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 186 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPPilot2026Promoting community and social participation in chronic stroke: A pilot study of the ENGAGE intervention.Disability and health journalHalf the participants showed meaningful improvement in social participation, but the study lacked a control group. The intervention was feasible and safe, with no injuries reported. Therapists should view this as a promising tool for goal-setting, not proven efficacy.
• PTOTRCT2025Botulinum toxin A combining with robot-assisted bimanual therapy integrating mirror therapy versus botulinum toxin A combining with robot-assisted bimanual therapy in patients with post-stroke spastic fingers: a randomized controlled pilot trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding mirror therapy to robot-assisted hand training after Botox injections improved finger movement more than robot training alone. Both groups gained function, but the mirror group saw larger gains in distal hand control, suggesting a stronger sensory feedback loop helps recovery.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Utilising Behavioural and Sensory Profiles and Associated Perinatal Factors to Identify Meaningful Subgroups in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAnalysis of 1168 autistic children identified four distinct subgroups based on behavioural, sensory, and perinatal profiles. One group had the most adaptive skill concerns with natal complications, while another showed the highest sensory impairment linked to maternal health factors, suggesting different support needs.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Autism - A Systematic Review.Journal of autism and developmental disordersEvidence for biologically based CAM in autism is inconsistent. Gluten-free and casein-free diets showed no benefit, while vitamin and mineral supplements helped only when deficiencies existed. Some nutraceuticals like probiotics and omega-3s showed mixed or positive effects on specific symptoms.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2025A panoramic review of transcranial focused ultrasound neuromodulation: from basic research to clinical applications.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTranscranial focused ultrasound shows promise for tremor and pain, but most evidence comes from small studies and animal models. Clinical effects vary widely due to skull differences and auditory confounds. It is not yet a proven therapy for common neurological conditions.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2025'A certain magic' - autistic adults' experiences of interacting with other autistic people and its relation to Quality of Life: A systematic review and thematic meta-synthesis.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults describe connecting with other autistic people as relieving and effortless, often contrasting with exhausting interactions elsewhere. This contact supports identity and well-being, but it is not a universal fix and does not replace specialist mental health care.
• OTOther2025Psychometric properties of the Danish version of the resilience scale for adults in individuals with acquired brain or spinal cord injury, and their family members.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn adults with acquired brain or spinal cord injury and their family members, the Danish Resilience Scale for Adults may be useful as five separate subscales. Do not use the Structured style subscale or the total score.
• OTQualitative2025'If I Don't Have My Support Worker in the Room…': A Multi-perspective Mixed Methods Study of Remote Daily Living Support for Neurodivergent Young Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersSupport workers were far more interested in remote daily living support than the young adults they help. Many service users feared losing the trust and practical presence of in-person visits, describing a 'body doubling' effect where having someone in the room was essential to getting tasks done.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Exposure to visual perturbations elicits adaptation in step kinematics during gait in those with chronic ankle instability.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationDuring treadmill walking, nineteen people with chronic ankle instability shifted from cautious wide steps to reactive step-to-step adjustments when exposed to optical flow or stroboscopic vision. These kinematic changes persisted briefly after the perturbations stopped.
• PTOTQualitative2025"What standard should we set?": A qualitative study of rehabilitation professionals' perspectives on rehabilitation needs after traumatic injuries.Journal of rehabilitation medicineRehabilitation professionals describe a gap between legally mandated services and community reality. They report patients with traumatic injuries often lack support for cognitive impairment, mental health, and meaningful daily life, with resources focused only on basic physical care.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Optimal exercise modalities for post-intervention motor function changes in stroke survivors: a pairwise and network meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationResistance training best preserved walking endurance, and robotic training best preserved walking speed after stroke rehab ended. However, no exercise modality significantly improved balance or limb motor control during follow-up, suggesting gains in these areas often fade without continued supervision.
• OTSLPRCT2025Building Better Bridges: Outcomes of a Community-Partnered New School Transition Intervention for Students on the Autism Spectrum.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregiver coaching improved school transition ratings for students on the autism spectrum in under-resourced schools. Teachers reported significantly higher transition success with coaching. Caregiver ratings showed a non-significant trend. Self-efficacy increased with coaching, but worry decreased similarly in both groups.
