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 156 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTSLPRCT2024Socialization, Education, and Learning for the Internet (SELFI): A Pilot RCT of a Social Media Skills Group Program for Autistic Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults rated this Facebook skills group as enjoyable and helpful for confidence. Half showed improved online engagement compared to none on the waitlist, but no significant differences appeared in social media anxiety or utility.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Expectations for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders or Intellectual Disabilities in Ghana: A Comparison Between Service Providers and Parents.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents expect children with autism or intellectual disability to achieve independence more than teachers and healthcare providers do. Providers rated independence as highly important but doubted it would happen. Aligning these expectations is crucial to avoid conflicting care goals.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2024Impact of the combination of virtual reality and noninvasive brain stimulation on the upper limb motor function of stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationCombining virtual reality with brain stimulation improved arm movement scores more than standard care, but did not significantly improve daily living activities or muscle tone. Benefits were strongest in patients treated within a year of stroke onset, suggesting this combo helps motor recovery rather than overall independence.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2025Postprocedure protocols after intraarticular orthobiologic injections-A scoping review.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationMost orthobiologic studies restrict NSAIDs for months post-injection, but rarely describe physical therapy or weight-bearing limits. This makes it impossible to know which part of the protocol mattered. Clinicians cannot yet translate these trial rules into specific post-injection advice for patients.
• PTOTCohort2025Home, but Homebound After Traumatic Brain Injury: Risk Factors and Associations With Nursing Home Entry and Death.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOne year after moderate-severe TBI, 14.2% of people living in the community were homebound. Being homebound was linked to higher five-year death risk; the nursing home link weakened after accounting for health and function.
• OTOther2024Factors that Influence the Daily Living Skills of Autistic Adults: The Importance of Opportunity.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFor autistic adults with average or higher IQ, lack of opportunity was the most common reason for low daily living skills scores, accounting for 59% of items. Scores improved by 7.65 points when adjusted for opportunity, suggesting environment limits performance more than ability.
• PTOTSLPRCT2024The effect and mechanism of motor imagery based on action observation treatment on dysphagia in Wallenberg Syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineAdding 14 days of motor imagery based on action observation to standard swallowing therapy improved overall swallowing function and quality of life in Wallenberg syndrome patients compared to standard therapy alone. However, it did not significantly reduce airway invasion or pharyngeal residue.
• OTSLPPilot2024Applying a Motivational Instructional Design Model to Stroke Rehabilitation: A Feasibility Study on Occupational and Swallowing Therapies.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationStroke patients receiving a structured motivation-support process during OT or swallowing therapy plus usual physical and occupational therapy had no dropouts or adverse events. 84% were satisfied and 76% intended to continue. Outcome changes cannot be separated from usual therapy.
• PTOTCohort2024Exploring the Effect of Preamputation Employment and Income on Ambulation in Dysvascular Lower Extremity Amputees After Amputee Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationBeing employed before amputation predicted better walking distance at discharge, but the difference was not clinically meaningful. Household income showed no association. Therapists should not expect pre-amputation employment status alone to drive significant functional recovery.
• OTCohort2024Alcohol Use Patterns Among Underage Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth.Journal of autism and developmental disordersUnderage autistic youth drink less frequently and heavily than non-autistic peers, but those who do drink are more likely to have depression or a history of bullying. They also report lower masking of autistic traits. This suggests prevention strategies need to address these specific risk factors.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2024Ultrasound-guided percutaneous lavage for the treatment of rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy: a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineUltrasound-guided lavage beats shock-wave therapy for pain at one year but not earlier, and clears calcium faster. It is safe but not clearly superior to steroid injections or sham procedures. Evidence is very low, so do not expect this to resolve your patient's symptoms definitively.
• PTOTPilot2024Inertial measurement units to evaluate the efficacity of Equino Varus Foot surgery in post stroke hemiparetic patients: a feasibility study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 20 patients, most reported better walking after surgery, but the sensor-based gait scores did not change significantly. The sensors worked reliably, yet they did not prove the surgery improved gait.
