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 36 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTCohort2018Brief Report: Executive Function as a Predictor of Academic Achievement in School-Aged Children with ASD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 32 children with ASD, better spatial reversal at age 6 was linked to higher math scores at age 9, not spelling or word reading. At age 9, spatial reversal did not predict math scores once nonverbal and spatial abilities were considered.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2017A Systematic Review of Exercise Systematic Reviews in the Cancer Literature (2005-2017).PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationSupervised moderate to vigorous exercise generally improved fatigue, fitness and function in adults with cancer, according to 51 reviews. Exact dose and long-term effects remain unclear.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2017A Focused Review of Safety Considerations in Cancer Rehabilitation.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationCancer rehabilitation safety depends on treatment-related risks: blood counts, cardiopulmonary toxicity, neuropathy, lymphedema, frailty, bone metastases, neurologic changes, and emergencies. These are expert recommendations, not tested interventions.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2018Parents Suggest Which Indicators of Progress and Outcomes Should be Measured in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of young children with autism valued measuring happiness, anxiety, sensory discomfort, distress, aggression, sleep problems and parent stress, not only core social communication symptoms. They wanted assessments to capture daily living and family impact.
• OTCohort2018Quality of Relationships With Caregivers, Depression, and Life Satisfaction After Dysvascular Lower Extremity Amputation.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAfter first lower-limb amputation, people with more conflict with their main caregiver reported more depressive symptoms and lower life satisfaction. Caregiver support related to life satisfaction but not depression. Ask about strain in the relationship.
• PTOTCase-Control2018Effects of anterior weight-shifting methods on sitting balance in wheelchair-dependent patients with spinal cord injury.Journal of physical therapy scienceWheelchair users with spinal cord injury reached further forward and moved their center of pressure more when extending arms than crossing them. Adding a ball changed little for them, unlike healthy adults. Arm position matters more than holding an object for sitting balance.
• PTOTOther2017Adaptive hybrid robotic system for rehabilitation of reaching movement after a brain injury: a usability study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTracking performance improved during assisted reaching sessions with a hybrid exoskeleton and electrical stimulation in brain injury patients, and it was higher with stimulation than without. Satisfaction was high. This supports usability, not functional recovery.
• PTOTSLPCohort2017Behavioral Markers of Emergent Stranger Anxiety in Infants and Toddlers with Fragile X Syndrome.Journal of autism and developmental disordersInfants with Fragile X showed less facial fear than controls. Within the group, stable distress vocalizations linked to later social withdrawal, while lower escape behaviors linked to higher autistic symptoms. These markers did not predict general anxiety.
• OTSLPRCT2017Effect of Caregiver Training on the Neurodevelopment of HIV-Exposed Uninfected Children and Caregiver Mental Health: A Ugandan Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPCaregiver cognitive-stimulation training did not improve overall child development compared with health and nutrition training. All children received nutrition support. It worsened reported executive function problems and caregiver depression.
• OTSLPCohort2017Autism Spectrum Disorders and Low Mental Age: Diagnostic Stability and Developmental Outcomes in Early Childhood.Journal of autism and developmental disordersVery young children with autism and language and reasoning below 12 months kept an autism diagnosis, but made far less progress in communication, play, and daily skills than other autism groups.
• OTNarrative Review2018Neurophysiological mechanisms and functional impact of mirror movements in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyMirror movements in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy may reflect abnormal wiring from the uninjured side of the brain to both hands. They are linked to poorer hand use, but these links do not prove cause or predict therapy response.
• OTPilot2017Wireless intraoral tongue control of an assistive robotic arm for individuals with tetraplegia.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA person with tetraplegia used a tongue interface and robotic arm system to touch a tape roll in 100% of attempts and lift it in 50%. This is a small demonstration, not evidence it works for daily life.
