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 160 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPPilot2024Evaluation of an assistive exosuit for alleviating neck and shoulder muscle fatigue during prolonged flexed neck posture.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWearing a wire-assisted exosuit while holding a 45-degree neck flexion reduced muscle fatigue markers in healthy adults. The device improved median frequency scores but did not change activation levels. Usability was rated average, with some users reporting shoulder pressure and numbness.
• OTSurvey2024Evaluating client functioning in a harm reduction program in South Africa: insights from a tool derived from the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesClients in a South African harm reduction program reported unmet needs: 93.6% could not always meet financial needs, 79.6% did not always feel safe, and 75% reported stress, poor free-time use, lack of support, and money as most pressing. 63.5% always felt positive about COSUP.
• PTOTCohort2024Associations between autistic and comorbid somatic problems of gastrointestinal disorders, food allergy, pain, and fatigue in adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceHigher autistic symptom scores were linked to more IBS, likely food allergy, pain, and fatigue in 35,048 adults. Pain and fatigue links were stronger in women, and likely food allergy and fatigue links were stronger in younger adults.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Attendance rate and perceived relevance related to type, content, and delivery of current rehabilitation programmes after surgical resection for non-small cell lung cancer.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPatients attending lung cancer rehab more often reported benefits, but attendance was linked to the programme's features, not its proven efficacy. Disease-specific offers led by physiotherapists with exercise and progress testing had the highest uptake. This describes what patients valued, not what works.
• PTOTCohort2024Relationship between functional independence and community integration of people with spinal cord injury in Bangladesh.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesFor 200 adults with spinal cord injury, independence at discharge did not track with home or social community integration one month later. Injury level and completeness mattered more, so therapists should not assume discharge independence guarantees reintegration.
• OTSurvey2024Academic learning challenges and links to vocational outcomes in young autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults who screened positive for learning difficulties were far less likely to achieve independent vocational outcomes. Orthographic challenges were more prevalent than arithmetic issues. Screening can help identify those needing extra support.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Screening and outcomes of co-occurring traumatic brain injury among people with spinal cord injury: a scoping review.Journal of rehabilitation medicineCo-occurring brain injury is frequently missed in spinal cord injury patients due to poor documentation. Mild injuries are hardest to detect. Outcomes are mixed, but moderate to severe cases often face longer stays and lower independence. Rely on multiple markers, not just one test.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Satisfaction, effectiveness, and usability of telerehabilitation for Parkinson's disease patients.Journal of rehabilitation medicineParkinson's patients rated telerehabilitation highly for convenience and emotional support, yet their overall quality of life significantly worsened over 6 months. Only 19 of 56 reported improved quality of life. The programme helped maintain exercise routines but did not stop symptom progression.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Development of a new social prescribing intervention for families of children with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyFamilies reported many unmet social needs, especially benefits, National Disability Insurance Scheme and transport. Parents and clinicians co-designed screening, resource packs and a community linker role, but this paper does not show the programme improves outcomes.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Ethnicity and health-related quality of life in the post stroke population: a systematic review.Journal of rehabilitation medicineEight of 11 stroke studies found better quality of life in majority ethnic groups; 2 found better outcomes in minority groups, and 1 found no difference. Asians scored better in two studies. Where measured, differences were small or moderate.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy versus health education for sleep disturbance and fatigue following stroke and traumatic brain injury.Journal of rehabilitation medicineCognitive behavioral therapy improved sleep quality more than health education immediately after treatment. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups at 2 or 4 months follow-up. Both groups showed similar long-term gains, suggesting health education may be sufficient for sustained improvement.
• PTOTSurvey2025Self-reported physical activity more than 1 year after stroke and its determinants in relation to the WHO recommendations.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationTwo-thirds of stroke survivors reported physical activity levels below WHO recommendations over a year after onset. Those needing home help, using mobility devices, living alone, or who were older were significantly less active. Stroke type and time since onset did not predict activity levels.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Exploring the role of the rock climbing Treadwall as a novel therapy tool in physical rehabilitation.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationNine children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy used a rotating climbing wall for 10 minutes daily. They climbed significantly farther and faster after three weeks. Upper limb function scores improved. The study confirms feasibility and safety but cannot prove the wall caused the gains.
