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 182 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPOther2026Realising the Case Management Ideal in Multi-organisational Coordination Work to Support Work Ability and (Re)employment in Finland.Journal of occupational rehabilitationWork ability coordinators cannot track clients across agencies because each organisation uses separate systems. This breaks the continuity of care during rehabilitation. Informal local networks were the only way to maintain contact. Clinicians should expect gaps in client history when patients move between services.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Social development of girls with a physical disability during adolescence: Parent perspectives.Rehabilitation psychologyMothers of girls with physical disabilities reported that puberty amplified the gap between their daughters and peers. Girls struggled to find friends who understood their daily medical routines. This led to increased self-consciousness and hesitancy to socialize, even for those who appeared to have good friendships.
• PTOTCase-Control2026Mode of locomotion and other determinants of navigation ability post-stroke.Neuropsychological rehabilitationStroke patients were less accurate than controls when retracing a real building route after walking it. Pointing to remembered landmark locations did not differ. Within the stroke group, video learning was worse than walking; wheelchair and walking did not differ.
• OTCohort2026What Predicts Changes in the Work Situation of Recently Diagnosed People with Multiple Sclerosis and do these Predictors also Apply to Healthy People?Journal of occupational rehabilitationIn people with recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis, better information processing speed was linked to fewer work difficulties after one year. Higher conscientiousness was linked to more working hours. These are associations, not proven treatments.
• PTOTRCT2026Comparing the Effectiveness of Digital and Conventional Rehabilitation Aftercare on Work Ability in Orthopedic Patients: A Longitudinal Study in Germany.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAll three groups improved in work ability, but the digital app showed no true advantage over conventional care or no care once age and employment were adjusted. The apparent early gain in the app group was due to baseline differences, not the intervention.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Conceptualizing Stigma in the Injured Worker Literature: A Scoping Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationThe word "stigma" is rarely used in research on injured workers, making these studies hard to find. Researchers instead describe these experiences using terms like "malingering," "blame," "discrimination," and "lack of support." This terminology gap limits awareness of the problem.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Identity development among veterans with spinal cord injury: A qualitative study.Rehabilitation psychologyVeterans with spinal cord injury rebuilt their identities by adapting activities to keep doing what mattered and by changing their self-concept to accept new roles. Support from peers with similar injuries and engaging in active daily routines were central to this process.
• PTOTOther2025The Multilevel Limb-loss and Preservation Rehabilitation Continuum model (MLPRC): An evidence-based implementation model integrating multiple perspectives to improve outcomes for people facing limb loss.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationA proposed limb-loss care model maps phases from threatened limb through prosthetic and nonprosthetic use. It suggests touchpoints and steps to spot gaps, but does not test whether it improves outcomes.
• OTCohort2025The Effect of Preinjury Psychiatric Difficulties on Caregiving Needs and Postinjury Emotional Distress in Care Partners of Persons With Traumatic Brain Injury.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationCare partners with a history of mental health issues reported more depression and anxiety up to two years after the patient's injury. However, their pre-injury history did not predict whether their support needs were met at six months. Screen for psychiatric history to identify at-risk caregivers.
• PTOTCohort2025Ultrasonographic Measurement of Severe Sarcopenia in the Elderly Subject.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationUltrasound measurement of rectus femoris thickness significantly distinguished severe from non-severe sarcopenia in elderly patients. A thickness of 10.3 mm or less identified severe cases with 89% sensitivity, offering a rapid, accessible bedside tool for assessing functional decline.
• OTQualitative2025Qualitative perspectives from Kinova® Jaco® robotic arm owners: understanding daily device usage.Disability and rehabilitationOwners of a wheelchair-mounted robotic arm valued independence but chose caregiver help when tasks took too long. Nine of eleven were frustrated by switching between wheelchair and arm modes, and wanted ongoing training and caregiver support.
• PTOTRCT2025Vestibular Rehabilitation in Multiple Sclerosis: Randomized Controlled Trial and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Comparing Customized With Booklet Based Vestibular Rehabilitation for Vestibulopathy.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairFor people with MS and vestibular issues, customized physiotherapy showed no significant advantage over a generic booklet-based home program on the primary measure of dizziness impact. However, the customized group improved more on secondary measures of walking, balance confidence, and vertigo severity.
