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 195 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPOther2025Mapping 74 years in acoustic analysis of voice disorders: A bibliometric review and future research directions.Journal of communication disordersA bibliometric analysis of 1,253 studies shows acoustic voice assessment research has grown rapidly, driven by remote monitoring and machine learning. While Parkinson's disease is heavily studied, voice changes in dementia, ALS, and depression remain under-researched despite their clinical relevance.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Supporting Communication Access of People With Communication Disabilities and Communication Differences in UNCRPD-Ratified Countries: An Integrative Review.International journal of language & communication disordersCommunication access lacks a shared definition across 11 projects, which stalls implementation. Training and exposure to Deaf or disabled groups build staff confidence more than policy alone. Pen and paper are insufficient adjustments for Deaf people. Clear records of patient communication needs are essential.
• PTOTQualitative2026Design Recommendations for Virtual Reality-Based Upper Limb Exercises From People With Tetraplegia and Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Specialists: Focus Group Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPeople with tetraplegia and therapists identified key barriers to VR use in acute rehab: headsets are heavy and unsafe for high-level injuries, and nausea or reminders of disability cause disengagement. They recommended flexible, accessible designs over consumer-grade systems.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2026Efficacy of botulinum toxin for poststroke lower limb: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical rehabilitationBotulinum toxin injections significantly reduced lower limb spasticity in stroke survivors but did not improve walking speed or balance. Tone reduction alone did not translate into functional gains, suggesting that injections must be paired with active rehabilitation to change how a patient moves.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2026Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and Rehabilitation in Neurological Disorders: Bridging Pathophysiology With Multidisciplinary Approaches-A Focused Mini-Review.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairConservative rehabilitation, particularly pelvic floor muscle training, is recommended as first-line therapy for neurogenic urinary dysfunction in multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and stroke. Evidence supports its use alone or combined with biofeedback, electrical stimulation, or nerve stimulation to improve continence and quality of life.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Clinical Predictors of Dysphagia in Acute and Subacute Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: A Retrospective Observational Study.DysphagiaPatients with a tracheostomy after cervical spinal cord injury were far more likely to have food or liquid enter their airway. Those aged 65 or older were more likely to have food left in the throat after swallowing. These factors help identify who needs a swallowing test before eating.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Perceptions of People With Intellectual Disabilities on Autonomy and Decision-Making in Daily Life: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Qualitative Studies.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRPeople with intellectual disabilities described being excluded from everyday decisions by family and staff who assumed they knew best. They valued support that listened and guided rather than restricted, but felt their own preferences were often ignored in favour of service rules.
• PTOTCase Report2026On the road to Cybathlon 2024: lessons learned from the Polimi FES-bike team.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA pilot with a spinal cord injury used a custom FES-bike to cover the required distance in the 2024 Cybathlon. Personalizing stimulation angles nearly doubled his time to fatigue compared to standard settings, allowing him to secure third place.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Real-world benefits and tolerability of trofinetide for the treatment of Rett syndrome: The LOTUS study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyCaregivers reported improvements in communication, alertness, and social connection for 71% to 90% of patients after 12 months of trofinetide. Diarrhea was common but often manageable, with serious adverse events occurring in 4.4% of patients.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Communication about sexuality for adolescents with cerebral palsy and complex communication needs: A scoping review with framework synthesis.Developmental medicine and child neurologyAdolescents with cerebral palsy who speak discuss sexuality with parents and peers, but those with complex communication needs are rarely asked directly. Support staff and parents report conversations focus on abuse prevention and personal care, missing broader topics like dating or consent.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2025Mapping the Instruments Used to Measure Well-Being on Children With Disabilities: A Scoping Review.Child: care, health and developmentTen self-report instruments for well-being in children with disabilities were identified. Most focus on emotional and psychological aspects, leaving social well-being under-represented. Only a few scales are explicitly adapted for this population, often lacking comprehensive coverage of the dual continua model.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025The Relationship Between Health Care Professionals' Intersecting Disability and Race Implicit Attitudes and Their Beliefs About People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDHealth care professionals who more strongly preferred nondisabled white people were more likely to see people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as difficult, behaviourally challenging, and lower in quality of life; no link appeared for equal treatment.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy for post-stroke spasticity and dose-response analysis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineExtracorporeal shock wave therapy significantly reduced post-stroke spasticity in the short and long term, with a dose-response relationship showing higher total pulses yielded greater muscle tone reduction. Benefits were clearer for the upper limb, and the treatment was well tolerated.
