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 47 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTOther2019Development of the Leiden Independence Questionnaire for Support Staff: a measure of staff behaviour regarding promoting independence of people with intellectual disabilities.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRSupport staff self-report behaviours that promote independence in adults with intellectual disability grouped into three areas: coordinating goals and communication, encouraging and tailoring support, and letting clients solve tasks themselves. It measures staff behaviour, not client outcomes.
• PTOTOther2019A study on the sleep quality, pain, and instrumental activities of daily living of outpatients with chronic stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceOutpatients with chronic stroke who reported worse sleep and more pain had lower independence in daily tasks like grooming and shopping. These factors correlate with daily function, but the study cannot prove they cause the decline.
• PTOTCohort2019Predictive utility of an adapted Marshall head CT classification scheme after traumatic brain injury.Brain injuryAn adapted Marshall CT classification did not meaningfully predict injury severity or functional outcomes after moderate-severe TBI. It only helped predict whether acute surgery was done, so it should not guide long-term rehabilitation prognosis.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2019Are Children Severely Affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder Underrepresented in Treatment Studies? An Analysis of the Literature.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutism treatment studies increasingly exclude severely affected children. Communication ability is rarely reported, and when it is, dozens of different measures are used. This makes it difficult to know if published trials actually apply to non-verbal or intellectually disabled patients.
• OTSystematic Review2019A systematic review of ayres sensory integration intervention for children with autism.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAyres Sensory Integration delivered by occupational therapists met special education evidence criteria for children with autism, IQ above 65, ages 4 to 12. The positive studies used individualized, play-based ASI with fidelity checks, not isolated sensory protocols.
• OTOther2019Impairments in cognitive empathy and alexithymia occur independently of executive functioning in college students with autism.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceCollege students with autism showed more difficulty identifying and verbalizing emotions and taking another person's perspective than controls. These difficulties were not linked to executive-function test scores.
• OTSLPCohort2019Early emergence of discrepancy in adaptive behavior and cognitive skills in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceToddlers with autism or subthreshold autism features and average nonverbal cognition increasingly scored below average on adaptive socialization and daily living by 36 months, while cognitive scores stayed stable. The gap appeared early.
• OTSLPCohort2019Growth mixture models of adaptive behavior in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceMost high school students with autism showed teacher-reported gains in communication, daily living, and socialization, but their scores stayed below age expectations. Students in programs rated higher for independence were more likely to be in the improving groups.
• OTOther2018Friendship Quality, Friendship Quantity, and Social Participation in Adults with Traumatic Brain Injury.Seminars in speech and languageAdults with TBI had less social participation than matched peers, but their friendships were rated as high quality and their number of friends was not clearly lower. Most still had at least one close friendship their friend also valued.
• PTOTOther2019A postural unloading task to assess fast corrective responses in the upper limb following stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA robotic arm test that removes a background load gave steadier results in healthy people and identified more stroke-related arm control problems than a test that adds a load, especially trouble slowing the arm.
• PTOTOther2019Dysfunction, activity limitations, participation restriction and contextual factors in South African women with pelvic organ prolapse.The South African journal of physiotherapySouth African women awaiting prolapse surgery reported poor quality of life mainly through emotional, social and sleep problems. Physical activity limits were not the main issue. Many had heart disease or depression and rarely exercised, suggesting these lifestyle factors need addressing before pelvic floor therapy.
• PTOTSurvey2019Global Consensus From Clinicians Regarding Low Back Pain Outcome Indicators for Older Adults: Pairwise Wiki Survey Using Crowdsourcing.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesClinicians ranked returning to 80% of prior daily activities, independent walking, and grocery shopping as the most important low back pain outcomes for older adults. Pain scores and straight-leg raise ranked low.
• PTOTCohort2019Predictors of Work-Related Disability During Early Phases of Breast Cancer Treatment.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationWomen with breast cancer who stayed working had more work-related disability than matched controls. Across the analysed sample, disability decreased over time, and physical problems were more closely linked to work difficulty than mood or cognition.
