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Objectives: Short child occupational profile (SCOPE) screening tool is used to assess different factors of functional abilities and record the progress levels of individuals in occupational therapy interventions. This study aimed to validate a Persian version of the SCOPE test. Methods: This methodological research was conducted in two stages, including translation... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cystic fibrosis is a progressive, fatal disease affecting the quality of life. The cystic fibrosis questionnaire-revised (CFQ-R) is an efficient tool to monitor health-related quality of life in patients. The aim of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of the child and parent versions of the Persian version of the CFQ-R in the Iranian population. Methods: Fifty children with cystic fibrosis (6-11 years) and their parents were allocated in this methodological study to examine convergent validity, discriminant validity, test-retest reliability (n = 30), internal consistency, ceiling and floor effects, and agreement between two versions of the CFQ-R. Results: Convergent validity was confirmed for parent proxy (P < 0.05). CFQ-R discriminated patients among stages of disease severity based on lung function, age, and BMI (P < 0.05). Test-retest analysis revealed good to excellent reliability (inter-class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.78-0.97). In most domains, lower quality of life scores was obtained in the parent proxy compared to the child version (P < 0.05). Domain-specific correlations were found between the child version and parent proxy (P < 0.05). Internal consistency was generally confirmed (α = 0.13-0.83 in child version and α = 0.25-0.87 in parent proxy). There were no floor effects. Ceiling effects were mostly seen for physical, digestion, and body image domains in the child version and for eating, weight, and school domains in the parent proxy. Conclusions: The child version and parent proxy of the Persian CFQ-R are valid and reliable measures and can be applied in clinical trials to monitor the quality of life in children with cystic fibrosis. It is recommended to use both versions in conjunction to better interpret the quality of life aspects of children with cystic fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dysgraphia as a problem with handwriting, affects student's performance in school activities and participation. The purpose of the study was to compare dexterity and two-point discrimination of the hand between learning disabled students with dysgraphia and healthy students. Methods: Forty-three students with developmental dysgraphia and 55 normal students in grade two to four from special and regular schools participated in this study. Hand dexterity and static/dynamic discriminative touch were assessed via Purdue Pegboard and Two-Point Discriminator respectively. Results: Significant differences were found in Purdue Pegboard scores between two groups except in doing the test with the left hand (p<0.05). Purdue Pegboard scores were significantly lower in left-handed children with dysgraphia compared to healthy children (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in dynamic two point discrimination between two groups of children (p>0.05). Static two-point discrimination of the thumb finger was significantly higher in children with dysgraphia (p<0.05). Conclusion: Hand dexterity affects handwriting performance in children with dysgraphia. There were no correlations between two-point discrimination and Purdue Pegboard scores of children with dysgraphia. Intervention should focus on other aspects of dexterity rather than sensory components. Hand dominancy also may be a factor influencing hand performance in dysgraphia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate muscle damage indicators and electromyography activities of quadriceps muscles at 25° of hip flexion in untrained healthy females after an eccentric exercise induced muscle fiber damage. Methods: A total of 14 healthy females participated in this pre-experimental study. The subjects performed maximal eccentric quadriceps contractions at 25° of hip flexion. Maximum voluntary extensor isometric and concentric moments, angle of maximum moment for concentric contractions, perceived pain intensity, and pain pressure threshold were examined before, immediately, 48 hours, 120 hours and 14 days after eccentric exercise. Additionally, electromyography of three parts of quadriceps muscle, knee flexion range of motion and thigh circumference were measured before and after eccentric exercise. Results: Significant reductions in maximum isometric moment and maximum concentric moment were observed at angular velocity of 60° per sec immediately after eccentric exercise ( p<0.05). Both maximum isometric moment and maximum concentric moment recovered to the baseline 48 hours after eccentric exercise. Increased pain intensity and decreased knee joint range of motion manifested 48 hours after eccentric exercise. Pain pressure threshold for the quadriceps was higher 14 days after exercise as compared to 48 and 120 hours (p<0.05). No significant changes observed in electromyography and thigh circumference (p>0.05). Conclusion: Eccentric exercise performed at 25° of hip flexion resulted in muscle fiber injuries within the quadriceps muscle. However, electromyography of quadriceps muscle was not significantly different than the baseline. The result indicates that hip joint position may modify the effect of eccentric exercise on muscle activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Handwriting problems are one of the common problems among students in the early years of education. The current study aimed to determine further validation aspects of the Persian Handwriting Assessment Tool (PHAT) in primary school-aged children. Methods: The current methodological study was conducted on 452 healthy 8-10-year-old students in Tehran, Iran, selected via random cluster sampling method. Inclusion criteria were native Persian-speaking and no documented physical and mental impairments. Construct and structural validities were established by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using principal axis factoring with Promax rotation and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), respectively. Criterion validity was examined by expert opinion as the gold standard using Pearson correlation test. Internal consistency, test-retest, and inter-rater reliability were examined using Cronbach's alpha and intra-class correlation (ICC). Test-retest had a seven-day interval. Results: The EFA results indicated two separate factors in the copying and dictation domains. Speed and orthographic error and size were considered as separate items. The CFA confirmed the factor structure. Criterion validity revealed low to moderate correlation (formation: 0.548, P<0.001; 0.503, P<0.001, spacing: 0.553, P<0.001; 0.307, P=0.030, alignment: 0.442, P<0.001; 0.358, P=0.011, size: -0.376, P=0.007; -0.445, P<0.001, and slant: 0.360, P=0.010; 0.372, P=0.008) in copying and dictation domain, respectively. Acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.72-0.99), excellent test-retest (ICC: 0.76-0.99), excellent inter-rater reliability between teachers (ICC: 0.86-0.95), and good to excellent inter-rater reliability between teachers and the occupational therapist (ICC: 0.60-0.95) were reported. Conclusion: The results indicated that the PHAT was a valid and reliable tool for assessing handwriting in primary schoolaged children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]