• OTSLPCohort2025Differences in the Social Experiences of Autistic and Non-Autistic Adolescents by Gender.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic boys reported feeling less socially supported than their non-autistic peers, while autistic girls reported feeling more socially alienated than everyone else. Both autistic groups had fewer close friends and spent less time with them, but their subjective experiences of friendship differed by gender.
• PTOTRCT2026Dual‑task exergaming to enhance motor and cognitive function in chronic stroke: a prospective, assessor-blinded, parallel group randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn chronic stroke survivors, four weeks of dual-task exergaming improved dynamic gait and executive function more than conventional balance training alone. Both groups also received standard therapy, so the specific benefit of the game versus extra practice time is unclear.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Effects of different exercise interventions on lipid profiles in patients with stable coronary artery disease: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineExercise effects on cholesterol depend on the type. Combined aerobic and resistance training lowered total cholesterol and triglycerides best. Mind-body exercise raised good cholesterol most. No exercise modality lowered bad cholesterol, which remains a medication target.
• PTOTOther2026Motor, Cognitive, Psychological, and Neural Predictors of Concern About Falling in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairConcern about falling in 43 people with mild relapsing-remitting MS was linked to disease severity, activity avoidance, physical fatigue, and slower backward walking. MRI brain volumes did not explain concern after disease severity was considered.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026The effect of robot-assisted gait training on physical activity outcomes in people with spinal cord injury: A systematic review.Clinical rehabilitationPeople with spinal cord injury did more walking, took more steps, and increased their speed during robot-assisted training sessions as time went on. However, the evidence for this improvement is very low because most studies had no control group and were small.
• OTOther2026Optimizing electrotactile stimulation intensity for responses under cognitive load.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn able-bodied adults, reactions to electrotactile stimuli were faster than to visual stimuli. Larger intensity steps made responses quicker and more accurate. Cognitive load slowed responses but did not change average accuracy.
• PTOTOther2026Altered walking gaze behavior after stroke: more than meets the eye.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke survivors look at the floor more than healthy walkers, fixing their gaze closer to their feet. This downward gaze tracks with poor balance and fear of falling, not just slow walking. It reflects instability, not a strategy to plan steps.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Outcomes of selective dorsal rhizotomy in ambulatory children and young people with cerebral palsy: A scoping review.Developmental medicine and child neurologyMost research on selective dorsal rhizotomy measures muscle tone and movement, ignoring patient goals and daily participation. Only four studies tracked individualized goals and two explored family perspectives, leaving a major gap in understanding what matters to patients.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2026Impact of peer-support programs for individuals with autism: A systematic review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic participants in peer-support programs consistently described feeling understood, empowered, and less alone. However, no study used a control group, so these improvements cannot be separated from time or natural development. The evidence is promising but not proven.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026The use of botulinum toxin for spasticity in people with spinal cord injury: a scoping review.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineEvidence for botulinum toxin in spinal cord injury spasticity is sparse and inconsistent. Most studies lack clear definitions, goal setting, or injection details. Clinicians should use consensus definitions, involve patients in goal setting, and employ instrumental guidance for injections.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Enhancing assistive technology knowledge through WHO's training in assistive products (TAP): a pre-post quasi-experimental study in Italian undergraduate healthcare education.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesUndergraduate physiotherapy, nursing, and developmental therapy students improved their knowledge of assistive products after completing WHO's TAP training. Gains were largest for mobility and transfer devices. The study measured test scores only, so it does not show that these students became better clinicians.
• PTOTCohort2026Predictors of Success for 60-Day Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Used for Treatment of Chronic Shoulder Pain: A Multicenter Retrospective Chart Review.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationMost patients with chronic shoulder pain reported at least 50% pain relief after 60 days of peripheral nerve stimulation. Success was higher when stimulation lasted over 45 days and used both sensory and motor fibers. Diabetes reduced success unless motor stimulation was included.
