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Background: COVID-19 is accompanied by various symptoms such as fever, dry cough, and fatigue in 80% of cases. Many people with COVID-19 suffer from different symptoms after recovery, similar to the initial symptoms of this disease, such as weakness, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Prolonged recovery time and the consequences of hospitalization and COVID-19 in these patients can affect their occupational balance. Objectives: The present study compared occupational balance, fatigue, depression, and anxiety among hospital-discharged COVID-19 survivors with healthy individuals. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from March to August 2022 in Imam Reza Hospital. The statistical population consisted of hospital-discharged COVID-19 survivors and healthy individuals included in the study (70 individuals per group). Evaluations were performed in one session using the Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OB-Quest), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Results: The mean scores of depression (8.46 ± 3.78 vs. 4.29 ± 2.91), anxiety (9.34 ± 4.38 vs. 4.46 ± 3.09), and fatigue (44.29 ± 10.02 vs. 28.49 ± 9.87) were higher in hospital-discharged COVID-19 survivors than the healthy individuals. Furthermore, the rate of depression was directly related to anxiety (r = 0.773) and occupational balance disruption (moderate and severe levels) (r = 6.77). Conclusions: According the results demonstrated that hospital-discharged COVID-19 survivors had more disrupted occupational balance than the healthy individuals and experienced higher levels of anxiety, depression, and fatigue after discharge. Given the poorer occupational balance of hospital-discharged COVID-19 survivors than the healthy individuals, they need proper training after discharge to maintain a balance between different aspects of their lives and occupations. Therapists can also design and implement new interventions to improve the occupational balance of COVID-19 survivors.

Apathy is a stressor and debilitating common condition for both stroke survivors and their caregivers. However, its effects on the postural control of these patients have not yet been investigated. Improved postural stability through withdrawing attention from postural control by concurrent cognitive task (i.e. dual-task condition) has been reported previously, but the effect of apathy, as a confounding factor, remains unknown. This study aimed to examine the effects of apathy and dual-task condition on postural control of chronic stroke survivors from biomechanical and neurophysiological perspectives. Twenty non-apathetic stroke survivors, 20 apathetic stroke survivors, and 20 sex-, age-, weight-, and height-matched healthy subjects were assessed using different postural sway measures and electromyography activity of ankle and hip muscles while quietly standing on rigid and foam surfaces under single-task, easy dual-task, and difficult dual-task conditions. The results showed postural instability and neuromuscular stiffening of stroke survivors, particularly apathetic stroke survivors, compared with healthy controls as evidenced by significantly greater postural sway measures and increased co-contraction of ankle muscles as well as hip muscles. Notably, concurrently performing a cognitive task significantly reduced postural instability and neuromuscular stiffening in chronic stroke survivors even in those with apathy. In conclusion, apathy exacerbates postural control impairments in chronic stroke survivors promoting an inefficient conscious mode of postural control. It is recommended that distracting the attention away from postural control by performing a concurrent cognitive task can be considered an effective strategy while designing interventions for improving postural control in apathetic stroke survivors.

Purpose Patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) suffer from different non-motor symptoms, including pain. The present study aimed to measure the psychometric properties of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) in patients with PD during ON- and OFF-states. Methods We recruited 460 patients with PD and 100 non-PD controls. The pain was assessed by the BPI, King's Parkinson's disease Pain Scale (KPPS), Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory (NPSI), Visual Analogue Scale-Pain (VAS-pain), and short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 (SF-MPQ-2) in both medication states. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability was examined using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Dimensionality and convergent validity of BPI were also investigated. Diagnostic accuracy and discriminative validity were determined by Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis and Area Under the Curve (AUC). Results Cronbach's alpha was satisfactory (α = 0.91-0.97) in both states. The ICC values were 0.85-0.96 in ON- and OFF-state. Factor analysis revealed two factors. A high correlation was obtained between BPI subscales and other scales. AUC >0.91, sensitivity, and specificity> 0.77 were observed for discriminating different pain levels. Furthermore, appropriate diagnostic accuracy was found (AUC, sensitivity, and specificity >0.67) between non-PD control and PD patients. Conclusion The BPI has acceptable psychometric features as well as diagnostic accuracy for patients with PD.Implications for rehabilitationPain as a non-motor symptom in PD can affect daily and social activities.The BPI is used to assess pain severity and interference in activities.For better treatment, pain should be assessed in off-state like to on-state.BPI has satisfactory reliability and validity in different medication states in PD.

Dexterity is one of the most critical upper extremity functions that may be impaired in chronic stroke survivors. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of DextQ-24 in Iranian chronic stroke survivors.A total of 123 people with chronic stroke were included in the study. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were assessed through Cronbach's alpha and Interclass Correlation (ICC), respectively. Dimensionality was performed by Exploratory Factor Analysis. In addition, to assess the convergent validity of DextQ-24, Box and Block Test, Motor Activity Log Questionnaire, ABILHAND Questionnaire, and Purdue Pegboard Test were used. Discriminant validity of DextQ-24 was measured between different stages of recovery (Brunnstrom stage). Acceptability was calculated by ceiling and floor effect.Cronbach's alpha and ICC were 0.92 and 0.91, respectively. The 24 items of this questionnaire were classified into six components. Further, a moderate to strong correlation between the total score of DextQ-24 with other tools | r = 0.41-0.84 | was obtained. The results of discriminant validity approved the ability of the total score of DextQ-24 to separate different stages of recovery. The results also reported that this questionnaire did not have a significant ceiling and floor effect.The results of our study showed that the Persian DextQ-24 has high reliability and a good convergent and discriminant validity in people with chronic stroke for dexterity measurement as a PROM questionnaire.