Introduction: Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is a degenerative neurogenic disorder characterized by multiple symptoms affecting the movements and autonomic nervous system. It reduces the function of various types of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. MSA causes some movement disorders such as dysarthria that is one of the most common symptoms in these patients. The first neurological sign that sometimes progresses is the complete inability to produce speech. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an intensive voice therapy based on the principles of Lee Silverman Voice Therapy (LSVT) on improving acoustic features, intelligibility, and quality of life index of the patients with MSA. Materials and Methods: The patient was a 57-year-old woman with MSA disorder. Acoustic assessments of voice, intelligibility, and voice handicap index were performed before and after the treatment program according to LSVT principles. Results: Acoustic values such as intensity, frequency, and harmonic to noise ratio increased, and jitter and shimmer parameters decreased. Amount of perception of intelligibility increased. A significant decrease in the scores of the quality of life index related to voice handicap was observed. Conclusion: After treatment by intensive voice therapy, the acoustic assessment revealed improvement in all voice parameters. The perceptual assessment showed improved intelligibility and increased the patient’ s quality of life. Intensive voice therapy based on LSVT principles effectively improves the acoustic features, which subsequently cause intelligibility to be more comprehensible. It generally improves verbal communication, which has a positive effect on the patient’ s quality of life.

Multiple system atrophy (MSA), an atypical parkinsonian syndrome (APS) and synucleinopathy, usually presents with early autonomic dysfunction, symmetrical levodopaunresponsive parkinsonism, and cerebellar symptoms. Myoclonus, speech disturbance, rapid-eye-movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), stridor and dystonia are other features. Cognition is not impaired in majority. . .

Introduction: Social network analysis is an analytical method based on graph theories that identifies relationships between individuals or factors to analyze the social structures resulted from those relationships. The objective of this study was to analyze co-authorship and co-word networks based on scientometric indicators and centrality measures in the studies on multiple atrophy system disease published in Web of Science database from 1988 to 2018. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical case study, the articles published in Web of Science database from 1988 to 2018 were collected using medical subject headings (MeSH) and various scientometric techniques including co-word analysis, co-authorship analysis, and network mapping. Results: In this study, 6767 articles on multiple system atrophy disease were retrieved. These articles were written by 39184 authors from 3884 organizations and 80 countries and were collected from 832 journals. In this study, based on co-occurrence, 8 clusters in the subject area of multiple system atrophy disease were identified the most important of which were multiple system atrophy disease, Lewy body, orthostatic, hypotension, progressive paralysis, positron tomography, and genes. Conclusion: Scientometric studies on this disease show a thematic map that can be effective in policy-making for studies in this field. Moreover, by examining these indicators, the issues in this field were identified and through this, the cases that are less taken into consideration can be detected and investigated as future research topics.

Introduction: Brain atrophy is associated with physical disability in multiple sclerosis (MS), but there is a great variability between different studies and methodologies, and its use is still limited to research projects. We aimed to analyze the relationship between several volumetric measurements and physical disability and cognitive functioning in MS patients in a clinical practice setting. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 41 patients (31 relapsing-remitting MS, 6 secondary-progressive MS, and 4 primary-progressive MS) were included. Whole brain volume (WBV), gray matter volume (GMV), and T2 lesion load (T2L) were obtained using Icometrix®,software. Physical disability was measured with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), and cognitive status was evaluated with the brief repeatable battery of neuropsychological tests (BRB-N). The relationship between brain volumes and EDSS was analyzed through linear multivariate regression. The association between volumetry measurements and the number of affected cognitive domains was studied with negative binomial regression. Results: GMV was associated with age (b=-1. 7, P=0. 014) and with EDSS (b=-7. 55, P=0. 013). T2L was associated with EDSS (b=2. 29, P=0. 032). The number of affected cognitive domains was associated with clinical phenotype, worse in primary progressive MS (PPMS). There was not correlations between cognitive impairment and cerebral volumes. Conclusion: Brain atrophy measurement is feasible in clinical practice setting, and it is helpful in monitoring the EDSS progression. Primary progressive phenotype is associated with greater risk of cognitive dysfunction.

Aim: This study used the OLGA system to characterize the histology pattern of gastritis in dyspeptic outpatients with a mean age of 45 years from regions with different gastric cancer risks. Background: Several classification systems have been purposed for understanding the status of the gastric mucosa. Currently, the Sydney system is the most widely employed. Nevertheless, the applicability of the Sydney system in therapeutic and prognostic areas is a matter of debate. Given this shortcoming an international group of gastroenterologists and pathologists developed a new system named Operative Link on Gastritis Assessment (OLGA). Patients and methods: In this cross-sectional comparative study the OLGA system was used to characterize the histology pattern of gastritis in 685 dyspeptic patients referring to the department of gastroenterology of a training hospital. Results: No significant correlation was found between active inflammation and total OLGA score (P > 0. 05). Also, no statistically significant correlation was found between activity and intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, atrophy, and cancer (P > 0. 05). Even though, there is a positive correlation between mild chronic inflammation and total OLGA score, no correlation has been identified between chronicity and dysplasia or cancer (P > 0. 05). Nearly, In all cases with no dysplasia OLGA score was zero but all patients with gastric cancer OLGA score was more than two. Conclusion: Generally, the activity is not a useful factor in predicting prognosis and its loss of relation with total OLGA score does not make OLGA score any less predictable.

Background and Aim: Studying scientific outputs by using scientific indices is a useful tool for understanding scientific research. The purpose of this study was to visualize the international research outputs of the SMA subject Area. Materials & Methods: This study is an applied one with an analytical approach and using scientometric indices. The population present in this study includes 4217 Web Of Science database records all in the SMA area from 1946 until the end of 2018. The MeSH was used to identify keywords and Ravar PreMap software for words’ homogenization, VOSviewer, HistCite, and Excel used also. Results: Ninety-one countries involved in scientific production outputs of this subject area, were among the most influential countries in scientific collaboration. The USA has most of its collaborations with other countries. Of the 946 essential journals identified, "Human Molecular Genetics" has got the highest number of citations. The articles in the SMA Subject Area have a total of 6097 keywords, and the “ Spinal Muscular Atrophy” has got the highest frequency and the core subject among the nine influential countries. The total number of articles in this area was 8505. Worthy of mentioning, Iran with 0/58% of the total scientific output ranked nine on the list. Conclusion: The upward trend of SMA scientific research trend indicates the increasing importance of this area in the world. Due to the the international growth of research in this area and the importance of the participation of international research, researchers in our country should pay more attention to scientific cooperation.