Journal of Modern Rehabilitation

Dysarthria and Dysphagia in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: Frequency and Comorbidity in a Cross-Sectional Study

2025-04-21T14:41:30+0430

Objective: To determine the frequency, comorbidity, and relationship between dysarthria and dysphagia in patients with tSCI.
Methods: A descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted, enrolling 61 patients with tSCI from rehabilitation centers in Tehran, Iran, between January and September 2024. Dysarthria and dysphagia were assessed using the Persian-adapted versions of the Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment (FDA) and the Northwestern Dysphagia Patient Check Sheet (NDPCS), respectively. Logistic regression analysis was employed to evaluate the association between these conditions, with odds ratios (ORs) calculated to quantify the strength of the relationship.
Results: Dysarthria was observed in 87% of participants, with mixed dysarthria being the most prevalent subtype (34%). Dysphagia was identified in 49% of participants, of whom 49% exhibited both disorders concurrently. Logistic regression analysis indicated that patients with dysarthria were approximately nine times more likely to experience dysphagia (OR = 9.69, p < 0.05), even after adjustments for weight and gender.
Conclusion: This study underscores the high prevalence and significant comorbidity of dysarthria and dysphagia in patients with tSCI, with dysarthria identified as a robust predictor of dysphagia. These findings highlight the necessity of concurrent assessment and integrated rehabilitation approaches targeting both disorders to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

Effectiveness of an Early Occupational Therapy Intervention in Post-Surgery Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Patients

2025-04-12T11:10:55+0430

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most prevalent peripheral neuropathy affecting the upper limb, and Carpal Tunnel Release (CTR) is the preferred treatment for moderate to severe cases. This semi-experimental study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an early occupational therapy intervention for post-surgery patients with CTS.
Material and methods: Twenty women with idiopathic CTS who were surgery candidates were recruited and assessed before undergoing the surgery. After surgery, they were assigned to the intervention group (n=10) or control group (n=10). The control group received standard care, while the intervention group underwent an early occupational therapy intervention (10 sessions over 3 weeks). The range of motion, hand and pinch strength, and pain level were measured using a Goniometer, Hand Dynamometer, Pinch Gauge, and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), respectively. The Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) evaluated symptom severity and hand function. To compare variables between groups, we used paired sample t-tests, independent t-tests, and Fisher's exact tests.
Results: The intervention led to significant improvements in wrist active flexion, two-point, and three-point pinch strength in the intervention group. Both groups had reduced pain intensity, with a significantly greater decrease in the intervention group. The intervention group also showed better results in symptom severity and functional status, with the improvement in symptom severity being significantly greater (p≤0.05).
Conclusions: Early occupational therapy following CTR is probably more effective than routine interventions in enhancing pinch strength and alleviating pain and symptoms. Nevertheless, randomized controlled trials are necessary to determine how long these benefits last.

Investigating the Effects of a Warm-Up Injury Prevention Protocol on Risk Factors for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Elite Basketball Players

2025-04-13T06:37:44+0430

Introduction: Athletes involved in sports requiring frequent cutting and pivoting movements are at increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. This study investigates the effectiveness of neuromuscular warm-up exercises, including strength, balance, plyometric, and core stability training, in reducing ACL injury risk.
Materials and Methods: A total of 30 adolescent male basketball players (age = 13-18 years) were randomly assigned to either the control group (n=15; age = 15.66±1.7 years, height = 172.7±9.6 cm, weight = 66.74±11.2 kg) or the neuromuscular training (NMT) group (n=15; age = 14.73±0.70 years, height = 174.0±6.7 cm, weight = 64.79±10.8 kg). The NMT group performed a structured injury prevention warm-up program three times a week for eight weeks before regular basketball training (20 min), while the control group followed their usual basketball practice. Measurements of knee proprioception (including specific motion directions), knee valgus and flexion torque, trunk endurance via the Biering-Sorenson test, and isometric strength of various muscle groups were taken pre- and post-intervention.
Results: Significant improvements in isometric strength were observed in all assessed muscle groups in the NMT group (P<0.05); however, no significant changes were found in knee valgus, flexion torque, trunk endurance, or knee proprioception (P>0.05).
Conclusion: While the NMT protocol significantly improves isometric muscle strength in adolescent male basketball players, it does not show a direct effect on other ACL injury risk factors. Therefore, incorporating NMT into training routines may support strength development but should be combined with other targeted interventions to reduce ACL injury risk more effectively.

Translation, Cultural Adaptation, and Validity of Barnes Language Assessment in Persian Ageing Population: A Preliminary Study

2025-04-13T06:37:43+0430

Introduction: As the global population ages, the need for sensitive language assessments for dementia increases. While the Barnes language assessment (BLA) is a valuable tool in English, it has not been translated and validated for Persian-speaking populations.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional translated and culturally adapted the BLA into Persian (BLA-Per) and evaluated its psychometric properties. The translation process followed the international quality of life assessment protocol. The BLA-Per was administered to 30 healthy older adults and 30 individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD). Test-retest reliability was assessed in the AD group. Statistical data analysis was performed using the SPSS software (version 24) at a significance level of 0.05.
Results: Due to significant differences between the patients and cognitively healthy groups regarding age and education years, we used the analysis of covariance to control for these variables’ effects on between-group comparisons. Significant differences in BLA-Per scores were observed between healthy controls and AD patients in 8 out of 14 test components, demonstrating good discriminative validity. Intra-class correlation coefficients for test-retest reliability were above 0.75 for most subtests.
Conclusion: The BLA-Per demonstrated good validity and reliability in assessing language impairments in Persian-speaking individuals with AD. Future research should investigate the BLA-Per in larger samples across different age groups and stages of AD.

Investigating the Effectiveness of Home-Based Exercise Therapy on Quality of Life and Depression in Orthotopic Liver Transplantation Recipients

2025-04-13T06:37:48+0430

Introduction: Liver transplantation can change the quality of life, physical activity, mood, and psychological symptoms in patients. Considering that exercise capacity is correlated to the level of depression and quality of life among patients, this study investigates the effect of exercise therapy on the quality of life and depression in orthotopic liver transplantation recipients (LTRs).
Materials and Methods: This was a single-blinded study with randomized controlled trial parallel groups, and 30 LTRs were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio. The experimental group underwent a three-month home-based exercise therapy, while the control group received no exercise therapy. Assessments included short-form-36 and the Beck depression questionnaires, along with the 6-min walk test.
Results: There was no significant difference between groups in demographic characteristics. Before the intervention, the mean scores of depression in the intervention and control groups were 27.87±8.68 and 25.77±6.77, respectively. After the intervention, t-test revealed a significant difference between the two groups (P=0.001). The results of the t-test indicated that the average quality of life dimensions improved post-intervention compared to the control group, with significant differences in the scores of these dimensions. After the intervention, the t-test showed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of the 6-min walk test (P=0.001).
Conclusion: Rehabilitation through prescribed exercise can improve quality of life and physical activity, and alleviate depression symptoms in LTRs. As a result, incorporating physiotherapy into the post-transplantation care of transplant recipients holds potential benefits.