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 56 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPCase Report2019Disruption of PHF21A causes syndromic intellectual disability with craniofacial anomalies, epilepsy, hypotonia, and neurobehavioral problems including autism.Molecular autismSeven patients with PHF21A gene variants all had intellectual disability and language delay. Four also had epilepsy, three had autism, and three had obesity. This links the gene to a syndrome involving craniofacial anomalies, hypotonia, and neurobehavioral problems.
• OTCohort2019Parkinson's family needs and caregiver mental health: A cross-cultural comparison between Mexico and the United States.NeuroRehabilitationCaregivers in Mexico and the United States had similar levels of anxiety and depression. US caregivers reported more unmet emotional and community support needs. Mexican caregivers reported more unmet instrumental needs, such as help with daily tasks.
• OTSLPRCT2019The effect of intensified nonverbal facilitation of swallowing on dysphagia after severe acquired brain injury: A randomised controlled pilot study.NeuroRehabilitationIntensified nonverbal facilitation of swallowing was feasible but did not significantly improve clinical swallowing scores compared to control. The intervention group showed positive changes in laryngeal elevation speed and maximum elevation during treatment, while the control group worsened on these measures.
• PTOTCohort2019Impact of motor therapy with dynamic body-weight support on Functional Independence Measures in traumatic brain injury: An exploratory study.NeuroRehabilitationIn six patients with traumatic brain injury, therapy using dynamic body-weight support led to significantly greater improvement in Functional Independence Measure scores at discharge compared to standard care. This was a small, retrospective comparison, not a randomized trial.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Longer Time Before Acute Rehabilitation Therapy Worsens Disability After Intracerebral Hemorrhage.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationEvery extra day between hospital admission and the first rehab consult raised the odds of poor disability outcomes at 30 and 90 days. Delays were longest for patients in the ICU, those with low consciousness, or those who could walk before the stroke.
• OTSLPOther2020Understanding Number Line Estimation in Williams Syndrome and Down Syndrome.Journal of autism and developmental disordersWhen compared at the same mental age, people with Williams syndrome, Down syndrome and typical development placed numbers on lines with similar accuracy. Williams scores tracked number familiarity, while Down scores tracked visuo-spatial skills on the 0-10 scale.
• OTSurvey2020Parenting Strategies Used by Parents of Children with ASD: Differential Links with Child Problem Behaviour.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of children with ASD who had more reactivity, noncompliance or demand avoidance reported using more accommodating strategies, such as changing demands and avoiding triggers. These links were measured at one time, so they do not show that accommodation causes problem behaviour.
• PTOTSLPCohort2019Risk factors and types of recurrent stroke: a Saudi hospital based study.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 112 Saudi patients with recurrent stroke, hypertension was present in 90.2% and diabetes in 62.5%. Ischaemic heart disease was significantly more common in ischaemic strokes than in brain bleeds. These findings support rigorous vascular risk monitoring for this population.
• PTOTCohort2019Instrumental activities of daily living and number of daily steps in frail older females.Journal of physical therapy scienceFrail older women who could prepare meals and do housework took significantly more daily steps than those who needed help. Overall step counts were very low, averaging under 2,000 steps per day.
• PTOTCohort2019Association between patients' state upon admission and decline in activities of daily living.Journal of physical therapy scienceInpatients with low initial function saw the biggest drops in transfer and toilet use. Those with high initial function saw the biggest drops in bathing and stairs. Screen patients based on their admission Barthel Index to target prevention.
• PTOTSLPCohort2019Relationship between the nutritional state of elderly people in need of support or nursing care and jaw-opening force and tongue pressure.Journal of physical therapy scienceBetter nutritional scores correlated with stronger jaw-opening force in 25 care-dependent elders, but not with tongue pressure. Low jaw force may signal malnutrition risk, though the small sample limits certainty.
• OTSLPOther2020Autism and depression are connected: A report of two complimentary network studies.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults and people with depression report similar levels of worry and low perceived control over their lives. While these factors link autism and depression symptoms, the study cannot prove that low control causes either condition, nor that improving it will resolve them.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Budget impact analysis of robotic exoskeleton use for locomotor training following spinal cord injury in four SCI Model Systems.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIntroducing robotic exoskeletons for 10% of locomotor training sessions in four rehabilitation facilities resulted in small annual savings, ranging from $649 to $4784. However, increasing conventional overground training by 10% yielded greater savings than adding the exoskeleton.
