Journal of Modern Rehabilitation

Effects of Vitamins on Auditory and Vestibular Systems: Narrative Review

Aylin Mellati — 2025-11-11

Introduction: Hearing and balance are vital body functions that allow us to communicate with our surroundings and effectively participate in everyday activities. These two functions are influenced by a variety of factors, including vitamins. In this article, we will examine the role of vitamins on hearing and balance, and the effects of deficiencies in these nutrients on ear and balance health.
Materials and Methods: This review examined the effects of vitamins on hearing. We identified 71 studies published since 2000 through searches of Medline (PubMed), Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, EBSCO, ASHA, Thieme and the ProQuest.
Results: Evidence suggests that vitamins A, B, C, D, and E are associated with auditory and vestibular health. Deficiencies in these vitamins have been linked to hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness, and impaired inner ear function. In particular, vitamins A and E support hair cell integrity and protect against oxidative stress, while B and C vitamins contribute to neural function. Vitamin D is also important for vestibular health through its role in calcium regulation.
Conclusion: Ensuring adequate intake of these vitamins through diet or supplementation may help prevent hearing and balance disorders and improve quality of life

The Prevalence of Learning Disabilities among Elementary School Children in Iran from 1990 to 2025: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Aynaz Holakouee — 2025-11-11

Background: Learning disabilities (LDs) are among the most common developmental and educational challenges faced by school-age children worldwide. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to provide a pooled estimate of the prevalence of all types of learning disabilities in elementary school students in Iran.
Material and Methods: A comprehensive systematic search was performed in the international and national databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Magiran, and SID, from 1990 to March 18, 2025. The quality of articles was evaluated by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). All analyses in this study were performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software, version 3.0.
Results: A total of 32 studies, comprising 81363 students, were included. The pooled prevalence of LDs among elementary school children in Iran was 5.6% (boys 6.4% and girls 5%). The prevalence of LDs in first-, second-, third-, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students was 9.5%, 6.9%, 6.2%, 5.2%, 4.5%, and 3.1%, respectively. The pooled prevalence of dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia was 5.4%, 4.3%, and 3.4%, respectively.
Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis reveal that at least one in 20 Iranian students has a learning disability, and this rate rises to one in ten in early grades.

Effectiveness of Telerehabilitation on Pulmonary Function in Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Pre-Post Intervention Study.

Priyanka Gupta — 2025-11-11

Background - Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an inherited neuromuscular disorder caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene, leading to progressive muscle weakness. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of telerehabilitation in the improvement of pulmonary function in DMD patients.
Materials and Methods - An interventional study was conducted among boys aged 5 to 12 years with DMD enrolled in the Pediatric Neurology clinic between September 2023 to February 2024. Telemedicine-based respiratory exercises were explained to the patients and their parents every 15 days for a 3 month-period, and patients were encouraged to do exercise for at least 5 days a week. Pulmonary function tests, including Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1), were recorded before and after intervention.
Results –67 children participated in this study. There was significant improvement in forced vital capacity (FVC) [p value <0.001, Cohen’s d value=1.93] and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) [p value <0.001, Cohen’s d value=1.06]. The FEV1/FVC ratio, a parameter that can be elevated in restrictive diseases, was also significantly decreased [p value <0.001, Cohen’s d value = -0.63]. For a one-unit increase in age, the FVC change after intervention was predicted to decrease significantly by 0.24 units, holding other variables constant.
Conclusions: Telemedicine-based pulmonary rehabilitation for 3 months markedly improved the pulmonary function, thus concluding that this intervention is effective in improving the pulmonary function of DMD patients, and effectiveness is more if telerehabilitation is started at an early age.

Positive Psychotherapy for Reducing Burnout and Compassion Fatigue in Rehabilitation Staff

Reyhane Afkhami — 2025-11-11

Introduction: Positive psychology can be the antidote to fatigue and burnout in environments where workers face disability, adversity, and suffering. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy based on the PERMA flourishing model in reducing occupational burnout and compassion fatigue among staff working in rehabilitation centers affiliated with the Welfare Organization — an understudied population whose wellbeing may affect service quality and client outcomes.
Materials and Methods: A single-case experimental design was used with five rehabilitation staff members in Yazd, Iran. Participants received eight weekly sessions of the PERMA flourishing program. Burnout and compassion fatigue were assessed before, during, and after the intervention, with clinical improvement evaluated using the Reliable Change Index (RCI).
Results: The results demonstrated a significant reduction in burnout and compassion fatigue, with an acceptable percentage of improvement and RCI values exceeding 1.96 (p < 0.05). For emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and secondary traumatic stress, RCI values exceeded 2.58 (p < 0.01), with improvement percentages ranging from 23–100%, 52–64%, and 24–80%, respectively. For compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress, RCI values ranged from 1.96 to 2.58 (p < 0.05–0.01), with improvement percentages of 14–48%, 25–52%, and 23–33%, respectively. These results indicate statistically and clinically meaningful improvements following the PERMA flourishing intervention.
Conclusion: Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the PERMA flourishing program may serve as an effective intervention for reducing occupational burnout and compassion fatigue among rehabilitation personnel.

The Relationship between Cognitive Function, Syntax, and Severity of Dysarthria in Persian Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Mohsen Miarkiani — 2025-11-11

Introduction: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system. Patients with MS experience difficulties in speech, language, and cognitive abilities. This research aimed to explore the relationship between cognitive functions, syntax, and the severity of dysarthria in Persian patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS), compared to healthy individuals.
Mterials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 31 patients diagnosed with RRMS were compared to 31 healthy adults matched by age, gender, and education. Participants were assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the syntax comprehension sub-test from the Bilingual Aphasia Test, and the sentence production test. Dysarthria was evaluated through the Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment (FDA-2a), and severity was determined using the visual analog scale by three speech and language pathologists based on recorded speech samples.
Results: Findings showed significant differences between MS patients and the control group (P≤0.05). Dysarthria severity correlated significantly with syntax comprehension (P=0.002, Cohen’s d=0.803), syntax production (P=0.005, Cohen’s d=0.820), and MoCA (P=0.001, Cohen’s d=0.579). Significant correlations were also found between MoCA and syntax comprehension and production within the patient group (P≤0.05). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Differences between groups were calculated by an independent t-test, and correlations were analyzed with the Spearman test at a significance level of P≤0.05.
Conclusion: Syntactic challenges in MS patients may be linked to cognitive impairments, and as dysarthria severity increases, syntactic problems escalate. These results can assist speech and language pathologists in clinical evaluations and comprehensive interventions.