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 120 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTCohort2023Comparison of wrist actimetry variables of paretic upper limb use in post stroke patients for ecological monitoring.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWrist sensors worn at home for seven days showed that stroke patients with mild to moderate arm weakness made about 800 functional movements per day with their paretic arm versus 4,000 with the other. A ratio of these movements tracked arm impairment better than simple activity counts did.
• PTOTOther2023Effects of a seated upper-extremity exercise program designed to improve cognitive and upper-extremity functions in older females.Journal of physical therapy scienceThe seated hand and memory exercise did not improve hand dexterity or grip between groups, but cognitive scores improved compared with controls.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Development of social functioning in children with cerebral palsy: A longitudinal study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with cerebral palsy who communicate effectively with familiar partners (CFCS level I) developed social skills similar to typical peers by age 12. Those with communication difficulties at unfamiliar levels (CFCS II-V) had social function significantly below age expectations. Intellectual impairment also predicted poorer social function.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2023Evaluating the Therapeutic Application of Neuromodulation in the Human Swallowing System.DysphagiaNeuromodulation techniques like rTMS, tDCS, and PES show mixed results for neurogenic dysphagia. While PES has regulatory approval in Europe and aids extubation in tracheostomized patients, most other applications remain experimental, lack standardized protocols, and are not approved for dysphagia by the FDA.
• PTOTOther2023Dealing with the heterogeneous presentations of freezing of gait: how reliable are the freezing index and heart rate for freezing detection?Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThe freezing index fails to separate freezing from voluntary stops and misfires on turns. Heart rate reliably distinguishes freezing from stops across all types. Combining a simple forward-motion metric with heart rate monitoring may improve home detection of freezing in Parkinson's disease.
• PTOTPilot2022A 12-week exercise programme has a positive effect on everyday executive function in young people with Down syndrome: a pilot non-randomised controlled trial.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRMost executive function measures showed no exercise-group advantage in young people with Down syndrome, but one familiar-person rating scale reported less everyday executive dysfunction after 12 weeks of community exercise with mentor support.
• OTCohort2022Patterns of sleep disturbances and associations with depressive symptoms in autistic young adults.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn 304 autistic young adults, low sleep efficiency and delayed sleep phase linked to higher depression scores. Total sleep time did not. Assess how well patients sleep and when they fall asleep, not just how many hours they get.
• PTOTPilot2023Development of a compensation-aware virtual rehabilitation system for upper extremity rehabilitation in community-dwelling older adults with stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThe virtual system did not beat conventional therapy on upper-limb function after three months, but both groups improved. It detected compensatory movements, though their counts did not fall.
• PTOTSurvey2023The Comparison of Psychological Barriers Between Individuals with a History of Anterior Knee Pain, Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, and Healthy Individuals.International journal of sports physical therapyStudents with a history of anterior knee pain or ACL reconstruction reported significantly higher fear of movement, pain catastrophizing, and fear-avoidance beliefs than healthy peers. The two injured groups showed similar psychological barriers, suggesting these issues persist long after injury.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2023Stakeholder perspectives on navigating the pediatric concussion experience: Exploring the needs for improved communication across the care continuum.NeuroRehabilitationStakeholders reported that communication from healthcare providers to schools is often ineffective or absent. Parents who actively advocated secured more accommodations. Schools frequently lack a designated point person, and non-athlete students receive less coordinated support than athletes.
• PTOTCase Series2023Epidural stimulation restores muscle synergies by modulating neural drives in participants with sensorimotor complete spinal cord injuries.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationEpidural stimulation in six people with complete spinal cord injury reduced the number of muscle synergies to match healthy controls, indicating restored coordination. However, the left and right sides remained uncoordinated, and movement was less precise than in able-bodied individuals.
• OTSurvey2023The experiences and attitudes of family caregivers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities at different timepoints in the COVID-19 pandemic.Disability and health journalCaregivers surveyed in 2022 reported better wellbeing and self-efficacy than those in 2020, yet two-thirds still felt unsupported and half felt unable to cope. The improvement did not resolve the crisis of unmet needs. Low scores should not be read as resilience, but as survival under strain.