• PTOTCohort2025Predicting medical prognosis in patients with glioblastoma during inpatient rehabilitation using bed mobility function.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationHigher bed mobility scores were linked with better survival after inpatient rehabilitation in glioblastoma. Discharge scores and mobility gains remained linked when other measures were considered. This simple measure may help guide prognosis and goals.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Self-regulation resource model of body compassion in multiple sclerosis.Rehabilitation psychologyIn 799 adults with multiple sclerosis, feeling compassionate toward one's own body was linked to higher confidence managing symptoms. This confidence was associated with less drug use and better social participation, but not with exercise. These are cross-sectional links, not proof that compassion causes behavior change.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Characteristics of pediatric patients with sports-related concussions: A single site retrospective review.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicinePediatric sports concussions peak during each sport's season, with football leading. Uninsured or Medicaid patients were more likely to present to the emergency department, miss follow-up appointments, and require a longer period to complete the same number of visits as privately insured patients.
• OTOther2026The Influence of a Health Promotion Program on Health and Paid Employment Among Long-Term Non-employed Individuals in the Netherlands.Journal of occupational rehabilitationThe Exercise Works health promotion program did not improve physical health, mental health, work ability, or paid employment more than usual employment services over 12 months. Participants and coaches still liked it.
• PTOTSLPOther2026A national consensus-based framework on preferred assessments and interventions in current treatment for young people with acquired brain injury in Dutch rehabilitation centers.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineDutch rehabilitation teams agreed on 37 assessments and 25 interventions for young people with acquired brain injury. The list covers physical, occupational, speech, and social work domains to standardize care, though most tools were not specifically validated for this population.
• PTOTRCT2026Individualized task difficulty promotes balance training outcomes and self-efficacy in individuals with lower limb loss.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalAdjusting balance training difficulty to each person's ability led to greater improvement in time in balance and self-efficacy compared to standard training. This suggests one-size-fits-all protocols may be too challenging for individuals with lower limb loss.
• PTOTSLPRCT2026Long COVID brain fog treatment: An early-phase randomized controlled trial of constraint-induced cognitive therapy signals go.Rehabilitation psychologyIn adults with long COVID brain fog, a 36-hour cognitive rehabilitation programme produced large improvements in everyday task performance and return to work. This pilot study suggests the approach is feasible and safe, but the sample was tiny and unblinded, so it cannot confirm the treatment works.
• OTSLPQualitative2026The Experience of Return to Work Among People with Persistent Symptoms Following a Concussion: An Interview Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationSeven Danes with persistent concussion symptoms described their return-to-work process as defined by whether others believed them. Supportive stakeholders shortened their recovery, while distrust and random, late access to energy management programs prolonged it and caused isolation.
• OTQualitative2026Exploring Intersections of Race and Disability in the Context of Canadian Employment Support Systems Through the Experiences of Job Seekers/Workers, Employers, and Service Providers.Journal of occupational rehabilitationParticipants described employment supports as inflexible and unable to address the compounding effects of race, disability, and poverty. They requested immediate funding increases, employer education on bias, and service provider caseload reductions rather than long-term strategic planning.
• OTRCT2026A counterbalanced crossover pilot study of a personalized smartphone reminder application for older adults with cognitive impairment.Neuropsychological rehabilitationCare-partners reported significantly better task completion and lower burden when the person used the personalized SmartPrompt2 app. However, the app did not significantly improve the participant's own reported task completion compared to just tracking tasks on paper.
• PTOTCohort2025Risk of septic arthritis after corticosteroid joint injections: A retrospective propensity score-matched cohort analysis.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationLarge joint corticosteroid injections did not increase the risk of septic arthritis compared to matched patients who did not receive injections. The absolute risk of infection within 21 days was 0.0018, or 18 cases per 10,000 individuals.
• OTSLPPilot2025Purpose Renewal in Adults With Persisting Symptoms After Concussion: Results of a Non-Randomized Feasibility Trial.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationThe 12-week Compass Course was feasible for adults with persisting concussion symptoms, with 22 of 37 completing it. While completers reported high satisfaction and gains in purpose, nearly half withdrew, and the uncontrolled design cannot prove efficacy.