• PTOTOther2024A reliable and valid assessment of upper limb movement quality after stroke: the observational Drinking Task Assessment.Journal of rehabilitation medicineThe Drinking Task Assessment reliably scores upper limb movement quality after stroke in 5 to 10 minutes. It correlates strongly with standard tests like the ARAT and Fugl-Meyer. A change of 1 point in the total score or 1 second in movement time reflects real improvement, not just measurement error.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Behaviours that Challenge in SATB2-associated Syndrome: Correlates of Self-injury, Aggression and Property Destruction.Journal of autism and developmental disordersSelf-injury was linked to reflux signs and health problems, aggression to impulsivity, and property destruction to older age and male sex. These are correlations from caregiver reports, not proof that treating these factors reduces behaviour.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2024Repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation alone or in combination with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in poststroke rehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRepetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation improved upper limb movement and daily activities in stroke patients compared to sham or no stimulation. Adding transcranial magnetic stimulation did not provide extra benefit over transcranial magnetic stimulation alone. Higher stimulation doses were linked to better activity outcomes.
• OTSurvey2024Repetitive Behaviours in Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults: Associations with Sensory Sensitivity and Impact on Self-Efficacy.Journal of autism and developmental disordersRepetitive behaviours and sensory sensitivity were strongly linked in autistic and non-autistic adults. For people who stimmed, being able to stim was linked with higher self-rated ability to cope; substitute socially acceptable stims were rated less helpful.
• OTSLPCohort2024Psychosocial Outcomes in Autistic Children Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children in the Netherlands showed unexpected improvements in behavior and peer problems during the pandemic. Hyperactivity and conduct issues decreased, while prosocial behavior increased. Emotional problems remained stable, but worsened if the child themselves worried about COVID-19.
• OTRCT2025Wrist Stabilising Exercise Versus Hand Orthotic Intervention for Persons with Hypermobility - A Randomised Clinical Trial.Clinical rehabilitationWrist stabilising exercises, plus hand anatomy and ergonomic advice, did not outperform a hand orthosis, plus the same advice, for activity, hand function or pain in hypermobility. Neither showed clear advantage after 12 weeks.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024Participation and Experiences in Extracurricular Activities for Autistic and Neurotypical Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of autistic children reported similar interest in extracurricular activities as neurotypical parents, but their children participated in fewer activities. Barriers were not just child behavior, but included program structure and social attitudes, suggesting inclusive design is key.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Self-reported fatigue in people with post COVID-19: impact on functioning in daily life, and associated factors - a cross-sectional study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineMost people with post-COVID-19 reported severe physical and mental fatigue that disrupted daily life. Lower work ability and reduced aerobic capacity were strongly linked to higher fatigue. Being a woman and younger age were also associated with greater fatigue, while many did not report exercise worsening their symptoms.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields on bone fractures: a systematic review update.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicinePulsed electromagnetic fields did not significantly speed up bone healing in acute fractures. Evidence for pain reduction and functional recovery is contradictory and based on very few studies. Current data does not support using this therapy to improve fracture healing.
• PTOTOther2024Exploring patient perspective: using narrative DIPEx interviews and the ICF model for interprofessional learning.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences24 students from physiotherapy, occupational therapy, midwifery, health promotion and nursing reported that patient narratives made the ICF model easier to use in practice. They valued interprofessional discussion for shared understanding.
• PTOTCohort2024Multidisciplinary Home-Based Rehabilitation Program for Individuals With Disabilities: Longitudinal Observational Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesBalance scores increased after a 4-month home rehabilitation program in 270 people with moderate musculoskeletal or neurological disabilities. Depression scores showed no clear change. Many therapies were given together, so no single treatment can be credited.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Sensory Symptoms and Signs of Hyperarousal in Individuals with Fragile X Syndrome: Findings from the FORWARD Registry and Database Multisite Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersSensory symptoms and hyperarousal are highly prevalent in Fragile X Syndrome, affecting 87% of males and 68% of females. These issues significantly restrict participation in daily activities. Despite this, sensory-specific treatments like sensory integration therapy are used in less than 20% of cases.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Digital technologies for pediatric rehabilitation: current access and use in the European Rehatech4child survey.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineMost European rehabilitation professionals use digital technologies for children, but access is the main barrier. Those with easier access used them far more frequently. Lack of funding and training were top concerns, while children's motivation was not.
