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 188 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPCohort2026Sociodemographic and Clinical Profile of 915 Autistic Preschoolers Engaged in Intensive Early Intervention in Australia.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren entering intensive early intervention showed severe delays in adaptive and cognitive skills, with communication and expressive language being the weakest areas. Despite these high support needs, parental stress levels were similar to general autism samples rather than elevated.
• OTSLPOther2026Determinants of Positive Evolution of Symptoms in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) during the COVID-19 Lockdown in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (DRC).Journal of autism and developmental disordersDuring lockdown, 42.6% of parents reported positive changes in their child's autism symptoms. Parents spending more than 8 hours daily with the child and improvements in language or autonomy were associated with positive evolution. Conversely, parental depression and child comorbidities were linked to no change or deterioration.
• OTSLPOther2026The Mediating Role of Social Interactions and Early Psychopathological Symptoms in the Relationship Between Empathy and Prosociality in Young Children with ASD and Neurotypical Peers.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAnxious children with autism showed more prosocial behaviour than less anxious peers, while anxiety did not predict prosociality in neurotypical children. Parents reported lower empathy and social interaction in children with autism, but similar levels of anxiety between groups.
• OTSLPOther2026Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Psy-Flex Among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe Chinese Psy-Flex reliably measures psychological flexibility in parents of children with autism. It takes about 5 minutes to complete and accurately distinguishes parents with high stress from those without, offering a brief tool for tracking mental health in this group.
• OTSLPCohort2026Associations of Autistic Traits and Autism with Incontinence and Constipation in a UK Birth Cohort.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with high autistic traits, especially social-communication and language coherence difficulties, had higher odds of daytime wetting and soiling at age 9. At age 14, autistic traits were also linked to constipation. Screen for continence issues in autistic children.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Impact of single-event multilevel surgery on gait efficiency in children with cerebral palsy: a retrospective study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineChildren with cerebral palsy who had single-event multilevel surgery improved their walking efficiency and overall gait quality. They walked with better knee extension and stronger ankle push-off, though their speed did not increase. These changes were seen in a retrospective study without a true control group.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Beyond the joystick: deep learning games for hand movement recovery.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA camera-based game system recognized hand gestures with 85% to 95% accuracy in 15 healthy adults. Users rated its usability as good, suggesting it is technically feasible for home rehabilitation. It has not yet been tested for clinical effectiveness in patients.
• PTOTRCT2025Effects of unilateral lower limb exoskeleton robot on gait improvement and brain function in patients with chronic stroke: a randomized clinical trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding two weeks of unilateral exoskeleton walking training to routine rehab improved walking speed and stride length more than routine rehab alone. It did not improve daily independence, and brain activation changes were only within the robot group.
• PTOTOther2025Automatic multi-IMU-based deep learning evaluation of intensity during static standing balance training exercises.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWearable sensors can estimate how hard a balance exercise is for a patient. A model using data from the thighs and lower back matched the average rating of physical therapists watching video, suggesting it could help monitor home training intensity.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Neuromodulation effects of low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound in human, a systematic review focusing on motor and sensory functions.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationLow-intensity focused ultrasound changed brain excitability in a dose-dependent way. Specific settings suppressed motor activity during stimulation, while others boosted it for 30 minutes after. The effects were on lab measures, not function. No clinical improvement was shown.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2025Noninvasive brain stimulation for upper limb motor activity in children and young adults with cerebral palsy and pediatric stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding brain stimulation to therapy did not improve upper limb movement in children with cerebral palsy or stroke. The combined treatment showed no benefit over standard care alone, so clinicians should not expect these stimulation techniques to enhance motor recovery on their own.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Influence of age, cognitive function, attention, and mental state on the effectiveness of EEG-based brain-computer interface device use: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMotor imagery BCIs are sensitive to age and cognitive decline, while visual-based systems like P300 and SSVEP remain stable across groups. Fatigue and low attention significantly reduce control accuracy, requiring shorter sessions or adaptive feedback for effective rehabilitation.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Mild multiple sclerosis challenges shape work experiences, affect self-concept, and are often trivialized despite disclosure.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with mild multiple sclerosis who had disclosed their diagnosis still hid work struggles. They feared being seen as incompetent or lazy, not just disabled. This silence prevented managers from making adjustments. Clinicians should discuss specific task barriers, not just the diagnosis, to help patients keep their jobs.
