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 21 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSystematic Review2026Evaluating the Effectiveness and Technique Composition of Combined Motor Learning and Behavior Change Strategies for Movement Behavior in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationCombining motor learning, behavior change, self-management support, and exercise therapy may improve how people with chronic musculoskeletal pain moved, but not how much they moved. Effects on daily activities were inconsistent.
• OTSLPCase-Control2026Cortical Network Overconnectivity Relates to Sensory, Cognitive, and Social Dimensions in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchStronger alpha brain network connections in children with autism were linked to differences in cognition, sensory processing and social behaviour. The connections involved attention and sensory networks.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Clinical implementation of virtual reality in neurorehabilitation: a scoping review of barriers, facilitators, and motivational factors.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesClinicians perceived VR as a useful add-on, but adoption was uneven. Funding, training, technical support and workflow were barriers; patient motivation, peer support and management commitment helped.
• PTOTCase Report2026Ultrasound-Guided Alcohol Neurolysis for Poststroke Upper Limb Spasticity to Facilitate Arteriovenous Fistula Creation in Hemodialysis: A Case Report.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationIn one dialysis-dependent stroke survivor, ultrasound-guided alcohol neurolysis of arm nerves reduced spasticity and pain and improved positioning, allowing fistula creation. It was given with stretching, orthoses, strengthening, electrical stimulation and lidocaine, so its independent effect is unclear.
• OTQualitative2026Securing Educational Support for Children With Rare Genetic Conditions: Mothers' Experiences and Impacts on the Family.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRSixteen mothers described securing school support for children with rare genetic conditions as a years-long fight that caused massive stress, changed work, strained relationships, and some were prescribed medication for stress, anxiety and low mood.
• PTOTCohort2026Temporal Variability in Routine Mobility Documentation as an Early Signal of Functional Decline in Skilled Nursing Facilities: A Feasibility and Methods Study.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationRoutine mobility documentation variability could be calculated for all 182 residents. Higher week-to-week variability was exploratorily linked with decline, longer stay, and less community discharge, not tested as a cause.
• OTSLPQualitative2026Deaf older adults' experiences of receiving old age care support.Journal of deaf studies and deaf educationSix Swedish Deaf older adults said care staff who did not sign left them unable to choose help, share needs, or trust visits. They relied on relatives, paper notes, lip-reading, and felt isolated.
• OTCohort2026Prevalence of Psychotropic Use and Psychotropic Polypharmacy in a Finnish National Cohort of Persons With Intellectual Disabilities.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR42.3% of people with recorded intellectual disability in Finland had psychotropics dispensed, versus 15.0% in matched controls without intellectual disability. Antipsychotics were most common, and 18.2% had psychotropic polypharmacy.
• OTOther2026Action and lumbar forces during hospital bed handling: A comparative study.Work (Reading, Mass.)Moving twelve hospital beds by one person produced high forces and lumbar loads above guidelines. Beds B1, B2, and B7 showed particularly high spinal loads, and B1 and B7 lacked a fifth caster.
• OTCohort2026Sleep in Young Children With Autism, ADHD and Combined Presentations.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchCaregiver reports did not show different sleep patterns over time between children later diagnosed with autism, ADHD, both, or no diagnosis. Toddlers with diagnoses had more problems in some sleep areas, especially parasomnias and perceived sleep duration.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Association Between Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)-Related Clinical Burden and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity Among Special Operations Forces (SOF): Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Inferences.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationAmong 105 Special Operations Forces in TBI rehab, higher baseline PTSD scores went with more brain-injury symptoms and worse daily function. But only poor daily function predicted faster PTSD improvement over time. Brain-injury symptom counts alone did not predict how PTSD changed.
• OTSLPOther2026Adaptive Functioning, Sensory Processing, and Behavioral Problems in Autistic Children: The Moderating Role of Gender.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn autistic children similar in age and intelligence, girls had more behavioral problems and weaker everyday communication, while boys had more sensory difficulties. Everyday skills were linked to behavior in girls, but not boys.
• OTSLPCohort2026Through Parents' Eyes: Perspectives on Child Development and Family Experience During ESDM Intervention.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchParents reported child progress across communication, play, daily living, and social domains, plus improved parenting skills and family well-being during six months of intensive therapist-delivered ESDM plus weekly parent coaching. Parental anxiety decreased; depression stayed stable.
