Cognitive Function

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Neurofeedback (NFB) Therapy with Play Therapy in improving attention and cognitive function in students with Learning Disorder (LD). This study was a quasi-experimental research with a pre-test and post-test design. The statistical population of the research was about 600 elementary school students with LD in Lar city in 2017 (N=212). A sample of 60 LD children who were identified in schools was selected by multistage cluster random sampling and randomly divided into four groups fifteen-three experimental and one control group. The tools used in the study were the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R) (Wechsler, 2003) and integrated visual and auditory continuous performance (IVA) (Sandford and Turner, 1995). NFB training was done according to the guidelines recommended by Monastra et al. (2005) in 20 sessions and play therapy cognitive performance and attention therapy were done according to the guidelines recommended by Drewes (2009) in 20 sessions, while no intervention was performed in the control group. Data were analyzed by the covariance analysis method. The results showed that NFB and play therapy were effective in increasing cognitive performance (p<0.01) and attention (p<0.01) compared to the control group. The combination of play therapy and NFB intervention was more effective on cognitive performance and attention rather than the two interventions separately. According to the results, it is recommended that therapists and clinical psychologists use NFB and play therapy to increase the sustained attention and working memory of students with LD.

Objective: The current study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on lifestyle and cognitive function, overweight, and sleep quality among children and adolescents in Abyek city during the quarantine period. Method: In this study, a descriptive-analytical research method was used, and a combination of stratified and multi-stage cluster sampling was employed for sampling. The study population included 2152 students (1184 girls and 968 boys) from elementary and middle school levels in Abyek city. Data were collected using electronic questionnaires, which were a compilation of the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ localized in 2009), Beck Physical Activity (Beck et al., 1982), Cognitive Function (Nejati et al., 2013), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, sent online to the students. Subsequently, the collected data were analyzed and examined. Findings: This study found no significant correlation between students' BMI and their dietary habits or physical activity level (p > 0.001, rs = 0.45) as well as between physical activity level and dietary habits or cognitive performance. However, there was a significant positive correlation between sleep quality and physical activity level scores (p < 0.011, rs = 0.26), and between cognitive performance and sleep quality (p < 0.001, rs = 0.49). Regarding gender differences, male students had a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) and physical activity level compared to female students (p = 0.018 and p < 0.001, respectively), and there was a significant difference in dietary habits between boys and girls (p = 0.006). No significant difference was observed between boys and girls in terms of sleep quality and cognitive performance (p = 0.180 and p = 0.693, respectively). Conclusion: According to the study, it appears that changes in diet, physical activity, and sleep quality affect students' cognitive performance during the COVID-19 quarantine. These results indicate that planning to maintain and control physical activity, nutrition, and sleep quality during quarantine is essential to mitigate potential negative effects on students' cognitive performance.

  Objective : Aging and the onset of old age are accompanied by inevitable changes in cognitive function. Therefore, considering the aging population and the importance of cognitive functions during this sensitive period, identifying factors affecting cognitive function to enhance their cognitive abilities deserves attention. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between optimism and mindfulness with cognitive function in the elderly. Methods : The present research employed a descriptive and correlational design. The statistical population of the study included all elderly adults residing in nursing homes in Guilan Province during the year 2020-2021. The study sample consisted of 160 elderly adults who were selected from nursing homes residents using purposive sampling. The research instruments included the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) for optimism, the Five-Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) for mindfulness, and the Cognitive Performance Evaluation Questionnaire (CPEQ) for cognitive function. Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis (simultaneous method) at a significance level of 0.05. Results : The results showed a significant positive relationship between optimism and mindfulness with cognitive function, meaning that the more optimistic and mindful elderly adults were, the better their cognitive function. Furthermore, 34% of the variance in cognitive function was explained by optimism and mindfulness. Conclusion : Therefore, based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that optimism and mindfulness are important variables in predicting cognitive function (p < 0.05).