• OTQualitative2025Close Relationships Despite the Challenges: Sibling Relationships and Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersTen siblings of autistic adolescents described close, loving relationships despite aggression, conflict, and caregiving worries. Some sisters felt they were both siblings and carers and wanted help with arguments, isolation, and future caring roles.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Post-stroke facial palsy: Prevalence, recovery patterns within the first 7 days, risk factors, and effect of hyperacute treatments.Clinical rehabilitationFacial palsy affects 43% of stroke patients on admission, but only 37% recover fully within the first week. Older age and severe motor or sensory impairments predict slower recovery. While thrombolysis was linked to better outcomes, this may reflect patient selection rather than treatment effect.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Rethinking the Accessibility of Hearing Assessments for Children with Developmental Disabilities.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with developmental disabilities were nearly four times more likely than peers to miss gold-standard hearing assessments within three months. This gap was widest for those with cerebral palsy or multiple diagnoses, leaving many children undiagnosed and unable to access hearing technology or early intervention.
• OTSLPCohort2025Completion of Upper Secondary Mainstream School in Autistic Students in Sweden.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic students in Sweden were far less likely to finish upper secondary school than their peers. The gap was largest for autistic girls and those with ADHD. This suggests current educational support systems are failing to meet the needs of this population.
• OTSLPOther2025Game Changer: Exploring the Role of Board Games in the Lives of Autistic People.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults described board games as a social lubricant that removes the pressure of small talk. The clear rules and shared focus on the game allow them to interact authentically without masking, helping them form friendships and reduce anxiety.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Dual-target tDCS and dual-task training modulate neuroinflammation and neuroplasticity: transcriptomic and behavioral evidence in stroke rehabilitation.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAdding dual-target brain stimulation to dual-task training improved walking, thinking, and mood in stroke survivors more than sham stimulation. Both groups also received standard physical, occupational, or speech therapy, so the specific contribution of each component cannot be separated.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2025A novel multimodal pharmacologic approach using guanfacine, N-acetylcysteine, and donepezil in severe TBI: a case series.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTwo men with severe TBI showed large MoCA score improvements after taking guanfacine, NAC, and donepezil alongside rehab. This cannot prove the drugs caused the gains. Do not change practice based on these two cases.
• PTOTOther2025Smart Device-Based Therapy on Hand Motor Function Improvement in Stroke Survivors During Rehabilitation: Scoping Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesMost studies showed hand function improvements with smart device therapy, but the evidence is too mixed to say it works better than standard care. Home-based tech is feasible, yet results varied widely by device and study quality.
• OTQualitative2025Investigation of Menstrual Hygiene and Self-Care Skills of Adolescent Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Mother Views.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMothers of girls with ASD described ongoing help with toileting, bathing, pad use and hair cleaning. All reported no puberty preparations, and mothers were the main caregivers.
• PTOTSLPPilot2025Investigating dose-response patterns in virtual reality rehabilitation: a pilot study of patient satisfaction in subacute stroke.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesNo significant relationship was found between virtual reality dosage and patient satisfaction in 19 subacute stroke patients. The study was underpowered and heavily confounded by hospital length of stay, meaning VR exposure reflected stroke severity rather than a controlled treatment parameter.
• PTOTOther2025Responses and reliability of candidate intensity measures to different mental and motor load levels of an upper limb exergame in children and adolescents with neurological diagnoses.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesChildren with neurological diagnoses reported higher effort and performed fewer movements as exergame difficulty increased. Heart rate variability also dropped during harder motor tasks. However, these measures were not reliable when repeated on separate days, so they cannot yet track therapy intensity in practice.
• PTOTQualitative2025Perceptions of occupational therapists and physiotherapists of early intervention therapy services for infants with or at risk of cerebral palsy: A qualitative interview study.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineTherapists report that fragmented communication between hospital and municipality services forces parents to carry medical records back and forth. This burden delays care and creates conflicting advice, while a focus on gross motor skills often causes therapists to miss the early window for hand function intervention.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Relationship Between Obesity and Intellectual/Developmental Disability in an Ohio Telepsychiatry Clinic: A Retrospective Review.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities seen in a telepsychiatry clinic, 52.4% were obese. Obesity prevalence was highest in those with autism alone and lowest in those with profound intellectual disability. This association does not prove cause.