• PTOTRCT2019Evaluation of biomechanical gait parameters of patients with Cerebral Palsy at three different levels of gait assistance using the CPWalker.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWalking with the CPWalker robot slowed children down and shortened their stride compared to walking without it. The device restricted movement, reducing speed and pelvic motion during use, with no immediate carryover to unassisted walking.
• PTOTSLPCohort2019Use of Hospital-Based Rehabilitation Services and Hospital Readmission Following Ischemic Stroke in the United States.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn Medicare claims for 88,826 older adults after ischemic stroke, more hospital physical therapy was linked to lower 30-day readmission. Occupational therapy and speech-language therapy showed no such link, so this does not prove these treatments prevent readmission.
• OTCohort2019Pregnancy course, infant outcomes, rehospitalization, and mortality among women with intellectual disability.Disability and health journalWomen with intellectual disability had higher risks of inadequate prenatal care, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, small-for-gestational-age infants, longer delivery hospital stays, and less breastfeeding. Their two-year rehospitalization risk was not higher.
• OTNarrative Review2019Sensor Measures of Symmetry Quantify Upper Limb Movement in the Natural Environment Across the Lifespan.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationWearable wrist sensors may track how much people use both arms in daily life, but the paper says more work is needed before it can guide clinical decisions.
• OTOther2019Personal resource profiles of individuals with chronic pain: Sociodemographic and pain interference differences.Rehabilitation psychologyPersonal resource groups were found in chronic pain samples, but pain interference differences were mixed: fibromyalgia low versus high groups did not differ after depression was considered, while disability pain groups stayed different over four years.
• PTOTSLPPilot2019The effect of the Hambisela programme on stress levels and quality of life of primary caregivers of children with cerebral palsy: A pilot study.The South African journal of physiotherapyCaregiver stress and total quality of life did not significantly change after Hambisela. Daily activities became more stressful. This underpowered pilot cannot show whether the programme helps.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2019Effect of Specific Over Nonspecific VR-Based Rehabilitation on Poststroke Motor Recovery: A Systematic Meta-analysis.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairRehabilitation-specific and commercial VR did not differ clearly. Rehabilitation-specific VR showed better upper-limb movement and daily hand use than usual therapy, while commercial VR did not.
• PTOTSLPOther2019Validation of the Simplified Chinese Psychoeducational Profile Third Edition in Mainland China.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAfter Mandarin and everyday-item changes, the Simplified Chinese PEP-3 gave stable scores and was related to other child-development measures, so it can help therapists profile strengths and weaknesses in Mandarin-speaking children with ASD in mainland China. It does not prove treatment works.
• PTOTCase Report2019Safety and efficacy of robotic elbow training using the upper limb single-joint hybrid assistive limb combined with conventional rehabilitation for bilateral obstetric brachial plexus injury with co-contraction: a case report.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn an adult with brachial plexus injury and cocontraction, robot elbow training plus usual rehab was completed without serious adverse events. Some elbow motion, left elbow power, and right hand and self-reported function scores improved, while other measures did not.
• PTOTNarrative Review2019Tele-monitored tDCS rehabilitation: feasibility, challenges and future perspectives in Parkinson's disease.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRemote tDCS for Parkinson's is feasible and safe, with high compliance and mild side effects. Efficacy data is pending or limited to small open-label studies, so it should not be used as a proven treatment for motor or cognitive symptoms yet.
• OTSurvey2019Factors associated with depression and anxiety in children with intellectual disabilities.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRChildren with intellectual disability who also had autism, ADHD, frequent pain, or bullying were more likely to have depression or anxiety. Hispanic children with intellectual disability and children with Down syndrome were less likely. This cannot show cause.
• OTSLPSurvey2019Treatment patterns in children with autism in the United States.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchMost US children with autism received several non-drug therapies, with speech therapy the most common and usually school-based. Rural residence was linked to less therapy and lower intensity; insurance type was not consistently linked to therapy.
