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 212 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTMeta-Analysis2022Examining the effectiveness of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VAMR) therapy for upper limb recovery and activities of daily living in stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationVirtual, augmented and mixed reality training beat conventional therapy on arm movement quality and day to day independence after stroke. On hand dexterity and timed arm tasks it showed no clear advantage. The gains were clearest in people more than 6 months after stroke.
• OTOther2026Development of a Diabetes Rural Stakeholder Research Team and Patient-Centered Research Agenda.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthA rural Type 1 diabetes research team retained all members for the project and 2 years after, using a four-strategy engagement plan. The output was a patient-centered research agenda. No patient outcomes were measured.
• PTOTOther2026Performance outcomes of the PEDI-CAT for assessing functional ability in the population with leukodystrophy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn 99 people with leukodystrophy, a caregiver-reported functional assessment tracked closely with therapist-administered motor scores (0.93 gross motor, 0.94 fine motor). The authors suggest it could support remote monitoring between clinic visits.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Virtual Reality Therapy for Upper Limb Motor Impairments in Patients With Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyNon-immersive VR added to conventional therapy improved upper limb motor function and manual dexterity in stroke patients, but did not improve daily living activities. Effects were significant in the first six months after stroke and when VR supplemented rather than replaced standard therapy.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Effectiveness of Robot-Assisted Upper Extremity Function Training (Gloreha) on Upper Extremities Function After Stroke: Systematic Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesGloreha, a robotic finger glove, improved upper extremity motor scores in stroke survivors. Grip strength results were mixed across trials. It did not outperform conventional therapy on daily living tasks. Evidence comes from 3 small trials with 83 people.
• OTOther2025Developing a novel methodology to evaluate the content validity of two sensory reactivity assessments adapted for South Africa.The British journal of occupational therapyThe adapted sensory reactivity assessment passed for the performance-based tests but the caregiver questionnaire failed on language clarity. The proprioceptive subscale was dropped because none of its items measured reactivity.
• PTOTRCT2025Digital Mirror Therapy and Action Observation Therapy for Chronic Stroke: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.Occupational therapy internationalAll three groups improved in arm movement and daily use, but none was significantly better than the others. Digital mirror therapy and digital action observation therapy did not outperform conventional occupational therapy in this small trial.
• OTQualitative2025How do people with disability and complex needs experience the built environment in apartments designed for people with disability?Australian occupational therapy journalPeople with disability in SDA apartments reported that space, accessible design, technology, and sensory control all shape their autonomy. Some were retrofitting fittings; many had waited for equipment. Participants said tenant input in design is essential.
• PTOTOther2024Evolving trends of systematic reviews on virtual reality for stroke rehabilitation.Archives of physiotherapyThe number of SRs on VR for stroke has grown to 58 published and 45 ongoing, but 77.6% of the published ones are rated critically low on methodological quality. Upper limb function, ADL, and gait are the most studied outcomes.
• OTSystematic Review2023Motor imagery as an intervention to improve activities of daily living post-stroke: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.The British journal of occupational therapyAudio-guided motor imagery added to other treatments improved daily living independence in all four studies that tested it. Therapist-delivered imagery showed mixed results, and visual-guided imagery showed no benefit over controls.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Motor Imagery and Mental Practice in the Subacute and Chronic Phases in Upper Limb Rehabilitation after Stroke: A Systematic Review.Occupational therapy internationalImagining hand movements added to standard therapy improved upper limb function in most of 11 stroke studies, but every study paired it with physiotherapy or occupational therapy, so the independent effect of mental practice alone is unknown.
• OTRCT2023Leveraging technology to make parent training more accessible: Randomized trial of in-person versus online executive function training for parents of autistic children.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceOnline and in-person parent training for executive function in autistic children produced no difference between the two formats. Both groups showed modest improvements in parent strain and child flexibility, but planning and organization did not improve. The gains were small.
