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 119 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTQualitative2022The Strengths and Positive Influences of Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilitiesCaregivers of young children with FASD described strengths in social connection, persistence, talents, and positive mood. They also said the children brought family togetherness, joy, and help with household tasks. Their positive descriptions were not linked to child behavior or parenting stress.
• PTOTCohort2023Increasing daily duration of rehabilitation for inpatients with sporadic inclusion body myositis may contribute to improvement in activities of daily living: A nationwide database cohort study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineInpatients with sporadic inclusion body myositis who received more than one hour of daily rehabilitation showed significantly greater improvement in activities of daily living, particularly toileting and mobility, compared to those receiving less than one hour.
• PTOTSurvey2023The relationship between frailty and motor function among living in the community elderly females.Journal of physical therapy scienceAmong 67 older women in community exercise salons, frailty was common, and women with frailty had weaker grip, slower walking and longer chair-to-walk-to-chair times. Depression, physical function and oral function were most strongly related to frailty.
• PTOTOther2023Determinants of quality of life in elderly rehabilitation users at a day care service center.Journal of physical therapy scienceFor older adults in day care, quality of life linked to social roles and independence, not physical strength or age. Longer time in care support predicted lower psychological and social well-being. Focus sessions on connection and daily living tasks rather than exercise alone.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Relationship between gait regularity and harmony, and gait speed at discharge in inpatients with subacute stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 16 subacute stroke inpatients, early trunk smoothness and vertical step regularity correlated with discharge walking speed. This suggests monitoring vertical trunk movement stability during early gait, though the small sample and high baseline function limit broader application.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2023Use of the Digital Assistant Vigo in the Home Environment for Stroke Recovery: Focus Group Discussion With Specialists Working in Neurorehabilitation.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesSpecialists said this stroke home app suited only a small group of patients. They wanted therapist assessment, adjustable exercises, voice or video instead of chat text, and caregiver support.
• OTSLPQualitative2023Summative content analysis of the recommendations from Project ECHO Ontario Autism.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesProject ECHO Ontario Autism recommendations most often advised clinicians to connect families with community supports and make referrals, including occupational therapy and speech-language pathology. These are recommendation topics, not tested outcomes.
• PTOTQualitative2023Addressing racism in the workplace through simulation: So much to unlearn.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTherapists described an anti-racism simulation as clarifying how to interrupt microaggressions, but admitted they still fear damaging colleague relationships. They valued having specific phrases ready, noting that speaking up feels risky even when silence harms patient care.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2022Synthesising existing research on complicated grief in intellectual disability: findings from a systematic review.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRComplicated grief affects one-third of bereaved adults with intellectual disability. Symptoms often start late and separation distress dominates. Carers underestimate this pain. Self-report scales detect more symptoms than proxy reports. No evidence-based treatments exist yet.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Association between early and current gastro-intestinal symptoms and co-morbidities in children and adolescents with Angelman syndrome.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRIn children with Angelman syndrome, current frequent gastrointestinal symptoms are strongly linked to a history of gastroesophageal reflux and night-time urinary incontinence. Excessive night-time sweating also predicts these symptoms. Clinicians should investigate GI issues when patients present with these specific co-morbidities.
• OTCohort2022Sensory processing in 16p11.2 deletion and 16p11.2 duplication.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchChildren with 16p11.2 deletion or duplication often had sensory differences similar to autistic children, especially body position and not noticing sensory input. Scores varied widely, so assess each child's sensory profile rather than assume one pattern.
• OTSLPCase-Control2022Reexamining empathy in autism: Empathic disequilibrium as a novel predictor of autism diagnosis and autistic traits.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic adults reported an imbalance between emotional and cognitive empathy, specifically higher emotional empathy than cognitive empathy. This pattern predicted autism diagnosis and social traits more strongly than total empathy alone. The findings challenge the view that autism is characterized by a lack of empathy.
• PTOTCohort2022The five times sit-to-stand test: safety, validity and reliability with critical care survivors's at ICU discharge.Archives of physiotherapyThe Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test is safe and highly reliable for high-functioning ICU survivors, but only 30% could perform it. A time over 23.5 seconds predicted ICU readmission with 99% sensitivity, identifying patients at risk for longer stays and poorer function.