• PTOTPilot2026Adjustable Pediatric Prosthetic Sockets to Accommodate Growth in Children and Adolescents With Limb Loss.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationChildren using an adjustable prosthesis reported better temperature regulation and adjustability than with their conventional devices. Gait speed and socket pressure were unchanged. Half preferred the adjustable socket, but running was often limited by the attached foot components.
• PTOTOther2026Recovery After Nontraumatic Lower Limb Amputation: A Scoping Review of Longitudinal Research Studies.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationAfter nontraumatic lower limb amputation, research mostly tracked early physical and pain outcomes. Across 85 studies, only 7 covered prosthetic training and 1 covered life-long care. This maps gaps, not treatment effects.
• PTOTOther2026Investigating Disparities in Acute Rehabilitation Outcomes Among Individuals With TBI and SCI: A Retrospective Chart Review of UDS Data.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationInsurance type predicted acute rehab outcomes for TBI and SCI patients. Publicly insured had lower discharge function than commercially insured, despite similar length of stay. Workers' compensation patients stayed longer and had higher discharge function. No differences were found for race or sex.
• OTSLPOther2026Linking Emotion Dysregulation to Autistic Traits Across Neurodiverse Samples.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceCaregiver reports linked emotion dysregulation to social communication and repetitive behavior challenges in autistic and non-autistic youth. Autistic youth also had higher dysphoria and reactivity. The paper cannot show treating emotion problems improves these traits.
• OTCohort2026Heterogeneity of Response to Early Start Denver Model: Identifying Developmental Trajectories and Predictors of Cognitive Outcomes.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchOn average, 125 autistic children showed a 17-point developmental quotient increase after 2 years of ESDM, but responses split into three groups. Baseline adaptive skills and autism features were linked to later cognitive outcome.
• PTOTOther2026Psychological Readiness and Kinesiophobia Are Not Associated With Effusion-Synovitis in Early Recovery After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.Journal of sport rehabilitationAt 4 to 6 months after ACL reconstruction, the severity of joint inflammation seen on ultrasound did not predict a patient's fear of movement or their psychological readiness to return to sport. Patients with more swelling were just as ready to return as those with less.
• PTOTCohort2026Physical activity measured using a triaxial accelerometer in early after surgery rehabilitation in patients with hip fracture affects walking ability: a retrospective observational study.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder hip fracture patients with more active time in early rehab sessions were more likely to walk independently at one and two weeks. Thresholds were 21.6% at one week and 17.8% at two weeks. This is an association, not proof.
• PTOTOther2026Using Patient-Reported Outcome Measures to Identify Mobility Limitation in Incurable Cancer.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationA single-item symptom question closely tracks detailed mobility difficulty in incurable cancer. Younger patients reported worse mobility than older patients with similar clinical status. Use patient-reported scores to spot mobility issues that standard clinical ratings may miss.
• OTSLPOther2026'It Is of Course About Being Human Together': Co-Development of a Primary Progressive Aphasia Awareness Campaign to Enhance Understanding of Speech and Language Therapy.International journal of language & communication disordersPeople with primary progressive aphasia and families co-created an awareness campaign. UK webinar feedback from 61 respondents rated the event 9.2 of 10, and many said it increased knowledge of PPA and speech therapy. It does not show more referrals.
• PTOTCohort2026Association between 6-month changes in 4-m usual gait time and social function domain score among community-dwelling older adults: a secondary analysis of a community-based program.Journal of physical therapy scienceOver 6 months, older adults whose self-paced 4-m walking time slowed also showed worse social function scores. Walking time and social scores moved together, but the study did not show one caused the other.
• PTOTOther2026Rehabilitation Exercise Behaviors in Patients Undergoing Peritoneal Dialysis: A Mixed-Methods Study on Multidimensional Determinants.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationMost patients on peritoneal dialysis wanted exercise, but only 42% did it regularly. Fear of complications, feeling fragile, and vague guidance blocked action. Therapists may need to give specific, safe, ongoing home plans and address family and community supports.