• OTQualitative2026The Risks and Benefits of Humour Use With Individuals After Stroke.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieCanadian stroke OTs reached consensus on 32 benefits they see in humour during therapy, from building rapport to easing anxiety. Two risks survived: sarcasm may be misread by clients with cognitive deficits, and some clients simply will not find it funny.
• OTSystematic Review2026Vocational rehabilitation and return to work after spinal cord injury: a scoping review of policies in the U.S. and Canada.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesSupported employment (IPS) outperformed traditional vocational counseling for SCI return to work, with a 43.2% competitive employment rate. The biggest barrier in both the U.S. and Canada is fear of losing disability benefits and healthcare coverage.
• OTSLPSurvey2026Caregiver Concerns for Children and Adolescents With Down Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study in Brazil.Child: care, health and developmentCaregivers' concerns about children and adolescents with Down syndrome did not differ by age group. The top worry across all ages was communication (76%). Among caregivers who worried about sleep, 95% also worried about behaviour.
• OTSLPCohort2026Adaptive and Maladaptive Behaviours and Their Cognitive Correlates in Aging Adults With Down Syndrome.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDIn cognitively stable adults with Down syndrome, communication is the relative weakness and daily living the strength. Memory and general cognitive ability predict adaptive functioning across all domains. No cognitive factor predicts maladaptive behaviour, which is uncommon in this group.
• OTOther2026Participatory Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Introspective Predictive Processing Inventory: A Self-Report Measure for Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceA new 18-item self-report measure, developed with autistic adults, distinguishes autistic from non-autistic adults with high accuracy and captures their subjective experiences of sensory overwhelm, social miscommunication, and need for predictability. It is not a diagnostic tool.
• PTOTOther2026Association between sociodemographic and injury factors in community reintegration following spinal cord injury: An analysis of two datasets.The South African journal of physiotherapyBeing younger and employed was linked to fuller community reintegration in 182 people with spinal cord injury in South Africa. Injury level, severity, and type were not associated with reintegration.
• OTSurvey2026Young workers' perceptions about occupational carcinogens.Work (Reading, Mass.)Young workers in Canada and the UK correctly identified fewer than half of 11 known occupational carcinogens. The most common reason for not wearing PPE was believing they were not at risk.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Assessing integrative prevention at work: A scoping review.Work (Reading, Mass.)Twelve workplace prevention tools were found, but none assesses all five attributes of integrative prevention on one scale. Most lack published validity or reliability data, and only a few have any such evidence.
• PTOTQualitative2026From Metrics to Meaning in Neurological Rehabilitation: Clinicians' Perspectives on Digital Metrics of Upper Limb Functioning-A Focus Group Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesClinicians said digital upper limb metrics are only interpretable alongside basic ROM, strength, and grasp checks, and that the right metrics depend on the diagnosis. They preferred simple measures like task duration over complex kinematic values, and valued real-world arm use patterns over lab-based capacity scores.
• OTOther2025The Knowledge We Hold: Exploring Occupational Therapy's Epistemic Identity and the Balance Between Evidence and Practice.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieThis is a reflective lectureship about occupational therapy's professional identity and future direction. It contains no study, no data, and no finding to act on.
• OTSurvey2026Parenting and Occupational Therapy: An Exploration of Global Practice.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthMost OTs working with adults collect parental status but rarely use formal tools to assess parenting. Intervention is mostly emotional support and problem-solving. Adaptive equipment for parenting tasks is the least used, so a parent needing equipment-based help may not get it.
• OTQualitative2026Promoting Employment Participation for People With Mental Health Challenges: Photovoice and Advocacy.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthSeven women with depression or bipolar disorder described employment as blocked by anxiety, insomnia, and a criminal record. They coped with routines like a big clock, walks, and hobbies, and wanted workplaces with safe spaces to reset.
• OTOther2026Engagement to Identify Health Priorities of People With Intellectual and/or Developmental Disability.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthNine health priorities for people with IDD were identified over two years with 58 partners from four groups. They span participation, emotional and physical health, sexuality, family caregiver support, and system-level supports. Graphic illustrations were the method partners rated most helpful.
