درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Background: Losing a limb can negatively impact balance and gait, leading to reduced quality of life.Aim: This study aimed to examine correlations between spatiotemporal gait and balance with scores of the Quality of Life questionnaire.Materials and Methods: 30 veterans with unilateral below-knee amputations underwent gait analysis to measure step length, stride length, stance time, cadence, velocity, and walking symmetry index by step length. Static balance was assessed via the center of pressure path length by Wii Balance Board during standing. The Timed Up and Go test evaluated dynamic balance. The QoL scores were recorded using the Quality of Life questionnaire for amputees, Trinity Amputation, and Prosthesis Experience Scales (TAPES). Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated between spatiotemporal of gait, balance scores, and TAPES domain outcomes.Results: Stride length (r=0.660), prosthetic step length (r=0.648) and intact step length (r=0.618) showed significant moderate positive correlations with psychosocial adjustment, while amputation limb stance time (r=-0.409) correlated weakly. Activity limitations negatively correlated with step/stride lengths (r range -0.781 to -0.784) and cadence (r=-0.538). Moreover, prosthesis satisfaction was associated with improved walking symmetry (r=0.445) and prosthetic stance time (r=0.388).Conclusion: Optimizing gait and balance in below-knee amputation can improve quality of life. Biomechanical factors should be targeted in rehab programs to enhance well-being.

Sports diplomacy is regarded as one of the most important communicative components among nations in their international relations. Regarding the mentioned fact, the main objective of this study was to provide a paradigm of sport diplomacy in the foreign policy of Iran. This is a qualitative study with exploratory nature by applying the Strauss and Corbin grounded theory approach. The data collection tool was semi-structured interviews with 14 elites including sports experts and policymakers. Findings demonstrated 133 initial concepts in open coding, reduced into 27 categories, and categorized into six main themes to support the initial development of the model. The results showed that adopting appropriate strategies like managerial evolution, developing indigenous models, national brand-making through sports, educating and empowering human resources, legal and structural development of sports diplomacy, and cultural changes in Iranian professional sports could bring greater consequences that encourage governing bodies to alter attitudes toward the role of sports diplomacy, and to empowers foreign policy for strengthening mutual relations worldwide.     

Background: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a non-invasive method that offers a potential solution to reduce the effects of aging on brain function. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of offline tACS over the supplementary motor area on bimanual coordination in elderly people. Materials and Methods: Thirty-one women aged of 60-75 years were selected as convenience. They were assigned to 2 conditions: tACS and Sham, in random order, with one-week interval between conditions. After pre-test, each participant completed four trials of 5 min using Purdue pegboard task. Concurrently, participants received beta tACS with a current intensity of 1 mA. Immediate retention test, transfer test, and delayed retention tests after 48 hours and 1 week were conducted. A 2(condition) x 4(test) ANOVA with repeated measures was performed on gain scores. Results: The main effects of condition and test were significant ( P <0.0001). The Bonferroni tests revealed the significant improvement of bimanual coordination in the tACS condition compared to the sham condition in all retention and transfer tests ( P <0.05). Conclusion: The findings highlights the potential use of offline beta tACS over the SMA as a modulatory factor for enhancing bimanual coordination in the elderly women.

Purpose: The world is getting old. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disease, which in case of no intervention, this ratio reaches 4 more advanced stages in people over 85 years old. Some methods have shown that they can be effective in preventing and slowing down the course of the disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of aerobic exercise program on the quality and some physiological parameters related to sleep in the elderly with Alzheimer's disease. Method: 22 elderly people with Alzheimer's disease were randomly divided into two groups of 11 people: aerobic exercise and control. The subjects in the aerobic training group practiced three sessions every week for twelve weeks and each session lasted for 45 minutes. The sleep quality of the subjects was evaluated by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire (PSQI). Physiological variables related to sleep (TG, TC, LDL, HDL) were also measured by blood sampling before and after twelve weeks of aerobic exercise Results: The results showed that the sleep quality of the subjects improved by 31% in the Pied Heroi group, which was statistically significant. In addition, there was a significant improvement in the changes of TG (p=0.034), TC (p=0.017), LDL (p=0.006), and HDL (p=0.016) in the aerobic training group. The results of the independent t test also showed that there was a significant difference in sleep quality between the aerobic training and control groups. However, no relationship was observed between changes in sleep quality and changes in physiological variables related to sleep. Conclusion: It can be concluded that twelve weeks of aerobic exercise improves sleep quality along with some physiological parameters related to sleep in the elderly with Alzheimer's disease and will be useful as a way to treat sleep problems in the elderly.