Publication Date: 2013
Psicologica (02112159)34(2)pp. 273-284
In the present study, the effectiveness of 3 drug regimen on cognitive performance of PD patients was compared. 12 patients who had been using pramipexole, levodopa and amantadine for at least 1 month entered the study and compared with those 12 who had been using trihexiphenidyle, levodopa and amantadine. There was also a control group including 11 patients who had been using only levodopa and amantadine. All 3 groups were asked to answer Montreal Cognitive Assessment in pretest phase. Then patients in experimental groups were asked not to use pramipexole or trihexiphenidyle for 72 hours and then all 3 groups were asked to answer the same questionnaire in post test phase. The results showed that patients who have used pramipexole had better performance in executive functions in post test. The findings suggest that pramipexole in combination with levodopa and amantadine may worsen the executive function in Parkinson's disease; however, there is almost neither adverse nor beneficial effect of trihexiphenidyl in such a combination on cognition in PD patients.
Publication Date: 2024
European Journal of Psychological Assessment (10155759)
The present study examined the psychometric and structural properties of the Persian version of the Occupational Depression Inventory (ODI). The ODI focuses on depressive symptoms that employed individuals specifically ascribe to their work. A sample of 355 Iranian schoolteachers was surveyed. Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) bifactor analysis indicated that the ODI meets the requirements for essential unidimensionality. ESEM bifactor analysis and scalability analysis supported the use of the ODI's total score. The instrument exhibited high reliability. Cross-cultural measurement invariance was supported. As for the concurrent validity of the ODI, occupational depression correlated, in the expected direction, with job satisfaction, life satisfaction, well-being, work engagement, sick leave, and antidepressant intake. No association was observed with sex, age, length of employment, and a history of depressive disorders over the past year. The ODI displayed a balance of convergent and discriminant validity vis-a-vis an attribution-free measure of depressive symptoms. The prevalence of occupational depression was estimated at 2.8% in our sample. Our findings endorse the Persian version of the ODI and confirm the instrument's overall robustness. © 2024 Hogrefe Publishing.
Publication Date: 2021
Sexual Health and Compulsivity (26929996)28(3-4)pp. 189-199
This study was aimed to examine the efficacy of Cognitive– Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on depression and compulsive sexual behaviors in patients suffering from Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD). This was a randomized controlled trial in which 20 participants with sex addiction were assigned either to CBT treatment (n = 10) or a control group (n = 10). The study comprised of three phases including baseline, intervention, and 1 month follow up. Hypersexual behavior inventory (HBI.) and Beck depression inventory (BDI) were administered on both groups to gather the data. Participants who received CBT showed a significant decline in hypersexual behaviors and depressive symptoms following the intervention and the effect was maintained in the follow up phase compared to control group. CBT can be suggested as an effective intervention in controlling hypersexual behaviors and depression in Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder. © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Publication Date: 2024
Journal of Education and Health Promotion (22779531)13(1)
BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis is a central neurogenic demyelinating disease. This is one of the most common neurological diseases in humans and is the most debilitating at a young age. Symptoms of multiple sclerosis include vision problems, balance problems, dizziness, sensory disturbances, chronic neuropathy, and fatigue. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A quasi-experimental study with pretest, posttest, and one-month follow-up design was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy on distress tolerance and feelings of entrapment in 30 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Patients were conveniently sampled in 2021 and randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group, with 15 patients in each. The experimental group underwent eight sessions of 90-min positive psychotherapy over consecutive weeks, while the control received no therapy. Both groups completed the Simons and Gaher Distress Tolerance Questionnaire (DTS) and feeling entrapment questionnaire before and after the intervention period as pre- and posttests. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on the collected data using SPSS 22 software to compare changes between the groups over time and assess the impact of the psychotherapy. RESULTS: Repeated measures ANOVA results showed that positive psychotherapy had a significant effect in increasing distress tolerance (Sig = 0/001 and F = 545/434) and reducing feelings of entrapment (Sig = 0/001 and F = 275/05). CONCLUSION: Positive psychotherapy increases distress tolerance and reduces the feelings of entrapment in MS patients. It is therefore suggested that interventions based on positive psychological points should be done in different centers. The context should be repeated and include larger and more ethnically and socioeconomically diverse examples. © 2024 Journal of Education and Health Promotion.