• PTOTCohort2026Mind over lungs: the impact of coping strategies on pulmonary rehabilitation outcomes.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineIn 101 pulmonary rehab inpatients, high anxiety and depression were common but did not predict how much patients improved. Two coping styles, problem-solving and turning to religion, were linked to less improvement, but the authors call this exploratory and not causal.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Early Intervention Enrollment Among Substance-exposed Infants in Massachusetts: A Population-level Analysis.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPSubstance-exposed infants in Massachusetts were referred to early intervention at high rates, but only 49.5% of those referred enrolled. The gap was widest for infants without a NAS diagnosis, where 38.2% of referred children enrolled.
• PTOTCohort2026Botulinum toxin treatment for multiple sclerosis and post-stroke spasticity in clinical practice: differences in injection doses and patterns.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesMS patients receive lower botulinum toxin doses and are injected in different muscles than stroke patients, yet both groups report similar benefit. Dosing was individualized rather than protocol-driven.
• OTProtocol2025Indonesian Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Sensory Processing Measure-2 (SPM-2) for Preschool Children: A Study Protocol.Occupational therapy internationalA protocol for translating a sensory processing questionnaire into Indonesian. No data collected, no results reported, nothing to act on.
• OTOther2025Racial Media Microaggressions: Impact on Black Adolescent Mental and Behavioral Health.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthIn 48 Black adolescents, daily racial media microaggressions showed no same-day or next-day association with anxiety, depression, or cannabis use. The one notable link: days above a youth's own average for microaggressions predicted higher next-day aggression.
• OTCohort2026Have children's manual dexterity skills changed in the past 40 years? A cross-sectional observational norm comparison study.Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand TherapistsChildren aged 7 to 18 scored 9.1 to 21.1 blocks fewer than the 1985 norms (males) and 11.8 to 18.9 fewer (females). The 1985 norms likely overestimate dexterity deficits. Updated norms or a different test are needed.
• PTOTCase Report2026Case Report: Early rehabilitation initiated in the intensive care unit for myasthenic crisis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA woman with myasthenic crisis went from intubated to walking 70 m by day 23 and was discharged on a cane by day 78. One patient, not a pattern. Multiple treatments were given at once.
• OTCohort2026Flourishing, social participation and reintegration difficulties: a 2-year cohort study of US military veterans with invisible injuries.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesReintegration difficulties stayed flat over two years in 75 veterans with invisible injuries, while community participation improved. Better participation and fewer reintegration problems went hand in hand with greater well-being and more social support.
• OTSystematic Review2026In-chair movements: Categorizations and patterns over time based on a literature review.Work (Reading, Mass.)Most studies found people move more as sitting time increases, and slumping is the most common posture shift, especially while driving. But results are mixed, terminology is inconsistent, and no standard way to categorize these movements exists yet.
• OTCohort2026The Intellectual Disability Frailty Index Predicts 10-Year Mortality Within the HA-ID Cohort.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRHigher frailty scores in adults with intellectual disability predict 10-year mortality. Each 0.01-point increase in the ID-FI score carries a 6% higher death risk, and the severely frail group faces 10 times the death risk of the relatively fit.
• OTQualitative2026How workplace social support facilitates work situations of disabled employees - a qualitative interview study.Work (Reading, Mass.)Disabled employees said support worked best when it was automatic: a coworker who simply knew what to do, a supervisor who adjusted hours without being asked. Help that required them to explain or justify their needs felt like a burden.
• OTSurvey2026Environmental Factors Associated With Preschoolers' Outdoor Play and Napping in Childcare Settings: The SUNRISE International Study.Child: care, health and development46% of early childhood centres across 27 countries reported at least one environmental factor (rain, heat, cold) keeping children indoors, and 20% reported factors disrupting naps. Barriers were more common in low-income and urban settings.
• PTOTCohort2026Factors associated with life-space mobility in older adults with chronic respiratory disease: IMIAS study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesBeing female, having poor vision, lower physical performance, and rating one's own health poorly were the factors most strongly linked to restricted community mobility in 223 older adults with chronic lung disease. These are associations from a single time point, not causes.