• PTOTPilot2025The Soleus H-Reflex as a Biomarker of Post-Injury Spasticity in Spinal Cord Injury: A Conceptual Pilot Study.NeuroRehabilitationEarly spinal reflex measures correlated with existing spasticity and motor strength at admission, but failed to predict new spasticity by discharge. Reduced post-activation depression was associated with spasticity, yet the small sample prevents clinical use.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Facing Change and Uncertainty: Lessons Learned from Autistic Children and their Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFamilies reported both worsening and improving outcomes during lockdown. Children with sensory or social needs often struggled with lost structure, but others saw reduced anxiety and better communication from increased one-to-one time at home. Support services and school continuity were critical gaps.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Employing a Phased, Interdisciplinary Approach Across Healthcare and School Settings: mHealth Adaptations for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder At-Risk of Experiencing Obesity.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFor youth with autism, participants said an obesity-prevention chatbot app should offer simple choices, safety prompts, visuals, and rewards, while fitting family life. They valued apps for teletherapy and home programs, but worried about cost, time, and parent burden.
• PTOTOther2026What are the characteristics of patients requiring reconditioning admitted to tertiary care inpatient rehabilitation services? An exploratory audit.Clinical rehabilitationReconditioning patients are far more numerous and diverse than expected, with 16% aged 60 or under. Younger patients stay longer and have different discharge patterns, suggesting a one-size-fits-all approach is ineffective.
• PTOTRCT2026The effectiveness of the UniReliever offloading knee brace for treating medial knee osteoarthritis: A randomized clinical trial.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalPatients with medial knee osteoarthritis who wore either the UniReliever or Unloader One X brace for six weeks walked significantly farther without pain than controls. Both braces performed similarly, with no significant difference between them.
• OTSLPOther2026Exploring the Interpersonal Goals of Autistic and Neurotypical Adolescents Who Bully Others.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adolescents who valued closeness and friendship were more likely to be identified as bullies, unlike neurotypical peers who bullied to gain status. This suggests some bullying in autism may stem from social misunderstanding rather than intent to harm.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Healthcare Providers' Perspectives on Autistic Adolescents Transitioning to Independent Driving.Journal of autism and developmental disordersProviders rely on ad-hoc strategies like role-playing and referrals to guide autistic adolescents toward driving. They report lacking a gold standard resource or autism-specific driver education, leaving them to improvise assessments of readiness and safety in real time.
• OTSLPSurvey2026Parental Burnout in Israeli Parents of Children with ASD During Wartime: The Role of Child Behavior, Parental Emotion Regulation, Stress, and Social Support.Journal of autism and developmental disordersDuring war, parents of children with autism reported higher burnout and stress than parents of typically developing children. Unlike the other group, their burnout was not buffered by social support or emotion regulation. Instead, disruptions to their child's therapy and school routines were the strongest predictors of distress.
• PTOTOther2025Effect of focal muscle vibration on sEMG activity during repeated elbow movements in healthy adults.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationVibrating the biceps for five minutes significantly reduced triceps muscle activity during elbow movements in healthy adults. This inhibition lasted up to 20 minutes. The effect was transient and did not persist at 25 or 30 minutes. These results suggest a specific window for priming subsequent therapy.
• OTOther2025A cost-utility analysis for return-to-work interventions comparing alternative methods for handling missing health-related quality of life data.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIncluding lost work costs made inpatient I-MORE cost-effective versus outpatient O-ACT. With healthcare costs only, it was not. Missing quality-of-life data changed health benefit estimates, but not this conclusion.
