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 143 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPCohort2024An observational study of parental language during play and mealtime in toddlers at variable likelihood for autism.Journal of child languageParents spoke more and used more directives during play, while mealtime drew out more questions and descriptive adjectives. For toddlers at elevated likelihood for autism, parental language did not differ from lower-likelihood peers based on status alone, but varied with the child's specific skills.
• OTSLPOther2024Enhancing stakeholder roles in autism early interventions in the United States: A stakeholder-driven research agenda.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults, parents, and providers set an autism early intervention research agenda. Communication, diagnosis, access, lifespan, and policy were shared priorities. It is a research direction list, not proof any treatment works.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024Perceptions and Bias of Small Business Leaders in Employing People with Different Types of Disabilities.Journal of occupational rehabilitationSmall business owners and managers said they were least likely to hire someone who is blind and most likely to hire someone with a physical disability. Their top concern was fear of legal trouble when disciplining staff, not accommodation costs or customer reactions.
• PTOTCase Report2024Utility and usability of a wearable system and progressive-challenge cued exercise program for encouraging use of the more involved arm at-home after stroke-a feasibility study with case reports.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn six chronic stroke survivors, a wearable app delivering 180 daily vibration cues prompted arm exercise in 98% of cases. Users rated usability high. This confirms the device works technically. It does not prove the exercises improved function or recovery.
• PTOTOther2024Walking with unilateral ankle-foot unloading: a comparative biomechanical analysis of three assistive devices.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThe ZeroG orthosis let healthy adults walk faster and feel more stable than crutches or the iWalk, but it caused the most shank pain. Crutches were the slowest and hardest work. Do not assume this applies to injured patients.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Cerebral palsy pain instruments: Recommended tools for clinical research studies by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Cerebral Palsy Common Data Elements project.Developmental medicine and child neurologyFifteen pain assessment tools are recommended for children with cerebral palsy, but none are classified as core. Most tools target school-aged children who can self-report, leaving significant gaps for non-verbal patients and those with communication challenges.
• PTOTSLPOther2023A neuropsychological rehabilitation service delivery model for South African adults with acquired brain injury (RSDM-SA).Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThis paper proposes a service model for South Africa that shifts neuropsychological rehabilitation from hospitals to homes and communities. It suggests training local facilitators to deliver low-cost strategies like using cellphones for memory aids and group support, rather than relying on expensive clinic-based equipment.
• PTOTOther2024Linking corticospinal tract activation and upper-limb motor control in adults with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyAdults with cerebral palsy had smaller wrist flexor corticospinal responses at high stimulation levels than typical adults. Among adults with cerebral palsy, smaller responses were associated with poorer manual dexterity, selective motor control, and self-reported upper-limb tasks.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Changes in physical activity level during hospitalization in patients with stroke and those with fracture: a prospective longitudinal study.Journal of physical therapy scienceDuring rehabilitation, both stroke and fracture patients spent less time sitting and more time moving. The biggest gain was in light activity during non-therapy hours. However, total activity remained far below WHO guidelines, suggesting the hospital environment itself limits movement regardless of diagnosis.
• PTOTCase Report2024Preliminary gait analysis of frail versus older adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceThree frail women walked with a wider base and slower speed, keeping their center of gravity more stable than three robust men. However, their foot clearance was lower, suggesting a higher risk of tripping despite the stability measures.
• PTOTQualitative2024Competency acquisition among rehabilitation professionals supporting older residents' community-based activities in Japan: a qualitative study.Journal of physical therapy scienceExperienced therapists supporting community gatherings for older adults described a path from anxiety to competence. They started by building systems and knowledge, then focused on rapport and understanding the specific group. This allowed them to facilitate rather than direct activities, helping residents maintain independence.
