: The Kruskal-Wallis test indicated significant differences between the three intervention groups in current drug craving and thoughts and fantasies about drug use (P ..001). In addition, examination of the mean rank showed that t significant decrease was higher for the combined tDCS and emotion regulation training group. Conclusion: Addiction is very similar to other chronic disorders. Therefore, combined (integrated) therapies can have a very important role in treating addiction, especially in relapse prevention.

Comparison of Personality among Mothers with Different Parenting Styles.

Objective: Mothers have an important role in child- rearing, and maternal personality has theoretically been considered as the most influential factor determining the parenting style, because it is thought to affect parental behavior. However, the influence of personality on parenting styles has received surprisingly little attention. The aim of the present study was to compare personality components among mothers with authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting styles. Method : Using a multistage random cluster sampling method, we selected 8 kindergartens in Tehran. The sample consisted of 270 mothers with preschool children aged 4 to 6 who completed the NEO and Parental Authority Style Questionnaire. Results: Results revealed significant differences among the authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive styles in personality characteristics. There were significant differences between groups in extraversion (f(2,267) = 151.65, p≤0.0001 ), agreeableness (f(2,267)=215.23, p≤0.0001 ), conscientiousness (f(2,267)=336.016, p≤0.0001 ), neuroticism (f(2,267)=1151.1, p≤0.0001 ), and openness to experience (f(2,267)=110.8, p≤0.0001 ). Conclusion: This study revealed the significant role of personality in parenting style.

Neuropsychological Functioning in Obsessive-Compulsive Washers: Drug-Naive Without Depressive Symptoms.

INTRODUCTION: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a complex and heterogeneous neuropsychiatric syndrome. Contamination obsessions and washing/cleaning compulsions are the most frequent clinical OCD subtypes. The current study aimed at examining the neuropsychological impairments in drug-naive obsessive-compulsive (OC) washers without depressive symptoms and their association with the severity of symptoms. METHODS: In the current causal-comparative study, 35 patients with diagnostic and statistical mental disorders class (DSM)-IV diagnosed with washing-subtype OCD and 35 healthy subjects were selected by the convenience sampling method and evaluated by computerized neuropsychology battery and clinical tests as Stroop Color-Word Test (SCWT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Go/No-Go Test, Digits Forward (DF), Digits Backward (DB), Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-28. The patients were matched to the comparison group with regard to age, gender, intelligence quotient (IQ), education, and handedness. All the tests were standardized in Iran. SPSS version 20.00 was used for descriptive and analytical data analysis. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant different between the OCD washing and the control groups regarding socio-demographic variables or IQ. There were significant differences between the OC washer and the healthy control groups on the neuropsychological functioning. The obtained results suggested that OC washers performed significantly worse on neuropsychological measures than the controls. There was no significant association between the severity of OC symptoms and the neuropsychological functions in the OCD washing group. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that executive function impairment, which is a core feature in OC washers was trait-like in nature.

Effect of gap detection threshold on consistency of speech in children with speech sound disorder.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The present study examined the relationship between gap detection threshold and speech error consistency in children with speech sound disorder. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The participants were children five to six years of age who were categorized into three groups of typical speech, consistent speech disorder (CSD) and inconsistent speech disorder (ISD).The phonetic gap detection threshold test was used for this study, which is a valid test comprised six syllables with inter-stimulus intervals between 20-300ms. The participants were asked to listen to the recorded stimuli three times and indicate whether they heard one or two sounds. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the typical and CSD groups (p=0.55), but there were significant differences in performance between the ISD and CSD groups and the ISD and typical groups (p=0.00). The ISD group discriminated between speech sounds at a higher threshold. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Children with inconsistent speech errors could not distinguish speech sounds during time-limited phonetic discrimination. It is suggested that inconsistency in speech is a representation of inconsistency in auditory perception, which causes by high gap detection threshold.