• PTOTOther2025Corticomuscular coupling study for post-stroke rehabilitation: a scoping review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationScoping 89 studies, brain-muscle coupling drops in stroke patients, especially distally. It correlates with recovery and guides neuromodulation. But small samples, no unified protocols, and technical noise mean it is not yet a clinical tool.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Changes in tibialis anterior muscle activity following tibial nerve block in adults with spastic equinovarus foot: an observational pilot study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn adults with spastic foot, a temporary nerve block improved passive ankle movement and reduced muscle tone. Unexpectedly, activity in the front shin muscle also decreased during walking. This likely reflects reduced struggle against stiffness, not weakness, but actual gait changes were not measured.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Effectiveness of myoelectric wearable orthoses for upper extremity functional recovery in spinal cord injury- a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 10 people with chronic cervical spinal cord injury, six weeks of training with a myoelectric arm orthosis improved hand range and grip on the trained arm. Between-group differences on the trained arm were not significant. The only significant group difference was for grip strength in the opposite, untrained hand.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Positive effects of functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling on perception of effort, cerebral blood flow, and cognition in post-stroke patients.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke patients reported significantly lower perceived effort during FES-assisted cycling compared to traditional cycling at the same workload. Cerebral blood flow increased similarly in both conditions, and cognitive benefits were inconsistent, with a potential advantage for FES on one attention task.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Prioritizing quality of geriatric rehabilitation from the older adults' perspective: A nominal group technique study.Clinical rehabilitationOlder adults prioritized clear expectations, well-organized care, personal relationships with staff, respectful communication, and autonomy in decision-making. Basic needs like hygiene and nutrition were discussed but ranked lower. These priorities reflect what matters most to patients, not proven interventions.
• OTSLPQualitative2026A "Round, Bruising Sort of Pain": Autistic Girls' Social Camouflaging in Inclusive High School Settings.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic girls in inclusive schools reported camouflaging all day, finding it exhausting. They valued time alone and adult autism awareness most, while rating social skills classes as least helpful. Neurodivergent friends were described as essential for navigating school.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Parents' Early Concerns about Their Child with Autism: Relation to Age of Diagnosis.Journal of autism and developmental disordersSpecific early signs like not responding to name or losing skills predicted earlier autism diagnosis. General language delays or repetitive behaviors did not. A higher number of concerns was associated with later diagnosis in the final model, suggesting specificity matters more than volume.
• OTSLPOther2026Hair Cortisol in Young Children with Autism and Their Parents: Associations with Child Mental Health, Eating Behavior and Weight Status.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism had higher hair cortisol than peers, but their own stress levels did not link to their eating, weight, or behavior. Parent-reported stress, however, correlated with child problem behavior and emotional eating, suggesting parental well-being is a stronger marker than the child's biology.
• PTOTOther2026The Differential Effects of Fast Walking Speed on Muscle Coactivation in the Paretic and Non-Paretic Extremities Post-Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairFast walking acutely reduced muscle coactivation in the paretic leg, while slow walking increased it. This suggests fast speeds may help restore selective motor control, whereas slow speeds might reinforce stiff, maladaptive patterns.
• OTSLPOther2026Child and Family Characteristics Associated with Symptoms of Anxiety in Autistic Children: A Biobank Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersPoor sleep was the only factor linked to all four types of anxiety in autistic children. Those with the worst sleep habits had up to 9.23 times higher odds of separation anxiety compared to those with the best sleep.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026The Knowledge and Preferences of Parents/Carers of Autistic Children and Young People about Technology Devices.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of autistic children overwhelmingly prefer tablets for support programmes, citing ease of use and familiarity. They reject virtual reality and robots due to sensory overload, cost, and unfamiliarity. These preferences reflect current household technology access rather than proven clinical effectiveness.
• OTOther2026Components of Empathy in Children: Factor Structure of the Empathy Quotient for Children (EQ-C).Journal of autism and developmental disordersA single empathy score can hide different problems. The child empathy questionnaire split into social understanding, emotional empathy, negative interactions and antisocial behaviour. Children with special educational needs showed lower empathy across these domains.
• OTSLPOther2026"Do My Friends Only Like the School Me or the True Me?": School Belonging, Camouflaging, and Anxiety in Autistic Students.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic students who feel they do not belong at school are more likely to hide their autistic traits. This camouflaging is linked to higher anxiety. Creating environments where students feel accepted and safe may reduce the need to mask and lower anxiety levels.
• OTSLPQualitative2026"Just Listen to Me. Help Me Explore it." An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Exploring Experiences of Gender Dysphoria, Identity And Resilience in Autistic Adolescents Assigned Female at Birth.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adolescents assigned female at birth described gender distress as both physical and social. They found social transition helpful for social distress but not body mismatch. Clinicians should listen for repeated words as signs of distress, as patients often struggle to articulate it.