• OTSLPCohort2024Harsh Parenting and Trajectories of Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties in Autistic Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn autistic children, higher maternal harsh parenting was linked to more behavioural problems, but not emotional ones. Children exposed to high levels of smacking and shouting saw their total difficulties rise from borderline to abnormal by age 7.
• PTOTSLPOther2024The standard posture is a myth: a scoping review.Journal of rehabilitation medicineThe "ideal" upright posture taught in clinical manuals is a myth. It was designed based on incorrect 19th-century anatomy and assumes standing is effortless. Healthy adults do not naturally stand this way. Using it as a standard labels normal people as abnormal and ignores individual variation.
• OTCohort2024Remembering the future; prospective memory across the autistic adult's life span.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic and non-autistic adults performed similarly on prospective memory tasks. Both groups showed age-related decline in lab tests but no decline in everyday tasks. Older autistic adults completed an ongoing lab task slower than others, suggesting different attention allocation strategies.
• PTOTCohort2024Acceptability, validity and responsiveness of inertial measurement units for assessing motor recovery after gene therapy in infants with early onset spinal muscular atrophy: a prospective cohort study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWearable sensors on wrists, feet and elbows were tolerated during 25-minute tests in infants with SMA after gene therapy. Movement measures tracked motor scores and increased over 12 months, with elbow and foot sensors linked to unaided sitting.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Improved functional oral intake and exercise training attenuate decline in aerobic capacity following chemoradiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAerobic capacity and grip strength dropped significantly after chemoradiotherapy in esophageal cancer patients, with no recovery at 6-8 weeks. Patients who chose supervised exercise training had less decline. Improved swallowing function was strongly linked to better preserved aerobic capacity.
• OTOther2025Motor Signature Differences Between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Coordination Disorder, and Their Neural Mechanisms.Journal of autism and developmental disordersA tablet coloring game and computer model sorted children into the right group 71%, 76% and 78% of the time in two-group comparisons, but standard motor tests and video coding did not tell autism from coordination disorder.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Exploring maintenance rehabilitation in adults with chronic conditions: a scoping review of the literature.Disability and rehabilitationMost maintenance therapy programs for chronic conditions focus on physical activity, with 87% of studies using movement-based interventions. Only 3% targeted cognition and 4% involved speech-language pathology. Programs are typically in-person, individual, and 60 minutes long, with 89% reporting positive results.
• OTOther2025Psychotropic Medication Use in Children and Youth with Autism Enrolled in Medicaid.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAbout half of autistic youth on Medicaid filled a psychotropic prescription each year, down from 54 to 44 percent. Use rose with age and co-occurring mental health diagnoses. The study did not show whether medications helped or harmed.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Risk-taking behaviour and executive functions, a major component of the risk of fall factors after recent stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePost-stroke patients with anosognosia, impulsivity, inattention, or perseveration had significantly higher odds of falling in rehab, even after adjusting for physical severity. Language disorders were not associated with falls. These cognitive signs should guide decisions on supervised walking.
• PTOTOther2024Screening cutoff values to identify the risk of falls after stroke: A scoping review.Journal of rehabilitation medicineFor people with chronic stroke living at home, a Berg Balance Scale score between 46.5 and 50.5 points best identifies fall risk. Other common tests like the Timed Up and Go and Falls Efficacy Scale have lower accuracy, so do not rely on them alone.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024The effects of rehabilitation potential on activities of daily living in patients with stroke in Taiwan: a prospective longitudinal study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineDaily living improved most before discharge, then flattened. Better swallowing, lower-limb strength and motivation, plus no incontinence or moderate cognitive impairment, were linked with higher daily living scores.
• PTOTOther2024Home-based guidance training system with interactive visual feedback using kinect on stroke survivors with moderate to severe motor impairment.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAfter 800 min of therapist-guided home Kinect training, 12 moderate-to-severe stroke survivors improved Fugl-Meyer scores and joint range of motion, but Berg Balance Scale did not improve.
• PTOTPilot2024A pilot study to establish feasibility and acceptability of a yoga and self-management education intervention to support caregivers and care receivers with persistent pain.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesOnline delivery of a yoga and self-management programme for pain caregivers met all feasibility benchmarks, while in-person delivery failed recruitment targets. Both groups reported high satisfaction, but pain scores did not significantly improve, and caregiver outcomes lagged behind those of care receivers.
