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 200 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSystematic Review2025Return to Competitive Sport After Anterior Shoulder Stabilization: A Scoping Review of Current Outcomes and Clearance Decision-Making Criteria.International journal of sports physical therapyCompetitive athletes returned to their prior sport level at a rate of 82.3% after shoulder stabilization, with 7% experiencing recurrent instability. Return to play criteria varied widely, with most studies relying on time and strength rather than standardized functional or psychological testing.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025What Are the Factors That Can Challenge and Promote Resilience in Parents of Children With Intellectual Disabilities? A Systematic Review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDResilience in parents of children with intellectual disabilities is linked to problem-solving, social support, hope, and positive perceptions of the child's disability. Financial strain, child behaviour problems, and lack of support challenge this adaptation. The evidence is observational, so these factors are associated with resilience, not proven causes.
• PTOTCase-Control2026Three-dimensional gait analysis for assessing dynamic ankle spasticity after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke survivors with dynamic ankle spasticity walked slower and spent more time with both feet on the ground. Bedside findings of reduced plantarflexion range and weak dorsiflexors identified those at risk. Prolonged double support time tracked severity.
• PTOTRCT2026The impact of robot-assisted training on gait, balance, and endurance in patients with partial spinal cord injuries: insights from rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTwice-weekly robot-assisted gait training improved walking speed, endurance, and balance more than once-weekly training or conventional therapy in active patients with incomplete spinal cord injuries. Those with greater residual movement (AIS D) showed the largest gains.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026What Motor Skills Do Children Perceive as Important? A Child-Centred Exploration Using the Motor Coordination Questionnaire.Child: care, health and developmentChildren in Ghana and South Africa consistently rated self-care, writing neatly, and household chores as very important. However, boys valued kicking a ball and team sports more, while girls valued dancing more. Children with motor difficulties rated many activities as less important.
• PTOTRCT2026The recovery of lower limb function in stroke patients: which sequence of transcranial direct current stimulation combined with lower limb rehabilitation robot is most effective-A randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationApplying transcranial direct current stimulation simultaneously with robot-assisted gait training improved lower limb function, balance, and walking speed more effectively than applying it before the session or using sham stimulation. The simultaneous approach showed advantages as early as two weeks, with most patients achieving independent walking.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2026Scoping review: Facilitators, barriers, and cultural adaptations in the caregiver skills training program for children with developmental concerns.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceCaregiver training for autism works best when adapted locally. Using community partners, simplifying materials for low literacy, and offering telehealth or childcare support helps families engage. These changes address barriers like stigma and travel, but do not prove the program improves child outcomes.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026Surveying the Professional Experience of Special Educational Needs Provision in England.Child: care, health and developmentMost SEND professionals feel confident identifying children, but only a third believe inter-agency communication is effective. They report lacking the time and resources to provide sufficient support, citing funding and waiting lists as primary barriers to good provision.
• PTOTPilot2026Integrated disability evaluation in low back pain: feasibility and multidomain profiling from the EL DORADO cohort.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA multidomain assessment of low back pain, combining questionnaires, physical tests, sensory testing and records, took 22 minutes and was completed by over 95% of patients. It was safe and acceptable, but the study did not test whether it improves care or decisions.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Developmental coordination disorder and executive function deficits: Implications for emotional, mental, and overall well-being.Brazilian journal of physical therapyHalf of adults with Developmental Coordination Disorder also have executive function deficits. Those with these co-occurring deficits reported significantly lower self-esteem, higher distress, and lower life satisfaction than those with motor difficulties alone.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Trends Over Time in the Prevalence of Autism by Adaptive and Intellectual Functioning Levels.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutism prevalence rose sharply in children with mild or no adaptive challenges, but stayed stable or fell in those with moderate to profound challenges. Clinicians should expect a growing caseload of autistic children who need support with daily living skills rather than intensive 24-hour care.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Metric properties of the Tonic Stretch Reflex Threshold (TSRT) as a measure of spasticity: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Archives of physiotherapyThe Tonic Stretch Reflex Threshold is not reliable enough for clinical use. Measurement error is too high to detect small changes in spasticity, and results correlate poorly with standard scales like the Modified Ashworth Scale. It should not replace existing assessments.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Instruments assessing mobility of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and decision map.Developmental medicine and child neurologyFor children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, the DCDQ, VABS, and PEDI-CAT had the strongest evidence for mobility assessment. Many direct motor tests had low or very low evidence, so results should be used cautiously when choosing an assessment.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Improving Equitable Access to Disability Services and Support for Children With Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: Service Provider and Decision-Maker Perspectives.Child: care, health and developmentService providers and decision-makers in British Columbia identified diagnosis-based funding as a major barrier, leaving children with functional needs but no eligible diagnosis without support. They recommended shifting to functional eligibility criteria and securing long-term case managers to navigate the fragmented system.