Publication Date: 2019
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (09441344)26(12)pp. 12590-12604
Mining activity constitutes a potential source of heavy metal pollution in the environment. Long-term exposure to heavy metals (e.g., cadmium) has adverse health effects. Rodents frequently serve as bioindicators to monitor the levels of heavy metals in the environment. In the present study, concentrations of 10 heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Zn) in kidney, liver, and muscle tissue of the Persian jird (Meriones persicus) were evaluated. This is the first study to examine the histopathological changes in Persian jird tissues caused by the bioaccumulation heavy metals. The samples were taken at location that surrounded by Sangan Iron Ore Mine (SIOM) mining activities, in northeastern Iran. The results show that the highest concentrations for the metals were observed in kidney and liver, whereas lowest concentrations were found in muscle of Persian jirds. The concentration of Pb was below the limit of detection. Sex and age were two factors that could explain the different levels of heavy metal bioaccumulation, which affects the concentration of some metals. Adults had significantly higher Cu and Cd levels compared to juveniles. Males bioaccumulated more Zn in their kidneys than females, whereas females bioaccumulated more Fe in their livers. As expected, heavy metals affected various organs of the studied specimens. Hyperemia, hemorrhage, necrosis, and degenerative damage to the epithelial cells of the tubules, the presence of hyaline casts, and in one case, mononuclear leukocyte infiltration, were observed in samples of renal tissue. Hemorrhage and hepatocyte vacuolization were the most common histopathological changes found in samples of hepatic tissue. These effects and the concentrations of heavy metals in the studied specimens indicate the need for monitoring and frequent sampling to evaluate long-term persistent pollutants. © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2019.
Publication Date: 2021
Life (20751729)11(2)pp. 1-19
Insomnia is a common problem in the general population. To treat insomnia, medication therapies and insomnia-related cognitive-behavioral interventions are often applied. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on sleep quality, dysfunctional sleep beliefs and attitudes, experiential avoidance, and acceptance of sleep problems in individuals with insomnia, compared to a control condition. A total of 35 participants with diagnosed insomnia (mean age: 41.46 years old; 62.9% females) were randomly assigned to the ACT intervention (weekly group therapy for 60–70 min) or to the active control condition (weekly group meetings for 60–70 min without interventional and psychotherapeutic character). At baseline and after eight weeks (end of the study), and again 12 weeks later at follow-up, participants completed self-rating questionnaires on sleep quality, dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep, emotion regulation, and experiential avoidance. Furthermore, participants in the intervention condition kept a weekly sleep log for eight consecutive weeks (micro-analysis). Every morning, participants completed the daily sleep log, which consisted of items regarding subjective sleep dura-tion, sleep quality, and the feeling of being restored. Sleep quality, dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes towards sleep, emotion regulation, and experiential avoidance improved over time, but only in the ACT condition compared to the control condition. Improvements remained stable until fol-low-up. Improvements in experiential avoidance were related to a favorable change in sleep and cognitive-emotional processing. Micro-analyses showed that improvements occurred within the first three weeks of treatment. The pattern of results suggests that ACT appeared to have improved experiential avoidance, which in turn improved both sleep quality and sleep-related cognitive-emo-tional processes at longer-term in adults with insomnia. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Publication Date: 2018
Mental Health, Religion and Culture (14699737)21(8)pp. 797-809
Psychological findings in relation to the effectiveness of multifaceted lifestyle interventions for depression treatment are scant. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention targeting lifestyle habits based on Islamic teachings (Quran and Hadith) in patients with depression in Isfahan (Iran). Twenty-four patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) were randomly assigned to 10 sessions of group Islamic lifestyle psychoeducational intervention (ILPI) or eight sessions of a behavioural activation (BA) group therapy. The depressive symptoms (including Beck Depression Inventory-II, Beck Hopelessness Scale and Penn State Worry Questionnaire) of both groups was improved significantly at the end of the treatment. The ILPI proved to be as efficacious as BA in mood improvement of patients with MDD. Given the approximately easy implementation and cost-effectiveness of ILPI, such intervention represents an effective nonpharmacological intervention to manage depression in patients with MDD. © 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Publication Date: 2011
PLoS ONE (19326203)6(10)
Self-regulation depletion (SRD), or ego-depletion, refers to decrements in self-regulation performance immediately following a different self-regulation-demanding activity. There are now over a hundred studies reporting SRD across a broad range of tasks and conditions. However, most studies have used young student samples. Because prefrontal brain regions thought to subserve self-regulation do not fully mature until 25 years of age, it is possible that SRD effects are confined to younger populations and are attenuated or disappear in older samples. We investigated this using the Stroop color task as an SRD induction and an autobiographical memory task as the outcome measure. We found that younger participants (<25 years) were susceptible to depletion effects, but found no support for such effects in an older group (40-65 years). This suggests that the widely-reported phenomenon of SRD has important developmental boundary conditions casting doubt on claims that it represents a general feature of human cognition. © 2011 Dahm et al.
