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 155 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTRCT2024Effectiveness of Pilates compared with home-based exercises in individuals with chronic non-specific low back pain: Randomised controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationSupervised Pilates reduced pain and disability more than home exercises, but the difference was too small to matter clinically. However, Pilates led to a clinically relevant improvement in quality of life that persisted at six months.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Long-term life expectancy in severe traumatic brain injury: a systematic review.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineSurvivors of severe traumatic brain injury face significantly reduced life expectancy compared to the general population. The risk of death remains elevated for years, particularly for those with limited mobility or self-care abilities, though independent walking improves survival prospects.
• PTOTRCT2024Efficacy of a new video observational training method (intensive visual simulation) for motor recovery in the upper limb in subacute stroke: a feasibility and proof-of-concept study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineEarly intensive video feedback training did not significantly improve upper limb function compared to control at 6 weeks, but showed greater recovery at 3 and 4 months. Both groups improved similarly by 6 months, with no significant difference remaining.
• PTOTRCT2024Effects of high-definition tDCS targeting individual motor hotspot with EMG-driven robotic hand training on upper extremity motor function: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn this small pilot trial, adding personalized brain stimulation before robotic hand training led to greater improvements in arm motor function and reduced finger stiffness compared to robotic training alone. These benefits were still present six months later. The study was too small to confirm this works for everyone.
• PTOTOther2024Three-month functional training programme improves knee joint function in athletes post-ACL reconstruction surgery.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAthletes who did 3 months of structured functional training after ACL surgery recovered knee strength and balance better than those who just waited for natural healing. The training group reached a hamstring-to-quadriceps ratio of 67.46% on the injured side, compared with 56.52% in the control group.
• PTOTCase Report2024A confounding pediatric spinal cord injury: Anterior, central, or both?Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineA two-year-old with a cervical spinal cord injury recovered distal arm function before proximal strength. This atypical pattern, combined with conflicting imaging and clinical signs, makes standard adult prognostic models unreliable for predicting long-term recovery in young children.
• PTOTOther2024Evidence based clinical practice guideline for follow-up care in persons with spinal cord injury.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA new guideline recommends spinal cord injury follow-up care at 3, 6, and 12 months post-rehab, then annually. It urges checking for secondary conditions like pain, bladder issues, and mobility changes, though the evidence behind these schedules is currently low.
• PTOTCohort2024Analysis and relationship between the volume of upper limb lymphoedema and pressure pain threshold, neural range of motion, pain intensity, kinesiophobia, pain hypervigilance and catastrophizing in breast cancer survivors.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineBreast cancer survivors with lymphoedema had higher sensitivity to pressure pain and greater fear of movement than those without. However, the actual volume of the swollen limb did not correlate with pain intensity or fear levels. Treating the swelling size alone may not address the patient's pain experience.
• PTOTSLPRCT2024The inertial-based gait normalcy index of dual task cost during turning quantifies gait automaticity improvement in early-stage Parkinson's rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new turning-based dual-task index detected gait automaticity changes after 12 weeks of action observation training in early Parkinson's, while standard walking speed and dual-task cost measures showed no group difference. Balance and quality of life also improved more with training.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2024Unveiling the burden of COPD: perspectives on a patient-reported outcome measure to support communication in outpatient consultations-an interview study among patients.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesNine COPD patients described how a pre-visit questionnaire helped them identify and disclose hidden psychosocial struggles like loneliness and depression. They valued clinicians asking direct follow-up questions based on these answers, which made conversations feel deeper and more personal.
• PTOTRCT2024The sustainability of exercise following colorectal surgery: A qualitative study of participants in the PREPARE-ABC trial.Clinical rehabilitationPatients described a cancer exercise trial as a turning point that motivated long-term activity, especially those previously inactive. Support, flexibility, and finding enjoyment helped sustain habits. Walking dominated, while strengthening was less frequent. This reflects patient perceptions, not proof of efficacy.
• PTOTCohort2024Does diagnosis matter? Evaluating impact of pediatric chronic pain diagnosis on pain and function.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineChildren with chronic pain improved in pain and function after an interdisciplinary program, regardless of diagnosis. Most baseline differences between pain types disappeared by discharge, though those with widespread pain continued to show more emotional impairment.
