Ayyoub Malek - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Ayyoub Malek

Molecular biology reports, May 5, 2024

Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are epigenetic factors regulating many genes involved in brain deve... more Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are epigenetic factors regulating many genes involved in brain development. Dysregulation of miRNA could result in dysregulation of genes which may contribute to diseases affecting the brain and behavior (e.g., schizophrenia). miR-29 family is a miRNA family contributing to brain maturation. miR-29 knockout in animal studies is reported to correlate with psychiatric disorders very similar to those seen in schizophrenia. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the miR-29a level in patients with schizophrenia and its potential value in the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Materials and methods The serum sample of 42 patients with schizophrenia and 40 healthy subjects were obtained from the Azeri Recent onset/Acute phase psychosis Survey (ARAS) Cohort study. After preparations, the expression level of miR-29a was investigated by real-time PCR. The SPSS and GraphPad prism software were used to analyze the relation between miR-29a level and clinical parameters and its potential as a biomarker for the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Results Our study showed a significantly lower miR-29a level in patients compared to healthy controls (p = 0.0012). Furthermore, miR-29a level was significantly lower in some types of schizophrenia (p = 0.024). miR-29a level was not related to sex, age, or heredity (p > 0.05). miR-29a also showed 80% specificity and 71.43% sensitivity in the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Conclusion Downregulation of miR-29a in schizophrenia is significantly related to the development of this illness. It might have the potential as a biomarker for schizophrenia.

PubMed, Dec 31, 2022

Objectives: The first onset of many psychiatric disorders usually occurs in childhood or adolesce... more Objectives: The first onset of many psychiatric disorders usually occurs in childhood or adolescence. The structured interview of Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA) was developed in response to the need for a standardized and reliable method to assess psychiatric disorders in preschool-age children. This study aimed to translate DSM-5-based PAPA into Farsi and evaluate its face and content validity and reliability. Materials & methods: The procedure was a forward translation of PAPA to Farsi, evaluation for face and content validity, finalization of items within the expert panel, backward translation to English, matching the original PAPA with randomly selected items from the backward translation version, and revision as needed, and finally evaluation for the validity of the changes for localization and cultural considerations. The interviews based on the final Farsi version were performed on thirty parents of children from two to five years old (chosen from Tabriz health centers) to determine the reliability and were repeated at an interval of two weeks. Results: The mean of CVI=0.91 and Modified Kappa=0.90 were obtained, and reliability with Cronbach's alpha was 0.89. Conclusion: The Farsi version of the DSM-5-based PAPA diagnostic interview has good face and content validity and reliability.

Journal of Research in Clinical Medicine

International journal of social psychiatry, Feb 5, 2024

Most evidence on psychosocial factors in recent-onset psychosis comes from high-income countries ... more Most evidence on psychosocial factors in recent-onset psychosis comes from high-income countries in Europe, Australia, Canada and the USA, while these factors are likely to differ under varying sociocultural and economic circumstances. In this study, we aimed to investigate associations of self-stigma, religiosity and perceived social support with symptom severity and psychosocial functioning in an Iranian cohort of people with recent-onset psychosis (i.e. illness duration of <2 years). Methods: We used baseline data of 361 participants (N = 286 [74%] male, mean age = 34 years [Standard Deviation = 10.0]) from the Iranian Azeri Recent-onset Acute Phase Psychosis Survey (ARAS). We included assessments of self-stigma (Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness, ISMI), religiosity (based on Stark & Glock), perceived social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, MSPSS), symptom severity (Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale, PANSS) and psychosocial functioning (clinician-rated Global Assessment of Functioning Scale, GAF, and self-reported World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0, WHODAS 2.0). Descriptive analyses were employed to characterize the study sample. Covariate-adjusted ordinal and multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to investigate crosssectional associations of baseline ISMI, religiosity and MSPSS with concurrent PANSS, GAF and WHODAS 2.0. Results: Higher self-stigma was associated with poorer self-reported functioning (B = 0.375 [95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.186, 0.564]) and more severe concurrent symptoms (B = 0.436 [95% CI: 0.275, 0.597]). Being more religious was associated with poorer clinician-rated functioning (OR = 0.967 [95% CI: 0.944, 0.991]), but with less severe symptoms (B = −0.258 [95% CI: −0.427, −0.088]). Stronger social support was associated with poorer clinician-rated (OR = 0.956 [95% CI: 0.935, 0.978]) and self-reported functioning (B = 0.337 [95% CI: 0.168, 0.507]). Conclusion: This study shows that self-stigma, religiosity and perceived social support were associated with symptom severity and clinician-rated as well as self-reported psychosocial functioning in an Iranian cohort of people with recentonset psychosis. The findings extend previous evidence on these psychosocial factors to one of the largest countries in the Middle East, and suggest that it may be worthwhile to develop strategies aimed at tackling stigma around psychosis and integrate the role of religiosity and social support in mental ill-health prevention and therapy.