• OTRCT2026Feasibility Testing of Remotely Delivered Metacognitive Strategy Training in Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationRemote CO-OP was acceptable, and small differences favored it for chosen daily goals and daily-life cognition in 42 women with breast cancer-related cognitive problems. Quality of life favored control. No efficacy was tested.
• PTOTCohort2025Development and psychometric evaluation of an integrative Manual Muscle Test for patients with post-stroke hemiplegia.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineA new 17-item muscle test for stroke patients takes 15 to 20 minutes and scores both movement range and strength. It reliably distinguishes normal movement from spastic synergy and correlates strongly with balance and walking ability.
• PTOTSLPPilot2025Exhalation-synchronous robotic abdominal compression for user-centered respiratory assistance and training in neurological patients.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA wearable abdominal compression device increased air flow and volume during exhalation in six patients with ALS or spinal cord injury. It replaced mechanical ventilation during therapy sessions, but the small sample and short duration mean efficacy and long-term safety remain unproven.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025The risk of epilepsy after neonatal seizures.Developmental medicine and child neurologyNeonatal seizures increase the risk of epilepsy, with about one in five affected children developing it by age 22. The risk is highest in the first year but stays elevated through adolescence. Four out of five children with neonatal seizures do not develop epilepsy.
• PTOTOther2025Central and peripheral factors moderating pain effects on motor control and disability in chronic lumbosacral radicular pain.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPatients with better sensory processing and anticipatory muscle activation showed less disability for their pain level. These factors are associated with better function, not proven causes. Treating them may help, but this study did not test an intervention.
• PTOTOther2025Synchronization of passive interpersonal light touch and body control responses during walking.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationLight touch from an experienced therapist sped up healthy walkers, but increased body sway. Inexperienced touch did not change speed. The effect depends on the provider's skill, so do not assume any light touch helps walking.
• PTOTCohort2025Potential influence of long-term medication on physical performance in the context of long-term rehabilitation process in soldiers: a retrospective cohort analysis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesSoldiers with PTSD taking multiple long-term medications showed lower maximum physical performance during rehabilitation. This decline was not seen in soldiers with only somatic injuries or in the overall group. The study links medication burden to reduced fitness capacity in PTSD specifically.
• OTCohort2026Social Network Types in Autistic Adults and Its Associations with Mastery, Quality of Life, and Autism Characteristics.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults grouped into three social network types. Those with no close persons had lower quality of life in social relationships than those with a partner or multiple close people. Mastery and autism characteristics showed no robust group differences.
• OTSLPQualitative2026The Transition to Kindergarten for Hispanic and Latine Autistic Children: A Focus Group Study with Caregivers.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFour mothers said early, ongoing partnership with school helped their child adjust and made advocacy easier. They said technical language and teachers' limited autism knowledge made kindergarten transitions harder. They also relied on trusted parents, therapists, and family.
• OTSLPRCT2026Promoting Self-Determination in Young Adults with Autism: A Multicenter, Mixed Methods Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe program did not outperform waiting list on self-determination. Participants reported better goal planning and action, and caregivers reported overall self-determination rose in the intervention group, but between-group differences were absent.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026A Qualitative Analysis of Unintentional Injuries in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMothers of autistic children identified specific behavioral traits driving injury risk: communication deficits that hide pain, fixated interests (especially water), motor coordination issues, and elopement. Safety instruction must be adapted to non-verbal strengths, using visual supports and physical barriers rather than verbal warnings alone.
• OTSLPOther2026Operationalizing the ICF Core Sets for Autism and ADHD: A Multiple-Methods Feasibility Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic people, relatives, professionals and general population users rated the ICF CoreSets platform as generally usable, but found it lengthy and wanted clearer scale wording, accessibility, and a result summary.
• OTSLPQualitative2026Learning from the Experiences of Autistic Professionals Working in Health and Education.Autism in adulthoodAutistic health and education professionals in Scotland described disclosure as risky, interviews as confusing, and unpredictable environments as stressful. Support came from trusted colleagues, advance information, sensory adjustments, and teams that valued neurodivergence.