• OTOther2017Caregiver Input to Optimize the Design of a Pediatric Care Planning Guide for Rehabilitation: Descriptive Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesCaregivers of young children mostly completed a phone care-planning guide: 22 of 25 set a goal and 24 of 25 identified strategies, but only 12 of 25 linked the steps into a full plan. This is feasibility, not evidence that the guide improves participation.
• OTSurvey2017Mental Wellbeing of Family Members of Autistic Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMany family members of autistic adults reported worry, anxiety, stress and depression. Their own difficulty with uncertainty, plus the adult's mental health and lack of future preparedness, were associated with poorer wellbeing.
• OTSLPCohort2017Academic Achievement Deficits and Their Neuropsychological Correlates in Children Born Extremely Preterm.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPAt school age, children born extremely preterm whose IQ scores were above the impaired range had more low math scores than low reading scores. Language and naming speed tracked reading. Working memory, inhibition and visual skills tracked math.
• PTOTCase Series2017Cognitive functioning over 2 years after intracerebral hemorrhage in school-aged children.Developmental medicine and child neurologyMotor function improved after childhood intracerebral hemorrhage, and some reasoning skills reached average range, but working memory stayed low and processing speed lagged peers. Motor recovery may mask cognitive needs, so plan serial cognitive testing.
• PTOTOther2017Pattern of improvement in upper limb pointing task kinematics after a 3-month training program with robotic assistance in stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAfter 3 months of combined robot-assisted shoulder/elbow training and conventional occupational therapy, upper-limb scores and robot-measured reaching improved. Shoulder/elbow improved before wrist/hand; distance, velocity and smoothness improved before accuracy. The study cannot separate the two treatments.
• OTSLPOther2018The Influence of task Demands, Verbal Ability and Executive Functions on Item and Source Memory in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdults with autism showed impaired memory for both single objects and their locations, contrary to the expectation that item memory is spared. Source memory difficulties worsened when more locations were added, and verbal ability predicted memory performance in both groups.
• PTOTRCT2018Effect of physical activity on cognition and daily living activities of the elderly with mild dementia.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding 30-minute strength and balance exercises to cognitive training improved cognition and daily function more than cognitive training alone in 60 older adults with mild dementia. Both groups also received cognitive training.
• OTRCT2018Use of Mental Health Services by Adolescents After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationAfter moderate to severe TBI, mental health service use stayed low and stable. The online family problem-solving program with counselor support did not change use compared with online TBI resources, and less than half of impaired adolescents received services.
• OTCase-Control2018Altered task-related modulation of long-range connectivity in children with autism.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchDuring a tool-use pantomime task, children with autism showed increased long-range parietal brain connectivity from rest. Controls showed decreased connectivity. The pattern was opposite to the expected decrease. The other tested band showed no group difference. This does not yet change practice.
• PTOTSLPOther2018A scoping review of the needs of children and other family members after a child's traumatic injury.Clinical rehabilitationAfter traumatic injury in children, families and children often struggled to get information, emotional help, and school or community support. Four studies identified needs for physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and audiology, but evidence on measuring needs was absent.
• PTOTQualitative2018Participant-Reported Benefits of Involvement in an Adaptive Sports Program: A Qualitative Study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationAdaptive sports participants described physical, social, and athletic identity benefits, but injury fear, transport, cost, time, and lack of program information limited sustained participation. Staff and peers helped them continue.
• OTCohort2017Brief Report: Postsecondary Work and Educational Disruptions for Youth on the Autism Spectrum.Journal of autism and developmental disordersHalf of 36 young adults with autism had job or college disruption, or did not take part, after leaving high school. Parents of those later disrupted had more depression, anxiety and lower quality of life before exit; measured youth characteristics did not differ.
• PTOTPilot2017A Home-Based Telerehabilitation Program for Patients With Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairPatients completed nearly all assigned home telerehabilitation days, and arm Fugl-Meyer scores increased, but this was a small uncontrolled pilot that also included daily L-Dopa or placebo.