• OTCohort2024Neighborhood Deprivation and Recovery Following Traumatic Brain Injury Among Older Adults.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationOlder adults hospitalized for traumatic brain injury who lived in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods spent fewer days at home over the next year than those in the least disadvantaged neighborhoods, even after adjustment.
• PTOTRCT2024Enhancing upper extremity muscle strength in individuals with spinal cord injury using low-intensity blood flow restriction exercise.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn ten people with spinal cord injury, low-intensity blood flow restriction exercise increased forearm strength by 7.5 kg over 8 weeks, compared to 4.4 kg with standard high-load training without blood flow restriction. Both groups improved, but the blood flow restriction side gained more.
• PTOTRCT2024Lasting effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on the inducibility of synaptic plasticity by paired-associative stimulation in humans.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA single 20-minute session of anodal tDCS over the motor cortex enhanced brain plasticity responses six hours later. Splitting the same total stimulation time into multiple shorter blocks failed to produce this benefit, suggesting continuous duration matters more than repetition for lasting effects.
• PTOTSLPRCT2024Perturbational complexity index in assessing responsiveness to rTMS treatment in patients with disorders of consciousness: a cross-over randomized controlled trial study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTen days of active brain stimulation improved consciousness scores and brain complexity in patients with minimally conscious state compared to sham. Seven of twenty patients responded. All patients also received routine rehabilitation, so the effect of stimulation alone cannot be separated.
• PTOTCase-Control2025Delayed Cortical Responses During Reactive Balance After Stroke Associated With Slower Kinetics and Clinical Balance Dysfunction.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairStroke survivors showed delayed brain responses to balance loss, linked to poorer clinical balance. When forced to rely on the paretic leg, these delays correlated with slower corrective body movements. Loading the nonparetic leg masked these deficits, allowing normal-speed reactions.
• OTOther2025Brief Reports: Influence of Friendship on Loneliness Among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Japan.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdolescents with autism reported higher loneliness than peers, and this difference was fully explained by lower companionship scores. For therapists, this suggests that facilitating shared activities and time spent together with friends may be more critical for reducing loneliness than addressing conflict or communication skills alone.
• PTOTRCT2025IpsiHand Brain-Computer Interface Therapy Induces Broad Upper Extremity Motor Rehabilitation in Chronic Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairChronic stroke patients using a brain-computer interface hand device for 12 weeks improved upper limb movement by 8.1 points on the Fugl-Meyer scale. Gains occurred in both the shoulder and hand, exceeding the threshold for clinical benefit, with no adverse events reported.
• OTSLPCohort2024Brief Report: The Factors Associated with Social Cognition in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children without intellectual disability scored lower than neurotypical peers on theory of mind, working memory, and inferential thinking. Theory of mind was the strongest differentiator, correctly identifying 82% of the autistic group, but performance relied heavily on general cognitive abilities.
• PTOTOther2024Gamified Practice Improves Paretic Arm Motor Behavior in Individuals With Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairTen days of gamified arm training improved movement speed and clinical scores in chronic stroke patients. The benefit held across ages and impairment levels, though the average score change was small. No control group means these gains could reflect natural recovery or practice effects.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2024The international classification of functioning, disability and health in clinical practice, research findings and their impact on training and education.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAcross early intervention and child psychiatry projects, clinicians described ICF-based parent conversations and joint case discussions as helping them share a common language and involve parents. The paper reports perceptions, not tested health outcomes.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Psychometric Properties of Vestibular and Ocular Measures Used for Concussion Assessments: A Scoping Review.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationVestibular and ocular tests for adult concussion show highly variable accuracy. The Community Balance and Mobility Scale and Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening appear most promising, while the widely used Balance Error Scoring System has inconsistent results. Many tests lack reliability data, especially for monitoring long-term recovery.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Cognitive Performance is Associated With 1-Year Participation and Life Satisfaction Outcomes: A Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationPeople with brain injuries who improved their memory over the first year reported higher life satisfaction. Those who improved executive function participated more in social and community activities, but neither cognitive gain predicted returning to work or school.
