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 203 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTCohort2026The relationship between age of autism diagnosis and life satisfaction in adulthood.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults diagnosed between ages 3 and 5 reported higher life satisfaction, autonomy, and social activity than those diagnosed in adulthood. Autism traits were the strongest predictor of lower satisfaction across all domains, outweighing the impact of diagnosis age.
• PTOTOther2026Validity and Reliability of the Track-UL Algorithm Compared With Kinovea Software for Measuring Upper-Limb Functional Range of Motion in People After Stroke: Cross-Sectional Observational Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesA free video algorithm matched expert software closely for measuring arm movement in stroke survivors in the lab. At home, only 13 of 27 could record usable video. Use it for clinic assessments, but expect technical failures with remote patient recording.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Transitioning to a Flexible, Tiered, Developmentally Informed Same-Day Screening Model for Preschoolers in Low-Resource Settings.Child: care, health and developmentSeparate visits, long English-only tests and age-based screening were reported to make preschool health checks hard to complete in South African ECD centres. The team proposed same-day visits, shorter sessions and readiness-based tools, but did not test whether this improves screening accuracy.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Role of Technology Acceptance in the Telerehabilitation of Patients With Metabolic Syndrome: Longitudinal Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPatients care more about whether home rehab tools work and are supported than whether they are easy to use. High trust in the system actually lowered the intention to use it before treatment began. Family encouragement and clear benefits drive adoption.
• OTSystematic Review2026Multimodal colour modulation for cognitive enhancement in intelligent rehabilitation: a systematic review and translational guidance.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMaking screen text and backgrounds clearly distinguishable was the most consistent finding. Hue and saturation effects varied by task and display, and lasting rehabilitation benefit in patients was not shown.
• PTOTOther2026Exploring factors shaping employment outcomes of people with disabilities through the PEOP model: a scoping review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesEmployment for people with disabilities depends on a mix of personal skills, workplace support, and job design. Vocational programs, accommodations, and assistive tech help, but stigma, transport gaps, and heavy workloads remain major barriers.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Sleep and activity patterns in autism.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults spent more time sedentary and had less consistent sleep schedules than their non-autistic relatives. Each hour of sedentary time linked to 23.5 minutes less sleep in autistic adults, compared to 17.1 minutes in relatives. Day-to-day variability mattered more than average sleep duration.
• PTOTOther2026Technology Utilisation and Engagement in Physical Activity of Adolescents With Intellectual Disabilities: A Scoping Review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDMost studies used technology to measure activity, not change it. Some small programmes in adolescents with intellectual disabilities added exergaming, video sessions, reminders, incentives, or parent support, and some reported more movement or enjoyment, but components were bundled.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Urban-Rural Differences and Sex-Specific Cognitive Effects on Autism Symptom Trajectories: A Longitudinal Study of Autistic Children in Taiwan.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchRural autistic children showed steeper increases in social communication difficulties over time than urban peers, despite similar starting points. Higher verbal IQ was linked to fewer social symptoms in girls but not boys. Restricted behaviors remained stable across all groups.
• OTQualitative2026Redefining Professionalism in Disability Services: Digital Transformation, Boundary Work, and Professional Capital in Frontline Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDStaff at Swedish day centres said sudden closures made calls, video greetings and recordings the main way to sustain relationships with adults with intellectual disabilities. They described learning digital skills and more collaboration, but felt excluded from decisions and worried digital work could dilute care.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Can GPT-5 Support Licensing Examination Preparation? Analysis of Accuracy, Reasoning, and Semantic Similarity Across Rehabilitation Disciplines.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesGPT-5 answered 91.0% of PT, 79.0% of OT, and 83.0% of SLP board-preparation questions correctly, but its explanations were less similar to expert rationales for inferential and evaluative reasoning. Use it as a supervised study aid, not a replacement for expert reasoning.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Consensus-based follow-up and treatment registry for GNAO1-associated disorder.Developmental medicine and child neurologyExperts and parents agreed on 17 domains and 26 tools to track GNAO1 disorder, prioritizing communication, mobility, and social-emotional function. This consensus framework guides future registries but does not test treatments or prove any specific tool works.