• OTSurvey2022Child Media Use During COVID-19: Associations with Contextual and Social-Emotional Factors.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPChildren spent about 4 hours daily on entertainment screen media outside schoolwork. Mobile apps and games were linked to more behavioral difficulties, problematic media use, and shorter sleep, while video chat and streaming were linked to more prosocial behavior.
• OTQualitative2023People with intellectual disability and employment sustainability: A qualitative interview study.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDEmployment sustainability for people with intellectual disability relied on varied work experiences, positive workplace relationships, balanced expectations, flexible employers, and wage subsidies. Some remained employed only due to a lack of viable alternatives.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Wearable accelerometers for measuring and monitoring the motor behaviour of infants with brain damage during CareToy-Revised training.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWearable arm and trunk sensors recorded movement in 17 infants with brain damage during a home training programme. Sensor readings tracked AIMS and IMP total scores, but not IMP fluency. The sample was too small to validate any clinical tool.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023A Prospective, Longitudinal and Exploratory Study of Head and Neck Lymphoedema and Dysphagia Following Chemoradiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer.DysphagiaHead and neck lymphoedema persists in all patients one year after chemoradiotherapy, though it shifts from external to internal. Higher severity and more widespread internal swelling are strongly linked to worse swallowing safety, diet restrictions, and patient-reported difficulty eating solids.
• OTRCT2023Traumatic Brain Injury Positive Strategies for Families: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of an Online Parent-Training Program.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationCaregivers using the online TIPS program learned more strategies than those using a standard website, but they did not apply them better or report improved family quality of life. The program was highly rated and feasible, but it did not yet change patient or family outcomes.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023A systematic review of the applications of markerless motion capture (MMC) technology for clinical measurement in rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMarkerless video can capture body movement in rehab patients, but the review found the evidence too small and varied to support routine clinical measurement.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2023"If you respect me, you are respecting my culture": methods and recommendations for personalizing a TBI transitional care intervention.Brain injuryPatients and caregivers prioritized autonomy and respect over cultural matching. They wanted to choose their own goals and language, and sought an interventionist who could navigate the health system for them, rather than one who shared their specific cultural background.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Association of maternal autoimmune disease and early childhood infections with offspring autism spectrum disorder: A population-based cohort study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchChildren with mothers who had autoimmune disease or who were hospitalized for infections before age two had higher odds of autism diagnosis by age nine. However, having both exposures did not multiply the risk beyond what each contributes alone.
• OTCohort2022Adaptive response of Italian young adults with autism to the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study.Research in developmental disabilitiesOne year after the Italian lockdown, young adults with autism showed significant declines in daily living and socialisation skills. Personal care, domestic tasks, and interpersonal relationships worsened over time, suggesting that disruption of routine rehabilitation and increased family dependence may have hindered adaptive functioning.
• OTCohort2022Resilience, and positive parenting in parents of children with syndromic autism and intellectual disability. Evidence from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family's quality of life and parent-child relationships.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchParents of children with syndromic autism maintained stable family quality of life during the pandemic, despite significant disruptions to healthcare access. Most reported positive parent-child relationships, with low conflict and high satisfaction. However, those losing predictable routines or healthcare access saw lower family quality of life scores.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Trajectories of self-management and independence in youth with spina bifida: Demographic predictors of growth.Child: care, health and developmentSelf-management skills improved slowly over time for young adults with spina bifida, but most still required supervision or assistance by age 27. Growth rates varied by race and sex, with Black participants showing faster improvement in condition management.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2023Exploring parent-engaged developmental monitoring of young children before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, Porter Novelli Styles 2019 and 2021.Disability and health journalParents' engagement in developmental monitoring and rates of reported concerns did not change significantly from before the pandemic to during it. However, half of parents who reported a concern said their child did not receive services.
• PTOTOther2023Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) and Associated Sub-scales.International journal of sports physical therapyThe 40-item HOOS and HOOS-12 failed statistical structure tests, suggesting items overlap too much to measure distinct problems. The shorter HOOS-JR showed better structure and validly distinguished hip pathology from healthy states, making it more reliable for screening hip dysfunction in active populations.