• PTOTPilot2023Relative and absolute reliability of gait variables obtained from gait analysis with trunk acceleration in community-dwelling individuals with chronic stroke: a pilot study.Journal of physical therapy scienceTrunk acceleration sensors reliably track gait changes in chronic stroke patients, especially during fast walking. Clinicians can trust small improvements measured this way, as the sensor noise is low enough to distinguish real progress from measurement error.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Development of simple descriptions of the ICF Generic-30 Set in different languages: laying the foundation for an ICF-based clinical tool for Europe.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineThe ICF Generic-30 Set now has language-specific simple descriptions for Croatian, Flemish/Dutch, Greek, Polish and Turkish. These versions were developed by rehabilitation experts to make the tool usable in local clinical settings.
• PTOTOther2023Psychometric properties of Upper-body Dressing Scale in people with stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineTiming how long it takes a stroke patient to put on a shirt distinguishes them from healthy adults with high accuracy. The standard score failed to do this because patients with good cognition needed no help. Use the time taken, not the cue count, to track recovery.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Effects of water exercise on body composition and components of metabolic syndrome in older females with sarcopenic obesity.Journal of physical therapy scienceWater exercise reduced leg body fat in older women with sarcopenic obesity but did not increase muscle mass or improve metabolic syndrome markers. Knee extension strength increased in both groups. Do not expect body composition or metabolic changes from water exercise alone.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Satisfaction analysis of overground gait exoskeletons in people with neurological pathology. a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAcross 23 studies, people with stroke, spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis reported generally positive satisfaction with overground gait exoskeletons, especially safety, efficacy and comfort. Fitting, removal, weight, size and ease of use were the weakest points.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2023Possible solutions to enhance evidence-based practice proposed by rehabilitation professionals in Japan: a Delphi study.Journal of physical therapy scienceJapanese PTs, OTs, and STs agreed on 10 ways to promote evidence-based practice, such as communication skills, accessible guidelines, continuous support, flexible training, and observing clinicians using it. These are expert recommendations, not tested interventions.
• PTOTQualitative2023"Kind of empowered": Perceptions of socio-emotional development in children driving ride-on cars.Rehabilitation psychologyCaregivers described ride-on cars as helping their children feel empowered and equal to peers. They viewed the cars as a fun toy rather than a medical device, which reduced stigma and allowed for more natural social interaction and autonomy.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Dietary intake in children on the autism spectrum is altered and linked to differences in autistic traits and sensory processing styles.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchChildren with autism ate lower-quality diets than their siblings and unrelated peers, with less variety and more nutrient-poor foods. However, siblings shared some poor habits, and sensory hypersensitivity or seeking was linked to healthier eating, suggesting family and sensory factors drive diet more than diagnosis alone.
• OTSurvey2022The relationship between subjective socioeconomic status and health in adults with and without intellectual disability.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDAdults with intellectual disability rated their social position lower (median rung 4 vs 6). Higher ladder scores were associated with better self-rated health only in proxy-reported participants. Employment, not ladder scores, was associated with better health-related quality of life in both intellectual disability groups.
• PTOTCase-Control2023Physical functions associated with health-related quality of life in older adults diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn older adults awaiting knee surgery, slow sit-to-stand and walking speed tracked lower physical and social quality of life, but not mental well-being. Pain on joint loading also correlated with poorer physical quality of life. Assess these specific functions to target rehab.
• PTOTCohort2023Reliability and validity of the Hebrew version of the International Spinal Cord Injury Activities and Participation Basic Data Set.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineIn 47 people with spinal cord injury, the Hebrew activities and participation questionnaire gave similar answers when repeated, and self-care scores tracked disability well. Mobility, occupation, and relationship scores were less dependable, so interpret those parts cautiously.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2023Perceived shared decision-making among patients undergoing lower-limb amputation and their care teams: A qualitative study.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalPatients with lower-limb amputation often felt excluded from decisions about whether to amputate or at what level. Providers recognized the value of shared decision-making but cited patient illness and emotional distress as barriers. Patients valued clear, sensitive communication.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Does gender moderate the association between socioeconomic status and health? Results from an observational study in persons with spinal cord injury living in Morocco.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesHow people with spinal cord injury in Morocco felt about their social standing and financial hardship strongly predicted their health outcomes. Traditional markers like education and income did not. Gender did not significantly change these links, except for one finding on general health.