• PTOTOther2025Development of the Italian version of the Motricity Index and evaluation of its reliability in adults with stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineThe Italian Motricity Index reliably measures motor impairment on the more affected side after stroke, but shows poor agreement between therapists on the less affected side. Expect measurement error of 9-25% on the affected side, so small score changes are not true improvements.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2025MAGEL2 (patho-)physiology and Schaaf-Yang syndrome.Developmental medicine and child neurologySchaaf-Yang syndrome is diagnosed by a paternally inherited MAGEL2 variant and can cause hypotonia, feeding and breathing problems, joint contractures, developmental delay, autism, and endocrine dysfunction. Treatment evidence is limited.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Does rehabilitation improve work participation in patients with chronic spinal pain after spinal surgery: a systematic review.Journal of rehabilitation medicineRehabilitation for chronic spinal pain after surgery showed mixed work results. One comparison against no treatment found higher return-to-work rates; the randomized trial found no employment change. Evidence is too limited for firm recommendations.
• PTOTPilot2025Effectiveness of Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance for autistic children with developmental coordination disorder.Developmental medicine and child neurologyTwenty-six autistic children improved their self-rated performance and satisfaction on chosen motor goals after Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance. Independent ratings confirmed better movement quality. Standardised motor proficiency scores did not show clinically meaningful change.
• PTOTCohort2025Characteristics of subacute stroke patients who achieve earlier independence in real-life walking performance during hospitalization.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAfter subacute stroke, younger age, higher cognition, and better walking ability on admission predicted earlier independence in real ward walking; low daily-living ability or no walking ability predicted slower achievement.
• PTOTCase Report2024Neurovisual Training With Acoustic Feedback: An Innovative Approach for Nystagmus Rehabilitation.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationA woman with downbeat nystagmus reported less reliance on a rollator after combined audiovisual, balance, gait, strength, proprioception, trunk control, and treadmill training plus fampridine. Scores improved more when assessed without fampridine, but the mix cannot show which part helped.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2024The meaning of autistic movements.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults describe movement as a way to regulate senses and emotions. Stimming and exercise serve the same functions but face stigma. Clinicians should explore how patients use movement for well-being rather than suppressing it.
• OTSLPCohort2024Description and predictors of self-determination in males and females with fragile X syndrome on the verge of adulthood.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRCaregivers rated young adults with fragile X syndrome as having low ability to set and pursue their own goals, but many chances at home. School chances varied. Lower everyday skills and poorer social communication were linked to less goal-setting ability and fewer school chances.
• OTPilot2025ENGAGE-TBI: adaptation of a community-based intervention to improve social participation after brain injury.Brain injuryAdapting a community-based stroke participation programme for brain injury was feasible in a small pilot. Participants showed improved social participation and mental health, but social isolation and physical health did not change. It cannot show the programme works.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Factors associated with aspects of functioning one year after hospitalization due to COVID-19.Clinical rehabilitationFatigue three months after hospitalization for COVID-19 predicted lower walking capacity a year later, alongside older age and female sex. Interestingly, how severe the initial infection was did not predict long-term function, meaning patients with mild cases may still face significant recovery challenges.
• PTOTCohort2025Physical function and perceived pain following inpatient intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment for children and adolescents.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationChildren and adolescents in a 4-week inpatient interdisciplinary pain program showed large improvements in physical function, motor proficiency, and occupational performance, alongside reduced pain. Without a control group, these gains cannot be definitively attributed to the program alone.
• PTOTCohort2025Enhancing safety monitoring in post-stroke rehabilitation through wearable technologies.Clinical rehabilitationStroke survivors took much longer to complete the Timed Up and Go test, but their movements appeared smoother than healthy controls. This suggests they consciously trade speed for stability. Wearable sensors detected this cautious strategy, potentially offering a way to monitor fall risk in real time.