• PTOTRCT2024Effects of mirror therapy in post-traumatic complex regional pain syndrome type-1: a randomized controlled study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAdding mirror therapy to standard hand rehabilitation for acute post-traumatic complex regional pain syndrome did not improve pain, strength, or function more than standard care alone. Both groups improved similarly, so mirror therapy offered no extra benefit.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Randomized controlled trials as a source of evidence in rehabilitation: a critical analysis.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineRCTs in rehabilitation cannot isolate single causes because treatments are multimodal, personalized, and context-dependent. Efficacy trials suit short-term component tests, while effectiveness trials better reflect real-world practice. Clinicians should judge RCTs by their purpose: proving a mechanism works or legitimizing a program.
• PTOTQualitative2024Exploring stroke survivors' and physiotherapists' perspectives of the potential for markerless motion capture technology in community rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke survivors and physiotherapists see potential in markerless motion capture for home rehab but warn it suits only 10-20% of caseloads. Barriers include cost, digital access, and safety risks. It supplements rather than replaces therapist contact, especially for those with cognitive or perceptual impairments.
• PTOTPilot2024Enhancing stroke rehabilitation with whole-hand haptic rendering: development and clinical usability evaluation of a novel upper-limb rehabilitation device.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTherapists and stroke patients rated a new whole-hand haptic robot as easy to use and motivating. The main practical issue was that patients' fingers slipped out of the device fixation, which requires a design fix before this can be used reliably in daily therapy.
• OTSurvey2024Finding Similarities in Differences Between Autistic Adults: Two Replicated Subgroups.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults formed two replicated subgroups: one had higher social skills and positive affect, the other lower sense of control, more worries and negative affect. The low-control subgroup had more psychological difficulties and lower quality of life.
• OTSLPCohort2025Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Times of COVID-19: Examining Emotional and Behavioral Problems, Parental Well-Being, and Resilience.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism did not show a larger increase in emotional and behavioral problems during the COVID-19 lockdown than typically developing peers. Parental mental health and social connectedness were not associated with how children’s problems changed. Individual variability was high, meaning some children worsened while others remained stable or improved.
• OTSurvey2025Brief Report: The Impact of COVID-19 on Parental Stress and Learning Challenges for Chinese Children with SpLD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of children with specific learning difficulties reported high stress during remote learning. This parental stress was linked to lower child self-esteem and poorer family quality of life, with online learning challenges and behavioral difficulties being key drivers.
• OTOther2025Brief Report: Prevalence and Predictors of DSM-Specific and Distinct Anxiety in Cognitively Impaired Autistic Preschool Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic preschool children with cognitive impairment did not show higher overall anxiety than non-autistic peers. They showed more anxiety when common fears were excluded, especially autism-related worries.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024Autism in Preschool-Aged Children: The Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown.Journal of autism and developmental disordersPreschoolers with autism struggled far more with remote learning and showed worsening behaviors during lockdown, with 43% of parents reporting symptom deterioration. Typically developing children managed better, though all groups lost physical activity and sleep routine.
• OTQualitative2024Clinician and patient experiences with shared decision-making to promote daily arm use for individuals with chronic stroke: an exploratory qualitative study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesExperienced therapists found shared decision-making harder than traditional instruction, often reverting to telling patients what to do. Patients valued the autonomy but some struggled without prior education. Success relied on building trust, though clinicians feared the time cost and billing challenges.
• PTOTQualitative2024Translation, extension, and evaluation of usability, usefulness, and safety of a fall prevention and management program for people living with spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis who use wheelchairs or scooters full time.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesParticipants reported no technical barriers to the online program and valued peer interaction. They described increased awareness of fall risks and modified tasks, but did not report improved participation in daily activities.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Unveiling the mosaic: comparing demographics and outcomes in traumatic vs. non-traumatic spinal cord injuries.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineTraumatic spinal cord injury patients start rehabilitation with much lower function than non-traumatic patients but end up with similar independence. The injury cause matters less than the patient's age, lesion level, and severity when predicting how well they will recover.
• PTOTCase Report2024Is There Room for Improvement? Stroke Rehabilitation Environments May Not Reflect Home Environments in Terms of Chair, Toilet, and Bed Heights.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationHome chairs and toilets are lower than hospital equipment, while bed heights are similar. Therapists should match chair and bed heights to the patient's actual home environment rather than relying on standard hospital settings for discharge planning.