• PTOTSLPOther2019Altered muscle activation patterns (AMAP): an analytical tool to compare muscle activity patterns of hemiparetic gait with a normative profile.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new muscle activity analysis tool identified specific timing and amplitude deviations in stroke survivors' walking. Plantarflexor abnormalities correlated with reduced propulsion and slower walking speeds, offering a way to target gait rehabilitation based on individual muscle coordination deficits.
• PTOTRCT2019Brain-Machine Interface in Chronic Stroke: Randomized Trial Long-Term Follow-up.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairPatients with severe chronic stroke arm paresis who received contingent brain-machine interface training plus physiotherapy had higher combined hand and arm motor scores six months later than before. Sham training plus physiotherapy did not significantly change scores. BMI was not tested without physiotherapy.
• OTCohort2019Transactional Relations Between Parenting Stress and Child Autism Symptoms and Behavior Problems.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParenting stress predicted later increases in child internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, while child ASD symptoms predicted later parenting stress. These bidirectional links varied by parent and time, suggesting interventions should target both parental distress and child behavior simultaneously.
• OTSystematic Review2019Family factors associated with participation of children with disabilities: a systematic review.Developmental medicine and child neurologyLower parental education, lower socio-economic status, poorer parental mental health, lower self-efficacy, less support, less time, and less activity orientation were associated with reduced participation in children with disabilities. Family income was inconsistent.
• OTSystematic Review2019Interventions for sleep difficulties in adults with an intellectual disability: a systematic review.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRSleep interventions for adults with intellectual disability were too varied to compare, and only one study had low risk of bias. Seven reported better sleep, but the review cannot say which intervention helped which patient.
• PTOTCohort2019Estimated Life-Time Savings in the Cost of Ongoing Care Following Specialist Rehabilitation for Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in the United Kingdom.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationSpecialist inpatient rehabilitation for severe traumatic brain injury was associated with large estimated reductions in ongoing care costs, but this observational cost analysis assumed gains would persist without rehabilitation.
• PTOTOther2019Physiological and kinematic effects of a soft exosuit on arm movements.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThe exosuit cut biceps muscle effort by 64.8% and delayed fatigue, but it slowed reaction times by 200 ms and reduced movement accuracy. Therapists should not assume the device supports natural movement quality, as the suit interfered with tracking and smoothness.
• PTOTOther2018Reliability and validity of transfer assessment instrument version 3.0 in individuals with acute spinal cord injury in early rehabilitation phase.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoThe Transfer Assessment Instrument 3.0 consistently rated wheelchair transfers in early spinal cord injury rehab. Raters agreed closely on scores, and the tool aligned with overall transfer quality judgments. Use it to standardize transfer evaluation and identify techniques risking upper limb injury.
• OTSLPNarrative Review2018Changing Developmental Trajectories of Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Strategies for Bridging Research to Community Practice.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRIn toddlers with autism, a parent-implemented model combining coaching, routines, communication targets, and instruction produced greater gains in engagement and communication than weekly group support. The paper did not isolate which parts mattered.
• PTOTSLPCohort2019Pregnancy Outcomes in Women with Spinal Cord Injuries: A Population-Based Study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationMothers with spinal cord injury, paralysis, or spina bifida faced high risks of infection, blood clots, and preterm birth. Infants were often born early or small. However, these babies did not have higher rates of hospitalization or death in their first two years compared to other infants.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2019Questioning the "SPIN and SNOUT" rule in clinical testing.Archives of physiotherapyThe common SPIN and SNOUT rules for interpreting diagnostic tests are unreliable because they ignore disease prevalence. Clinicians should instead use likelihood ratios combined with a patient-specific pre-test probability to determine the true chance of a condition.
• OTPilot2019Evaluating the effects of multisystemic therapy for adolescents with intellectual disabilities and antisocial or delinquent behaviour and their parents.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDFor adolescents with intellectual disabilities and delinquent behaviour, the main outcomes did not differ at treatment end. At 6 months, more adolescents lived at home after MST-ID than standard MST, and rule-breaking and police contact decreased after MST-ID.
• OTOther2019Temperament Similarities and Differences: A Comparison of Factor Structures from the Behavioral Style Questionnaire in Children with and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParent temperament ratings did not cleanly match the Behavioral Style Questionnaire's original subscales in children with autism or typical children. Some traits grouped similarly, but autism showed an extra negative social interaction pattern, and several subscales did not score consistently.