• PTOTOther2024The stepping test, and infrared depth sensor, provide reliable measures of balance in community-dwelling older adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceA 20-second stepping test measured by a cheap motion sensor tracked balance well in 27 healthy older adults. Poor balance showed up as fewer steps and more head sway. The test was reliable, but the group was small and all were fully independent.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Attention and motor profiles in children with developmental coordination disorder: A neuropsychological and neuroimaging investigation.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with developmental coordination disorder showed impaired attention, processing speed, and executive functioning regardless of motor severity or ADHD status. MRI scans linked poorer gross motor skills to reduced surface area in the left posterior cingulate and altered left corticospinal tract structure.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Exoskeleton-based exercises for overground gait and balance rehabilitation in spinal cord injury: a systematic review of dose and dosage parameters.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMost studies using exoskeletons for walking and balance in spinal cord injury reported improvements. Typical effective protocols involved 60-minute sessions, three times a week, for eight to twelve weeks. However, study designs varied widely, and many did not report training intensity or dropouts.
• OTCohort2024The impact of stroke on employment income: A cohort study using hospital and income tax data in Ontario, Canada.Clinical rehabilitationOver 3 years, stroke survivors were less likely to report employment income, and median annual income changed by −$6400. The loss was largest for lower earners.
• PTOTPilot2024Promoting positive physical activity behaviours in children undergoing acute cancer treatment: feasibility of the CanMOVE intervention.Brazilian journal of physical therapyFamilies and staff found CanMOVE acceptable and feasible during acute paediatric cancer treatment. Recruitment was 96%, retention was 95%, no serious adverse events were reported, and average daily steps rose by 2980. Without a control group, this step increase cannot prove the program caused it.
• OTSLPCohort2024Changes in the severity of autism symptom domains are related to mental health challenges during middle childhood.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceChildren whose social communication symptoms worsened had increasing anxiety and ADHD. Those whose repetitive behaviors decreased had higher anxiety at age 11. Worsening social symptoms and reducing repetitive behaviors were both linked to more mental health challenges.
• OTOther2024Mental health counseling is rated as most helpful by autistic adults: Service perspectives in adulthood.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults most often rated mental health services as most helpful. Those currently seeing a counselor also visited more social and recreational places, but not every community place they measured.
• OTSurvey2023Increased rates of chronic physical health conditions across all organ systems in autistic adolescents and adults.Molecular autismAutistic adults and adolescents self-reported more chronic physical health conditions across every organ system examined than non-autistic peers, even when age, sex, background, BMI, smoking, alcohol and family history were considered.
• OTQualitative2023How do Australian mental health services use easy read to make information accessible for people with intellectual disability?Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDStaff in four Australian mental health or disability services often did not offer easy read to people with intellectual disability, but users said simple text and pictures helped shared understanding. It worked best when staff knew the person, had time, and involved families.
• OTOther2023Measuring flexibility in autistic adults: Exploring the factor structure of the flexibility scale self report.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchThe original five-section self-report flexibility questionnaire did not work well for autistic adults. A revised three-section total score, plus separate social flexibility and generativity scores, worked better and was confirmed in a second sample.
• OTSLPCohort2023Habituation of auditory responses in young autistic and neurotypical children.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchYoung autistic children showed less brain habituation to repeated sounds than neurotypical peers, but this neural difference did not match caregiver-reported sound sensitivity. Clinicians should not assume these lab findings explain a child's everyday noise distress.
• PTOTCohort2024Early functional factors for predicting outcome of independence in daily living after stroke: a decision tree analysis.Journal of rehabilitation medicineA decision tree model predicts independence in daily living after stroke. Patients who could stand up from sitting and had good balance on admission were most likely to achieve a good outcome at discharge. This helps therapists set early goals based on initial mobility and balance scores.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2024Introducing Mechanically Assisted Cough for Patients With Progressive Neurological Disease: Patient-Physical Therapist Interaction and Physical Therapist Perspective.Physical therapyIntroducing mechanically assisted cough works by building the patient's sense of security. Therapists should start with low pressure, match the patient's breathing, and involve family caregivers. The study describes how therapists approached this interaction, not whether it improved cough effectiveness or patient outcomes.
• PTOTOther2024Virtual reality skateboarding training for balance and functional performance in degenerative lumbar spine disease.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA six-week VR skateboarding program reduced pain and improved walking, strength, and balance in older adults with degenerative lumbar spine disease. Participants used handrails for safety, and the study lacked a control group receiving usual care.