• PTOTOther2025The MyGuide Web-Based Self-Management Tool for Concussion Rehabilitation: Mixed Methods Cross-Sectional Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesEight adults with concussion and eight clinicians described MyGuide as easy to use and helpful for basic recovery information. Participants found it reassuring, but many stopped once they understood enough, and some wanted more detail.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Trajectories of positive affect in autistic individuals during the transition to adulthood.Autism : the international journal of research and practicePositive affect in autistic adults followed varied paths, not just one. Lower positive affect linked to more autism features and less daily living skill. Higher positive affect tied to work, friends, and independent living. Caregiver reports matched self-reports less as adults gained independence.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025User Acceptance of a Home Robotic Assistant for Individuals With Physical Disabilities: Explorative Qualitative Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPeople with severe physical disabilities wanted a robot to fetch dropped items and drinks, but not for personal care. They preferred voice control and a human-like but not uncanny appearance. They saw the robot as a backup for human carers, not a replacement.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024Efficacy of different spinal orthoses for pain management, functional improvement, and quality of life in osteoporotic vertebral fractures: a mini review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesEvidence for spinal braces in osteoporotic fractures is inconsistent. Dynamic braces like Spinomed show promise for pain and strength, but rigid and soft braces perform similarly to no brace. High risk of bias in included studies means no specific orthosis is proven superior.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Effectiveness of a 5-day adapted swim instruction program for children with disabilities.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesMost children with disabilities improved their swim skill level after a 5-day adapted camp. Fearfulness stopped progress for many autistic children, while those with Down syndrome needed more practice time. Older children with Down syndrome showed greater improvement.
• OTOther2024Enhancing shared street accessibility in heritage sites for individuals with visual disabilities: a Canadian perspective.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesParticipants in co-design sessions said flat shared streets remove tactile cues for people with visual disabilities. They asked for tactile strips, clear crossings, and removable bollards for winter. These design ideas were proposed but not tested.
• OTCohort2024Laboratory-based measures of executive function and daily living skills in young children with Down syndrome: informing future interventions.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRIn young children with Down syndrome, scores on brief play-based executive function tasks were linked to higher caregiver-reported daily living skills, especially after 1 year. The study did not test whether improving these skills changes daily living skills.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2024Experts' Views on Children's Access to Community-Based Therapeutic and Education Services After Genomic Sequencing Results.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPCalifornia service providers stated that genetic diagnoses do not determine eligibility for therapy or education. Access relies on observed behavioral deficits and adaptive function. Families with greater resources and self-advocacy skills are more successful in navigating the complex system to obtain services.
• PTOTSurvey2025Model of Fear of Movement/(Re)injury Runs Clockwise From Catastrophizing: Evidence From a Sample of Outpatients With Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationHigher pain catastrophizing scores tracked with greater fear of movement, disability, depressive symptoms, and pain in 180 outpatients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. This does not prove catastrophizing caused these symptoms.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025Return to sports after pediatric traumatic brain injury: An expert panel survey.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationExpert opinions on when children with serious brain injuries can return to sports vary widely. Risk of the activity mattered more than injury severity for most scenarios. For severe injuries and high-contact sports, many experts recommended waiting months or never returning, highlighting the need for individualized decision-making.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025A scoping review and synthesis of the literature on the relation between mobility impairment and cognitive impairment.Disability and rehabilitationIn adults over 50, lower mobility and lower cognitive function consistently occur together. Longitudinal evidence suggests each can predict decline in the other, though only a few studies directly tested this bidirectional link. Screening for one impairment should prompt assessment of the other.
• OTRCT2025Improving Outcomes for Care Partners of Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury: Results for a mHealth Randomized Control Trial of the CareQOL App.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAdding personalized self-care push notifications to a self-monitoring app did not improve health-related quality of life for care partners of people with TBI. Some scores worsened. Only participants who actively engaged with the app showed improvements, suggesting engagement matters more than the prompts.