• OTOther2019Development of a Brief Screen for Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Young Children: The Young Child PTSD Screen.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPIn 284 trauma-exposed young children, a brief parent screen flagged every child with five or more PTSD symptoms, but it also flagged many below that threshold. A negative result was reassuring; a positive result needs full assessment.
• PTOTSLPRCT2019Ergometer cycling improves the ambulatory function and cardiovascular fitness of stroke patients-a randomized controlled trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding ergometer cycling to standard physiotherapy improved walking speed, endurance, and blood pressure in sub-acute stroke patients compared to physiotherapy alone. The cycling group walked faster and covered more distance, but the study was small and short.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2019Gait and Balance Impairments in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationBreast cancer survivors show slower walking and poorer balance than normative values, especially when vision or proprioception is challenged. Use functional reach and gait speed tests to screen for fall risk during and after treatment, as single-leg stance results were inconsistent.
• PTOTSystematic Review2018Musculoskeletal disorder and pain associated with smartphone use: A systematic review of biomechanical evidence.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoSmartphone use in lab studies showed more neck flexion, higher upper trapezius activity, lower pain thresholds and larger thumb tendons in frequent users. These are associations, not proof that changing posture prevents pain.
• PTOTOther2019Actigraph assessment for measuring upper limb activity in unilateral cerebral palsy.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWrist sensors used during play separated children with unilateral cerebral palsy from typically developing peers, and greater hand difficulty showed greater asymmetry. This supports actigraphy as an objective measure of arm use.
• OTOther2019A quantitative taxonomy of human hand grasps.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHand grasps grouped by finger position and muscle use into five categories: flat, distal, cylindrical, spherical, ring. The common power versus precision split was not well supported in these 40 intact subjects.
• PTOTCohort2019Impact of heart failure on functional recovery after hip fracture.Journal of physical therapy scienceHip fracture patients with heart failure gained 34.1% of possible daily-living score improvement, versus 51.6% without heart failure, after adjusting for age, gender and pre-fracture walking. They were also less likely to return to the same residence.
• PTOTSystematic Review2019Interventions to improve upper limb function for children with bilateral cerebral palsy: a systematic review.Developmental medicine and child neurologyEvidence on upper limb treatments for children with bilateral cerebral palsy is limited and mixed. Some programmes showed gains, but most studies were small, low quality, and combined occupational or physical therapy, so no single treatment can be recommended confidently.
• PTOTSystematic Review2019Utility of Functional Metrics Assessed During Acute Care on Hospital Outcomes: A Systematic Review.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationIn acute care, higher function on measures such as the Barthel Index or FIM was linked with shorter stays, lower mortality, discharge home more often, and better recovery. These are predictors, not proof that measuring function improves outcomes.
• PTOTCohort2018Stratification of stroke rehabilitation: Five-year profiles of functional outcomes.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoStroke rehab patients admitted who needed help or supervision to walk showed the biggest daily mobility and self-care gains. Those unable to sit, sitting but not walking, or already independent gained less per day. Admission walking level indicated likely discharge mobility.
• PTOTRCT2018Comparative effectiveness of transverse oscillatory pressure and cervical traction in the management of cervical radiculopathy: A randomized controlled study.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoTransverse oscillatory pressure reduced pain faster than cervical traction or exercise alone, with significant gains by week three. All groups improved by week six, but the manual therapy technique showed the largest early effect on pain intensity and disability.
• PTOTSLPCohort2019Comorbid Conditions Among Adults 50 Years and Older With Traumatic Brain Injury: Examining Associations With Demographics, Healthcare Utilization, Institutionalization, and 1-Year Outcomes.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationOlder adults with TBI and acute hospital complications had longer stays and higher rehospitalization rates. Those with chronic disease burdens also faced higher rehospitalization risks. Substance abuse clusters were linked to institutionalization but not 1-year functional outcomes. These patterns highlight distinct risk profiles for discharge planning.