• PTOTCohort2026Upper limb replantation: functional disability and quality of life challenges.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPatients who needed a second surgery after upper limb replantation reported worse function in work and recreational tasks, despite similar overall disability scores. Those who did not return to work had significantly higher overall disability. Reintervention was linked to lower perceived hand use in daily activities.
• PTOTOther2026Reinforcement-Based Head Scan Training for Drivers With Homonymous Visual Field Loss: Improves Blind-Side Detection.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationDrivers with homonymous visual field loss learned to scan their blind side at intersections after three hours of simulator training with auditory cues. Blind-side hazard detection improved from 55.6% to 85.6% one week later, and gains persisted at one month.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Describing the communication of autistic people during experiences of distress: A scoping review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic people often lose verbal capacity or withdraw when distressed, relying on behaviour or non-verbal cues instead. Proxy reports frequently miss these communicative attempts, interpreting them as aggression rather than distress signals. First-person accounts reveal a bidirectional cycle where communication failure worsens distress.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026Clinician Perceptions Around Management of Sleep Problems in Children With Neurodisability.Child: care, health and developmentNon-sleep clinicians rarely use validated screening tools for sleep problems in children with neurodisability, relying instead on informal questions. Over half reported inadequate training to manage these issues. Families typically raise sleep concerns themselves, but clinicians struggle to identify causes or navigate referral pathways.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Comparative effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation-based combination interventions for post-stroke lower limb rehabilitation: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationGait training plus electrical stimulation improved balance and leg function more than standard care. No combination significantly beat others for walking ability, though cycling plus stimulation ranked highest. Rankings are exploratory because most comparisons relied on indirect evidence rather than head-to-head trials.
• OTOther2026A review of assistive product prices in 12 countries.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAcross 12 countries, assistive products were least affordable relative to national income in low-income countries, and self care and continence products were the most expensive domain.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2026Feasibility of transcranial magnetic stimulation adjuvant therapy for chronic respiratory diseases: a narrative review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTMS is a safe, non-invasive tool for assessing diaphragm nerve pathways and is being explored as an add-on therapy for breathlessness in chronic lung disease. Current evidence is mechanistic and preclinical, with no large clinical trials yet proving it improves respiratory outcomes in these patients.
• PTOTRCT2026Efficacy of ultrasound-guided intra-articular hyaluronic acid injection in the management of adhesive capsulitis: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineUltrasound-guided hyaluronic acid injections worked as well as supervised physical therapy for frozen shoulder stiffness. Both groups saw similar, meaningful drops in pain and disability scores by 26 weeks, with no significant difference between the two treatments.
• OTOther2026Impact of transradial amputation and brachial plexus injury on vibrotactile sensation capacity of the upper extremity.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFive people with transradial amputation felt vibration on the residual limb and shoulder similarly to able-bodied controls. Three of six people with brachial plexus injury could not feel lower-arm vibration at maximum intensity, while shoulder ability to tell vibration strength was similar to benchmark.
• OTSLPCohort2026Does Depressed Mood Affect Accuracy of Perceptions of Cognitive Function in Multiple Sclerosis? The Role of Momentary Depressive Symptoms in the Correspondence Between Subjective and Objective Cognition in Multiple Sclerosis.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationPeople with MS could judge their thinking speed moment to moment, but not their working memory. Depressed mood was linked to more cognitive complaints overall, yet did not weaken how closely complaints tracked objective speed.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs) in etiologically diverse developmental conditions: A systematic review.Research in developmental disabilitiesCDIs reliably flag delayed expressive vocabulary in autism and Down syndrome, but standard scores often underestimate ability when children use signs or have low intelligibility. Use longitudinal tracking for progress, not single-timepoint screening, and adapt forms to include gesture.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Long-term neurological and psychiatric outcomes after paediatric arterial ischaemic stroke and cerebral sinovenous thrombosis.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with first-time stroke face much higher long-term risks of paralysis, epilepsy, vision problems, and mental disorders than peers. Most survivors had at least one neurological or psychiatric diagnosis. This requires sustained multidisciplinary follow-up.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Cognitive Predictors of Adaptive Behaviour in Children With Down Syndrome: A Systematic Review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDExecutive functions, especially working memory and inhibitory control, strongly predict adaptive behaviour in children with Down syndrome. Targeting these cognitive skills, not just teaching daily tasks, may better support autonomy. Visual and IQ measures also contribute.