Publication Date: 2021
Biological Trace Element Research (15590720)199(10)pp. 3772-3780
Arsenic (As) is an environmental pollutant with destructive effects on different body organs, including the testis. This work was aimed to assess the ameliorative role of caffeic acid (CA) against As-provoked testicular damage in mice. Twenty-four adult male mice (31 ± 9 g) were randomly allocated to four equal groups. The first group served as control and was provided basal diet and tap water. Animals in the second group received water containing 200 ppm arsenite. The third group of mice received CA (60 mg/kg body weight; i.p.) during exposure to arsenite. Animals in the fourth group received CA. At the end of the experiment period (21 days), blood and testicular tissue sampling was done for biochemical and histopathological assessments. The results showed a significant decline of testicular ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), as well as plasma concentrations of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in As-treated mice compared to controls (p < 0.05). A significant increase in testicular malondialdehyde was also detected in group 2 relative to controls. Moreover, As exposure resulted in some morphological and histopathological alterations of the testis, including hyperemia, reduced tubular diameter and thickness of epithelial cell layers of seminiferous tubules, and Leydig cell necrosis. Simultaneous administration of CA plus As increased GPx, FRAP, testosterone, and dihydrotestosterone amounts and attenuated MDA levels as well as histopathological alterations to the levels that were not significantly different from those of the control group. These results indicate that caffeic acid can be suggested as an alleviative natural compound against As-induced damage in mice testes. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC part of Springer Nature.
Publication Date: 2001
Psychological Medicine (14698978)31(3)pp. 541-547
Background. The present study examined biases in visual attention for emotional material in children and adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and healthy controls. Methods. The participants carried out an attentional deployment task in which probe detection latency data were used to determine the distribution of visual attention for threat-related and depression-related material. Results. The results showed that children and adolescents with PTSD, relative to controls, selectively allocated processing resources towards socially threatening stimuli and away from depression-related stimuli. This attentional avoidance of depression-related information in the PTSD participants declined with age. Conclusions. The results of the study are interpreted as a consolidation and extension of previous research on attentional bias and emotional disorder in younger participants.
Publication Date: 2023
Journal Of Qualitative Research In Health Sciences (26456109)12(1)pp. 37-44
Background: Numerous studies have investigated parental influence, especially the influence of parenting styles on children’s development. Accordingly, the present study aimed to identify the components of a native parenting style by exploring the lived experiences of mothers with successful female children. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using a descriptive phenomenological design to explore the lived experiences of the mothers of female students in the second year of high school in Najafabad, Isfahan, Iran, in the academic year 2018-2019. The participants were selected using purposive sampling. Thus, successful girls were identified from among the students who had a GPA of at least 18 and based on their responses to the items in the Psychological Wellbeing Scale (Ryff, 1989), Keyes Social Well-Being Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Diener Satisfaction with Life Scale. Finally, 14 students with success criteria were selected. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the students’ mothers. The collected data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step approach. Results: A total of 93 primary codes identified in this study were categorized into 23 categories and six main themes: 1) Disciplinary practices (encouragement, punishment, control, and authority), 2) valuing the child (delegating responsibility, paying attention to the child’s interests, giving independence, and giving character to the child), 3) positive emotional interactions (intimacy, mature interactions, educational flexibility, acceptance, and recreation and fun activities), 4) establishing boundaries in applying childrearing practices (maternal role, parental agreement, and the central role of parents in childrearing), 5) understanding (family cohesion, family respect, and fair treatment) and 6) parenting dynamics (serving as a role model, gathering information, guiding the child, and fixing parental problems in the child). Conclusion: In the present study, a component-based model was developed, which seems to be effective in improving parenting styles and children’s conditions. © 2023 The Author(s).