• PTOTCohort2026Mapping Brain Function After Stroke: From Early Disorganization to Late Compensation.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairBrain activity patterns after stroke change dramatically over time, shifting from early disorganization to later compensation. However, the link between brain connectivity and motor recovery depends entirely on lesion location and severity. High connectivity can signal either recovery or maladaptive noise.
• PTOTOther2026Development of a set of core outcome measures for ambulant children with cerebral palsy after lower limb orthopaedic surgery.Developmental medicine and child neurologyA consensus panel recommended seven outcome measures to assess ambulant children with cerebral palsy after lower limb surgery. The Goal Outcome Assessment List was preferred across most domains, complemented by gait analysis and quality of life tools to capture both clinical and patient-reported impacts.
• OTOther2026A mixed-methods study examining the ripple effect of inclusive employment on reducing stigma toward autistic people in South Korea.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceCommunity members with more types of contact with an inclusive employment company reported lower autism stigma, especially with extensive contact. Qualitative participants said sustained contact, strengths, similarities, and informed contact changed their perceptions.
• PTOTSLPRCT2026Transcranial direct current stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improves dual-task performance in people with stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA single session of brain stimulation improved walking speed and thinking accuracy during complex dual tasks, but did not significantly reduce the interference between them. The benefit was strongest on cognitive tasks like serial subtraction, not on gait stability.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2026Case Report: A period-based upper limb rehabilitation program using a degrees-of-freedom constraint strategy in severe post-stroke hemiparesis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn one patient with severe post-stroke arm weakness, a three-phase program using gravity support, electrical stimulation, and orthoses to progressively release joint constraints was associated with reduced spasticity, less pain, and slight motor improvement. This is a single case, not evidence of efficacy.
• OTSLPCohort2025Sensory Processing Modalities and Their Associations With Academic Achievement in Autism and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersDirect auditory processing tests, not parent reports of sensory issues, linked to reading and math scores in autistic and ADHD children. Poor ability to hear speech in noise tracked with lower academic achievement. This suggests checking hearing-in-noise skills, not just asking parents about sensory habits.
• PTOTCohort2025Characteristics of physical function and body composition among community-dwelling older females with and without locomotive syndrome.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder women with locomotive syndrome had similar body composition to those without, but showed worse balance and slower walking. Physical performance tests, not body scans, better identified those needing care.
• PTOTSurvey2025Pain science knowledge among healthcare Professionals: A cross-sectional survey within the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.Musculoskeletal science & practiceVeterans Affairs clinicians generally reported high confidence in pain care, but actual knowledge varied significantly by profession and age. Physical therapists scored highest on pain science tests, while nurse practitioners scored lowest. Older clinicians and those in primary care roles showed lower knowledge scores.
• PTOTOther2026Structural-functional connectivity coupling in motor-brain networks following acute ischemic stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn people one week after a stroke, stronger coupling between specific brain structure and function links correlated with worse arm and hand movement. This suggests the brain's compensatory wiring may sometimes hinder recovery rather than help it.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Specific components of manual dexterity are affected in patients with writer's cramp: an observational comparative study and preliminary rehabilitation report.Journal of rehabilitation medicineWriter's cramp does not cause a general loss of manual dexterity. Patients showed normal finger tapping speed and force control, but reduced finger selectivity. This impaired independence correlated with poorer handwriting legibility. Preliminary rehabilitation improved selectivity and automated legibility, but not writing speed.