Medical journal of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, 2017

Phytomedicine plus, May 1, 2023

PubMed, 2022

Objectives: Cognitive abilities might be impaired due to brain lesions in children and adolescent... more Objectives: Cognitive abilities might be impaired due to brain lesions in children and adolescents. This study aimed to investigate neuropsychiatric indicators in children and adolescents with primary brain tumors and other brain space-occupying lesions (SOLs) before and after the surgical procedure. Materials & methods: The current pre-post study was conducted on 81 patients with brain SOLs aged under 18 years hospitalized in the Neurosurgery Ward of Imam Reza university hospital, Tabriz, Iran, within 20 December 2016 to 20 December 2017. The patients with metastatic brain tumors were excluded. Before and after the surgical procedure, Digit Span forward and backward task (to assess working memory), Stroop Task and Trail Making Task A and B (to assess attention), and Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF) (to assess visuospatial memory) were carried out. Then, the scores of the tests were compared to standard values and postsurgical scores. Results: The most prevalent type of brain SOLs was medulloblastoma, and the most prevalent region of involvement was the posterior fossa. The scores of all tests after the surgery were significantly improved, compared to those before the surgery (P<0.05). In the assessment of Digit Span forward and backward task scores, there was no significant difference between the scores of patients before the surgery and standard values (P>0.05). Regarding the scores of various stages of the ROCF, the scores of the immediate recall stage were significantly low (P<0.05). Regarding Trail Making Task A and B and Stroop Task before the surgery, only Trail Making Task A and B scores were significantly increased (P<0.05). The scores of Trail Making Task A were significantly higher in patients with medulloblastoma and anatomically in left temporal tumors, which indicated greater damage to the attention field (P<0.05). In addition, in cerebellar tumors, the scores of the immediate recall stage of the ROCF were significantly lower than in other brain tumors or SOLs (P<0.05). Conclusion: The visuospatial memory and attention of preoperative assessments were significantly impaired, compared to those of the healthy population (P<0.05). Working memory, visuospatial memory, and attention showed improvement, compared to those before the surgery. Deficits in the attention domain were greater in medulloblastoma.

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Feb 1, 2014

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders a... more Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders among school-age children. It is the cause for half of attending to child psychiatric clinics. 1 In a study in Brazil, the prevalence of ADHD in children of 4 primary schools was 13% with a higher rate among boys in comparison to the girls. 2 In another study in United States from 2001 to 2004, the prevalence of ADHD was reported to be 8.7% among 15-18 years old children with a more than twofold frequency in the poor children compared with

PubMed, Sep 1, 2012

Background: The current study attempted to investigate factors associated with attention deficit ... more Background: The current study attempted to investigate factors associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children without co-morbidities. Methods: In this case-control study, 164 ADHD children who attended the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran were compared with 166 normal children selected in a random-cluster method from primary and secondary schools. Clinical interviews based on DSM-IV-TR using K-SADS were used to diagnose ADHD cases and to select the control group. Participants were matched for age. We used chi-square and binary logistic regression for data analysis. Results: Among the associated factors with ADHD were gender and maternal employment. Boys (OR 0.54; 95% confidence interval: 0.34 - 0.86) and those children with working mothers (OR 0.16: 95% confidence interval: 0.06 - 0.86) suffered more from ADHD. The birth season, family size, birth order, and parental kinship were not among risk factors for ADHD. Conclusion: The results of the study show that maternal employment and male gender are among the associated risk factors for ADHD.

Neurology Psychiatry and Brain Research, Jun 1, 2020

Background: A range of psychiatric disorders are associated with brain tumors. The aim of this st... more Background: A range of psychiatric disorders are associated with brain tumors. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of psychiatric disorders in adults with primary brain tumors before and after surgery. Methods: The study was conducted on 120 adult patients diagnosed with primary brain tumors (age ≥18 years). Patients with recent diagnosis (less than 6 months) who were hospitalized in Imam Reza Hospital of Tabriz between December 2016 and November 2017 were included. The diagnostic interview was performed based on DSM-IV criteria using a semi-structured interview with SCID-I before and one month after surgery. The frequency of psychiatric disorders in patients was then compared pre-and post-operation. Results: Pre-surgical studies revealed that 26.66 % of patients with primary brain tumors had symptoms of psychiatric disorders. The most prevalent disorders found in patients were depressive disorders (13.07 %), adjustment disorder (9/15 %) and anxiety disorders (5.88 %). Post-surgical evaluations indicated that the frequency of psychiatric disorders was reduced to 22.5 %. However, there was no significant difference between pre-and post-surgical outcomes. Among patients with psychiatric disorders, the most common location of brain tumors was frontal lobe and the most common pathology was meningioma. Further analysis also revealed that tumor location and pathology was not associated with the incidence and type of psychiatric disorders. Conclusion: In adults with primary brain tumors, the most common psychiatric disorder was depressive disorder.