• PTOTSLPPilot2023Hybrid brain/neural interface and autonomous vision-guided whole-arm exoskeleton control to perform activities of daily living (ADLs).Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTen people with severe motor impairments controlled two assistive robots using brain and eye signals. The wearable arm exoskeleton allowed faster, more reliable task completion than the table-mounted robot arm, but users found the exoskeleton physically demanding and less comfortable.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Are Exercise Therapy Protocols For The Treatment of Hip-Related Pain Adequately Described? A Systematic Review of Intervention Descriptions.International journal of sports physical therapyMost hip pain exercise studies fail to describe the intervention clearly enough for others to copy. Only 23 of 52 trials provided enough detail, and none scored perfectly on reporting guidelines. Clinicians cannot replicate or trust the specific dosages and progressions used in these protocols.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2023Expected Health Benefits as the Ultimate Outcome of Information Available on Stroke Engine, a Knowledge Translation Stroke Rehabilitation Website: Web-Based Survey.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesStroke Engine users reported finding information relevant and learning something new. Some reported intending to use it and expecting health benefits, but this was a voluntary website survey, not proof that reading it improves stroke care.
• OTCohort2023Chronic frontal neurobehavioural symptoms in combat-deployed military personnel with and without a history of blast-related mild traumatic brain injury.Brain injuryAt 5 years, blast-related mild TBI military personnel self-reported clinically elevated overall frontal behavior symptoms and executive dysfunction symptoms, and higher disinhibition and apathy ratings than combat controls without TBI or blast.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2023Examining the Peer-Reviewed Published Literature Regarding Low Back Pain in Rowing: A Scoping Review.International journal of sports physical therapyThe only two consistent risk factors for low back pain in rowers were previous back pain and prolonged ergometer use. Most evidence relies on retrospective surveys with no standard definition of back pain, so specific training limits or screening tools cannot be recommended.
• PTOTRCT2023Effectiveness of Spinal Stabilization Exercises on Movement Performance in Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain.International journal of sports physical therapySpinal stabilization exercises improved movement quality more than general exercises, but neither reduced pain or disability enough to be clinically meaningful. Both groups improved during supervised sessions, with gains fading when participants exercised alone at home.
• OTSLPCase-Control2022Cognitive flexibility in autism: Evidence from young autistic children.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchYoung autistic children took longer and made more errors on a non-verbal task requiring them to switch rules between numbers and colors. Their performance on verbal word-list tasks was lower, but this was driven by specific word categories rather than a general inability to switch mental sets.
• PTOTSLPPilot2023An educational intervention to promote a culture of gender equity among persons with traumatic brain injury and caregivers: A pilot study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA lecture-based session improved knowledge and skills in people with TBI, but an interactive version did not. The control group also showed gains, so the specific effect of the education remains unclear in this small pilot.
• PTOTRCT2023Comparison between a novel helical and a posterior ankle-foot orthosis on gait in people with unilateral foot drop: a randomised crossover trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn people with peripheral neuropathy or neuromuscular disease, a new helical carbon ankle-foot orthosis increased walking distance and improved mobility more than a standard posterior leaf spring AFO. Participants were also significantly more satisfied with the helical design.
• PTOTOther2023My Top Five Concepts for Selecting Lower Extremity Exercises For Cruciate Ligament and Patellofemoral Rehabilitation.International journal of sports physical therapySeated knee extensions place higher strain on the ACL than most weight-bearing exercises like squats and lunges. Technique details matter: keeping knees over toes and using a forward trunk tilt reduces ligament load. Progress from low to high knee angles to control stress on the patellofemoral joint.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Predicting Motor Outcomes Using Atlas-Based Voxel Features of Post-Stroke Neuroimaging: A Scoping Review.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairAtlas-based brain imaging methods for predicting stroke motor recovery are currently unfit for clinical practice. The 17 studies reviewed used widely varying methods, small samples, and lacked validation, making results impossible to compare or apply to patient care.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2023Oropharyngeal Dysphagia in Acute Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: A Literature Review.DysphagiaDysphagia is common after cervical spinal cord injury, often silent and linked to tracheostomy, surgery, or respiratory impairment. Screening must account for reduced sensation. Specialist speech-language pathology input is recommended for assessment and tailored rehabilitation.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Postural alterations in breast cancer survivors: proposal of the PABS evaluation protocol based on a systematic review.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineBreast cancer survivors consistently show worsened posture and balance after treatment, but current research uses such different measurement tools that results cannot be compared. The authors propose a standardized assessment protocol to fix this, though no specific rehabilitation technique has been proven superior to others.
