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 114 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTCohort2023Correlates of participation six months after stroke in an Italian population: results from the RIPS (Post-Stroke Intensive Rehabilitation) Study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineParticipation fell sharply after stroke; better scores were linked to milder stroke, greater daily independence, no cognitive impairment, and higher pre-stroke activity.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Trajectories of Executive Functions After Early Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury: Teacher Ratings in the Initial 81 Months Postinjury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationTeacher ratings showed two groups: 65% stayed in the normal range, while 35% had executive function concerns that worsened over time. Children in the struggling group were more likely to have had a brain injury, lower socio-economic status, and authoritarian parenting.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Use of health services and unmet needs among adults with cerebral palsy in Ireland.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn Ireland, unmet needs among adults with cerebral palsy were most common for physiotherapy (23%) and occupational therapy (13%). Adults aged 25 to 65 years were less likely to use physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy than adults aged 18 to 24 years.
• OTSLPRCT2022Supporting peer engagement for low-income preschool students with autism spectrum disorder during academic instruction: A pilot randomized trial.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceTeachers trained to embed social communication strategies into small group academic instruction used them more consistently. While all students improved in joint engagement and language, only the treatment group showed significantly increased peer engagement. This suggests the approach specifically targets peer interaction during classroom activities.
• PTOTQualitative2022Supportive mobility device use across the life span by individuals with cerebral palsy: A qualitative study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIndividuals with CP described mobility devices as both liberating and restricting, noting they are often designed for transport rather than living. Caregivers and providers reported a broken system with frequent denials and delays. Stakeholders called for devices that adapt across the life span.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Lower thoracic spine extension mobility is associated with higher intensity of thoracic spine pain.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapyIn adults with thoracic spine pain, less extension mobility was linked to higher pain scores. Greater flexion mobility was linked to lower pain. A therapist's visual check of posture matched inclinometer readings well, supporting its use for screening.
• OTSurvey2023How has COVID-19 impacted disability employment?Disability and health journalDuring the pandemic, people with disabilities lost jobs at similar rates to others. Later they recovered faster, especially in teleworkable jobs.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Microanalysis of Daily Living Skills in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder without an intellectual disability.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdolescents with autism and average intelligence showed daily living skills far below age expectations. Money management, cooking, and hygiene were major challenges. Communication was a relative strength, but overall adaptive skills lagged significantly behind cognitive ability.
• PTOTCohort2023Rest-Activity Rhythm Characteristics Associated With Depression Symptoms in Stroke Survivors.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationStroke survivors with more fragmented 24-hour activity patterns had higher odds of depression symptoms. This association held across two distinct samples. The link was strongest for clinically significant depression rather than mild symptoms.
• PTOTCase Report2023Training of isometric force tracking to improve motor control of the wrist after incomplete spinal cord injury: a case study.Physiotherapy theory and practiceOne man with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury improved his ability to track a visual force target with his wrist, reaching error levels similar to healthy adults. He gained wrist control without increasing maximum force, and reported better daily wrist stability.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Societal Participation of People With Traumatic Brain Injury Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A NIDILRR Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationPeople with traumatic brain injury reported significantly less community involvement during the pandemic compared to before. However, their levels of productivity and social relations remained stable. Pre-existing factors like disability severity and income continued to predict participation outcomes similarly in both periods.
• OTCohort2023Differences in daily life executive functioning between people with autism and people with schizophrenia.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdults with autism reported more severe everyday executive difficulties than adults with schizophrenia and controls, especially in planning, organizing and initiating behavior. In autism, these difficulties predicted poorer daily living skills.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Common data elements to standardize genomics studies in cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyResearchers developed a standardized data set for cerebral palsy genomics studies, defining 10 mandatory items like birth year, sex, motor type, and GMFCS level. This framework helps unify how clinical traits are recorded globally, though it excludes intervention data.