• PTOTOther2023Quantitative assessments of finger individuation with an instrumented glove.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA data glove produced repeatable scores for finger movement in 20 healthy adults. The test is consistent across visits, but because only healthy right-handed young adults were studied, these scores cannot yet diagnose hand problems in patients.
• PTOTCohort2023Pressure injury prevalence and characteristics in patients with COVID-19 admitted to acute inpatient rehabilitation unit.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences39 of 120 patients admitted to acute inpatient rehabilitation after COVID-19 had pressure injuries, versus 1.7% in 2019. Patients with pressure injuries had longer ICU and rehabilitation stays, more ventilation, and more tracheostomies.
• PTOTOther2023Mobilizing registry data for quality improvement: A convergent mixed-methods analysis and application to spinal cord injury.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStakeholders described spinal cord injury registry data use for quality improvement as supported by champions, patient input, audit and feedback, and linkage to electronic records, but limited by access, incomplete data, and workload.
• PTOTCohort2023Differences in Recovery of Tendon Health Explained by Midportion Achilles Tendinopathy Subgroups: A 6-Month Follow-up.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyFour distinct patient profiles emerged in Achilles tendinopathy. Activity- and Function-Dominant groups recovered fastest, while Structure-Dominant patients showed delayed structural healing. Psychosocial-Dominant patients retained functional deficits. Recovery timelines vary by subgroup, suggesting tailored monitoring is needed.
• OTSLPQualitative2023Parents' perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 and school transition on autistic children's friendships.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceParents reported that autistic children who moved to a new school with existing friends or to a setting with staggered starts and reduced crowds experienced smoother transitions. Children without these supports often struggled with isolation or peer difficulties during the pandemic.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023A scoping review of eye tracking metrics used to assess visuomotor behaviours of upper limb prosthesis users.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationUpper limb prosthesis users consistently look at their prosthetic hand more and the target less than people with intact arms. This visual dependency reflects a lack of sensory feedback. Gaze training and targeted reinnervation can reduce this reliance, improving efficiency.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2023Views of physiotherapists on factors that play a role in ethical decision-making: an international online survey study.Archives of physiotherapyPhysiotherapists agreed ethical decisions need more than rule-following and value workplace culture. Most disagreed that entry-level training was a solid foundation, while regional differences appeared in how much culture, religion and senior colleagues were seen to influence choices.
• PTOTSLPRCT2023Clitoral Therapy Device for Alleviating Sexual Dysfunction After Female Genital Mutilation: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesAdding a clitoral vacuum device to standard psychosexual education significantly improved all six domains of sexual function in women with FGM-related dysfunction compared to education alone. The device group showed greater gains in desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2023Pain coping tools for children and young adults with a neurodevelopmental disability: A systematic review of measurement properties.Developmental medicine and child neurologyNo pain coping questionnaire is fully validated for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. The CP QoL may flag pain issues, but clinicians should not rely on it alone. Use the FOPQ or BAPQ with caution, knowing they lack validation for this specific population.
• PTOTSLPPilot2023Effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on quadriceps weakness immediately after total knee arthroplasty: a pilot, randomized, open-label clinical trial.Journal of physical therapy sciencePatients taking omega-3 capsules for 30 days before knee replacement surgery showed significantly less quadriceps weakness on day 4 after surgery compared to those who took nothing. This pilot study suggests a potential benefit, but the small sample size means these results need confirmation.
• PTOTSLPOther2023After scaling to body size hip strength of the residual limb exceeds that of the intact limb among unilateral lower limb prosthesis users.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWhen hip strength is adjusted for body size, prosthesis users have weaker hips on their intact side than on their prosthetic side. The prosthetic side matches healthy controls. Strengthening should target the intact limb.