• OTOther2026A Therapeutic Conversational Agent (Solace) for Management of Chronic Pain: Acceptability and Usability Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPeople with chronic pain found a new AI chatbot easy to use and acceptable, and reported a strong working relationship after at least 25 minutes. This is not evidence it treats pain.
• PTOTRCT2026Preventing slowing down of alpha rhythms in stroke patients through modulation of cortical excitatory-inhibitory balance: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding bilateral tDCS to virtual reality upper-limb training helped stroke patients keep improving for 12 weeks after discharge, while the sham group stalled. However, this benefit came from the combination with standard rehab, and the mechanism was not the predicted change in brain rhythms.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Latent trajectories in autistic individuals: A systematic review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic development is not uniform. Most individuals show stable core traits, but repetitive behaviors often worsen while adaptive skills improve. Baseline cognition predicts these paths. Regularly assess multiple domains over time rather than assuming a single fixed trajectory.
• PTOTQualitative2026Exploring Barriers and Enablers for the Intention to Use Assistive Robotics Among People With Spinal Cord Injury and Those Involved in Their Care: Qualitative Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPeople with spinal cord injury hesitate to use assistive robotics due to fluctuating pain, high costs, and fear of looking "robotic." They prefer low-tech aids. Enablers exist only if devices are simple, reliable, and discreet. Current designs often fail to meet these everyday needs.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026A clinical roadmap for lateropulsion after stroke based on a realist review strategy.Clinical rehabilitationClinicians can use this roadmap to assess lateropulsion, choose interventions by lesion and verticality deficits, and anticipate slower recovery after right hemisphere stroke. These are expert recommendations, not tested interventions.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2026Neurorehabilitation in the 21st Century: New Science, New Strategies, New Expectations.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairThe brain stays plastic all life. Recovery means restoring a skill's key features, not its old muscle patterns. Therapists should pair practice with methods that boost or guide this plasticity.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Exploring the Influence of Digitalization on Multidisciplinary Poststroke Rehabilitation Practice: Qualitative Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesTherapists described videoconferencing and digital tools for coordination after discharge, but written reports still dominated cross-service communication. They worried digital support could weaken relationships, especially for psychosocial care and complex motor rehab.
• PTOTCohort2026Long-term outcomes following a pulmonary telerehabilitation trial for people with respiratory post-acute sequelae of COVID: a 12-month follow-up study.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePeople with long-COVID breathing symptoms improved in lower-limb strength, respiratory symptom burden, and quality of life over 12 months, but the primary measure of functional capacity showed no significant change. Higher body mass index was linked to less improvement in fatigue.
• OTSystematic Review2025Front Line Leadership in Organisations for Persons With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDPractice leadership is the dominant model studied in disability services, linking to better staff support and user engagement. However, its effectiveness collapses without high-quality management, and frontline managers face significant barriers like funding cuts, high turnover, and administrative overload.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Language, Speech, and Oral Motor Performance in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Systematic Review.International journal of language & communication disordersChildren with developmental coordination disorder often have subtle speech and oral motor deficits that standard articulation tests miss. Look for slower articulation and breakdowns during complex speech tasks, not just isolated sound errors.
• OTOther2025Psychological Intervention in Parents of Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders Using a Brief Protocol Based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDParents of children with intellectual disabilities who completed a three-session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy workshop reported less psychological inflexibility and better general health. They also self-reported fewer punitive and more supportive interactions with their children, with changes maintained at three-month follow-up.
• OTSurvey2025Eyes of Understanding: Ophthalmologists' Attitudes Towards Caring for People With Intellectual Disabilities in Clinical and Nonclinical Settings.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDOphthalmologists surveyed in Taiwan reported positive general attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities, but scores for a complex eye-care case were below the neutral point for several items. They still had higher clinical-case scores than optometrists/opticians and other professionals.
• PTOTCohort2026Three-year outcomes of repeated botulinum neurotoxin A injections to the lower extremities in young children with spastic cerebral palsy in GMFCS levels I to III.Developmental medicine and child neurologyRepeated botulinum toxin injections did not improve gross motor function in young children with spastic cerebral palsy over three years. Range of motion outcomes slightly favoured the group that did not receive injections.