• OTCohort2022Relationship Between Neighborhood Disadvantage and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAdults with mild TBI who lived in more disadvantaged neighborhoods reported more symptoms over six months, even after accounting for demographics, household income, insurance, and injury factors. The difference was largest in the highest disadvantage group.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2022Physical therapists demonstrate clinical behaviors consistent with established clinical practice guidelines in managing individuals following amputation.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyAustralian physios reported clinical behaviors largely consistent with amputation guidelines, including falls prevention, pain management, and peer support referrals. However, most were unaware of comprehensive care plans before starting treatment. This suggests strong individual practice but potential gaps in multidisciplinary coordination.
• PTOTPilot2023Examining the role of intrinsic and reflexive contributions to ankle joint hyper-resistance treated with botulinum toxin-A.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn nine people with ankle spasticity, the clinical Modified Ashworth Scale showed a significant drop in resistance six weeks after botulinum toxin injections. However, precise instrumented measures of reflex and tissue stiffness failed to confirm this group-wide effect, leaving the specific mechanism of action unclear.
• PTOTOther2023Loaded and unloaded timed stair tests as tools for assessing advanced functional mobility in people with stroke.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineThe Timed Stair Test reliably measures advanced mobility in stroke survivors. Walking with a 5% body-weight vest took 45 seconds on average, compared to 17 seconds for healthy adults. A completion time over 26 seconds strongly indicates stroke-related mobility limitations.
• PTOTOther2023Altered biomechanical strategies of the paretic hip and knee joints during a step-up task.Topics in stroke rehabilitationPeople with chronic stroke use inefficient strategies when stepping up. The affected leg bends less at the hip and knee, forcing the pelvis to hike higher. This leg also generates less power at the knee, shifting the load to the hip.
• OTSLPOther2023Social and emotional characteristics of girls and young women with DDX3X-associated intellectual disability: a descriptive and comparative study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersGirls and young women with DDX3X intellectual disability had higher anxiety and self-injury than girls with other genetic intellectual disability. Autism characteristics were similar. Anxiety and self-injury need assessment. Do not assume they are only autism.
• PTOTSLPRCT2023Supervised exercise therapy versus laser-guided exercise therapy on postural control in subjects with non-specific chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled clinical trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineBoth supervised and laser-guided exercise with pain education improved postural control. Laser-guided exercise showed greater improvements in energy required to restore balance, but no control group means natural recovery cannot be ruled out.
• OTSLPOther2023Validity of the SNAP-IV For ADHD Assessment in South African Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe SNAP-IV ADHD scale shows mixed validity in South African children with neurodevelopmental disorders. It correlates well with other behavioral measures, but specific items like 'talks excessively' fail in non-verbal children, and 'does not listen' is often misinterpreted as autism symptoms rather than inattention.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Ultrasound measures of muscle thickness and subcutaneous tissue from the hip abductors: Inter- and intra-rater reliability.Musculoskeletal science & practiceUltrasound measurements of hip abductor muscle thickness and subcutaneous tissue are highly reliable when taken by the same person or different people in young adults. This supports using ultrasound for clinical assessment or research tracking in this specific population, though results may not apply to older adults.
• PTOTOther2022Split-Belt Adaptation and Savings in People With Parkinson Disease.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTMost people with Parkinson disease adapted to split-belt walking and showed savings, meaning they re-learned the pattern faster the second time. However, individual responses varied widely. Two participants showed almost no adaptation, suggesting a one-size-fits-all approach to gait training is ineffective.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2022'This battle, between your gut feeling and your mind. Try to find the right balance': Parental experiences of children with spinal muscular atrophy during COVID-19 pandemic.Child: care, health and developmentParents of children with SMA prioritized protecting their child's health, leading them to cancel therapies and isolate the family. They felt responsible for continuing home exercises and struggled with conflicting advice on returning to school.
• PTOTSurvey2022Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and screen time among youths with Down syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRYouths with Down syndrome saw physical activity halve during lockdown, and it did not return to pre-pandemic levels even after restrictions eased. Sedentary and screen time spiked but recovered. Parents’ activity also remained low, breaking the link between parent and child activity levels.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2022Usability of self-reported assessment of work functioning in municipal occupational rehabilitation teams: A qualitative study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesMunicipal rehabilitation teams rejected a new self-reported questionnaire for guiding return-to-work decisions, finding it added no new information and lacked context. However, professionals and patients agreed that asking about self-efficacy and expectations early in the process could help dialogue and engagement.