• PTOTSLPRCT2024Cerebellar tDCS combined with augmented reality treadmill for freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationCerebellar tDCS added to augmented reality treadmill training did not improve clinical scores like freezing or balance compared to treadmill training alone. The brain stimulation only changed one lab measure of standing balance on the right leg, which did not translate to better walking or daily function.
• PTOTOther2024Analysis of electrode locations on limb condition effect for myoelectric pattern recognition.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWrist sEMG electrodes provide the most accurate gesture recognition, especially for fine finger movements, and remain robust during dynamic arm swings. Training classifiers with data from just four limb conditions significantly improves accuracy without excessive time.
• PTOTCase Report2024Exceptional improvement in chronic stroke through Guided Self-rehabilitation Contract: a case report study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA chronic stroke patient who received guided self-rehabilitation, botulinum toxin, functional electrical stimulation, workshops, and family support regained full spontaneous upper limb use. Because several components were combined, the contribution of guided self-rehabilitation alone cannot be separated.
• PTOTOther2024Chronic stroke survivors underestimate their upper limb motor ability in a simple 2D motor task.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn a simple reaching task, chronic stroke survivors were less confident about hitting targets with the more affected arm even when both arms reached targets equally often. Low confidence in that arm may not match what they can do.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Prevalence and Characteristics of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the New York-New Jersey Metropolitan Area.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn a diverse metropolitan area, 17.7 per 1,000 adolescents had autism. Prevalence was twice as high in high-income areas compared to low-income areas, and one in four cases remained undiagnosed by age 16.
• OTCohort2025Self-reported Prospective and Retrospective Memory Among Middle Aged and Older Autistic and Non-autistic People.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMiddle-aged and older autistic adults reported more memory difficulties than matched non-autistic peers. However, older autistic adults reported fewer problems than younger autistic adults, while age showed no such association in the non-autistic group.
• PTOTCohort2024Classification Into Different Patient Groups-A Step Toward Tailoring Care After Major Oncological Surgery?Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationMost patients shifted to low acceptance and control after major cancer surgery. Those in this group had significantly worse physical functioning and higher anxiety than those who kept high acceptance and control. Frequent post-op checks may help target support.
• OTCohort2024Baseline Nutritional Status and Rehabilitation Progress in Individuals Requiring Inpatient Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translation73% of the 409 patients had malnutrition, but baseline nutritional status was not related to medical events or rehabilitation progress. Therapists should not expect poorer recovery or more medical events solely from admission malnutrition.
• PTOTOther2024Creation of a Limb Loss and Preservation Registry for Improving the Quality of Patient Care in the United States.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationA new US registry collects data from over 435,000 patients with limb loss or preservation to track outcomes and care quality. It links hospital records, prosthetic details, and patient reports, but currently lacks national representativeness and does not yet provide evidence on treatment effectiveness.
• PTOTSLPOther2024A Longitudinal Mixed-Methods Characterization of Family Support from Adolescence to Young Adulthood in Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAs autistic youth reach adulthood, family support remains the most helpful and valued resource, while formal professional support declines significantly. Caregivers shift from needing practical help to valuing emotional partnership and dependability. Clinicians should prioritize assessing family networks, not just clinical services.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Adaptive Skills of Individuals with Angelman Syndrome Assessed Using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, 2nd Edition.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with Angelman syndrome showed growth in adaptive skills through age 13, but expressive communication remained the slowest area. Deletion subtypes scored lower than non-deletion subtypes. Early intervention should focus on alternative communication methods.
• PTOTPilot2024Virtual Assessment of Functional Mobility in Lower Extremity Prosthesis Clients: An Exploratory Study.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationTwelve lower-limb prosthesis users completed a virtual mobility test at home. Their self-reported function scores matched the timed Up and Go results. A faster Up and Go time predicted a higher self-rated ability to handle daily activities.
• OTSurvey2024Relationship Between Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Parent Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Quality of Life and Social Support.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of children and adolescents with ASD who had gastrointestinal symptoms reported more stress about their child being difficult, lower quality of life in social relationships and environment, and less perceived social support. Anxiety and depression did not differ.