• OTQualitative2025Ableism in Occupational Therapy: A Critical Qualitative Analysis of Disabled Practitioners' Experiences in the Profession.Occupational therapy internationalDisabled OTs described being presumed incompetent, pressured to hide their disability, and forced through burdensome accommodation processes. They also reported that their lived experience made them more client-centered and better at advocating for access.
• OTSurvey2025Occupational therapists' role in sleep management in palliative care: A cross-sectional survey.The British journal of occupational therapy88% of Australian palliative care OTs say sleep is in their scope, but only 3 of 51 rate their sleep assessment knowledge as good or excellent. Barriers are time, workload, and missing guidelines. This profiles current practice; it does not test any intervention.
• OTNarrative Review2025Enacting Cultural Humility.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieThis is a theoretical position paper on cultural humility in occupational therapy. It offers no study, no participants, and no results. There is no finding to act on.
• OTOther2026Participatory Development of a Suicide Prevention Program for Autism Community Organizations.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthThe team produced a four-session suicide prevention training program for autism community organizations over three years with eight autistic partners. It has not been tested. The 38 interviews that shaped it identified discrimination, unmet services, and emotional challenges as core drivers of suicidality.
• OTSLPQualitative2026How can we improve the timeliness and quality of diagnostic assessment for children with possible autism? Qualitative findings and recommendations from a Realist Evaluation of Autism Service delivery in the United Kingdom.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceParents described years of not being heard before a referral and feeling abandoned after diagnosis. Stakeholders ranked 12 service changes as most important. Support should not wait for a diagnosis to begin.
• OTPilot2026Impact of noise on school bus drivers' visual reaction time: An experimental approach with road safety implications Noise and Reaction Time.Work (Reading, Mass.)85 dBA of white noise slowed school bus drivers' brake reaction time from 0.095 s to 0.121 s. The effect held after adjusting for age and experience. All 28 participants were male, tested in a simulator.
• PTOTCase Report2026Toward a Digitally Informed Knitted Prosthetic Interface With Graded Stiffness to Enhance Comfort in Transtibial Amputees: Proof-of-Concept Case Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesA knitted prosthetic liner made from skin-strain data was lighter, allowed more knee flexion, and kept skin cooler and drier in heat. But the one user walked slower and felt distal sinking. This is a single-person proof of concept, not evidence it works.
• PTOTCase Report2026Evaluation of an intensive, private, community, upper limb rehabilitation program for people with chronic stroke: a mixed methods case series.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesOne of two people with chronic stroke who completed 18 hours of intensive upper limb therapy over six weeks showed an arm impairment gain above the minimal clinically important difference. The other did not. Self-efficacy went up for one and down for the other.
• OTQualitative2026Strengthening Community-Academic Partnerships to Enhance Care for Sickle Cell Disease.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthCommunity partners in pediatric SCD care reported that primary care providers often lack knowledge of SCD's developmental risks and that the condition doesn't automatically qualify children for early intervention. Partners recommended delivering services in schools and community settings rather than requiring clinic visits.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Prolonged sitting in office environments: A scoping review of assessment methods.Work (Reading, Mass.)Self-report questionnaires and RULA dominate office posture research, while the more precise sensor and camera tools are confined to small lab samples. The review maps these trade-offs but does not identify a single method that resolves them.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Growing Up Through a Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study of How the COVID-19 Pandemic Shaped the Transition to Adulthood for Youth With Special Healthcare Needs and Their Families.Child: care, health and developmentLoss of in-person therapies was the most commonly reported harm for youth with special healthcare needs during the pandemic. Virtual appointments and family closeness were the most valued benefits. Impact varied by condition type and age.
• PTOTPilot2026International Study of Movement Behaviours in the Early Years (SUNRISE): A Pilot Study From Ecuador.Child: care, health and developmentOnly 11.8% of 108 Ecuadorian preschool children met all three WHO movement guidelines. Boys outperformed girls in physical activity and lower-body strength, while girls scored higher on inhibitory control. The protocol was workable in this setting.