Search published articles
Volume 13, Issue 0 (3-2013)
Objective: The purpose of this study was to comparing executive functions in children with autistic and normal and relationship with math and reading ability.
Materials & Methods: Present descriptive-comparative study consisted of 132 students (16 autistic and 116 normal). Normal students had been selected by convenient sampling. Because the statistical population was limited, the whole individuals were recruited in the study. Two groups also were match. Cooldige and cornoldy, Key-Math and reading level scales were orderly used to assess executive functions, math and reading ability. Data were analyzed by multi-vitiates analyses of variance.
Results: The results showed that autistic children have weaker executive functions than healthy children. Also the results showed that organizing and planning-decision making are more influential in predicting mathematics ability and inhibition. Moreover active memory and inhibition are more influential in predicting reading ability.
Conclusion: Based on these findings, it can conclude that executive functions are disabled in autistic children and these disabilities are correlated with their weakness in mathematics and reading ability.
Volume 14, Issue 1 (4-2013)
Objectives: The present study aims to investigate the efficacy of executive functions training (response inhibition) on the rate of impulsivity in preschool children with developmental coordination disorder in Isfahan city.
Materials & Methods: The participants of this study were three preschool children which were recognized to have developmental coordination disorder. To collect data, we used NEPSY neuropsychology test, Conner’s parent rating scale, Wechsler intelligence scale for children, basic motor ability tests and clinical interview. A single-subject method with MBD design research methodology was used as well.
Results: The results of the data chart analysis based on descriptive statistics' and visual analysis indices revealed that the intervention has been effective on the three participants (PND of 80%, 70% and 70% for test number one, two and three, respectively).
Conclusion: The results of the present study show that response inhibition executive function training can reduce level of impulsivity.
Volume 16, Issue 3 (10-2015)
Objective: The relation between autism disorder’s symptoms and cognitive capabilities can help with a better phenotype description of this disorder and can facilitate its pathological evaluation and treatment. Destruction of executive functions seems to be one of the cognitive reasons of potential phenotype in autism disorder. Thus, the present paper aims to study the relationship between executive dysfunction and autism disorder’s symptoms.
Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional research, 50 children with high-functioning autism were selected using convenience sampling method from Behara, Tehranpars and Roshd centers. Then, the GARS test and Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire was completed by therapists and neuropsychological tests of Strop and continuous performance test and shift attention were taken by the subjects. Pearson correlation coefficient and multi-variant regression were used for data analysis.
Results: There is a significant positive relationship between selective attention with communicative and social interaction symptoms, sustained attention with social interaction symptoms and repetitive behaviors, shifting attention with communicative, social interaction and repetitive behavior symptoms (P<0.001) (P<0.01) (P<0.05). In addition, the results of regression analysis also revealed that selective attention and shifting attention can predict communication, and sustained attention can predict social interaction and repetitive behaviors symptoms (P<0.01) (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The results obtained by this study indicate the significant role of executive functions in autistic symptoms. Thus, it is recommended to consider new treatment interventions in repairing executive functions for treatment of children with autistic disorder.
Volume 18, Issue 1 (6-2017)
Objective One of the phenomena that have been observed among survivors of childhood cancers like leukemia is the late side effects of the applied treatments, such as chemotherapy, on executive cognitive functions. These problems lead to various complaints such as experiencing dullness while performing activities, encountering difficulties in conducting various tasks simultaneously, and having no interest in laying out plans. These issues will endanger and negate the advantage of any increase in survival rate. Therefore, the aim of this clinical trial is to evaluate the efficiency of using a series of cognitive rehabilitation exercises in improving executive functions on the level of hope in adolescents who survived leukemia.
Methods & Materials This research is a quasi-experimental study with pretest, posttest, and follow-up stages. The study population consisted of all the adolescents between the ages of 12 to 18 years, who survived leukemia, in Tehran city. Purposive sampling method was used. Based on the medical records and inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 patients, who had been referred to the section of blood diseases at the Mofid hospital in the year 2013, were selected and accidentally classified into intervention (15) and wait list (15) groups. The participants of the intervention group received treatment offered as part of the cognitive rehabilitation program over a period of 12 sessions. The research data was collected using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, Achenbach Behavior Scale, and the Miller Hope Test. These data were analyzed with the help of descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (multivariate analysis of covariance).
Results The mean treatment duration was found to be 23.27 months in the intervention group and 27.00 months in the waiting list group. The mean treatment completion time of the intervention group is obtained as 25.60, and in the waiting list group as 30.67. The findings of the Miller hope questionnaire revealed that executive functions witnessed a significant positive effect due to cognitive rehabilitation, in adolescents who survived leukemia (P<0.05). This effect remained stable, as shown in a follow-up of one month after the intervention (P<0.05).
