Background/Aims Breast cancer, one of the most common cancers among Iranian women, affects the physical, psychological and cognitive dimensions of patients' lives. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of neurofeedback training on short-term memory and quality of life in patients with breast cancer. Methods In a randomised, controlled pilot trial, a convenient sample of 20 Iranian women with breast cancer who had received chemotherapy and radiotherapy were randomly allocated to an intervention or control group. The intervention group received 4 weeks of neurofeedback training. Assessment tools in pre- and post-test sessions included the Wechsler short-term memory scale and SF-36 quality of life questionnaire. Data were analysed by a biostatistician blinded to the study. Results Short-term memory and quality of life scores improved significantly in the intervention group after neurofeedback training compared to the control group (P=0.001). Conclusions Findings indicate that neurofeedback training is an effective technique for improving short-term memory and quality of life alongside occupational therapy interventions in women after breast cancer treatment.

Background and Objectives: Aggression and impulsivity are some of the behavioral symptoms in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Neurofeedback (NF) training has been suggested as a promising treatment in these children. The purpose of this study was investigating the effect of NF training on aggression and impulsivity in schoolchildren with ADHD. Materials and Methods: A total of forty male elementary schoolchildren with ADHD aged 11.17 ± 0.97 were randomized into NF and sham groups. The NF group received 12 60-min NF training sessions (twice a week) using the Hammond protocol. The subjects' parents were questioned to evaluate the outcomes including aggression and impulsivity using the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), respectively. Results: After intervention in the NF group, the BPAQ score changed from 87.60 ± 9.33 to 81 ± 7.23 and the BIS score from 94.7 ± 7.25 to 88.05 ± 5.4, which were significant with p = 0.001. The results indicated the large effect size of NF on aggression and impulsivity in ADHD. Conclusion: Our findings suggest NF training as a clinically applicable method for decreasing aggression and impulsivity, also support concurrent use of medication and NF training in children with ADHD.

Multiple Sulfatase Deficiency (MSD) is a rare autosomal recessive disease with specific clinical findings such as psychomotor retardation and neurological deterioration. No therapy is available for this genetic disorder. Previous studies have shown that N-acetyl-L-leucine (NALL) can improve the neurological inflammation in the cerebellum. In the current study, the effects of NALL on ataxia symptoms and quality of life were explored in a patient with MSD. This study was a crossover case study. The subject, a girl aged 12 years old, received NALL at a dose of 3 g/day (1 g in the morning, 1 g in the afternoon, and 1 g in the evening). A fasting blood sample was taken from the subject to evaluate side effects before the intervention and 4 weeks after taking supplement/placebo in every study stage. The ataxia moving symptoms were evaluated using the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) score in every study stage. Dietary intake was measured using 24-h dietary recall before and after the intervention. The diet compositions were assessed by Nutritionist IV software. Serum IL-6 level was measured using an ELISA kit. There was no significant change in complete blood count (CBC) and serum biochemical factors in the patient with MSD after receiving NALL (3 g/day) over 4 weeks. The SARA score was reduced by 25%. The gait whose maximum score accounts for approximately one-fifth of the maximum total SARA score (8/40) was decreased. The heel-to-shin slide, the only SARA item performed without visual control, was also improved after therapy. Furthermore, there was a downward trend in the 8MWT (8.71 to 7.93 s). Regarding quality of life assessments, the parent and child reported improved quality of life index, physical health, and emotional function after taking NALL. Moreover, total energy intake was increased with NALL treatment through the study period. Supplementation with NALL at a dose of 3 g/day over 4 weeks was well tolerated and improved ataxia symptoms, quality of life measure, and serum IL-6 levels in the patient with MSD. Further proof-of-concept trials are warranted to confirm the present findings.

The aim of this study was to investigate factors affecting exhilaration and their association with happiness of school elementary teachers in Shahrekord, Iran. The study population consisted of all elementary school teachers in Shahre-kord, Iran. 203 elementary teachers were surveyed through random sampling and using Morgan’s table. The data were collected by means of the self-made questionnaire covering factors affecting the exhilaration and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. Result of this study indicated that the best predictors of exhilaration are economic factors, gathering, office hours, evaluation, and active teaching methodology. Based on beta coefficient, with 1% increase in teachers’ gathering, exhilaration increased by 0.308, office hours by 0.335, evaluation by 0.201, active teaching methodology by 0.202, and economic factors by 0.174. We found that the Ministry of Education should pay special attention to the mentioned items in order to increase the students’ self-confidence, efficiency, social and individual skills, and quality of life.