• PTOTQualitative2026A Social Justice Approach to Assistive Technology and Well-Being of People With Visual Disabilities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Qualitative Narrative Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesParticipants valued assistive technology for autonomy but often avoided it due to safety fears and stigma. They desired devices that were discreet and aesthetically pleasing to avoid drawing unwanted attention in violent urban settings.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Cortical beta coherence provides a stronger non-invasive predictor of movement vigor than local beta power.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFor healthy adults, brain connectivity between motor and fronto-parietal regions predicted movement speed more consistently than local motor activity. This connectivity marker showed a stable direction across participants, unlike local activity which varied randomly, suggesting a better target for future non-invasive stimulation.
• PTOTCohort2026Whole-body angular momentum is influenced by bone-anchored limb use and amputation level during walking.Gait & postureWalking with a bone-anchored limb reduced side-to-side and rotational body sway compared to a socket prosthesis. This suggests better dynamic balance, particularly for those with higher amputations, though direct fall rates were not measured.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Understanding Disease Aetiology and Related Needs Knowledge of Parents of Children With Spina Bifida.Child: care, health and developmentParents most often cited walking and toilet issues as primary concerns. Mothers linked spina bifida to folic acid deficiency, while many fathers were unsure of the cause. Both parents reported significant gaps in understanding the condition's origins.
• PTOTCohort2026Chronic neck pain is associated with altered gait performance compared to healthy controls: Cross-sectional observations.Gait & posturePeople with chronic neck pain walked slower and showed more stride variability than healthy controls, even during simple walking. Pain severity linked to these gait changes. This suggests neck pain may affect mobility, but the cross-sectional design cannot prove pain causes the gait alterations.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2026Effects of virtual reality and robot-assisted therapy on rehabilitation outcomes in cerebral palsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRange of motion did not clearly improve, but gross motor function improved with VR or robot-assisted therapy compared with conventional rehab in children with cerebral palsy. Balance and daily-activity gains were small and may not matter clinically.
• PTOTCohort2025Depressive Symptoms and Physical Activity Mediate the Adverse Effect of Pain on Functional Dependence in Patients With Arthritis: Evidence From the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.Physical therapyIn people with arthritis, pain was linked to more dependence in daily tasks years later. Part of that link ran through depressive symptoms and lower physical activity. This is an observational association, not proof that treating depression or increasing activity prevents decline.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Relationship between visual function and motor skills: validation through a vision training system and physical fitness test.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn healthy adults, better spatial awareness on a vision test correlated with higher overall fitness scores and specifically with better repeated horizontal jump performance. Other visual skills, like eye-hand coordination or peripheral perception, showed no significant link to physical fitness.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2025Design of dry-needling and acupuncture sham devices: an illustrative review.Journal of physical therapy scienceFive sham needle devices were identified that look and feel like real acupuncture but do not penetrate the skin. Only one allows the therapist to be blinded too, which is critical for rigorous trials. No standard device exists yet.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Accuracy of Balloons and Handheld Spirometers as Low-Cost Tools for Measuring Vital Capacity and Air Volume: A Laboratory-Based Validation Study.Folia phoniatrica et logopaedica : official organ of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP)In a lab setting, a $150 digital spirometer and a $1 balloon measured injected air volumes with small, predictable errors compared to expensive clinical equipment. These low-cost tools accurately estimate vital capacity when simple mathematical corrections are applied.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Profiles of parent-teacher discrepancy on autistic children's adaptive functioning.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceParent and teacher ratings of autistic children's adaptive functioning often disagree. Teachers rated children with higher IQ and better executive function as more capable at school than parents did. Children with lower incomes showed the largest gaps, with parents reporting higher skills than teachers.
• OTSLPCase Report2026Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Disruptive Behavior in a Child With Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Failure to Thrive.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPManaging ADHD in a child with eosinophilic esophagitis and poor weight gain requires choosing medications that do not suppress appetite, such as alpha-2 agonists, and adapting feeding therapy to the family's specific food restrictions and stress levels.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Growing stronger: Nine decades of physical disability representation in children's media and implications for pediatric rehabilitation.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicinePositive portrayals of physical disability in children's media rose sharply after 2000, with 90% of post-2000 films and shows depicting disability positively compared to 63% before. Spinal cord injury is heavily overrepresented. Therapists can use media literacy to address internalized stigma and reinforce rehabilitation goals.
• PTOTPilot2026Effects of ultrasound-guided nerve hydro-dissection on severe post stroke shoulder pain: a pilot study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesUpper-limb motor scores did not differ between groups, but shoulder pain scores decreased more with ultrasound-guided nerve hydro-dissection added to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, acupuncture and topical diclofenac in 12 patients with severe post-stroke shoulder pain.