• PTOTOther2023Can a powered knee-ankle prosthesis improve weight-bearing symmetry during stand-to-sit transitions in individuals with above-knee amputations?Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA powered knee-ankle prosthesis improved weight-bearing symmetry in ten above-knee amputees, with all participants showing better balance during sit-down. However, intact-leg muscle effort did not decrease, and the device still provided less support than the healthy leg.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2023Short-term efficacy of exercise therapy for temporomandibular disorders: a case control study.Journal of physical therapy sciencePatients with locked jaw who received manual therapy plus home exercises improved more in jaw opening and daily life function after two weeks than those who only received an explanation of their condition. Both groups improved, but the treatment group saw greater gains in pain and function.
• OTOther2023A novel assessment of participation and executive functions (A-PEX) for traumatic brain injury: a validity study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineThe A-PEX tool reliably scores executive function deficits by observing a patient's actual participation in daily inpatient tasks. It distinguishes TBI patients from controls and correlates with standard cognitive tests. Scoring takes 30 to 45 minutes and does not fatigue the patient.
• PTOTCohort2023Postural control exercise without using the upper limbs improves activities of daily living in patients with stroke.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStroke patients who practiced postural control without using their arms showed greater gains in daily living tasks and walking recovery than those who relied on arm support. This suggests training balance in more unstable conditions may improve functional independence.
• PTOTSLPOther2023The relationship between body sway patterns and motor and attentional functions in early childhood.Journal of physical therapy scienceSix-year-olds with back-and-forth body sway had lower attention scores than those with centered sway, but physical fitness tests showed no difference. Do not use standing sway patterns to screen for motor delays, though they may hint at attentional timing issues.
• PTOTCase-Control2023Cardiorespiratory Insufficiency and Performance Fatigability in Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.Cardiopulmonary physical therapy journalWomen with systemic lupus erythematosus reached their fatigue threshold at very low activity levels, often below the energy cost of standing tasks or walking while playing with children. Their reduced aerobic reserve limits the ability to sustain daily activities without exhaustion.
• OTSurvey2022Impact of stress and decision fatigue on parenting practices related to food and physical activity during COVID-19.Child: care, health and developmentMost parents reported positive changes in food and activity habits during the pandemic. However, high stress predicted less positive change, but only for parents who also reported increased decision fatigue. Stress alone did not predict worse habits if decision fatigue remained low.
• OTSurvey2022COVID-19 Vaccines for Children with Developmental Disabilities: Survey of New York State Parents' Willingness and Concerns.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPMost parents of children with developmental disabilities were willing to vaccinate their children against COVID-19, especially for adolescents. Willingness dropped for younger children and among Black and Hispanic parents. Key concerns were side effects, exclusion from trials, and impacts on development.
• PTOTSLPRCT2023Effects of cardiac rehabilitation with motion assistance from a wearable cyborg hybrid assistive limb on patients with chronic heart failure: a randomized controlled trial with a one-year follow-up.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding a wearable lumbar support device to sit-to-stand exercises did not reduce heart failure readmissions or deaths over one year compared to standard exercise. The device was safe, but the small sample size means it cannot prove whether the technology offers any long-term benefit.
• PTOTCohort2023Self-reported physical function is strongly related to pain behavior and pain interference and weakly related to physical capacity in people with chronic low back pain.Musculoskeletal science & practiceSelf-reported physical function in chronic low back pain correlates strongly with pain behavior and interference but weakly with objective physical capacity. Clinicians should not use questionnaires as a proxy for performance tests, as they measure different constructs.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2023Electrical stimulation methods and protocols for the treatment of traumatic brain injury: a critical review of preclinical research.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPreclinical reviews of electrical stimulation in animal models of traumatic brain injury report improvements in motor, cognitive, and arousal outcomes across four methods. However, inconsistent protocols and a lack of long-term data in these animal studies prevent direct application to human clinical practice.
• PTOTRCT2023Gait training with a wearable powered robot during stroke rehabilitation: a randomized parallel-group trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA wearable robot did not improve walking speed or distance more than standard therapist-assisted gait training in stroke patients. Both groups improved similarly, so the robot offers no clear advantage over conventional care for these primary outcomes.
• PTOTNarrative Review2023Computer-assisted approaches for measuring, segmenting, and analyzing functional upper extremity movement: a narrative review of the current state, limitations, and future directions.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesComputer-assisted tools can make upper limb movement recording and analysis easier, but they are not ready to guide clinical decisions. Most methods still need testing on patients, standard labels, and proof they improve care.