• PTOTSurvey2024Assessment of visual problems after acquired brain injury: a survey of current practice in Danish hospitals.Journal of rehabilitation medicineDanish OTs and PTs rarely use standardized vision tests or formal guidelines when assessing patients with acquired brain injury. Most rely on observation and interviews, lack specific training, and refer inconsistently. This variation suggests a need for structured protocols and education in visual assessment.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024Application of the international classification of functioning, disability, and health to disability assessment for older people in China.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn 1,610 older Chinese adults, self-care and activity limits were the most severe disability dimensions overall. However, mild-to-moderate groups struggled most with emotion and spirit, while those with severe disability struggled most with self-care. Screening should adjust focus based on severity.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2024'It wasn't the strategies on their own': Exploring caregivers' experiences of accessing services in the development of interventions for autistic people with intellectual disability.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceCaregivers of autistic children with severe intellectual disability described accessing support as a constant battle. They highlighted that effective help required individualised assessment, consistency, and collaboration, rather than generic strategies or medication alone. Families felt unsupported when services lacked connection and flexibility.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Cognition, Academic Achievement, Adaptive Behavior, and Quality of Life in Child and Adolescent Boys with Klinefelter Syndrome.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPBoys with Klinefelter syndrome scored lower than matched peers on verbal skills, working memory, and daily adaptive behaviors. They also showed unique links between nonverbal reasoning and quality of life. Testosterone levels did not predict these outcomes in this peripubertal group.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Associations between early language, motor abilities, and later autism traits in infants with typical and elevated likelihood of autism.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn infants with a family history of autism, fine motor and expressive language skills influenced each other bidirectionally from 10 to 24 months. Lower receptive language at 24 months and lower gross motor at 36 months predicted higher autistic traits at age 3.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2024Evidence-informed stakeholder consultations to promote rights-based approaches for children with disabilities.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStakeholders agreed rights-based approaches matter but found academic language too broad to apply in daily practice. Youth reported their rights are limited by inaccessible transport and stigma. Clinicians should translate policy concepts into concrete, routine-focused supports rather than relying on high-level frameworks.
• OTSLPCohort2024Adaptive behaviour deficits in individuals with 3q29 deletion syndrome.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRAdaptive behaviour scores were substantially below typical in 32 individuals with 3q29del, especially daily living skills. Executive function tracked adaptive behaviour more closely than IQ, and more comorbid diagnoses were linked to lower scores.
• PTOTOther2024The Effect of Joint Hypermobility Syndrome on DOMS and Recovery Time.International journal of sports physical therapyPeople with joint hypermobility reported higher pain scores on days 2 and 4 after eccentric exercise, but showed similar recovery patterns in swelling, range of motion, and pressure sensitivity as non-hypermobile controls. Gender differences confound these results.
• PTOTOther2024Influence of blood lactate variations and passive exercise on cardiac responses.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn nine healthy men, passive arm cycling raised heart rate equally regardless of preceding handgrip intensity or blood lactate levels. The metabolic stimulus did not change the heart rate response to mechanical movement. This baseline data does not yet prove safety or efficacy for critically ill patients.
• PTOTQualitative2024"There's always something, and then there's more": a qualitative examination of how virtual peer led self-management can create community around the evolving SCI experience.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesParticipants in an online spinal cord injury self-management program valued peer validation over professional advice. They described finding community with others who understood their specific lived experience, which they felt was more powerful than standard clinical support.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Immersive VR for upper-extremity rehabilitation in patients with neurological disorders: a scoping review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMost studies of immersive VR for arm rehabilitation reported improvements, but all were small, uncontrolled trials. Cybersickness was rarely measured. Treat this as evidence of feasibility, not proof that VR works better than standard therapy.
• PTOTRCT2024Dog-assisted physiotherapy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a randomized controlled pilot study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineAdding a therapy dog to balance exercises for two weeks improved walking distance, balance, and mood more than standard physiotherapy alone in people with ALS. The study was small and short, so it shows promise but does not prove long-term benefit or how to apply it in routine care.
• OTPilot2024Preliminary effectiveness and production time and costs of three-dimensional printed orthoses in chronic hand conditions: an interventional feasibility study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineFor people with chronic hand conditions, 3D-printed orthoses did not improve daily hand use compared with their usual orthoses. Participants were more satisfied with the 3D-printed device at 1 month, and it took less time and cost less to make.