• OTRCT2026Process Evaluation of a Randomized Controlled Trial of an Enhanced Rehabilitation Transition Program for Stroke Survivors.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationStroke survivors receiving home modifications and strategy training had better daily activity performance and fewer home barriers than those receiving education alone, but community participation did not improve. The intervention cost a median of $544 per person and was well-adhered to at 12 months.
• OTQualitative2026Multicultural Implementation-Experiences of Peer Support Workers in MH Services: Qualitative Findings of UPSIDES Innovative Intervention-An International Multi-Site Project.Journal of occupational rehabilitationPeer support workers across sites described UPSIDES training and delivery as supporting their own recovery, vocational skills and staff relations, while role clarity and service integration remained difficult.
• OTCohort2026ReacStick: Evaluating Executive Function Independent From Level of Education.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationReacStick accuracy scores were unaffected by education level, unlike Trail Making Test B. This suggests ReacStick may offer a less biased way to screen executive function in adults with lower literacy or fewer years of schooling.
• PTOTSLPOther2025The interplay between haptic guidance and personality traits in robotic-assisted motor learning.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRobotic guidance did not improve motor learning in healthy adults. Personality traits shaped how people interacted with the robot. Those who seek challenges performed better without assistance. Those who feel they control outcomes reduced their physical effort with guidance. Those who feel outcomes are external increased their force.
• PTOTQualitative2025A longitudinal qualitative study on the care needs journey map of primary caregivers of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesCaregivers of knee replacement patients described shifting from administrative tasks to quasi-professional roles, facing severe gaps in rehabilitation guidance and emotional support after discharge. They reported anxiety and helplessness when left without clear instructions on home exercises and complication prevention.
• PTOTRCT2025Transcranial magnetic stimulation regulates brain functional network dynamics in stroke patients: a randomised controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding 1Hz rTMS to standard rehab improved upper limb movement and daily self-care more than rehab alone. Brain scans showed increased network flexibility in sensory and cognitive areas, which correlated with better arm recovery and predicted treatment success.
• OTSLPSurvey2025Examining an integrated path model of psychological and sociocultural predictors of camouflaging in autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceFear of negative evaluation and past victimisation strongly predicted camouflaging. Unexpectedly, higher self-esteem and a stronger autistic identity also linked to more camouflaging, suggesting some adults mask strategically to access opportunities rather than solely out of shame.
• PTOTOther2025Innovative stimulated muscle contraction signals based digital muscle marker: a reliable tool for assessing muscle in persons with stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA wearable device that stimulates muscles and reads their response tracked muscle mass and strength in stroke survivors reliably, even on the weak side. It requires no voluntary effort, offering a way to assess muscle wasting in patients who cannot cooperate with standard strength tests.
• PTOTOther2025Reliability of upper limb kinematic variables: adults with unilateral cerebral palsy performing a standardized drinking task.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn adults with spastic unilateral CP, a motion-capture drinking task gave repeatable upper limb movement results over consecutive days. Small day-to-day differences were usually measurement noise; changes above the reported change thresholds likely reflect real movement differences.
• PTOTCohort2025Clinical assessments and gait characteristics by subtype classification using temporal and kinematic symmetry indices during gait in patients with chronic stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStroke survivors who walk independently split into four distinct gait subtypes based on symmetry. Those with severe motor impairment had the lowest walking speed and most asymmetry. However, patients with similar moderate impairment and speed showed different underlying movement problems, meaning one subtype needs different rehab than another.
• OTOther2025Are a Child's Autistic Traits, Behavioural Difficulties, Prosocial Behaviour and Temperament Predictors of Parental Self-Efficacy and Satisfaction? A Study on Parents of Autistic and Neurotypical Children Aged 7-11 Years.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn parents of autistic children, behavioural difficulties and prosocial behaviour predicted lower parenting confidence and satisfaction. In parents of neurotypical children, only behavioural difficulties predicted confidence. Autistic traits themselves did not significantly predict either outcome in the final models.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Developmental Impacts of Early Sensory Patterns on School-Age Adaptive, Maladaptive, and Participation Outcomes in Autistic and Non-autistic Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren whose sensory sensitivity increased during preschool had lower adaptive skills and more anxiety at school age. This pattern also predicted less participation in classroom and community activities. These links were stronger in autistic children than in non-autistic peers.