PubMed, Jul 1, 2014

Objective: Withdrawal symptoms are a main reason of continuous use of opioid. This study compares... more Objective: Withdrawal symptoms are a main reason of continuous use of opioid. This study compares the efficacy of augmentation of amantadine with clonidine in decreasing opioid withdrawal symptoms. Methods: This double-blind randomized clinical trial was carried out in the detoxification and rehabilitation inpatient ward at Razi Hospital, Tabriz, Iran during 2012. The patients were randomly assigned to receive clonidine or clonidine plus amantadine; and withdrawal symptoms were evaluated in the admission day and 24, 48, and 72 hours later. Data were analyzed using SPSS by the 2*2 repeated analyses of variances (ANOVA). Results: From the total of 69 participants, 30 patients completed the trial in each group. The severity of symptoms, however, had an increasing trend in both groups. Analysis of variance of the symptom severity score (by The Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale) revealed a significant group-time interaction, and the patients who were receiving amantadine experienced milder symptoms. Conclusions: Treatment of opioid withdrawal symptoms with amantadine and clonidine would result in a better outcome compared with clonidine alone.

Background Most of our knowledge about the etiology, course, treatment, and outcome of schizophre... more Background Most of our knowledge about the etiology, course, treatment, and outcome of schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders stems from Western countries. Data from populations living in other geographical areas and low-and middle-income countries, with different genomes (ethnicity) and exposomes (e.g., culture and social support, drugs of abuse, religion), will add to our knowledge of this complex disorder. Methods The Azeri Acute phase/Recent onset psychosis Survey (ARAS) has been initiated to study the course of the disorder in patients with recent onset psychosis using validated diagnostic tools and a comprehensive outcome monitoring system, aiming to reveal indicators for understanding the risk and resilience factors and for choosing the best personalized treatment strategy. All participants will be evaluated for clinical signs and symptoms as well as risk and resilience factors and will be followed up for 1, 3, and 5 years for outcomes in several domains. A hierarchical cluster method will be applied to identify the number of clusters for each outcome. De ned models will be applied to assess the predictive value of cognition on symptomatic and functional outcomes at follow-up. Discussion The ARAS cohort will yield signi cant academic-(research and education) and care-related achievements. ARAS data and experience will have value both in being a useful model for other parts of this region and in expansion of the current available knowledge.

Journal of analytical research in clinical medicine, Sep 6, 2013

BACKGROUND: The present study aims to design and standardize the verbal fluency test (VFT) among ... more BACKGROUND: The present study aims to design and standardize the verbal fluency test (VFT) among bilingual (Turkish-Persian) adolescents in Tabriz, Iran. METHODS: In the designing stage, 190 adolescents who were already selected randomly from among the guidance and high school students in Tabriz were classified into three age groups (11-12, 13-15, 16-18). The screening test including 33 Persian letters and three 'animal', 'fruit', and 'supermarket stuff' categories, and SDQ was administered to them. The results were the three letters 'M', 'D', and 'B' for phonological fluency, and two 'animal' and 'supermarket stuff' categories for semantic fluency in the Persian language. In the standardization stage, the letters and categories specified in the designing stage were administered in the same order to 302 adolescents. Moreover, 28 adolescents diagnosed with ADHD were selected to estimate the discriminant validity of VFT. RESULTS: Pearson correlation coefficient between test-retest of the three letters 'M', 'D', and 'B' for phonological fluency were estimated at 0.67, 0.66, and 0.75, respectively. Furthermore, for the two categories of 'animal' and 'supermarket stuff' it was estimated to be 0.80 and 0.65, respectively. All these amounts were significant (P < 0.01). The discriminant validity, which was estimated through comparison between the scores of normal and ADHD adolescents, showed that the obtained t value for all indices except for the letter 'B' was meaningful. The results of MANOVA between two gender groups were significant at P < 0.05 for three 'M', 'D', and 'B' variables of verbal fluency and 'animal' semantic fluency. In both verbal and semantic fluency the mean of subjects' performance scores showed that females outperformed males. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the current study indicated that VFT is reliable in the studied sample group, and has a valid psychometric property in discrimination between ADHD adolescents and normal adolescents. Furthermore, age and sex could affect VFT performance.

