Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of Music Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Quality of Life (QoL), craving, and emotional regulation in patients under methadone maintenance therapy. Methods: The method of the study was quasi-experimental and multi-group pre-test and post-test design. The statistical population consisted of all clients treated with methadone maintenance therapy in addiction treatment clinics affiliated with Tehran Health Organization in 2018. Then 54 people of whom (18 in each group) were selected through purposeful sampling in two experimental groups (Music-Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and a control group was included. The data was collected using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the Quality of Life Questionnaire, and Craving Questionnaire. The ANCOVA was used for data analysis. Results: The results showed that both Music Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Improved the QoL, emotion regulation in the experimental group compared to the control group and significantly reduced craving (P<0.01). The results of the follow-up test showed that the mean scores of the experimental groups in the study variables were significantly different from the control group. Conclusion: There was a significant difference between the treatment groups in terms of their effect on the QoL and negative cognitive emotion regulation so that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy was more effective in regulating negative emotions and enhancing the QoL but there was no significant difference in regulating for positive emotions and reducing craving. These results suggest that both treatments significantly increase the QoL, emotional regulation, and it reduces craving.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is considered a chronic disease in which physical and mental disorders are common among these patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Lazarus multimodal approach intervention on psychological distress, working memory, and anxiety in patients with MS. Methods: A quasi-experimental research method with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up and a control group was used in this study. The statistical population of the study included the patients who were members of the "MS Patient Support Society" in Tehran who had been referred to this center during January and March 2017. The sample consisted of 32 people selected by the convenience sampling method from the members of the MS community. The data were obtained through the Kessler psychological distress scale (K10), the Wechsler’s Working Memory Index, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. The experimental group underwent the Lazarus multimodal approach in ten 90-minute sessions of two sessions per week for one and a half months. The control group received no intervention. The follow-up was performed three months after the post-test. The repeated measurement method and SPSS 22 were used to analyze the data. Results: The findings showed that the Lazarus multimodal approach had a significant effect on decreasing anxiety (P<0.001), psychological distress (P<0.001), and increasing working memory (P<0.001). Conclusion: It can be concluded that Lazarus’ multimodal approach was effective on anxiety, psychological distress, and working memory and can be employed to reduce psychological problems in patients with MS.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of neurofeedback exercises on executive performance, cognitive flexibility, and attention in students with learning disabilities. Material & Methods: In this study, a total of 30 male students with learning disabilities were referred to the Movafaghiat Clinic in Tehran, Iran, and were randomly assigned to two groups (each including 15 students). The first group (experimental group) received 16 sessions of neurofeedback training (two sessions per week) and the second group (control) did not receive any intervention. The study instruments included the Wisconsin cognitive flexibility test and the Stroop attention test. The data were analyzed using the univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS software (version 24). (Ethic code: IR.IAU.TNB.REC.1401.031) Findings: The results showed that the experimental group had superiority in terms of the indicators of the Stroop Attention test and Wisconsin Cognitive Flexibility test. Discussion & Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, neurofeedback training is effective in improving the executive functions of students with learning disabilities. Accordingly, this method can be used to improve the executive functions of these groups of students.

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