• OTCohort2017The effects of optimism, religion, and hope on mood and anxiety disorders in women with the FMR1 premutation.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRIn mothers with the FMR1 premutation who had a child with fragile X syndrome, higher optimism was linked to lower lifetime depression and lower anxiety over time. Religious participation related to fragile X was linked to higher lifetime depression. Hope showed no clear link.
• PTOTSLPRCT2017Effects of Training Intensity on Locomotor Performance in Individuals With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Crossover Study.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairHigh-intensity stepping training improved peak treadmill speed and fastest walking speed more than low-intensity training in chronic spinal cord injury. Changes in the standard six-minute walk test did not significantly differ between the two intensities.
• PTOTSLPPilot2018The feasibility of an acute high-intensity exercise bout to promote locomotor learning after stroke.Topics in stroke rehabilitationA five-minute high-intensity exercise session before gait practice is feasible for people with chronic stroke. Both treadmill and seated arm-leg cycling raised lactate levels without causing fatigue or interfering with subsequent practice, though the seated ergometer allowed longer time at target intensity.
• OTSLPOther2018Adaptive behavior in autism: Minimal clinically important differences on the Vineland-II.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchA change of 2.44 to 3.76 points on the Vineland-II Adaptive Behavior Composite score may be clinically meaningful for autistic people, but the needed change depends on age and IQ. This is a benchmark, not proof a treatment works.
• OTSLPCase-Control2018Association Between Air Pollution Exposure, Cognitive and Adaptive Function, and ASD Severity Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersHigher nitrogen dioxide exposure during pregnancy and the first year was linked to lower cognitive and adaptive scores in children with autism. It was not linked to autism severity. It is not proof pollution caused the deficits.
• OTSLPSurvey2018Latent Class Analysis of ADHD Neurodevelopmental and Mental Health Comorbidities.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPAmong 2,495 children with current parent-reported ADHD, 61.3% had another diagnosed condition. Four groups emerged: low comorbidity, internalizing disorders, developmental disorders, and high comorbidity, with different school-service patterns.
• OTRCT2017Restoration of motor control and proprioceptive and cutaneous sensation in humans with prior upper-limb amputation via multiple Utah Slanted Electrode Arrays (USEAs) implanted in residual peripheral arm nerves.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationNerve-electrode implants with surgery, antibiotics, dexamethasone, phantom movement practice, and gabapentin in S3 produced up to five formal virtual-hand movements, up to twelve informal movements, and up to 131 sensations in two upper-limb amputees. Arrays were unstable.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2017Evaluation of spina bifida transitional care practices in the United States.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineSpina bifida clinics vary widely in transition care. Most discuss transition with patients, but few have written protocols or confirm adult provider visits. Readiness assessments are rare, and communication between pediatric and adult teams is inconsistent.
• PTOTRCT2018Reducing barriers to healthy weight: Planned and responsive adaptations to a lifestyle intervention to serve people with impaired mobility.Disability and health journalPeople with mobility impairments received an adapted group weight-loss program with phone sessions, arm-based activity tracking, adaptive cooking, caregiver support, problem-solving, and other changes. The paper describes the adaptation, not tested effectiveness.
• PTOTRCT2017Effects of concentric contraction of the wrists and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation cycle on pain and muscle strength in lateralepicondylitis patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceBoth groups reduced pain. Doing wrist exercises at the same time as TENS improved grip strength more than doing exercises after TENS. The study was small and short, so this difference is tentative.
• PTOTOther2017Effects of virtual reality intervention on upper limb motor function and activity of daily living in patients with lesions in different regions of the brain.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter 4 weeks of VR games, upper-limb and daily-living scores were higher in 14 people with hemiplegic stroke. With no control group, these gains cannot be proven to be from VR.
• OTCohort2017Do Children Who Sustain Traumatic Brain Injury in Early Childhood Need and Receive Academic Services 7 Years After Injury?Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPYears after preschool TBI, many children with potential need for school services were not receiving them. Severe TBI had the highest need, but moderate TBI showed high unmet need, and behavior or executive concerns were less likely to trigger services than IQ or achievement scores.
