OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Research for occupational therapy

Papers an occupational therapist can act on, across daily living, mental health, hand therapy, paediatrics and rehabilitation, each read in full rather than from its abstract.

10,853 PAPERS · PAGE 105 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPCase-Control2022Retrospective Case-Control Study of Communication and Motor Abilities in 143 Children With Suspected Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Effect of Concomitant Diagnosis.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsChildren with suspected childhood apraxia of speech and another major diagnosis showed more severe speech and motor delays than those without. They sat, crawled, and walked later, had smaller sound inventories, and often had feeding difficulties, suggesting a need for broader assessment.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Changes in social participation between 1 and 2 years following moderate-severe traumatic brain injury.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesMost people with moderate-to-severe brain injury showed stable social participation between 1 and 2 years post-injury. Decline was linked to worsening functional status, while improvement was associated with having private insurance and lower baseline social participation.
• OTCohort2022Healing the wounds of workplace bullying: Evaluating mental health and workplace participation among victims seeking treatment for common mental disorders.Work (Reading, Mass.)Bullying victims improved their mental health symptoms as much as non-victims after roughly 10 sessions of therapy with a work focus. However, they were significantly less likely to be fully working after treatment, suggesting they need more support with the actual return to work.
• OTSurvey2022Increased perceived stress is negatively associated with activities of daily living and subjective quality of life in younger, middle, and older autistic adults.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic adults who felt more stress about everyday life were less independent in daily living and reported lower quality of life across physical, psychological, social, environmental, and autism-related domains.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2022Key demographics and psychological skills associated with adjustment to progressive Multiple Sclerosis early in the diagnosis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with secondary progressive MS reported worse adjustment than those with primary progressive MS. Self-efficacy, avoidance coping, and psychological vulnerability were the strongest factors linked to how well patients adapted. These findings suggest targeting these specific areas in early rehabilitation support.
• PTOTCohort2022Association of ethnicity and adaptive functioning with health-related quality of life in pediatric myelomeningocele.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineHispanic children with spina bifida reported higher quality of life than White peers when adaptive skills were high. This link was absent at lower skill levels. Clinicians should ask families about their specific goals for independence rather than assuming motor skills drive well-being.
• PTOTOther2022Characterizing the Gait of People With Different Types of Amputation and Prosthetic Components Through Multimodal Measurements: A Methodological Perspective.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with transfemoral amputation show specific gait alterations, including reduced energy recovery and increased pelvic obliquity, compared to transtibial amputees and controls. More advanced microprocessor knees reduce these compensatory movements. Multimodal measurement is needed to fully understand prosthetic gait.
• OTOther2022Further psychometric evaluation of the Structured Multidisciplinary Work Evaluation Tool (SMET) questionnaire: Practical implications in healthcare settings.Work (Reading, Mass.)In Swedish healthcare workplaces, the SMET questionnaire captured work-environment problems well overall, but grouping answers into red-yellow-green reduced precision for environmental questions and for matching questions to respondents. Some items need caution.
• OTOther2022Design of an Intervention and Education System for Children with Emotional Disorders Based on Semantic Analysis.Occupational therapy internationalThis is a system design report, not a clinical trial. It gives no clear sample, intervention outcomes, or methods, so there is nothing here to change practice.
• OTQualitative2022Return to work of employees with low levels of education: The employers' role and perspective.Work (Reading, Mass.)Employers of low-educated Dutch workers described themselves as directive, leaving employees little room to influence their return to work. They viewed staff as passive and distrustful of their intentions, often prioritizing speed over individual preferences. This perspective highlights a power imbalance rather than patient outcomes.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Experiences of Sensory Overload and Communication Barriers by Autistic Adults in Health Care Settings.Autism in adulthoodAutistic adults reported significant distress from background noise and feeling misunderstood in health care. Qualitative feedback highlighted that providers often misread nonverbal cues or lacked autism knowledge. Simple environmental changes and literal communication can reduce barriers.
• PTOTCohort2022Geriatric Vulnerabilities Among Obese Older Adults With and Without Sarcopenia: Findings From a Nationally Representative Cohort Study.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)Obese older adults with sarcopenia had 6.4 times the odds of being frail and twice the odds of social isolation, depression, and pain compared to obese peers without sarcopenia. Screen for these vulnerabilities before prescribing weight loss or exercise.
