Showing 3 results for Autism Spectrum
Yousef Dehghani,
Volume 26, Issue 135 (4-2016)
Abstract
Background and purpose: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulty in social functioning, communication, and the presence of stereotypic and repetitive behaviors. Due to various problems of these children, their families, especially their mothers experience extreme stress. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy on mental health and irrational beliefs of mothers with autistic children.
Materials and methods: In this study a quasi-experimental design including pre-test, post-test and control group was used. First, a sample size of 30 women with autistic children were selected and tested. In pre-test, the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and Jones Irrational Beliefs Test (IBT) were administered individually to experimental group (n = 15) and control group (n = 15). Then, cognitive behavioral therapy (consisting of ten weekly 75-minute sessions) was conducted in experimental group whereas no intervention was done in control group. After the intervention, the general health and irrational beliefs were measured again.
Results: The MANCOVA analysis showed that cognitive behavioral therapy was effective in reducing irrational beliefs in experimental group (179.45±20.64) (P<0.0001). Also, the intervention improved the scores for general health among experimental group (36.06±10.92) (P<0.0001).
Conclusion: Cognitive behavioral therapy as a useful therapeutic intervention could be of benefit in improving mental health and irrational beliefs in mothers with autistic children.
Shiva Sanati, Mahdi Saadatmand, Sirous Nekooei,
Volume 29, Issue 171 (4-2019)
Abstract
Background and purpose: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a psychiatric disorder which occurs in early years of life and causes various individual and social problems. Early detection of autism would help in taking necessary precautions and preventing its adverse side effects.
Methods & Materials: In this paper, we reviewed the articles that have investigated brain structural changes caused by ASD based on brain volumetric analysis in magnetic resonance images. We studied 37 papers about brain volume measurement, 34 articles concerning brain structural changes in autistic patients, 9 about brain functional changes, and 15 on major causes, diagnosis, and treatment of autism.
Results: According to literature, autism leads to whole brain enlargement (1.58%-10%). ASD was reported to cause increase in the volume of left anterior temporal gyrus, left posterior cingulate gyrus, right calcarine sulcus, left and right lingual gyrus, left precuneus, and right thalamus. But, no considerable volume changes were detected in the white matter. Also, autistic patients were found to have lower activity in the fusiform gyrus and broca region compared to normal subjects.
Conclusion: Brain structural analysis using magnetic resonance imaging provides promising evidences for early detection of autism in children younger than three years of age. However, to evaluate brain structural changes in autistic patients, considering the theory of age-specific anatomic abnormalities (brain enlargement in childhood and brain volume decrease in adulthood), gender, and intelligence quotient are necessary.
Mohammad Khoddami Tehrani, Masoume Pourmohamadreza-Tajrishi, Kaveh Moghaddam, Mohsen Vahedi,
Volume 33, Issue 221 (5-2023)
Abstract
Background and purpose: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with problems in social interaction. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of puppet psychodrama and pantomime on social interaction in children with ASD.
Materials and methods: We performed a quasi-experimental study in 7-11 year-old children (n=45) with high functioning ASD. They were selected from the Welfare Centers of Tehran, Isfahan, Guilan, and Mashhad Provinces in 2020-2021 school year using convenience sampling. The participants were assigned into two experimental groups (puppet psychodrama or pantomime) and one control group (n=15 per group). The two experimental groups separately participated in 20 virtual sessions (twice a week; 15 minutes per session) and received puppet psychodrama or pantomime, while the control group only participated in mainstream programs of the Center. The social interaction of all participants were evaluated using the Autism Social Skills Profile before and after the intervention and after eight weeks. Descriptive indices were used and Chi-square, Shapiro-Wilk test, Mauchly’s sphericity test, and the Repeated measures ANOVA were applied for data analysis.
Results: The eta-quotients showed that both puppet psychodrama and pantomime significantly changed social interaction (88% and 78%, respectively) and its components, including social reciprocity (88% and 78%, respectively), social participation (89% and 81%, respectively), and detrimental social behavior (87% and 76%, respectively) (both P<0.001). The puppet psychodrama compared to pantomime led to 37% of variation in social interaction. The findings indicated that the control group did not change significantly over time (P>0.05).
Conclusion: Considering the effectiveness of puppet psychodrama, it can be used as an alternative method along with other family-oriented interventions and prevent the consequences of social interaction problems.