• OTQualitative2026Conditions that foster workers' experience and development in technological transitions.Work (Reading, Mass.)Warehouse operators described a new pallet-tracking system as useful when their team leader supported on-the-job learning and they could use existing experience. They kept paper checks when software was unstable.
• PTOTSurvey2026Participant-Reported Reductions in Falls and Fall-Related Injuries Associated With Variable-Friction Footwear: Retrospective Pre-Post Survey Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPeople with neurological or age-related conditions reported fewer falls, injurious falls, and health care use while wearing variable-friction shoes, but this was a self-selected retrospective survey, not evidence the shoes caused the change.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Hand injuries associated with mobile phone use: A systematic review.Work (Reading, Mass.)Review of 42 studies found hand conditions linked to phone use: De Quervain's tenosynovitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, thumb or wrist pain, and less common tendon rupture or trigger finger. Evidence includes cross-sectional studies and case reports, so phone use alone cannot be proven a cause.
• OTSurvey2026The impact of compassion fatigue and work-life balance on life satisfaction: A study of healthcare professionals in Türkiye.Work (Reading, Mass.)For healthcare workers, occupational burnout and work interfering with life lowered life satisfaction. However, secondary trauma did not. Having a positive balance where work helps life and life helps work improved satisfaction. The model explained only a small part of overall well-being.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2026Effectiveness of Resistance Training in People With Down Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDIn people with Down syndrome, resistance training improved muscle strength more than control groups. Physical function also showed improvement, but body size, heart and breathing capacity, and work tasks did not show clear changes.
• PTOTCase Report2026Sequential Cryoneurolysis and Percutaneous Needle Tenotomy for Refractory Wrist Flexor Contracture: A Retrospective Case Series in Stroke and Spinal Cord Injury.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationPatients with chronic wrist flexor contracture had improved passive wrist extension after percutaneous needle tenotomy following cryoneurolysis. This small case series cannot prove benefit or separate the treatments' contributions.
• OTOther2026Turkish Translation and Cultural Adaptation of the Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration (EASI).Occupational therapy internationalExperts rated the Turkish EASI sensory integration test instructions clear and culturally appropriate, and nine children understood them. This adaptation is not evidence that the test measures what it should for Turkish children yet.
• PTOTCohort2026Short-term changes in frailty status and associated factors over 3 months of multidisciplinary outpatient care in older adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceHalf of 100 older adults improved frailty over 3 months. Daily home exercise was associated with improvement, but medical, nutrition, exercise, supervised rehab, nursing and social support were given together, so no single component can be credited.
• OTQualitative2026Negotiating precarity - employment experiences of Canadian young adults in social housing.Work (Reading, Mass.)Young adults in social housing valued work but faced low-paid jobs, mental health strain, childcare gaps, stigma, and fear of losing benefits or housing. Only two were employed. They said support was lacking.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Psychometric Properties of Instruments to Assess Movement Disorders in People With Intellectual Disabilities Using Antipsychotics: A Systematic Literature Review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDNo single assessment scale consistently worked well for checking movement disorders in people with intellectual disabilities taking antipsychotics. Watch for restlessness, involuntary movements, spasms, slowness, rigidity or tremor, and record what you see for treatment review.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Integrating Assistive Technologies and Smart Home Systems in Neuromuscular Disorders: A Systematic Narrative Review of Clinical Outcomes and Occupational Therapy Perspectives.Occupational therapy internationalAssistive technology and smart home systems may help people with neuromuscular disorders stay independent, but benefit depends on low effort, home fit and ongoing adjustment. Therapists should audit homes, set client priorities and plan for possible abandonment as disease progresses.
• PTOTOther2026Standing work and low back pain: An experimental analysis of risk factors.Work (Reading, Mass.)No tested standing setup made pain lower than another. Pain rose over 120 minutes in all eight groups, and static posture, anti-fatigue mats, and insoles did not separate the groups.
• PTOTOther2026The value of performance-based tests in the assessment of patients with fibromyalgia: a construct validity and comprehensiveness analysis of a standardized test battery.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA four-test physical battery plus accelerometry accurately captured distinct aspects of fibromyalgia in 87 women. Physical capacity, daily activity, emotional distress and pain burden formed four separate domains, confirming the battery's validity for assessing function.