• PTOTOther2024Development of the Standardized Navigation Of Winter Mobility & Accessibility Network (SNOWMAN) course.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA winter wheelchair obstacle course was built and standardized, featuring nine conditions like deep snow, ice ruts, and slushy ramps. It was designed with wheelchair users and clinicians to provide a safe, realistic setting for practicing skills and testing equipment.
• OTSLPOther2023Characterizing subdomains of insistence on sameness in autistic youth.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchInsistence on sameness splits into three distinct types: arranging things 'just right', following routines for a goal, and imposing rituals on other people. Anxiety was the strongest predictor for all three types.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Hearing Aid Amplification Improves Postural Control for Older Adults With Hearing Loss When Other Sensory Cues Are Impoverished.Trends in hearingOlder adults with hearing loss and impaired balance systems stood more steadily on foam when wearing hearing aids. The improvement was not linked to how long they had used the devices, suggesting the benefit comes from immediate access to environmental sound cues rather than long-term adaptation.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2024The Convergent Validity of the SWAY Balance Application to Assess Postural Stability in Military Cadets Recovering from Concussion.International journal of sports physical therapyThe SWAY app failed to detect balance differences in military cadets with recent concussions compared to healthy controls. It also showed no correlation with the gold-standard NeuroCom test. Clinicians should not rely on SWAY scores to assess post-concussion balance deficits or guide return-to-activity decisions.
• PTOTSLPRCT2024Enhancing touch sensibility with sensory electrical stimulation and sensory retraining.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSub-threshold electrical stimulation improved texture discrimination within the treated group, but the difference versus sham failed significance after correction. Stimulation increased scanning speed and brain activity, yet no direct clinical benefit was proven for patients.
• OTSLPQualitative2024Understanding the post-diagnostic support priorities of autistic adults in the United Kingdom: A co-produced modified Delphi study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults prioritise support that is accessible regardless of location and delivered by autism-trained professionals. They want individualised plans that respect their communication preferences, address the impact of late diagnosis and masking, and offer flexible, 'step-on step-off' access to services.
• OTSLPCohort2024Auditory Neural Responses and Communicative Functioning in Children With Microcephaly Related to Congenital Zika Syndrome.Ear and hearingChildren with microcephaly from congenital Zika syndrome showed lower caregiver-reported communication and altered auditory brain responses. Peripheral hearing was normal. Cortical responses to speech were delayed and differentiated less, but present, suggesting central processing differences rather than deafness.
• PTOTOther2024Exploring the challenges of avoiding collisions with virtual pedestrians using a dual-task paradigm in individuals with chronic moderate to severe traumatic brain injury.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeople with chronic traumatic brain injury walked closer to virtual pedestrians and started avoiding them later when doing a cognitive task. They did not hit the obstacles, but their strategy was riskier than healthy adults, who widened their path and slowed down.
• PTOTCohort2024Prediction of long-term functional outcome following different rehabilitation pathways after stroke unit discharge.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePatients planned for home or outpatient rehab after stroke had higher odds of independence at 1 and 5 years than those with no planned rehab. Inpatient rehab was linked to lower odds of independence, but these patients had more severe strokes and comorbidities.
• OTQualitative2024Autistic adults' experiences of financial wellbeing: Part II.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults described financial wellbeing as precarious even when budgeting strictly. Stable income and accessible government support were paramount, while executive function challenges and lack of early financial education made planning difficult. Social dynamics ranged from helpful family buffers to financial abuse.
• OTQualitative2024'I live in extremes': A qualitative investigation of Autistic adults' experiences of inertial rest and motion.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults described 'inertia' as a daily struggle to start or stop tasks, ranging from paralysis to hyperfocus. They found external prompts helpful for initiation but jarring if they interrupted flow. Support should aim to reduce disabling aspects while preserving the joy of deep engagement.
• PTOTCase Report2024Long-term functional and clinical outcome of combined targeted muscle reinnervation and osseointegration for functional bionic reconstruction in transhumeral amputees: a case series.Journal of rehabilitation medicineDisability scores improved after bone anchoring, nerve rerouting, prosthetic training and fitting. The men used the prosthesis daily and felt it was part of their body. Because several treatments were given together, no single component can be credited.