• OTPilot2023Preliminary evaluation of an automated robotic transfer assist device in the home setting.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyAfter six weeks at home, users and caregivers reported less physical demand and work using a robotic bed to chair transfer system. Standard health and quality-of-life scores did not change overall, and social functioning decreased.
• OTRCT2022Healthy Minds: Group Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Sustainable Return to Work After a Sick Leave Due to Depression.Journal of occupational rehabilitationIn a small pilot, the work-focused group CBT did not clearly reduce depressive or anxiety symptoms more than control. Work productivity scores improved in the intervention group from baseline to post-intervention and six-month follow-up, but this was a pilot with 30 participants.
• OTSurvey2023Factors influencing perceived function in the upper limb prosthesis user population.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPerceived function in upper limb prosthesis users was associated with satisfaction, pain with prosthesis, and proximal amputation level. It was not associated with age, education, gender, employment status, or prosthesis type.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Predictors of cognitive gains during inpatient rehabilitation for older adults with traumatic brain injury.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationOlder adults with TBI made clinically meaningful cognitive gains in inpatient rehab. Younger age, female sex, higher motor function, longer stays, and freestanding facilities predicted better recovery. Black and Hispanic patients had lower odds of favorable outcomes.
• PTOTSLPOther2023A high prevalence of manual wheelchair rear-wheel misalignment could be leading to increased risk of repetitive strain injuries.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyMost manual wheelchairs in this community sample had rear-wheel misalignment, with 61% showing toe angles over 0.5 degrees. Combined with underinflated tires, this creates resistance equivalent to carrying extra weight, which may increase propulsion effort and injury risk.
• OTQualitative2023Benefits and challenges of mobility and medical alert service dogs for caregivers of service dog recipients.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyCaregivers of mobility and medical service dog recipients described family emotional support and caregiver bonding, but also time, grooming, travel and unexpected costs. Waitlist caregivers expected fewer family benefits and more task benefits than caregivers with a dog described.
• PTOTSurvey2023Body image and perception among adults with and without phantom limb pain.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationAdults with phantom limb pain reported more negative body image and higher awareness of the missing limb than pain-free peers. However, they did not experience more perceptual distortions, such as feeling the limb was disowned or altered in size.
• PTOTOther2022Validating a wheelchair in-seat activity tracker.Assistive technology : the official journal of RESNAA new wheelchair cushion sensor detects weight shifts with 81% precision and 80% recall in a lab setting. It identifies partial leans that provide blood flow benefits, offering users feedback without requiring individual training for each person.
• OTSystematic Review2022Participant Engagement in Supported Employment: A Systematic Scoping Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationSupported employment engagement relies on three linked elements: the provider empowering the participant, the participant making self-determined choices, and a collaborative working alliance. Engagement is a continuous process throughout the intervention, not a one-time state achieved at the start.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022The use of wearable sensors to assess and treat the upper extremity after stroke: a scoping review.Disability and rehabilitationWearable sensors can track upper extremity motion after stroke, but the review found no evidence that they improve recovery. They map arm use, impairment, and training cues; clinical benefit still needs testing.
• PTOTOther2022Reliability and validity of subjective radiologist reporting of temporal changes in lumbar spine MRI findings.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationRadiologists rarely agreed on temporal changes in lumbar MRI findings, with poor reliability for reporting changes despite high agreement on no changes. False positives were rare but present. Clinicians should avoid basing decisions on these subjective temporal changes.
• PTOTCohort2022The association between sleep deficits and sedentary behavior in people with mild Parkinson disease.Disability and rehabilitationPeople with mild Parkinson disease slept less and were more sedentary than healthy adults. More sleep linked to less sitting time in both groups. But sleep did not predict step count or active minutes. Treat sitting and moving as separate issues when addressing sleep.
• PTOTRCT2022Work Ability After Anterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion Followed by a Structured Postoperative Rehabilitation: Secondary Outcomes of a Prospective Randomized Controlled Multi-Centre Trial with a 2-year Follow-up.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAdding structured postoperative rehabilitation did not improve work ability more than standard care two years after cervical fusion surgery. Both groups improved similarly, suggesting recovery is driven by the surgery itself rather than the specific physiotherapy programme.