• PTOTCohort2022Asymmetry in sleep spindles and motor outcome in infants with unilateral brain injury.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn infants with unilateral brain injury, asymmetry in sleep spindles on EEG predicted later unilateral cerebral palsy with 95% accuracy. This retrospective study of 40 infants suggests EEG could help identify high-risk babies, but the small sample and lack of comparison to standard assessments limit current clinical use.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Pain trajectories and well-being in children and young people with cerebral palsy: A cohort study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with cerebral palsy fell into five distinct 5-week pain patterns. Those with high or changing pain reported lower physical and psychological well-being than those with stable low pain. Repeated brief pain checks may help spot children at risk for poor well-being.
• PTOTSLPPilot2022Feasibility of a Novel Video Game-Based Electromyography Biofeedback System in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis.Journal of sport rehabilitationPatients with knee osteoarthritis generated 25% higher knee extension torque and exercised 2.7 minutes longer when using a video game biofeedback system compared to traditional biofeedback. Participants reported high usability and engagement, suggesting the game format may help patients exert more effort during rehabilitation.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2022Factors influencing sustainable employment of persons with acquired brain injury (ABI) or spinal cord injury (SCI): A qualitative study evaluating the perspective of health and work professionals.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesProfessionals identified gaps in long-term employment support for brain and spinal cord injury. They reported that vocational services often end once initial integration is complete, leaving workers and employers without help when health declines or workplace changes occur. Early, coordinated intervention and ongoing access to a contact person were deemed critical for sustaining employment. Knowledge of long-term support resources was limited among many professionals, creating a risk of unsupported job loss years after rehabilitation.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022Reliability of Muscle Strength and Muscle Power Assessments Using Isokinetic Dynamometry in Neuromuscular Diseases: A Systematic Review.Physical therapyIsokinetic dynamometry is reliable for measuring strength in postpoliomyelitis syndrome, especially isometric tests. Evidence is weak for other neuromuscular diseases. Use peak torque or maximum voluntary contraction; avoid angle at peak torque.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Opioid use in older orthopedic rehabilitation inpatients: a retrospective study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineNew opioid users in orthopedic rehab received far lower doses than guidelines suggest, with older patients requiring the least. Prior users received much higher doses. Functional recovery was similar across groups, but constipation was common in all.
• OTOther2023The SoftHand Pro platform: a flexible prosthesis with a user-centered approach.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTwo pilots using a soft prosthetic hand preferred myoelectric control over body-powered control, despite similar functional performance. The hand adapted to object shapes, but grasp repeatability and wrist movement limited competition tasks.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Relations between indoor rehabilitation and basic health services in a developing country.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn a Bangladeshi inpatient rehabilitation ward, 78.1% of patients arrived via outpatient screening rather than acute care transfer. Musculoskeletal conditions accounted for the largest share of admissions among those with recorded diagnoses. Most patients were discharged home.
• PTOTRCT2023Cerebral Theta-Burst Stimulation Combined with Physiotherapy in Patients with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineNine weeks of cerebral theta-burst stimulation added to standard physiotherapy improved lower limb muscle strength, walking speed, stride length, and daily living ability in 38 patients with incomplete spinal cord injury more than sham stimulation.
• OTCase-Control2023Atypical Tactile Perception in Early Childhood Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersYoung autistic children responded more slowly and inconsistently to touch. Some differences in judging strength or timing of touch did not remain after accounting for non-verbal cognitive scores.
• PTOTSurvey2023Using Self-Regulation Assessment to Explore Associations between Self-Regulation, Participation and Health-Related Quality of Life in a Rehabilitation Population.Journal of rehabilitation medicineSelf-regulation scores linked to how satisfied patients felt with their life and mental health, but not to how much they actually participated or their physical health. Trust in one's own abilities was the strongest predictor of this satisfaction.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2023Early Opportunities to Explore Occupational Identity Change: Qualitative Study of Return-To-Work Experiences After Stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStroke survivors described needing early, low-pressure opportunities to practise work skills and talk with employers. They valued services that anticipated their needs and offered continuous support, rather than waiting for them to ask for help.