• PTOTPilot2025Acute Impact of Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill Walking in Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Pilot Study.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationWalking with 50% body weight support prevented the knee pain increase seen at full weight, while maintaining the same amount of moderate exercise. This suggests off-loading allows people with knee osteoarthritis to walk longer without symptom flare-ups.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Ultrasound-guided injections for the retrotrochanteric region: A cadaveric investigation.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationIn embalmed cadavers, a deep ultrasound-guided injection reached the target between the piriformis/triceps coxae tendons and hip capsule in 86% of suitable sides, while superficial injections failed. This confirms technical feasibility but does not prove pain relief in patients.
• PTOTCohort2025Sedentary behavior, physical activity, and health-related quality of life in adults with multiple sclerosis.Disability and rehabilitationDevice-measured physical activity, not sedentary time, was linked to better quality of life in adults with multiple sclerosis. Moderate-to-vigorous activity correlated with both physical and psychological well-being, while light activity correlated only with physical well-being.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Behavioral Fluctuation in Disorders of Consciousness: A Retrospective Analysis.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness, CRS-R scores fluctuated frequently. A 1-point change was common without treatment. Motor behaviors were the most stable signs of consciousness, while language behaviors were the least stable. Serial assessment over 21 days is essential to distinguish spontaneous fluctuation from true clinical change.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Supportive Elements and Challenges to Return to Work Following a Concussion: A Scoping Review.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationConcussion recovery at work depends on more than symptoms. Personal agency and social support help, while prolonged rest advice and poor funder relations hinder return. Clinicians should prioritize individualized, abilities-focused plans over generic rest.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2025The role of rehabilitation across the continuum of liver disease from cirrhosis to transplantation and beyond: A narrative review.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationRehabilitation is safe and improves function across liver disease stages. PTs focus on early mobility and endurance. OTs manage ADLs and tremor. SLPs address dysphagia and cognitive effects of encephalopathy. Evidence supports exercise for frailty, but long-term outcome data remain sparse.
• PTOTCohort2025Clinical Characterization of Hip Subgroups in Geriatric Chronic Low Back Pain.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOlder adults with chronic low back pain and hip involvement reported worse pain quality and lower self-efficacy than those with no hip impairments. This subgroup also had less trunk flexibility and endurance. Screening for hip symptoms may help identify patients at higher risk for disability.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025Compassion fatigue, work engagement, and psychological distress in health care workers treating patients with long COVID.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationHealth care workers who themselves had long COVID reported significantly higher distress, compassion fatigue, and lower engagement than those who did not. Early-career staff also reported less engagement and more fatigue than late-career peers.
• PTOTSurvey2026Validation of the Body Compassion Scale in multiple sclerosis.Rehabilitation psychologyThe Body Compassion Scale is a valid tool for adults with MS, measuring how they relate to their physical symptoms. Lower body compassion was linked to worse fatigue, pain, and mobility, while higher compassion associated with better resilience and mental health.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Impact of intensive, multidisciplinary neurorehabilitation on functional independence following pediatric acquired brain injury (ABI): A matched cohort study.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineIn matched pediatric ABI inpatient cohorts, higher-intensity and lower-intensity therapy did not differ for functional independence at discharge. Both groups improved. OT minutes were associated with better discharge scores, but this was observational and not proven causal.
• OTQualitative2026Workplace Programs to Reduce Post-traumatic Stress Injuries Work Disability: First Responder Experiences.Journal of occupational rehabilitationFirst responders in Alberta said workplace culture and trusted colleagues help them seek psychological injury support, but confusing programs, delays, stigma and fear of career harm still block access.
• PTOTQualitative2026Healthcare Professionals' Experiences with Vocational Rehabilitation for People with Inflammatory Arthritis.Journal of occupational rehabilitationClinicians struggle to support patients with inflammatory arthritis because patients often hide their diagnosis from employers to avoid stigma. Without disclosure, workplace adjustments and sick leave schemes cannot be activated, leaving patients to push through fatigue until they crash.
• OTOther2026A Shortened Upper Extremity Functional Capacity Evaluation for Patients with Complaints of Hand, Wrist, Forearm, and Elbow: Composition and Assessment of Construct Validity and Test-Retest Reliability.Journal of occupational rehabilitationShortening hand and finger strength tests to one try and dexterity tests to two tries gave scores similar to the full evaluation. Some dexterity scores did not match patients' reported hand function, and dominant-hand pegboard scores were unstable between visits.