• PTOTCohort2017Less-Affected Hand Function in Children With Hemiparetic Unilateral Cerebral Palsy: A Comparison Study With Typically Developing Peers.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairChildren with hemiparetic cerebral palsy took 21.4 seconds longer on hand function tests with their less-affected hand compared to typical peers. This subtle deficit suggests therapists should assess and treat the less-affected hand, not just the weaker one.
• PTOTCohort2017Hypervigilance to pain affects activities of daily living: an examination using the Japanese version of the pain vigilance awareness questionnaire.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 50 elderly patients with chronic pain, hypervigilance and pain intensity were the only factors significantly linked to disability. Anxiety, depression, fear of movement, and catastrophizing did not independently predict daily living limitations.
• OTCohort2017Bowel management and continence in adults with spina bifida: Results from the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry 2009-15.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineBowel continence was reported by 58.3% of adults with spina bifida in a national registry, with higher rates in less severe non-MMC forms. Employment was the only factor still linked to continence after other factors were considered.
• PTOTOther2017A composite robotic-based measure of upper limb proprioception.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA robotic test identifies proprioceptive impairment in over 60% of stroke patients, detecting more cases than standard clinical exams. This composite score offers a precise, objective measure for tracking recovery and evaluating rehabilitation treatments.
• PTOTCohort2018Sarcopenia in Peripheral Arterial Disease: Prevalence and Effect on Functional Status.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMen with peripheral arterial disease had ten times the prevalence of sarcopenia compared to healthy matched controls. Among those with PAD, low muscle mass was linked to significantly slower recovery from claudication pain and shorter walking distances on the six-minute test.
• PTOTNarrative Review2017Motor system plasticity after unilateral injury in the developing brain.Developmental medicine and child neurologyEarly skilled movement training after unilateral brain injury may shape motor circuits in animal models. The review does not show it improves function in children.
• PTOTCohort2017Longitudinal Structural and Functional Differences Between Proportional and Poor Motor Recovery After Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairStroke patients with poor motor recovery had more corticospinal tract damage and later white-matter loss. Those with proportional recovery had preserved tracts and stronger resting brain synchrony in premotor networks. This may guide prognosis, not treatment choice.
• PTOTPilot2017Effects of somatosensory electrical stimulation on motor function and cortical oscillations.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAfter one 2-hour sensory nerve electrical stimulation session, eight people with chronic acquired brain injury moved their fingers more independently and completed hand tasks faster. The pilot had no control group, so this cannot show the treatment works.
• OTCohort2018Factors associated with ambulatory care sensitive emergency department visits for South Carolina Medicaid members with intellectual disability.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRMedicaid adults with mild or unspecified intellectual disability and those living at home without health support had more emergency visits for conditions that often can be managed without emergency care; nursing home residents had more visits leading to hospital admission.
• OTCase-Control2018Injuries in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Study to Explore Early Development (SEED).Journal of autism and developmental disordersCompared with typically developing children, young children with autism were not more likely to have had an injury needing medical care. Compared with children with other developmental delays, autism was linked to a higher chance of having had any medically-attended injury.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2018Assessment of Rehabilitation Infrastructure in Peru.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation39% of rehabilitation specialists surveyed in Peru reported never seeing hospitalized patients. PTs were commonly reported to perform OT and SLP tasks when those staff were absent. One third said patients waited more than a week for inpatient therapy.
• OTRCT2018Parent Stress in a Randomized Clinical Trial of Atomoxetine and Parent Training for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParent stress dropped in all four groups, whether they got medication, parent training, both, or placebo. Treatment type did not determine the amount of stress reduction. Parents whose children improved clinically reported the largest decreases in their own stress.
• PTOTCase Report2017Effects of interactive metronome training on timing, attention, working memory, and processing speed in children with ADHD: a case study of two children.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn two children with ADHD, interactive metronome training was followed by faster timing and higher attention scores, but one child showed no working-memory change. It is a case report, not proof the training works.