• PTOTOther2026Community-Based Interventions Improve the Quality of Life for Children Living With Disabilities, Zambia.Child: care, health and developmentFamilies in Lusaka reported better quality of life after joining a community support programme. Physiotherapy and disability registration linked to physical well-being, while play groups and home visits helped emotional support. No control group means we cannot confirm the programme caused these changes.
• OTSLPQualitative2026Conversation Barriers and Strategies Used by People With Parkinson's and Their Partners to Support Conversation.International journal of language & communication disordersPeople with Parkinson's and partners described barriers like word finding, fatigue, background noise, and partner habits. They reported using strategies such as timing conversations, reducing noise, speaking clearly, planning topics, and video calls.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Explainable machine learning prediction of functional independence measure scores and gain in subacute stroke survivors.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdmission scores on basic daily tasks like bowel management strongly predicted discharge independence, while age and toileting skills predicted overall functional gain. These machine learning models identified specific prognostic factors, offering a transparent way to forecast rehabilitation outcomes in subacute stroke survivors.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026A Smart Textile Biofeedback Training System for Upper Limb Rehabilitation After Stroke: Co-Design Development and Evaluation Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesStroke survivors and clinicians found a smart textile biofeedback sleeve easy to use and motivating. It helped them see and control remaining muscle activity. They suggested it for home training in chronic stroke, noting it needs clear instructions and support.
• OTSystematic Review2026Experiences and Support Needs of Siblings of Individuals With Prader-Willi Syndrome: An Integrative Systematic Review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDSiblings of people with Prader-Willi syndrome described negative emotional impact, loneliness, caregiving pressure, and disrupted family routines. Parents' ratings of sibling quality of life were lower than siblings' own ratings. No tested sibling intervention was found.
• PTOTSLPPilot2026Cortical mapping of real-time ultrasound-imaging visual feedback for ankle dorsiflexion in patients after stroke: a fNIRS study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationReal-time ultrasound feedback during ankle exercises did not increase brain activity in the primary motor area. It reduced deoxygenated blood signals in motor planning regions and altered brain connectivity in stroke survivors. These are preliminary neural changes, not proof of improved movement or recovery.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026Preliminary Evidence for Associations Between Emotion Dysregulation and Therapy Participation in Young Autistic Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMore therapy types linked to higher emotion dysregulation. Yet, specific speech, occupational, and behavioral therapy participation associated with lower dysphoria or reactivity scores. Direction unclear; association not causation.
• PTOTSLPPilot2026Design Implications of Comfort and Usability of Manual Stairclimbing Wheelchair: Ergonomic Assessment and Pilot Study Using Surface Electromyography Inputs.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesA heavy 65 kg stair-climbing wheelchair was hard to steer on flat ground but muscle strain dropped when users sat upright with the lever slightly out. The design needs weight reduction and adjustable seats before clinical use.
• PTOTRCT2026Unlocking trunk potential after stroke: a novel approach combining transcranial direct current stimulation and core stability exercise: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding brain stimulation to core stability exercises improved trunk control, balance, and daily independence more than exercises alone in chronic stroke patients. Both groups gained, but the combined group showed larger improvements across all measures after 12 weeks.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Disproportional ventilatory response to incremental exercise in individuals with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIndividuals with cerebral palsy breathe much faster during exercise than typically developing people, even at lower heart rates. This is likely due to an inability to take deeper breaths rather than metabolic stress. Therapists should monitor respiratory rate, not just heart rate, to gauge exertion.
• OTOther2026Improving motor imagery decoding methods for an EEG-based mobile brain-computer interface in the context of the 2024 Cybathlon.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWith two pilots, an EEG system for a tetraplegic pilot reached 84% correct choices in offline tests of imagined movement. In competition, he solved only one task in 8 minutes.
• OTSLPCohort2026Clinical Diagnostics After Failed Hearing Screening in People With Intellectual Disabilities Do Not Often Take Place.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDROnly 37.5% of people with intellectual disabilities referred for external hearing diagnostics after failed on-site screening actually attended. Adults were least likely to follow up. Caregivers often did not attempt to book appointments, citing lack of necessity or competing health priorities.