• PTOTCase Series2026Integration of virtual reality and eye-tracking-based feedback system improves rehabilitation observation skills.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesFour novice occupational therapists broadened their visual scanning to include lower body landmarks after receiving VR feedback comparing their eye movements to an expert average. Self-efficacy scores increased. This was a small pilot with no control group.
• PTOTRCT2026Non-inferiority of digitally assisted outpatient rehabilitation in patients with back pain: 12-month follow-up of a randomized controlled trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineDigital back school delivered remotely was not worse than in-person sessions for pain self-efficacy at 12 months. Scores were similar across groups. Therapists can offer the digital option to patients who need flexibility, knowing the long-term effect matches conventional care.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Perspectives of young people with neuromotor disabilities on shared digital portals in paediatric rehabilitation: A descriptive-interpretive qualitative study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyYoung people with disabilities described shared digital portals as tools to reduce repetitive care and support autonomy. They wanted control over who sees their data, practical home exercise guides, and peer connection, while warning against surveillance and pressure from unmet goals.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Collaborative practice to support community-based physical activity for young people with childhood-onset physical disability: A scoping review.Developmental medicine and child neurologyNine strategies helped healthcare and community providers collaborate to support physical activity for young people with disability. However, these strategies were rarely defined clearly enough to copy, and none were evaluated for their effect on participation.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Love and People With Intellectual Disabilities: A Meta-Ethnography of Qualitative Research in the United Kingdom.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDAdults with intellectual disabilities clearly articulated love as companionship and mutual support. They faced barriers like staff control, lack of privacy, and stigma that hindered relationships. Services must actively protect romantic autonomy rather than ignoring it.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Instrumental assessment of Sit-to-Stand in Parkinson's disease: a scoping review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMost instrumented sit-to-stand research in Parkinson's uses expensive clinical sensors and the Timed Up and Go test, not standalone sit-to-stand or home smartphones. Consumer devices cannot yet capture complex movement data unsupervised, so routine home monitoring is not yet validated.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026The use of high-density surface electromyography in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a scoping review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHigh-density surface EMG can non-invasively detect muscle twitches and motor unit changes in ALS, but no single measure reliably distinguishes ALS from other conditions. Inconsistent recording methods across studies prevent current clinical use as a diagnostic or progression tool.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Interventions for children with developmental coordination disorder: A scoping review.Developmental medicine and child neurologyMost interventions for children with coordination difficulties reported improved motor performance, but few measured real-life participation or social impact. Delivery in groups, schools, or one-to-one sessions all showed benefits, though diagnostic criteria were often poorly reported.
• OTOther2025Reliability Analysis of In-person and Virtual Goniometric Measurements for Select Shoulder and Forearm Motions.International journal of sports physical therapyShoulder internal rotation and forearm pronation/supination measured from screenshots were very consistent among three examiners. The study used 20 adults and static images, not live telehealth visits, so it does not establish accuracy in your caseload.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Agreement of Clinical Grade and Laboratory Grade Force Plates for Countermovement Jump Metrics in Youth Athletes.International journal of sports physical therapyClinical force plates agree with lab equipment on jump height and peak force in youth athletes, but differ significantly on impulse measures. Do not swap impulse data between systems, as the numbers are not interchangeable.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Postoperative education for patients after hip/knee arthroplasty: a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Archives of physiotherapyPostoperative education after hip or knee replacement showed no meaningful benefit over usual care for pain, function, or quality of life. It may slightly reduce anxiety and depression, but evidence is low certainty. Do not rely on it alone to improve physical recovery.