• OTOther2022The association between hand disease severity and fatigue in individuals with systemic sclerosis: a scoping review.Disability and rehabilitationJoint involvement was the hand disease severity element most linked to fatigue in systemic sclerosis. Digital ulcers themselves were not linked to fatigue, but their perceived interference with daily activities was.
• PTOTCohort2022Racial and ethnic amputation level disparities in veterans undergoing incident dysvascular lower extremity amputation.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationBlack veterans in the Continental region had higher odds of a high-level amputation than White veterans if they had not received prior revascularization. Hispanic veterans in the Southeast had higher odds than White veterans regardless of revascularization or diabetes status.
• PTOTOther2022The Dutch Multidisciplinary Occupational Health Guideline to Enhance Work Participation Among Low Back Pain and Lumbosacral Radicular Syndrome Patients.Journal of occupational rehabilitationThe guideline advises starting with work-focused information and advice, using risk and prognostic factors to guide care. If sick leave persists after six weeks, add physiotherapy, workplace modifications, or cognitive behavioural therapy. Multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation is considered after twelve weeks if full work participation is not achieved.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Exploring Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening in Adults With Persistent Complaints After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAdults with persistent mild TBI symptoms showed worse vestibular screening scores and poorer balance/gait than controls. However, these screening scores correlated strongly with self-reported dizziness but weakly with actual physical performance, suggesting they measure different things.
• OTOther2023Pain sensitivity and perceptual sensitivity are associated with severity of emotional dysregulation in children with ADHD: a cross-sectional analysis using the Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire.Disability and rehabilitationChildren with ADHD who react strongly to minor pain or notice small environmental changes more often had severe emotional outbursts. Parents reported these children were more likely to cry when hurt or be upset by a small cut, correlating with higher irritability and anger scores.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2023Experiences of receiving a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.Disability and rehabilitationPeople with MS described diagnosis as a period of shock, fear, and anger, often worsened by impersonal communication and unbelieved symptoms. They needed clear, timely information and ongoing emotional support from clinicians, but many felt these needs were unmet.
• PTOTCohort2023The minimal clinically important difference of the motricity index score.Topics in stroke rehabilitationIn 69 patients assessed early after stroke, a 13-point rise on the 0-99 Motricity Index arm score was the cutoff for meaningful recovery compared with another upper-limb test.
• PTOTOther2023Evaluation of Weight Shift and X-Factor During Golf Swing of Veterans With Lower Limb Loss.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationVeterans with above-knee amputations showed poorer weight shift during golf swings than those with below-knee amputations. Those with lead-limb loss had better trunk rotation but worse weight transfer. These biomechanical deficits suggest specific targets for adaptive sports rehabilitation.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Postamputation Cognitive Impairment Is Related to Worse Perceived Physical Function Among Middle-Aged and Older Prosthesis Users.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMiddle-aged and older prosthesis users with cognitive impairment reported worse perceived physical function than those without. Screening for cognitive changes during rehabilitation may help identify patients who need tailored support to improve mobility outcomes.
• PTOTOther2022Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Timing in Fatigued and Nonfatigued Adults With Multiple Sclerosis.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAdults with MS and fatigue took fewer steps and spent less time in moderate-to-vigorous activity than non-fatigued adults. Both groups were most active in the morning and midday, and most sedentary in the evening. Fatigued adults maintained activity longer into the day.
• PTOTCohort2022The demographic and disability characteristics of individuals who regularly attend an urban adaptive fitness center: An observational study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPeople with significant disabilities who attend an adaptive fitness center are more disabled than 86% of the general population. Despite this, 96.8% exercise there at least twice a week, showing that high disability levels do not stop regular participation.
• PTOTCohort2022The Readiness for Return to Work Scale; Does it Help in Evaluation of Return to Work?Journal of occupational rehabilitationThe Norwegian version of the Readiness for Return to Work scale fails to measure a single clear construct and poorly predicts who returns to work. Clinicians should not use this questionnaire in the clinic or to evaluate interventions, as its subscales are too small and unstable to guide treatment.
• PTOTRCT2022Music Upper Limb Therapy-Integrated Provides a Feasible Enriched Environment and Reduces Post-stroke Depression: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationGroup music therapy reduced depression and increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor compared to home exercises. However, home exercises improved actual motor function and sensation, while music therapy only improved self-perceived recovery. Neither was superior on the primary motor outcome.