ISRN Pediatrics (Print), Jun 5, 2012

Background. The etiology of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is complex.This study... more Background. The etiology of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is complex.This study was conducted to evaluate the pregnancy-related maternal risk factors of ADHD. Methods. 164 ADHD children attending to Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics compared with 166 normal children selected in a random-cluster method from primary schools. ADHD rating scale and clinical interview based on Schedule for Affective disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children (K-SADS) were used to diagnose ADHD cases and to select the control group. Results. The mean maternal age at pregnancy, duration of pregnancy, and the mean paternal age were alike in two groups. The ADHD children's mothers compared with those of control group had higher frequencies of somatic diseases, psychiatric disorders, and alcohol and cigarette exposure during the pregnancies (P < 0.01). Also birth by cesarean section was more common among mothers of ADHD children (P < 0.001). These factors plus trauma to the abdomen during pregnancy were significantly predictors of ADHD in children. Conclusions. Some pregnancy-related maternal factors may be considered as environmental risk factors for ADHD. Each of these factors considered in our study as a risk factor needs to be tested and confirmed through next methodologically appropriate researches in this field.

Iranian Journal of Pediatrics, Apr 14, 2019

Background: Autistic disorder (AD) is one of the most serious psychiatric disorders in children a... more Background: Autistic disorder (AD) is one of the most serious psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. Identification of relevant risk factors is a main step in disease management. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine probable risk factors for AD. Methods: This case-control study was carried out in the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. By convenience sampling method, 115 children with autism were selected from Rehabilitation Center of Autism Society in Tabriz, Iran. Moreover, 112 children were selected as control. AD was diagnosed based on DSM-IV-TR criteria by a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Results: Asthma, epilepsy, microcephaly, hearing / vision impairments, allergy to milk/wheat, side effects of rubella vaccines, and language disorders in the immediate family members including siblings, parents' low education and lack of breastfeeding were more prevalent in AD children. Based on the logistic regression results, mothers' low education [Exp (B) = 4.59, CI = 2.13-9.87, P < 0.001] and lack of breastfeeding until the age of two [Exp (B) = 2.91, CI = 1.54-5.50, P < 0.01] were the predictors of AD. Conclusions: Parents' education and lack of breastfeeding until the age of two could predict AD in children. Improving educational system and increasing families' awareness about benefits of breastfeeding will be valuable.

Asian Journal of Psychiatry, Apr 1, 2021

Childhood and adolescence psychiatric disorders affect subsequent stages; early diagnosis of thes... more Childhood and adolescence psychiatric disorders affect subsequent stages; early diagnosis of these disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is necessary. There is no reliable and valid diagnostic interview for ADHD in Asian Persian or Farsi speaking countries. The DSM 5-based version of the interview was sent to the 14 child and adolescent and general psychiatrists to ensure the validity of the ADHD section of the PAPA interview through an online website. Out of 59 health centers, 15 centers were selected via systematic random sampling. Three hundred children participated in the study. ADHD questions of the PAPA had the power to differentiate, with a sensitivity of 0.92, a specificity of 0.01. It had positive diagnostic value = 95.83 %, negative diagnostic value = 98.91 %, negative correlation ratio = 0.12, overall diagnostic accuracy = 98.67 % and diagnostic chance ratio = 2085.35. ADHD questions of the PAPA diagnostic interview can diagnose ADHD in preschool as a reliable tool based on DSM-5.

Australasian Medical Journal, 2018

Background ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a multifactorial disorder, defined ... more Background ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a multifactorial disorder, defined by hyperactivity, impulsivity and attention deficits. Symptoms of ADHD begins during early childhood and negatively affects functionality at various levels. Aims This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016 to screen for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children aged 3 to 6 years, 11 months olds of Tabriz in Iran. Methods A total of 737 children aged 36 months to 6 years, 11 months in Tabriz were randomly selected from kindergarten and preschool centres. Both the Conners Early Childhood-Parent and-Teacher forms were used to estimate the prevalence of ADHD. Results The results indicated that the prevalence of ADHD was 337 (45.7 per cent) based on Conners EC-Parent, 416 (56.4 per cent) according to Conners EC-Teacher, and 225 (30.5 per cent) based on the both Conners EC-Teacher & Parent scales. The results of Fischer's exact test showed that the prevalence of ADHD in boys (n=117, 35.3 per cent) was significantly higher than that of the girls (n=108, 26.6 per cent) (p=0.01, X 2 =6.57). The results of Chi-square test indicated that there was no difference among different age groups in terms of the prevalence of ADHD (X 2 =2.86, p=0.41). Conclusion ADHD screening based on the Conners EC-Teacher & Parent forms was estimated to be 30.5 per cent. The regional prevalence of ADHD appears to be greater among children under the age of 7, although the use of the new Conners EC tool in this study could have possibly affected the ADHD prevalence estimates.