• PTOTCohort2026Association of Sleep Quality With Activity and Participation in Older Adults.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOlder adults with poor sleep quality reported lower physical function, greater disability, and less walking confidence than those with good sleep. They also walked slower and had lower performance scores. No association was found with figure-of-8 walking skill.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Reductions in Therapy Provision in Skilled Nursing Facilities After Medicare Payment Reform and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMedicare's 2019 payment reform cut therapy minutes in skilled nursing facilities by roughly a quarter. Physical and occupational therapy dropped the most. Rural and for-profit facilities saw the sharpest declines, and therapy levels had not recovered by late 2021.
• PTOTRCT2025Effects of kilohertz versus low-frequency electrical stimulation of the wrist extensors in patients after stroke: A randomized crossover trial.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationLow-frequency electrical stimulation was more efficient at producing force per milliamp than kilohertz stimulation in stroke patients, but both types resulted in similar force, discomfort, and fatigue.
• PTOTCohort2025Opioid consumption after lower limb amputation in Medicare beneficiaries.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationAfter lower limb amputation, 23.2% of patients who were not chronic opioid users kept filling opioid prescriptions in later months, and 91.2% of chronic users had prolonged use. High-risk prescribing remained common, especially among chronic users.
• PTOTQualitative2025Community-Based Exercise Programming for Individuals with Parkinson's Disease: A Qualitative Study.NeuroRehabilitationParticipants valued PD-specific groups where instructors knew the disease and peers shared similar symptoms. They reported better mood and confidence, not just mobility. Transportation and cost were the main barriers, while feeling understood by others with PD was key to sticking with the program.
• PTOTOther2025Systematic development of an implementation strategy to promote high-intensity rehabilitation uptake in skilled nursing facilities.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationThis paper describes the development of an 18-week training package to help therapists in skilled nursing facilities adopt high-intensity rehab. It reports no patient outcomes or effectiveness data, so it offers a blueprint for implementation rather than evidence that the strategy works.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Time Post-Stroke and Upper Extremity Stroke Motor Recovery Rehabilitation: A Meta-Analysis.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairUpper extremity rehabilitation interventions improved motor function scores in both early and late stroke phases, but gains were larger in the acute/subacute phase. High-frequency brain stimulation and constraint-induced therapy showed the biggest early benefits. Chronic-phase trials may underestimate treatment effects.
• PTOTCohort2025Prediction of Motor Recovery after Subacute Cerebral Infarction: Role of Corticocerebellar Pathway Integrity.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn subacute right MCA stroke, DTI asymmetry of the superior cerebellar peduncle predicted 30-day upper limb motor scores. The inferior cerebellar peduncle predicted lower limb scores. The middle cerebellar peduncle showed no relationship with motor function.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Telerehabilitation as an innovative strategy for the management of anxiety and dyspnea in post-COVID-19: A scoping review.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationTelerehabilitation for post-COVID patients generally improved breathing, physical function, and quality of life across 19 studies. Anxiety results were mixed, with some reviews showing no significant reduction. Evidence remains limited by small sample sizes and a lack of standardized guidelines.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Codesign of a framework to support compassionate care appropriate to technology use by people with cognitive decline.Disability and rehabilitationPeople with cognitive decline want home monitoring technology that respects their privacy and autonomy. They fear being judged for low activity or insurance penalties. Clinicians should discuss these specific risks and tailor technology selection to individual values.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Applying NLP methods to code functional performance in electronic health records using the international classification of functioning, disability, and health.Disability and health journalThe ICF framework helped standardize how therapists document mobility, self-care, relationships, and communication in electronic records. But codes often overlapped, lacked cultural inclusivity, and failed to capture modern technology use, requiring manual consensus to make them usable for automated data extraction.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Effects of Internal and External Cues on Brain Activity and Gait in Parkinson's Disease: Findings From BARC-PD.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairInternal and visual cues improved gait speed and stride length more than auditory or tactile cues. Disease stage did not change who benefited, contradicting guidelines that reserve internal cues for early Parkinson's. The brain's response varied by cue type, suggesting different mechanisms for each strategy.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Course of Fatigue and Sleep After Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationFatigue and poor sleep remained high and stable for 18 months after moderate to severe brain injury. Physical tiredness and objectively measured sleep time decreased slightly. Mood problems consistently linked to worse fatigue and sleep quality, while processing speed did not.