• PTOTCohort2024Brain-movement relationship during upper-limb functional movements in chronic post-stroke patients.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke patients rely on trunk movement and show slower arm speed when reaching with the paretic arm. Their brain activity increases in both hemispheres during these tasks, reflecting compensatory effort rather than efficient motor control.
• PTOTOther2024Does vibrotactile biofeedback for postural control interfere with cognitive processes?Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationYoung adults wearing a balance vest responded slower to working memory tasks when instructed to move toward the vibration, but not away from it. Both instructions improved standing balance without affecting conflict resolution speed. The away-from-vibration method felt easier to use.
• OTSLPRCT2024Psychometric Properties of the Dutch Contextual Assessment of Social Skills (CASS): An Independent Observational Outcome Measure of Social Skills in Autistic Adolescents.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe 7-item Dutch CASS is a more reliable measure of social skills in autistic adolescents than the 4-item version. It correlates with self-reported assertion and social communication, but not with restricted interests, confirming it measures social interaction specifically.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2024Early mobilization in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage may im-prove functional status and reduce cerebral vasospasm rate: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Journal of rehabilitation medicineEarly mobilization in subarachnoid haemorrhage was linked to better function at discharge and 3 months, and fewer cerebral vasospasms. Adverse events occurred in 6% of sessions, mostly minor blood pressure changes. Most evidence came from small, non-randomised studies, so treat this as a signal for safety and potential benefit rather than proof.
• PTOTOther2024Technology for helping people with neuromotor, intellectual, and speech disabilities engage in leisure and communication activities: a proof-of-concept study.International journal of rehabilitation research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Rehabilitationsforschung. Revue internationale de recherches de readaptationSix adults with severe disabilities used a tablet with custom sensors to independently select music, make video calls, and answer questions. They activated songs and calls regularly and answered questions correctly far above chance, whereas they could not use a standard tablet during baseline.
• OTOther2024Investigating the Mediating Role of Executive Function in the Relationship Between ADHD and DCD Symptoms and Depression in Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersEveryday executive function difficulties fully explained the link between ADHD or DCD symptoms and depression in adults. Behavioural regulation, emotional control, and planning were key mediators. This suggests targeting these functions may help mental health, but the study cannot prove cause.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Motor Control Adherence to the Two-thirds Power Law Differs in Autistic Development.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children aged 4 to 8 showed steeper velocity changes when drawing curves on an iPad compared to typically developing peers. They also exhibited higher jerk, indicating less smooth movement. These kinematic differences did not correlate with overall fine motor scores.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025Barriers to Healthcare for Latinx Autistic Children and Adolescents.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFor Latinx families with autistic children, cost barriers were highest among those with commercial insurance, while language barriers were highest among Spanish speakers. Spanish-speaking caregivers reported significant gaps in knowing services existed, digital access issues, and lower educational attainment compared to English speakers.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025The intersection of systemic lupus erythematosus with social and occupational environments among black adults: A qualitative study.Disability and health journalBlack adults with lupus described how work conditions worsened symptoms while accommodations helped. Peer support offered unique information but caused distress when comparing severe cases. Family provided essential care and financial aid, though dependence and lack of understanding impacted self-worth.
• PTOTOther2025Effects of Horseback Riding on the Postural Control of Autistic Children: A Multiple Baseline Across-subjects Design.Journal of autism and developmental disordersNine autistic children showed reduced sway on a balance platform after horseback riding. The improvement was large on a soft surface and moderate on a hard one. However, their post-ride scores remained far above typical values for their age.
• OTQualitative2025Navigating the Transition to Adulthood: Insights from Caregivers of Autistic Individuals.Journal of autism and developmental disordersNine of ten caregivers of autistic adults said services stopped after high school. They described hunting for adult supports, confusing Regional Center information, long waits, and programs that ignored their child's interests, leaving families exhausted.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Employment profiles of autistic people: An 8-year longitudinal study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceMost autistic adults in this Dutch study were either stably unemployed or stably employed. Higher education and being male predicted stable employment. Co-occurring conditions and later age of diagnosis also shaped these groups. Employment status changed little for most people over eight years.