• OTSurvey2026Examining the Predictors of Life Satisfaction in College Students With Intellectual Disability.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRStudents with intellectual disability in college reported high anxiety and depression. A stronger sense of belonging predicted higher life satisfaction, even after accounting for mental health symptoms. Living independently also linked to greater satisfaction, while access to campus mental health services linked to lower anxiety.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Supporting a 'good life' for autistic children: Autistic adults' and parents' perspectives.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults and parents identified four pillars for a 'good life' in autistic children: unconditional acceptance, pursuing personal interests, having autonomy over choices, and sensory-safe environments. They emphasized that social connection and happiness look different for each child, challenging neurotypical norms.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026Factors Associated With Social Inclusion and Labour Status in People With Intellectual Disabilities, From Urban and Rural Areas of Peru.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDHaving a job linked to better social inclusion, while caregiver burden and older age linked to worse. Self-determination and verbal communication predicted employment. Urban participants had higher social inclusion than rural, but unemployment rates were high in both regions.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026Priorities for change for autistic people across Europe.Molecular autismEducation, public awareness, funding, and employment were the top priorities for change across all groups. Autistic people ranked bullying and financial hardship higher than parents or professionals did, while parents prioritised daily living support and early intervention.
• PTOTCohort2026Treatment outcomes across curve patterns and severities in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis treated with a pattern-specific CAD-CAM brace.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA custom 3D-scanned brace helped 91% of girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis avoid curve progression. Outcomes were similar across different spine curve patterns and severity levels. The study included only females aged 10 to 14 with moderate to severe curves.
• PTOTCohort2026Capacity Versus Performance of Volitional Head Turns After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationPeople with mild traumatic brain injury turned their heads slower in the lab but not in daily life. However, their daily head movements were far less variable than healthy controls. Lab tests did not predict daily behavior. Wearables reveal deficits in movement flexibility that standard tests miss.
• PTOTOther2026Causal Links Between Sleep Duration and Sarcopenia-Related Phenotypes: A Mendelian Randomization and Shared Genetic Mechanism Study.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationLonger sleep was linked to lower odds of sarcopenia in adults aged 16–55, especially women. Genetic analyses suggested sleep duration and muscle traits share biological pathways. These are observational and genetic associations, not proof that sleeping more prevents muscle loss.
• PTOTSLPOther2025The Effect of Executive Cognitive Distraction on Sustaining a Volitional Preemptive Abdominal Contraction During a Unipedal Functional Movement in Healthy Participants.International journal of sports physical therapyHealthy participants successfully maintained abdominal bracing during a single-leg reach test even while distracted by an auditory task. However, distraction reduced reach distance in the posteromedial direction, suggesting complex movements may be more vulnerable to cognitive load than simple ones.
• PTOTRCT2026Effectiveness of a Mobile Health Exercise Program for Adults With Mobility Disabilities: A Randomised Controlled Trial.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationAdults with mobility disabilities who used a home-based exercise app with social networking reported more moderate-to-vigorous activity than controls for 24 weeks. Gains were not sustained at 48 weeks. The added social features and coaching drove the difference, while physical function saw only minor changes.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2026The effect of combined motor and cognitive rehabilitation on motor performance in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of rehabilitation medicineCombined motor and cognitive training did not clearly improve functional mobility over motor training in Parkinson's disease. Sequential protocols reported an improvement in daily activities; simultaneous protocols reported better quality of life, but evidence was limited.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Functions and Sensors of Smart Walkers From 2015 to 2024: Scoping Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesSmart walkers use many sensors, but most were tested in labs with younger adults without symptoms. Gait and balance measurements were often not checked against reference systems, so they cannot yet guide clinical decisions.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Exploring clinician-reported assessments of capacity and performance qualifiers in the ICF: a scoping review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesOnly five studies were found that properly linked clinician assessments to ICF capacity and performance qualifiers, all focused on walking or lifting. The methods used were inconsistent and rarely validated, so there is currently no standard way to code these qualifiers.
• PTOTQualitative2026Clinical gait analysis use in management of children with cerebral palsy: Qualitative study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyClinicians and caregivers found gait analysis valuable for validating clinical impressions and guiding complex decisions, but resource limitations, lack of standardized protocols, and interpretation barriers prevented consistent access and timely follow-up.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Seizures in children with Dravet syndrome in extreme heat: A qualitative study of parental perspectives.Developmental medicine and child neurologyParents described heat as a constant seizure trigger, noting children could not sweat or cool down. They avoided pools and sudden temperature shifts, kept children indoors, and gave fever medication when skin turned red, even without fever, to prevent seizures.