Conclusion The results of this study have shown that the effect of cognitive rehabilitation on executive functions reaps significant dividends with regard to the promotion of hope in adolescents who survived leukemia and have been under the chemotherapy. The promotion of hope in participants belonging to the intervention group was more than in the participants of the wait list group. Given the fact that, today, one of the main goals of treatment of chronic diseases such as cancer is to enhance the quality of mental health of the surviving patients, the use of inexpensive and accessible programs like cognitive rehabilitation would be very effective. Consequently, healthcare professionals could attempt to reduce the side effects caused by chemotherapy and radiation, in addition to improving the cognitive issues of affected individuals, by placing emphasis on hope among the concerned patients. Therefore, it is recommended to conduct further research by considering the results of this work in order to develop effective cognitive rehabilitation interventions, thereby, enhancing the coping strategies, quality of life, and mental health of patients who are afflicted with cancer and those who survived cancer. Cognitive rehabilitation services should also be considered for post-treatment follow-up projects.
Volume 19, Issue 3 (10-2018)
Materials & Methods This study was a quasi-experimental research with pretest and post-test. The study population included all children with ADHD in Khorramabad City, Iran. The sample included 10 children with ADHD who were selected by convenience sampling method. The inclusion criteria comprised diagnosis of ADHD confirmed by the psychiatrist and psychologist, normal IQ, and no history of another neurological disease or developmental disorder. In the pretest, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) was completed for children. It is one of the most common tools for measuring the executive functions and reflects the teacher's view about student’s behavior in the area of executive functions. It screens the executive function problems and covers two areas: metacognition and self-regulation. It measures inhibition, flexibility, emotional control, initiating, working memory, planning–organizing, organization of materials and monitoring. Then, the subjects participated in neurofeedback sessions. Each subject received 10 neurofeedback sessions, twice a week. The beta/theta protocol was administered to all subjects. The purpose of this protocol was to increase beta waves and reduce theta waves. After completing the neurofeedback sessions, BRIEF was completed again in post-test. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were used for data analysis and inferential statistics was done by paired t test.
Results The scores of executive functions in the pretest are significantly different from those in the post-test (P<0.001). Also, the findings showed that self-regulation score in the pretest is significantly different from that in the post-test (P<0.001). In addition, metacognition score of the pretest shows a significant difference from that in the post-test (P<0.001).
Conclusion Neurofeedback can improve the executive functions in children with ADHD. It can help children with ADHD to change their brain waves, and makes them aware of their cognitive performance.
Volume 23, Issue 3 (9-2022)
Materials & Methods: This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all 8 to 12 years old students who were studying in specific schools for learning disorders in the 2020-2021 academic year in Sanandaj City, Iran. Thirty children (17 boys and 13 girls) were selected by convenience method and assessed using the Iranian Key Math Test. Then, 28 students with one standard deviation lower than the mean (≤85 points) were diagnosed as dyscalculic, and their parents signed a written consent form. Students were excluded if they had seizures and epilepsy, or other neurodevelopmental disorders or were absent more than two times from intervention sessions. All students were matched according to gender and age and randomly assigned to the experimental (7 boys and 7 girls) and control groups (8 boys and 6 girls). The executive functions of all students were assessed by the Behavioral Rating Inventory for Executive Functions (BRIEF). The experimental group individually participated in 12 sessions (twice a week; 30 to 45 minutes per session) and was trained by the cognitive rehabilitation program. However, the control group only attended the mainstream curriculum. Again, all students were assessed by the BRIEF in the last session and 5 weeks later in the follow-up. The obtained data were analyzed by using analysis of variance with repeated measures.
Results: The findings showed that the cognitive rehabilitation program has significantly influenced executive functions and their components (behavior regulation and metacognition) in students with dyscalculia. According to the eta quotient, 42%, 32%, and 43% of the variances of executive functions, behavior regulation, and metacognition of the experimental group, respectively, have been explained by participating in the cognitive rehabilitation program. In addition, the program’s effectiveness lasted for a 5-week follow-up later.
Conclusion: Considering the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation programs on executive functions, designing and implementing the same rehabilitative programs not only improves the executive functions of students with dyscalculia but also prevents their problems relating to learning academic skills.
Volume 25, Issue 0 (10-2024)
Materials & Methods This was a descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional comparative study. The participants of this research included 56 normal children and 20 children with developmental language disorders in the age range of 5 to 8 years. All the subjects were examined using the tower of London test, stroop task (the moon and the sun) to assess executive functions and verbal fluency test, and Persian language development battery to assess language functions. All analysis was done using the SPSS software, version 18.
Results According to the findings of this research, both groups of participants showed significant differences in the linguistic variables of syntactic complexity and syntactic comprehension (P<0.05); however, no significant difference was seen in other language variables, including verbal fluency, type-token ratio, number of utterances, and repetition. In executive function skills, an important difference was observed in the number of errors made during the tower of London test (P<0.05). However, in other components of this test, including total score, total time, delay time, and task completion time, as well as selective attention skills, there was no difference between the two groups. On the other hand, there was a correlation between selective attention and verbal fluency, as well as between problem-solving/organization skills and the linguistic variables of type-token ratio, number of utterances, syntactic comprehension and verbal fluency (P<0.05).
Conclusion Children with developmental language disorder performed weaker than their normal peers at different language levels as well as in some executive function skills. There is a causal relationship between some language deficits and executive function deficits. More research is needed to confirm or reject this hypothesis.
| Page 1 from 1 |
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-By-NC), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
Contact Information
© 2025 CC BY-NC 4.0 | Archives of Rehabilitation
Designed & Developed by : Yektaweb