• OTSurvey2026Brief Report: The Vocational and Educational Activities of Transition-Aged Autistic Youth With Low IQ.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRAmong 91 autistic youth with low IQ who had exited high school, 32 had no vocational or educational activity and 17 had minimal activity; only 14 worked in community jobs.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Epidemiology of progressive intellectual and neurological deterioration in UK children.Developmental medicine and child neurologyUK surveillance found that inborn errors of metabolism cause most progressive neurodegeneration in children, with genetic testing now driving diagnosis. Pakistani and Bangladeshi families had much higher rates of parental cousin marriage, linking this to inherited recessive diseases.
• PTOTSLPRCT2026At-Home Delivery of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Paired With Task-Specific Training Improves Performance of High-Priority Activities in Persons With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury or Stroke.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationFourteen people with chronic stroke or spinal cord injury completed 36 at-home sessions pairing vagus nerve stimulation with self-selected daily tasks. Time to complete trained tasks dropped by 19.8% in stroke and 33.8% in spinal cord injury, but this open-label study cannot separate the stimulation's effect from practice alone.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Parents' experiences of having a child who had a stroke: A systematic review and meta-ethnography.Developmental medicine and child neurologyParents describe childhood stroke as a sudden, shocking event worsened by low awareness among professionals. They report feeling abandoned after discharge, forcing them to self-educate. Support needs change over time, with fathers and siblings often overlooked.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Effectiveness of physical therapy techniques for cancer-related pain: a systematic review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPhysical therapy interventions like electroacupuncture and structured exercise reduced pain and neuropathy symptoms in cancer patients, but results were inconsistent across trials. Evidence is low certainty and applies mainly to chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, not all cancer pain.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes in Australian First Nations infants: The transdiagnostic utility of early screening tools.Developmental medicine and child neurologyA combined trajectory of early movement scores (MOS-R) and neurological exams (HINE) predicted neurodevelopmental delays and autism at 12 months with 74% accuracy. This transdiagnostic utility allows therapists to identify high-risk First Nations infants earlier, even before a formal diagnosis is confirmed.
• PTOTCase Report2026Maintaining Seated Posture With Feedback Control of Trunk Musculature Via the Networked Neuroprosthesis After Paralysis: A Case Report.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationA woman with cervical spinal cord injury used implanted stimulation to return to upright sitting from a lean. The system activated automatically when she tilted too far. This single case shows the technology can restore posture without chest straps.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2026Alleviating Hypotension With Implanted Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Seated Stabilization: A Case Report in SCI.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationIn one woman with cervical spinal cord injury, activating implanted trunk stimulation raised systolic blood pressure from 62.6 to 115.8 mmHg and resolved morning lightheadedness. This is a single case. It suggests trunk muscle activation may help seated stabilization, but does not prove efficacy.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Associations among epilepsy phenotypes and pain, sleep interference, and dissociative symptoms.Rehabilitation psychologyHow much epilepsy interferes with daily life predicted pain, sleep, and dissociative symptoms more strongly than specific comorbidity profiles. Veterans with polytrauma or chronic disease phenotypes reported higher pain, while those with polytrauma or bipolar/SUD reported more sleep interference.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Examining Transdiagnostic Patterns of Motor Differences: Preliminary Findings From the Consortium for Motor Behavior in Neurodivergence (COMBINE).Journal of autism and developmental disordersAcross 262 children with autism, ADHD, DCD or CAS, 77% scored in the clinical range for motor impairment. DCD predicted lower total scores, while ADHD predicted higher total and balance scores. Autistic children had lower aiming and catching scores, and girls had lower aiming scores.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2025Personal, Social and Vocational Outcomes of Inclusive University for People With Intellectual Disability.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRInclusive university programmes for people with intellectual disability are linked to gains in autonomy, confidence, social skills and employment. However, friendships with non-disabled peers often did not extend beyond the programme, and most studies were small, single-site and US-based.
• PTOTSLPPilot2026Enhancing Knee Joint Proprioception in Healthy Adults Through Exergame Training With Augmented Feedback: Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesHealthy adults using an exergame with sound feedback improved knee position accuracy more than those using visual feedback alone. However, participants could see their legs during testing, so the study proves better motor learning, not necessarily improved proprioception.