ABSTRACT
This study has been carried out in order to investigate the effect of musical activities on attention of schizophrenic patients. Since April 2010, 55 patients from members of the Association of Schizophrenic Patients [Ahba] were screened using available sampling method. They randomly divided into two groups which were consisted of experimental group [30] and control group [25]. The experimental group participated in 24 sessions of the music therapy, which were provided in the place of Ahba association in June and July of the same year. Data were collected using Stroop test, continuous performance test and Lezak letter cancellation test in pre-test and post-test stages. In the experimental group, average scores of processing speed, before and after intervention had significant difference and music affected this group [p< 0.05] but no significant deference was observed between and within the groups in other variables. Music therapy can be effective on elevating of maintenance of attention in schizophrenic patients, but a considerable influence on this group needs more studies.
ABSTRACT
Neuroscience has recently contributed a lot to the understanding of aesthetic experience features. Science, art and creativity are not really distinctively different entities. The parallelism seen between the properties of art and organizational principals of the brain has been highlighted through neuroaesthetic studies. Aesthetic as a subjective experience has comprehensively been studies through neuro-scientific, psychological, sociologic and cultural standpoints. This is a controversial topic in cognitive neuroscience, meanwhile seemingly varied results of the conducted researches in this field may be conceptualized in a framework linking aesthetics to neuroscience of affective visual processing, reward circuitries and the nature of decision making. Approaching the question of art-brain parallelism, is along side with elucidating the relation between perception and aesthetic experience, and the features of aesthetic judgment and reward. Moreover, other factors such as cultural underpinnings undoubtedly come into play. In this review we used expert opinions and literary notions to present a report on how neuroscience has so far elaborated on different features of the aesthetic phenomenon hoping to probe areas of neuroaeshetic research which can potentially assess our cultural interface with the aesthetics and cognitive neuroscience
ABSTRACT
Parkinson's disease [PD] is a common progressive neurodegenerative disorder, which its onset is later in adults and it's incidence increases in people aged between 55 and 60 years. Dexterity, because of it's role at upper extremity function and person independency in function, is assessed in rehabilitation. Purdue-Pegboard test often is used in rehabilitation clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability and practice effects of the Purdue Pegboard test in persons with PD. 24 PD patients aging 5- 89 of both sexes were non-randomly selected from rehabilitation clinics and hospitals of Tehran. A demographic questionnaire was used for documenting patient's general data and the Purdue pegboard test and a timer were used for determining of reliability. Each subtest was administered three times in a row. The time distance between test and retest was one week. The relative reliability in repeated measures was above 90% in different items of Purdue pegboard test in single and mean of testes in off phase, thus indicates an excellent reliability. The absolute reliability [SEM] was lower than 10% of maximum obtained scores at each subtest in one and three trial of test that indicates acceptable errors of measurement. The results of the present study indicate that Purdue Pegboard test is enough reliable in evaluating a manual dexterity of Parkinson patients in drug on-phase