• PTOTQualitative2025User Engagement and Experiences With an Online Unsupervised Tai Chi Program for People With Knee Osteoarthritis: Mixed Methods Process Evaluation Nested in a Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesMost users found this unsupervised online Tai Chi program engaging and easy to follow, with nearly three-quarters adhering to the schedule. However, the lack of instructor feedback and technical issues frustrated some, highlighting a need for hybrid models or better digital support for complex movements.
• OTSLPOther2025Camouflaging in Autistic Adults is Modulated by Autistic and Neurotypical Characteristics of Interaction Partners.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults reported camouflaging more when interacting with other autistic people than with neurotypical people. This contradicts the common assumption that masking is primarily a survival strategy to fit into neurotypical society, suggesting it may instead reflect a motivation to build relationships with autistic peers.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Rehabilitation needs and healthcare utilization of adults with cerebral palsy: A mixed methods study.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineAdults with cerebral palsy still seen in pediatric rehabilitation had shifting equipment, therapy, and specialist needs, but only 21 of 280 had documented transition efforts.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Competency requirements for patients and therapists in telerehabilitation aftercare: a qualitative study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTherapists and patients described telerehabilitation competencies as mostly social and professional, not just technical. They stressed that prior in-person therapy experience and structured onboarding are essential. Current training was reported as inconsistent and often insufficient.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025ICF-based functioning profiles in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: Evidence from a population-based study in Argentina.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineChildren with severe motor impairments rated technology as a major facilitator, while those with milder issues saw it as neutral. Immediate family supported all levels, but health services and societal attitudes only helped the milder group.
• PTOTCohort2025Exploring exercise intolerance in adult patients with persistent post-concussion symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn adults with persistent concussion symptoms, 81% had exercise intolerance confirmed by treadmill testing. Higher overall symptom burden predicted this intolerance. Within those intolerant, higher resting heart rate allowed more exercise, while higher anxiety lowered the threshold for symptoms.
• OTSurvey2026Depressive symptoms in people with late effects of polio and the association with sociodemographic and disability-related factors.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationIn 81 people with late effects of polio, 43% scored in the range where depression should be suspected. Being single, having more self-reported impairments, and lower perceived participation were associated with these high scores. Mobility alone was not.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Prior Diagnoses and Age of Diagnosis in Children Later Diagnosed with Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersBlack children were diagnosed with autism about six months earlier than White children. White children had higher rates of prior diagnoses like ADHD and anxiety. More prior diagnoses predicted later autism diagnosis. These findings contradict expected disparities in access to care.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Reacting, Retreating, Regulating, and Reconnecting: How Autistic Adults in the United Kingdom Use Time Alone for Well-Being.Autism in adulthoodAutistic adults described time alone as a recovery strategy from sensory and social overwhelm, not a lack of social interest. They used specific sanctuary spaces and intense interests to regulate before reconnecting. Individual needs varied widely, challenging assumptions that minimalist rooms are universally calming.
• OTSLPQualitative2026Neurodivergence and the Rabbit Hole of Extremism: Uncovering Lived Experience.Autism in adulthoodAutistic people who joined far-right groups described trauma and rejection, not autism itself, as the driver. They found belonging, structure, and validation in hate groups that mainstream society and services failed to provide. Clinical care must address these unmet needs to reduce vulnerability to recruitment.
• OTSLPOther2026Does Camouflaging Cause Reduced Quality of Life? A Co-Twin Control Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn twin pairs, the sibling who reported more camouflaging had lower quality of life than their co-twin. This held even in identical twins, suggesting the link isn't just due to shared genetics or environment.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Health Literacy and Access to Care among Patients with and Without Traumatic Brain Injury: An All of Us Analysis.NeuroRehabilitationPatients with a history of traumatic brain injury are significantly more likely to report difficulty understanding health information, needing help with medical forms, and delaying care due to cost or transportation compared to matched controls.
• PTOTOther2025Characterization of motor unit activities during isometric elbow flexion with different speeds.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFaster muscle contractions require the nervous system to recruit motor units more aggressively and synchronize them more tightly. This increased neural drive comes at a cost: tracking the target force accurately becomes significantly harder, especially when trying to generate force quickly at high intensities.