Publication Date: 2022
Neuroscience Journal of Shefaye Khatam (23221887)10(3)pp. 13-25
Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS), is an inflammatory chronic disease of the central nervous system, usually starting in the most productive years of the patient’s life, and its cognitive consequence may affect on patient’s behavior, social functions, daily life, and occupation. One of the most important cognitive variables, which may be affected through MS, is reaction time. The aim of this study was to investigate the reaction time of patients with MS (SPMS and RRMS types) toward visual and auditory stimuli. Materials and Methods: The study design was a retrospective, causal-comparative type, in which the sample was selected through an accessible and purposive sampling method from the patients who were referred to the MS center and MS institute of Isfahan, Iran. The control group was selected from the healthy patient’s family members or their relatives. A total of 159 subjects participated in this study, each group consisted of 53 subjects. The reaction time of the three groups toward the visual and auditory stimuli was measured. The instruments comprised a reaction timer and a multiple sclerosis impact scale. Results: The results showed that the reaction time in the patients was significantly slower than in healthy people. Furthermore, it was revealed that patients with SPMS type were slower in reaction time in comparison to RRMS patients. Conclusion: The speed of information processing in patients with MS, has become slower, due to the slowing of the conduction through nerve pulses, which is due to demyelination in damaged pathways. The decrease in processing speed may lead to an inability of the patients to accomplish mental and cognitive tasks, and this deficit is finally depicted in the inability of MS patients in responding to visual and auditory stimuli. © 2022, Shefa Neuroscience Research Center. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2015
Psychology and Neuroscience (19843054)8(1)pp. 75-81
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Color Trail Test (CTT) in an Iranian sample. Six hundred seventeen healthy participants (311 male [50.4%] and 306 female [49.6%]) were assessed. The stepwise regression analysis showed that age and education significantly predicted completion time on the CTT. The percentiles for the 2 parts of the CTT (CTT-A and CTT-B) are presented based on age and education. The older subjects who had less education had lower test completion times. To determine the reliability of the CTT, the participants were tested again 4 weeks later. The correlation coefficients between the first performance and retest were.909 and.912 for the CCT-A and CTT-B, respectively. These results suggest that the CTT is a valid and reliable tool that can be applied in Iranians. © 2015 American Psychological Association.
Publication Date: 2019
Japanese Psychological Research (00215368)61(3)pp. 166-178
The current study was designed to examine the role of basic emotions and dysfunctional attitudes in depression. Moreover, six models related to the organization of emotions were examined through confirmatory factor analysis. Two hundred individuals with major depressive disorder were recruited from three clinical psychology centers. Participants completed a battery of questionnaires measuring basic emotions, dysfunctional attitudes, and depressive. Results demonstrated that the dysfunctional attitude of “need for approval” and the basic emotions of disgust and sadness could predict depressive scores positively and significantly. It was also shown that the dysfunctional attitudes could positively and significantly predict the two negative emotions of disgust and sadness. Thus, the findings supported an analysis in which the two basic emotions of sadness and disgust were elevated in individuals with depressive disorders. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the proposed basic emotions model and did not support alternative models, such as the positive affect and negative affect model. © 2018 Japanese Psychological Association. Published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
Publication Date: 2024
Metabolic Brain Disease (15737365)39(5)pp. 783-801
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the degeneration of myelin and inflammation in the central nervous system. Trans sodium crocetinate (TSC), a novel synthetic carotenoid compound, possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of TSC against the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a well-established model for MS. Female BALB/C57 mice were divided into different groups, including control, EAE, vehicle, TSC-treated (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, administered via gavage) + EAE, methyl prednisone acetate + EAE, and TSC-treated (100 mg/kg, administered via gavage for 28 days) groups. EAE was induced using MOG35-55, complete Freund’s adjuvant, and pertussis toxin. In the mice spinal cord tissues, the oxidative markers (GSH and MDA) were measured using spectrophotometry and histological evaluation was performed. Mitophagic pathway proteins (PINK1and PARKIN) and inflammatory factors (IL-1β and TNF-α) were evaluated by western blot. Following 21 days post-induction, EAE mice exhibited weight loss, and the paralysis scores increased on day 13 but recovered after TSC (100 mg/kg) administration on day 16. Furthermore, TSC (50 and 100 mg/kg) reversed the altered levels of MDA and GSH in the spinal cord tissue of EAE mice. TSC (100 mg/kg) also decreased microgliosis, demyelination, and the levels of inflammatory markers IL-1β and TNF-α. Notably, TSC (100 mg/kg) modulated the mitophagy pathway by reducing PINK1 and Parkin protein levels. These findings demonstrate that TSC protects spinal cord tissue against EAE-induced MS through anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-mitophagy mechanisms. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024.