• OTOther2025Exploring the Intersection of Autism, Theory of Mind, and Driving Performance in Novice Drivers.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic and non-autistic novice drivers performed similarly in a driving simulator. Lower Theory of Mind scores were linked to more wrecks, less road attention, and more hard acceleration and braking, but this was a small simulator study.
• PTOTCohort2025The presence of unknown polio engagement confirmed by electromyography and muscle testing.Journal of rehabilitation medicineElectromyography revealed chronic muscle denervation in legs where patients reported no weakness. This unawareness masked significant functional deficits, including slower walking speeds and lower muscle strength compared to those aware of their impairment. Clinicians should test both limbs even if symptoms appear unilateral.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms in stroke survivors: a cross-sectional study of 1,140 individuals.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStroke survivors who did more than 75 minutes of vigorous or 150 minutes of moderate activity per week had lower odds of depressive symptoms. However, exceeding 300 minutes of moderate activity weekly removed this benefit. The study cannot prove exercise prevented the depression.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Characterizing associations between emotion dysregulation, anxiety, and repetitive behaviors in autistic youth with intellectual disability.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn 150 autistic youth with intellectual disability, higher anxiety predicted greater intensity of all four repetitive behavior types. Emotion dysregulation specifically predicted more insistence on sameness at high levels. Youth with no words showed more restricted interests than those with single words.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Stakeholder perspectives on implementation of internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy in physical medicine rehabilitation setting using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStakeholders supported internet-delivered CBT for spinal cord injury rehabilitation due to its convenience and evidence base. Major barriers were lack of funding, clinician time for referrals, and leadership failing to create concrete implementation plans. End-users also cited digital literacy and self-efficacy as obstacles.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Application of the international classification of functioning, disability, and health in autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A scoping review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAcross 78 studies, the ICF framework helped clinicians map autism and ADHD functioning to daily life contexts like school and work. Most interventions still ignored environmental barriers, focusing only on changing the patient. Using ICF Core Sets can shift assessment toward participation and context.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2025Genetic investigations in cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyA genetic cause is found in many children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, especially those with normal MRI scans or worsening symptoms. Therapists should flag these signs for medical review. A genetic diagnosis does not rule out the cerebral palsy label or its management.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025An exploratory qualitative assessment of patient and clinician perspectives on patient-reported outcome measures and disease-modifying therapies in adults with spinal muscular atrophy.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAdults with spinal muscular atrophy found standard outcome measures discouraging and insensitive to meaningful change. Walkers preferred broad questionnaires, while non-sitters found them depressing and preferred disease-specific scales. Clinicians should select measures based on functional status to avoid psychological harm.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Neonatal therapy principles during transition from neonatal intensive care unit to home: A modified Delphi study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyExperts agreed that four intervention principles are essential for NICU-to-home transitions: building caregiver-child relationships, optimizing development, sharing education, and enriching environments. They stated these must be delivered together, not in isolation. This reflects expert opinion, not tested efficacy.
• OTSLPQualitative2025A critical hit: Dungeons and Dragons as a buff for autistic people.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults described tabletop role-playing as a safe space where they could connect without masking. The game's structure and shared interest reduced social anxiety, allowing friendships to form and enabling emotional exploration through characters.
• OTSurvey2024Poor face recognition predicts social anxiety in autism: A short report.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults with poor face recognition reported more social anxiety than those with average face recognition. Many said not recognising people made social interaction and friendships harder. This does not prove face recognition causes anxiety.
• OTOther2024Enhancing Sensory Experiences for Infants Born Preterm: A Quality Improvement Project.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationInfants receiving the full recommended tactile input rose from 10.16% to 43% after staff education and modeling. Parental presence and sensory minutes also increased, though the study cannot confirm which specific actions caused the change.
• OTOther2024Enhanced motor noise in an autism subtype with poor motor skills.Molecular autismAutistic children split into two motor groups. The lower-motor-skills group showed more variability when repeating a reach-and-drop task, especially in the initial reaching phase. The higher-motor-skills group was similar to typically developing children.