• OTSLPCohort2023Longitudinal development of language and fine motor skills is correlated, but not coupled, in a childhood atypical cohort.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceEarly skill level in one domain did not predict rate of change in the other. Language and fine motor growth rates were strongly correlated, but that did not show a driving effect.
• PTOTCohort2023Improvement in the Capacity for Activity Versus Improvement in Performance of Activity in Daily Life During Outpatient Rehabilitation.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTIn outpatient neurorehabilitation, 59% of patients improved their clinical test scores but showed no improvement in daily life activity. This gap existed for both stroke and Parkinson disease, and was larger for walking than for upper limb function.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2022Exploring the knowledge base of trauma and trauma informed care of staff working in community residential accommodation for adults with an intellectual disability.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDStaff in residential services for adults with intellectual disabilities reported limited knowledge of formal trauma assessment tools and specific interventions. While all groups recognised general trauma vulnerabilities, few could identify validated screening methods or link physical health impacts to trauma history.
• OTQualitative2022'It really is quite a different ballgame'. A qualitative study into the work experiences of remote support professionals.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDRemote support workers for people with intellectual disabilities said distance pushed them to coach rather than do tasks, but made it hard to see the whole situation, especially on audio calls. They relied on team consistency and fast switching between unexpected contacts.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022First results from post-COVID inpatient rehabilitation.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPost-COVID patients in inpatient rehabilitation improved significantly in walking distance, mood, and daily activity participation. No patients worsened physically during the exercise program, suggesting that moderate, monitored rehabilitation is safe for this population.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Persistent Exertional Dyspnea and Perceived Exercise Intolerance After Mild COVID-19: A Critical Role for Breathing Dysregulation?Physical therapyIn 21 patients with unexplained breathlessness after mild COVID-19, 20 showed signs of breathing dysregulation on exercise testing. Their heart and lung function were normal, suggesting the symptoms stem from how they breathe rather than physical deconditioning or organ damage.
• OTCohort2022Clinical, electrophysiological, and imaging findings in childhood brachial plexus injury.Developmental medicine and child neurologyMRI nerve root scores and EMG denervation scores identified participants who needed surgery at some thresholds among 21 participants with brachial plexus injury. Nerve conduction amplitudes did not predict surgery.
• OTRCT2023Coaching While Waiting for Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment: A Pilot Feasibility Study for a Randomized Controlled Trial on Occupational Performance Coaching and Service Navigation.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCoaching families while they wait for an autism assessment was feasible, with 75% retention. Families in the coaching arms reported larger gains in goal performance and satisfaction than those in usual care, though the study was too small to prove effectiveness.
• PTOTCohort2023COVID-19 clinical outcomes by patient disability status: A retrospective cohort study.Disability and health journalAdults under 65 with disabilities requiring assistance had a 35% increased hazard of developing severe COVID-19 during hospitalization. This risk did not persist after adjusting for body mass index and comorbidities. No increased risk of severe disease was found in patients 65 or older.
• PTOTPilot2023Robotic locomotor training for spasticity, pain, and quality of life in individuals with chronic SCI: A pilot randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesNeither robotic walking nor conventional activity-based training reduced spasticity. Both groups reported increased pain interference but improved quality of life. This pilot suggests exercise benefits well-being despite pain, but does not prove either method reduces spasticity.
• OTSurvey2023Adaptation of Parents Raising a Child with ASD: The Role of Positive Perceptions, Coping, Self-efficacy, and Social Support.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParental confidence, support, coping, and positive perceptions were linked with lower stress or better wellbeing, family quality of life, or satisfaction. None weakened the link between child behaviour problems and parent adaptation.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Neuroimaging and neurological outcome of children with acute encephalitis.Developmental medicine and child neurologyNearly one third of children had poor long-term recovery after acute encephalitis. Severe MRI findings and need for ventilator therapy were linked to worse outcomes. A normal early MRI did not guarantee good recovery, as one fifth of those with normal scans still had poor outcomes.