• PTOTPilot2022Web-based training intervention to increase physical activity level and improve health for adults with intellectual disability.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRAfter 12 weeks of home web-based exercise, 22 adults with mild to moderate intellectual disability attended 83% of sessions, reported more activity, had lower fat mass and waist circumference, and showed no quality-of-life change.
• OTSLPQualitative2022Parents with intellectual disability reporting on factors affecting their caregiving in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDParents with intellectual disability reported that the pandemic overwhelmed their caregiving capacity. They struggled to understand abstract health information and lost access to home-based professional support. This led to increased isolation, strained parent-child relationships, and in one case, the placement of children in out-of-home care.
• PTOTOther2023A scalable 12-week exercise and education programme reduces symptoms and improves function and wellbeing in people with hip and knee osteoarthritis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with hip and knee arthritis attending a 12-week gym programme reported less pain and better function. Because there was no control group, we cannot know if the programme caused these changes or if they were natural recovery.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2023Research Gaps in Fragile X Syndrome: An Updated Literature Review to Inform Clinical and Public Health Practice.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPNo medication or therapy has yet proven effective for the core symptoms of fragile X syndrome. Behavioral and language interventions show promise in small studies, but the evidence base remains thin. Clinicians should prioritize early diagnosis and support for families, as specific treatments are not yet established.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Incidence and risk factors for care-related pain in children with physical disabilities.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineNearly half of children with physical disabilities experienced pain during routine care over five days. Pain was most frequent in younger children and those with high dependency. Prevention measures were used for only 26.5% of acts, leaving a significant gap in managing care-related pain.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Six- and 12-month functional outcomes among patients with confirmed acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) with onset in 2018, United States.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineMost children with acute flaccid myelitis still need help with daily tasks at 6 and 12 months. While some show slight improvement or adaptation, severe limb weakness and dependence on assistance remain common. Early rehabilitation is critical, but outcomes vary by acute illness severity.
• OTPilot2023The memory clinic and psychosocial intervention: Translating past promise into current practices.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA multi-component post-diagnostic package (care-coordinator support, GP/clinic liaison, health review, memory aids, behavioural activation, communication training) was associated with less depression, fewer reported memory and behaviour problems, better carer coping and home-care maintenance over 12 months in 48 families; components cannot be separated.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023The impact of cognitive function deficits and their recovery on functional outcome in subjects affected by ischemic subacute stroke: results from the Italian multicenter longitudinal study CogniReMo.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicinePatients who recovered executive function during rehab improved their independence as much as those who never had a deficit. Those who kept the deficit improved significantly less. Screening for and targeting executive function may be key to functional recovery.
• OTOther2023Construct validity of the Danish version of the Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire (WORQ)-sensitivity and specificity of the objectively tested physical capacity items.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn 40 job center clients, the WORQ questionnaire matched SF-36 scores well. But its physical capacity items correlated weakly to actual strength and endurance tests. The tool reliably identifies who does not have a problem, but is less certain about who does.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2023"It is something that gives us hope": Lived experience among parents to children with cerebral palsy who are non-ambulant of the phenomenon physical activity, with or without the use of a novel dynamic standing device.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesParents described the Innowalk as their only option for daily exercise, bringing hope by allowing their non-ambulant children to be independent. However, using the device relied heavily on finding supportive staff and accessible environments to manage the burden.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2023Participation, challenges and needs in children with down syndrome during cancer treatment at hospital: a qualitative study of parents' experiences.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesParents of children with Down syndrome and leukemia acted as essential interpreters for their children's symptoms, which were often hidden by behavioral changes or silence. Clinicians should rely on parental expertise to detect pain and distress, ensuring children are prepared for procedures to maintain trust.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022The role of intellectual disability with autism spectrum disorder and the documented cooccurring conditions: A population-based study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchChildren with autism and intellectual disability were more likely to have documented neurological conditions and general developmental delays, but less likely to have recorded diagnoses for ADHD, anxiety, or learning disorders compared to those without intellectual disability.