The relationship between sensory experiences and social functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Objective: This study was undertaken to substantiate the connection between sensory experiences and social functioning among 142 children ages 4-10 years with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: Using an online cross-sectional survey, mothers' perceptions of sensory and social characteristics of their children on parent-reported measures of sensory experiences and social functioning were collected. Findings: Using SPSS software to follow the related descriptive statistics and correlational analysis, the results indicated that children had different levels of challenging sensory experiences and social interaction difficulties. It was revealed that higher intensities of sensory issues were associated with lower levels of functioning and greater social interaction difficulties. Further analysis revealed that less awkward, unpleasant experiences in the auditory and tactile sensory functioning correlated with less social difficulties. Conclusions: Given that no causal relationship could be drawn in this study, the findings complemented those of earlier studies, which suggest engagement in social interactions may be correlated with sensory response patterns.

A cross-sectional study to investigate motivation for physical activity in a sample of Iranian community-dwelling older adults.

Background: On the basis of the Social-Ecological Model, there are assumed to be three sources of motivation - intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community motivation - that prompt older adults to participate in physical activity (PA). These three motivational sources can lead to PA behavior adherence. Little empirical research exists that investigates which motivational source is more influential in older adults' adherence to PA, thus creating an area of interest for this research. Methods: A cross-sectional study was used to investigate the relationship between levels of PA and different sources of motivation. The convenience sample of 140 community-dwelling older adults, aged 60 and greater, living in Shiraz, Iran agreed to complete self-reported questionnaires,to measure motivation and PA. Five statistical tests were used: Independent-samples t test, one way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, chi-square, and ordinal regression. Results: Ordinal regression indicated that gender (P = 0.001, CI: 0.523-2.115) and intrapersonal motivation (P < 0.001, CI: 0.038-0.126) were useful predictors of variations in the levels of PA. Compared to males, females engaged in PA with less frequency (P = 0.006). Community motivation decreased with age (r = - 0.213, P < 0.05). There were no significant relationships between age, educational level, health status, and PA (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Interpersonal and community motivation were insignificant factors for PA participation, perhaps due to non-facilitating environment. Future research should be conducted to investigate the environmental issues that hinder PA participation in older adults.

The Relationships between Problem-Solving, Creativity, and Job Burnout in Iranian Occupational Therapists.

Cognitive resources are assumed to have the potential to buffer the negative influence of job demands. In this study, the relationship between burnout, a consequence of job demands, and cognitive resources of problem-solving and creativity was investigated. There were 50 occupational therapists that completed three standardized instruments assessing problem-solving, creativity, and burnout. Using multiple regression analysis and the Independent-Samples t-test to analyze the data, results showed that cognitive resources were inversely associated with burnout [R2 = 0.38, F (4, 45) = 6.94, p < 0.001] and comparison analysis showed significant differences in creativity between males and females (p = 0.04). Significant positive correlations were also found between creativity and working experience whereby higher levels of creativity associated with more working years. Problem-solving and creativity require attention in occupational therapy because they may mitigate against burnout as the consequence of job demands. A possible implication would be the necessity of empowering occupational therapists' cognitive resources.

Effects of vision and cognitive load on static postural control in subjects with and without patellofemoral pain syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of vision and cognitive load on static postural control in subjects with and without patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). METHODS: Twenty-eight PFPS patients and 28 controls participated in the study. Postural control was assessed in isolation as well as with visual manipulation and cognitive loading on symptomatic limb. The outcome measures of postural control were quantified in terms of area, anterior-posterior (AP), medial-lateral (ML), and mean velocity (MV) of the displacements of center of pressure (COP). In addition, cognitive performance (auditory Stroop task) was measured in the forms of average reaction time and error ratio in baseline (sitting) and different postural conditions. RESULTS: PFPS subjects showed greater increases in area (p = 0.01), AP (p = 0.01), and ML (p = 0.05) displacements of COP in the blindfolded tasks as compared to control group. However, cognitive load did not differently affect postural control in the two groups. Although PFPS and control group had similar reaction times in the sitting position (p = 0.29), PFPS subjects had longer reaction times than healthy subjects in dual task conditions (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Visual inputs seem to be essential for discriminating postural control between PFPS and healthy individuals. PFPS patients biased toward decreasing cognitive performance more than healthy subjects when they perform the single leg stance and cognitive task concurrently.

Adaption to Stroke: A Nonlinear Thinking Approach in Occupational Therapy.

This paper explores the role of perturbance and attractor, two key nonlinear features described by the Neuro-occupation model in shaping human behavior. A convenience sample of eleven Iranian participants who had both strokes and demonstrated high resilience were recruited for this study. To explore the process of how participants fell under the influence of the perturbance and attractor, the content analysis with pre-determined categories using deductive reasoning was used. The findings suggest that perturbance and attractor exerted considerable influences on adaptation to stroke and assist in the understanding of the Neuro-occupation model.

Healthy older adults balance pattern under dual task conditions: exploring the strategy and trend.

Background: In line with health promotion plans, early intervention and fall prevention in geriatric population, it is important to study healthy individuals balance mechanisms. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of adding and removing visual input and dual task on elderly balance. Methods: Twenty healthy elderly recruited from four different senior citizen health club centers and from the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences (USWR) participated in this analytic cross-sectional study. At USWR's Motor Control Laboratory, the participants' postural sway were assessed using force plate in 4 distinct double leg standing conditions with and without presence of visual input and Stroop dual task. Postural and Stroop variables were compared. Results: Findings indicated that when the elderly encountered with either dual task or absence of visual input, they can still manage the situation in a way that changes in sway parameter would not become significant. But, when these two conditions occurred simultaneously, the participant's balance strategy fluctuated. Therefore, the mean velocity showed a significant difference between the "single quiet standing" condition and the condition of standing with eyes closed while the participants were answering Stroop dual task (Mean difference = -0.007, 95% CI = -0.012, -0.002). Conclusion: It appears that velocity parameter is sensitive to small changes, so it is recommended that researchers include this parameter in their future analyses. Balance in elderly can be manipulated by dual task and visual input deprivation.