• OTSystematic Review2022Employment Sustainability for People with Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationVery little international research has examined how people with intellectual disability stay in regular paid work over time. Existing studies define sustainability differently, and societal barriers were largely missing.
• PTOTOther2022Development of reference charts for monitoring quadriceps strength with handheld dynamometry after total knee arthroplasty.Disability and rehabilitationNew reference charts let therapists compare a patient's quadriceps strength after knee replacement to typical recovery curves. This helps identify who is recovering poorly and needs more attention, though even top performers often remain weaker than healthy peers.
• OTSystematic Review2022In What Ways Does Health Related Stigma Affect Sustainable Employment and Well-Being at Work? A Systematic Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationStigma from employers, co-workers, health professionals, family and the person themselves was reported as a barrier to finding, keeping and feeling well at work. It does not test how to reduce that barrier.
• OTSurvey2022Social Insurance Literacy of Dutch Workers Receiving Disability Benefits and its Associations with Socio-Economic Characteristics.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAbout one in three Dutch workers on disability benefits reported limited ability to navigate the social insurance system. This struggle was linked to not having a partner and poorer Dutch language skills, but surprisingly, those with lower education or weaker language skills rated the system itself as more understandable.
• OTRCT2022Evaluating occupational performance coaching to support fatigue management for people with multiple sclerosis: A feasibility study.Clinical rehabilitationAdding occupational therapy coaching to a fatigue website helped people with severe multiple sclerosis fatigue set goals and use the site more. While participants felt more confident and less impacted by fatigue, these improvements were not significant enough to prove the coaching works.
• PTOTQualitative2022Mobility experiences of adult lower limb orthosis users: a focus group study.Disability and rehabilitationOrthosis users do not simply wear their devices constantly. They actively choose between using an orthosis, a cane, both, or neither based on the specific terrain, distance, and attention demands of each activity.
• PTOTQualitative2022The experiences and beliefs of people with severe haemophilia and healthcare professionals on pain management, and their views of using exercise as an aspect of intervention: a qualitative study.Disability and rehabilitationPeople with severe haemophilia avoid pain medication and exercise due to fears of addiction, liver damage, and bleeding. They want functional improvement over pain elimination. Trust in haemophilia specialists is essential for them to accept advice.
• PTOTQualitative2022How does a lifetime of painful experiences influence sensations and beliefs about pain in adults with severe haemophilia? A qualitative study.Disability and rehabilitationMen with severe haemophilia described pain as central to their identity, not just a symptom. Fear of bleeding drove constant self-monitoring and avoidance of activity. Childhood experiences and family dynamics shaped adult beliefs, making pain management complex and deeply personal.
• OTQualitative2022Exploring Interactions in the Sickness Insurance System in Terms of Power and Trust.Journal of occupational rehabilitationClients on long-term sick leave described trying to prove their work ethic during evaluations, even pushing past their limits. They felt distrusted by the system, while clinicians who knew them often verified their genuine effort and desire to return to work.
• PTOTCohort2022African Americans and Women Have Lower Functional Gains During Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation After Hemorrhagic Stroke.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationFemale and African American patients with hemorrhagic stroke made smaller functional gains during acute inpatient rehabilitation than male and white patients. These differences persisted even after accounting for stroke severity, age, and location, pointing to unmeasured factors rather than clinical presentation.
• PTOTRCT2022Does Anesthetic Relief Correspond to Future Pain Relief?: A Prospective Trial Examining Future Pain Relief for Ultrasound-Guided Corticosteroid-Anesthetic Injections.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationImmediate pain relief from the anesthetic in a steroid injection poorly predicts long-term benefit. Patients without immediate relief still had a 50% chance of improvement by three months. Most patients report steroid relief within four days, though it can take up to two weeks.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023A Retrospective Analysis of Clinical Utilization Between Patients Who Used Telemedicine and Office Visits in Outpatient Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics During the COVID-19 Pandemic.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationTelemedicine patients had more follow-up visits and higher opioid use, but no difference in emergency care. Sicker patients and people of color used telemedicine more. This reflects pandemic-era selection bias, not proof that video visits are safer or more efficient.