Publication Date: 2004
Personality and Individual Differences (01918869)36(3)pp. 695-704
Research with clinically anxious adults has revealed that they estimate future negative events as far more likely to occur, relative to healthy controls. In addition, anxious adults estimate that such events are more likely to happen to themselves than to others. Previous research with anxious children and adolescents, in contrast, has revealed no increased probability estimates for negative events, relative to controls, and the events were rated as more likely to happen to others than to the self. The present study followed up these discrepant findings by investigating probability estimates for future negative events in children and adolescents with high and low levels of self-reported trait anxiety but who had no reported history of emotional disorder. The results revealed a significant difference between the two groups with respect to their overall probability estimates for negative events, the high anxious group estimating that negative events were more likely to happen than the low anxious group. These findings are consistent with the results using adult clinical subjects and support the suggestion that previous differences between the adult and developmental literature are a function of non-normative performance specifically in clinically anxious younger participants. © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2014
Journal of Isfahan Medical School (10277595)32(302)pp. 1546-1556
Background: Cerebral malaria is the most common parasitic infection of the central nervous system. This disease is more common in children than adults. Cerebral malaria could cause neurologic injuries and cognitive deficits. The aim of this study was to assess cognitive function in children with cerebral malaria and to compare them with healthy children in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. Methods: The population of this causal-comparative study was children aged 7 to 12 years in Sistan and Baluchestan province. 30 children with cerebral malaria and 30 healthy children were selected from Razi hospital in Saravan, Imam Ali hospital in Chabahar and centers for children in these two cities. They were assessed through the Color Training Test (CTT), Working memory subscale of Wechsler Intelligence test for Children (WISC-IV), Rey visual memory test, Rey Auditory Memory Test and The executive functions Tower of London Test. The data were analysed using multivariate analysis of variances (MANOVA). Findings: There were significant differences between the two groups in attention (P < 0.001), working memory (P < 0.001), immediate visual memory (P < 0.001), delay visual memory (P < 0.001), immediate auditory memory (P < 0.001), delay auditory memory (P < 0.001) and executive functions (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Findings indicated that cerebral malaria causes deficits in cognitive performance of children with this disease. © 2014, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2016
Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation (19455119)23(4)pp. 254-260
Background: Genetic factors like the allele for Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) are associated with the outcome of ischemic stroke most likely through affecting neural differentiation and synaptic plasticity. Studies of the association of BDNF G196A gene polymorphism and long-term ischemic stroke outcome in various populations have not been concordant. Objective: In this research, the association of BDNF G196A gene polymorphism and ischemic stroke occurrence were studied in a northern Iranian population with a glance to its 6-month outcome. Methods: The genetic variant of BDNF G196A was examined in Ischemic Stroke (IS) patients (n = 206) and control group (n = 200). In IS individuals, outcome variables such as stroke severity, functional disability, and cognitive impairment were examined, respectively, by NIHSS, Barthel Index, and MoCA in an average of 202 days after the stroke occurrence. Results: The frequency of risk allele G was 12.1% in IS patients and 5.5% in healthy individuals; and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). The frequency of risk genotype GG, heterozygote and homozygote were 0% and 1%, 24.3% and 9%, 75.7% and 90%, respectively, for IS and control groups (p < 0.05). After controlling the phenotype confounding factors, logistic regression analysis showed that there was a borderline significant relationship between genotype BDNF GA + GG and IS occurrence (AOR = 1.997,95% CI: 0.252– 1.010, p = 0.051). There was no significant difference between the various genotypic groups regarding the severity of the stroke and functional disability. Yet, G allele carriers had more cognitive impairment after IS (p = 0.002). Conclusion: For the first time in an Iranian population, it was demonstrated that BDNF G196A variant plays a major role in stroke occurrence and consequences. It is suggested that, after IS, G allele carriers should have precedence for medicinal and rehabilitation interventions, in order to reduce their cognitive deficiency. © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Publication Date: 2010
International Journal of Social Psychiatry (00207640)56(2)pp. 158-167