• OTCohort2026ICF Priorities and the Impact of Demographic Factors in a Paediatric Poststroke Population: An Observational Study.Child: care, health and developmentPriorities did not differ by sex, ethnicity or local deprivation. Post-stroke children and families most often raised everyday activities and participation. Body function and service concerns were more common in primary and high school.
• PTOTRCT2026Video-based education is non-inferior to in-person education in patients undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy: a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial.Archives of physiotherapyPreoperative video education was as good as postoperative in-person teaching for pain confidence. It also reduced fear of movement at six weeks. This allows therapists to shift education earlier, saving time without compromising recovery outcomes.
• OTCohort2026Implementing Evidence-Based Somatosensory Rehabilitation After Stroke: Reported Practice, Documented Practice, and Barriers.Occupational therapy internationalOccupational therapists valued stroke sensory care, but most did not use standardized assessments. Files showed sensory assessment for 14 of 26 patients with upper limb impairment, and documented treatment for 7 of 12 with sensory impairment. Time, confidence, and resources were barriers.
• OTSurvey2026Association Between Smartphone Application Diversity and Occupational Participation Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.Scandinavian journal of occupational therapyOlder adults using five or more smartphone apps daily reported higher overall occupational participation, especially productivity. When other factors were accounted for, productivity remained associated; leisure and self-care did not. This is association, not proof apps improve participation.
• OTPilot2026Pilot Test of the Forming Love around Autistic people to Prevent Suicide Program.Autism in adulthoodParticipants at autism service organizations reported higher suicide prevention knowledge, capacity, and actions after four virtual sessions, and at three months. No patient suicide outcomes were measured, so this is early feasibility, not proof of prevention.
• OTQualitative2026"It's not just a matter of getting technology into buses": An activity-centred approach to bus drivers' work sustainability in an age of automation.Work (Reading, Mass.)Ten experienced bus drivers described their work as relying on deep local knowledge and emotional labour, not just driving. They argued that automation fails if it ignores urban chaos and tight schedules, warning that supervising automated buses could increase stress rather than reduce fatigue.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Types of Screen Time and Developmental Outcomes Among Children Aged 0-6 Years in Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study.Child: care, health and developmentMore recreational screen time was linked with more suspected developmental delays in Thai children. Educational and communication-based screen time were linked with fewer language and personal-social delays in some analyses.
• OTQualitative2026Opportunities and Challenges for Health-Promoting Interventions for Older Adults: A Focus Group Study with Professionals in Municipal Health and Social Care.Scandinavian journal of occupational therapyProfessionals said Swedish municipal health and social care lacked structures, shared responsibility, and time for health-promoting work with older adults. They saw groups and digital meetings as useful, but not yet ready to change routine practice.
• PTOTOther2017Explanators of Sarcopenia in Individuals With Diabesity: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)A model combining leg fat content, ankle strength, and stair power accurately identified sarcopenia in adults with diabetes and obesity. Leg fat above 21%, ankle strength below 68 Nm, or stair power under 441 watts suggested sarcopenia, though MRI access limits clinical use.
• PTOTOther2017Relative Strength at the Hip, Knee, and Ankle Is Lower Among Younger and Older Females Who Are Obese.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)Obese women had lower strength relative to their body weight at the ankle, knee, and hip compared to healthy weight women. Absolute strength was higher only for three movements. This suggests mobility support training should target the hip and ankle, not just the knee.
• PTOTRCT2016Effects of functional and analytical strength training on upper-extremity activity after stroke: a randomized controlled trial.Brazilian journal of physical therapyFive weeks of home-based functional reaching-and-grasping practice improved arm activity more than analytical dumbbell lifting in chronic stroke, and the difference was still seen at 10 months. Strength, range of motion, motor control, and tone did not differ between groups.
• PTOTRCT2016Effect of mirror therapy on upper extremity motor function in stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceMirror therapy added to conventional stroke rehabilitation improved upper extremity movement ability more than the conventional program with a non-reflecting mirror, but did not improve Brunnstrom stages or self-care independence.
• PTOTSLPOther2016Reduced Cognitive-Motor Interference on Voluntary Balance Control in Older Tai Chi Practitioners.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)Older adults who practiced Tai Chi showed less decline in balance and thinking speed when doing both tasks at once compared to non-practitioners. They moved their center of pressure quicker and made fewer errors on the counting task while balancing.