Background: Although previous research has established a direct impact of natural disasters on child mental health, there is limited knowledge on the underpinning mechanisms, particularly when there has been the loss of a parent. Aims: To establish: (a) the rates of behavioural and emotional problems of school-aged children who had lost their parents in the 2003 earthquake in Iran, compared with children from intact families who attended the same schools; (b) the relationship between the psychopathology of the surviving parents’ and children's behavioural and emotional problems; and (c) whether this relationship was compounded by socioeconomic factors. Methods: Eighty six children of 7—13 years who had lost a parent in the earthquake four years earlier were compared with 80 matched children from intact families. The teacher and parent versions of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were used as measures of behavioural and emotional problems. Parents’ psychopathology was established by the Self Report Questionnaire (SRQ). Results: Behavioural and emotional problems were significantly higher in children who had suffered parental loss than in the control group. There was a significant association between parent-rated SDQ and SRQ scores. Parental death was found to interact with socioeconomic variables in predicting children's behavioural and emotional problems and surviving parents’ mental health problems. Conclusions: After natural disasters, bereaved children and their surviving parents are at risk of developing mental health problems, and social adversities increase this risk. © 2010, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 1990
Bereavement Care (02682621)9(1)pp. 5-7
228 pre-school children whose fathers were killed during the Iran-Iraq war and who attended nurseries run by the Martyrs’ Foundation in the central city of Isfahan, were compared with 124 children from intact families on McGuire and Richman's (1986) Pre-school Behaviour Checklist. Results showed that 1) the overall rate of behaviour problems was lower in Martyrs’ children than controls; 2) among the bereaved children, this rate was significantly lower when the mothers had remarried; 3) sex differences were found in the rates of behaviour problems reported. © 1990, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 1999
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology (15732835)27(3)pp. 215-223
Recent research has indicated that anxious adult and child patients and high trait-anxious adults selectively shift attention toward threatening stimuli. The present study extends this research and investigates the content-specificity of the effects in clinically anxious and mixed anxious- depressed children and adolescents. Twenty four generally anxious patients, aged 9 to 18, 19 mixed anxious-depressed patients, and 24 normal controls were comparable with respect to age, sex, verbal IQ, and vocabulary level. The participants carried out an attentional deployment task in which probe detection latency data were used to determine the distribution of visual attention for threat-related and depression-related material. The results showed that clinically anxious children, relative to controls, selectively allocated processing resources toward threat stimuli. However, mixed anxious- depressed children, relative to controls, did not show any attentional bias towards either threat- or depression-related stimuli. Preliminary data on age and gender differences are also presented. The results of this study are discussed in the light of previous research.
Publication Date: 2023
Veterinary Research Forum (20088140)14(6)pp. 347-350
A 15-year-old male terrier dog with symptoms of lethargy and severe abdominal distension was referred to the polyclinic hospital of the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. In addition to numbness and abdominal distension, the dog also had anorexia and severe weakness and some skin masses were observed. Due to the enlarged abdomen, splenomegaly was diagnosed in ultrasonography. Fine needle aspiration was performed on the liver and skin mass and then, neoplastic lesions were reported based on cytology. On the necropsy, two masses were found on the liver and shoulder skin. These masses were well-encapsulated, soft and multi-lobulated. Samples taken from the liver and skin were prepared by Hematoxylin and Eosin staining and then, two different immunohistochemical markers were used to confirm the initial diagnosis. Histopathological examination of these two well-encapsulated, soft and multi-lobulated masses on the liver and skin showed lipid content and liposarcoma was indicated. Immunohistochemical staining using two markers, S100 and MDM2, made a definitive diagnosis and confirmed the diagnosis. © 2023 Urmia University. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2018
Journal of Management Development (02621711)37(9-10)pp. 711-720
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce case-method teaching (CMT), its advantages and disadvantages for the process of organizational training within organizations, as well as to compare its advantages and disadvantages with current training methods. Design/methodology/approach: The authors applied a systematic literature review to define, identify and compare CMT with current methods. Findings: In CMT, participants get involved with real-world challenges from an action perspective instead of analyzing them from a distance. Also, different reactions of the participants to the same challenge aid instructors to identify the individual differences of participants toward the challenge. Although CMT is still not considered as a popular organizational training method, the advantages of CMT may encourage organizational instructors to further apply it. Improving the long-term memory, enhancing the quality of decision making and understanding the individual differences of individuals are the advantages of CMT. Research limitations/implications: A lack of sufficient empirical researchers and the high cost of conducting this method may prevent practitioners to apply it. Originality/value: The review suggested that CMT is able to bring dilemmas from the real world into training settings. Also, it helps organizations to identify the individual reactions before they make a decision. © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Publication Date: 2024
Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences (21906491)14(2)pp. 372-383
Climate change awareness and support for decarbonization among different parts of society are crucial to any initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Iran is one of the top CO2-emitting countries. However, there have been limited efforts in studying the Iranian population’s knowledge of global warming, their concerns about its consequences, and their support for a decarbonized economy. In this work, we study climate change awareness and the support for decarbonization among university students in Isfahan Province. Isfahan is one of the most populated and developed provinces in Iran. Therefore, understanding the awareness and willingness to act among the educated young generation adults in this province is critical in assessing plans to mitigate climate change in Iran. We present a correlation analysis between students’ backgrounds (age, gender, economic background, and level of education) and their concerns about climate change consequences and their support for a transition toward a decarbonized economy. The results show that most surveyed students (N = 388) agree that global warming is a concerning issue. Moreover, most students have taken some actions in their personal lives to reduce their carbon footprint. However, the support for policies to prevent climate change was not as strong among the students. Our analysis shows younger students have higher support for climate actions. Moreover, female students are more aware of the climate crisis and its consequences. © AESS 2024.
Publication Date: 2024
European Journal of Psychotraumatology (20008066)15(1)
Background: Childhood trauma has negative immediate and long-term impacts on depression. Questions remain, however, regarding the cognitive factors influencing this relationship. This study aimed to investigate the role of three cognitive factors–cognitive overgeneralisation, rumination and social problem-solving–as mediating factors in the relationship between childhood trauma and symptoms of depression. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Iran from March to July 2023. Participants (N = 227; Mean age 32.44 ± 8.95 years) with depression completed measures of childhood trauma, depression, self-overgeneralisation, cognitive errors, memory specificity, rumination and social problem-solving. The conceptual model was assessed using structural equation modelling. Results: Structural equation modelling indicated that childhood trauma had a positive direct effect on depression symptoms. Childhood trauma had a positive indirect effect on depression symptoms through both self-overgeneralisation and rumination and a negative indirect effect on depression through effective social problem-solving strategies. Conclusions: The findings suggest increased exposure to childhood trauma may be associated with elevated depression and self-overgeneralisation, rumination, and effective social problem-solving strategies may play an important role in this relationship. These findings hold potential implications for those working with patients with depression and a history of childhood trauma. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Publication Date: 2011
Journal Of Research In Medical Sciences (17357136)16(11)pp. 1466-1472
BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment associated with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) has been recognized in multiple studies. We designed this study to find a specific cognitive profile in patients with TLE who were candidates for epilepsy surgery. We also sought to find if neuropsychological assessment could differentiate left TLE, right TLE and normal subjects. METHODS: The sample of this study consisted of 29 patients with right TLE, 31 with left TLE, and 32 subjects without history of seizure as the control group. For all recruited patients and controls, demographic questionnaire, Wechsler Memory Scale-III (WMS-III) and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-R (WAIS-R) were administered. Multivariate analysis of variance was carried out to reveal differences in memory and intelligence performance between the three groups. RESULTS: All of the mean scores of the WMS-III indexes were significantly higher in the control group in comparison with the right or the left TLE groups (p < 0.001). There were not any significant differences between mean scores of WMS-III indexes of the right and the left. The WAIS-R also showed significantly better mean scores of full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) and performance intelligence quotient (PIQ) in the control groups than both of the right and left TLE patients (p < 0.001). Although the verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ) mean scores were significantly different between the left TLE and the control group (p = 0.037), there were not any significant differences between the right TLE patients and the control group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicated that WMS-III and WAIS-R can differentiate patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy from normal subjects. However, the obtained cognitive profile could not differentiate between the right and the left TLE.