• OTOther2020Dissociation in How Core Autism Features Relate to Interoceptive Dimensions: Evidence from Cardiac Awareness in Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn autistic children, greater overall autism severity was linked to higher confidence on the heartbeat discrimination task and lower confidence on the heartbeat tracking task. This does not show causation.
• PTOTCohort2020Physical Function and Frailty for Predicting Adverse Outcomes in Older Primary Care Patients.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationPhysical function tests predicted hospitalizations and self-rated health as well as frailty measures in older adults. The patient-reported LLFDI was the only predictor of falls over two years, while the SPPB predicted emergency visits. Screening choice may depend on whether performance or patient-reported data is preferred.
• PTOTCohort2020Using Inferred Mobility Status to Estimate the Time to Major Depressive Disorder Diagnosis Post-Spinal Cord Injury.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAfter spinal cord injury, major depression was diagnosed in 20.87% of insured people, with a median time of 86.0 days, and was more common when durable medical equipment claims suggested greater mobility impairment.
• OTSLPQualitative2020Short Report: Social Perception of High School Students with ASD in Norway.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFive students with Asperger syndrome said inclusive high school could be a fresh start and a key place to practise social skills, after bullying or exclusion in junior high. Crowds were the most challenging social situation.
• OTRCT2019Development of 3D-printed myoelectric hand orthosis for patients with spinal cord injury.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 10 people with chronic cervical spinal cord injury, wearing a 3D-printed hand orthosis controlled by muscle signals improved hand function test scores for many objects. Small or flat objects showed little change.
• PTOTSurvey2019Assessing and addressing footwear needs in Parkinson's disease-design thinking in neurology.NeuroRehabilitationMost Parkinson's patients in this survey struggled to put on shoes. Longer disease duration, not age, predicted these difficulties. Patients prioritized comfort and ease of use but abandoned dress shoes if they were uncomfortable, highlighting a gap between functional needs and aesthetic preferences.
• PTOTRCT2019Usefulness of simulation method to improve efficiency of chair-to-wheelchair transfer of patients performed by caregivers.Journal of physical therapy scienceHands-on simulated transfer training with explanation and feedback increased leg load on a mock care-receiver more than no coaching. Watching a demonstration with explanation did not produce this change.
• PTOTCohort2019Factors affecting the performance of activities of daily living in patients with advanced cancer undergoing inpatient rehabilitation: results from a retrospective observational study.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 48 patients with advanced cancer who improved or maintained daily living skills, higher rehabilitation intensity was linked to greater gains. Those with poor grooming ability at the start showed the most improvement. The study excluded patients who worsened, so it does not show what happens to everyone.
• OTSurvey2020Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) in Fragile X Syndrome.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents rated quality of life in Fragile X syndrome highest for physical functioning and lowest for cognitive functioning. Better child school and cognitive functioning were linked to better caregiver and family quality of life.
• PTOTRCT2020Does a novel exergame challenge balance and activate muscles more than existing off-the-shelf exergames?Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new exergame package elicited significantly larger weight shifts than an off-the-shelf game in all directions. Muscle activity remained low overall, though some games sustained activity longer. Motivation was high and similar across all games tested.
• PTOTRCT2020Reliability, validity and discriminant ability of a robotic device for finger training in patients with subacute stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThe robotic device reliably measures finger strength and muscle tone in stroke patients, with changes greater than 10.6 N in flexion or 3.4 N in extension likely reflecting true improvement. It does not reliably measure spasticity, so do not use its spasticity scores to guide treatment.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Functional resistance training during walking: Mode of application differentially affects gait biomechanics and muscle activation patterns.Gait & postureComputer simulations show that how you apply resistance during walking changes which muscles work. Ankle weights and elastic bands target swing-phase muscles, while backward pulling targets stance-phase hip extensors. Weighted vests had minimal effect.
• PTOTSLPRCT2020Use of the Dyskinesia Impairment Scale in non-ambulatory dyskinetic cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyThe Dyskinesia Impairment Scale detects changes in dystonia as well as the standard BADS in non-ambulatory children, but many required activities cannot be performed by this group. It scores choreoathetosis, which the BADS misses, but takes longer to administer.
• OTOther2020Initial factor exploration of disability identity.Rehabilitation psychologyAdults with disabilities described disability identity in four themes: internal beliefs about disability, anger and frustration, adopting disability community values, and contributing to that community. The pilot measure has not yet been tested with a separate sample.
• OTRCT2020Early Childhood Development Caregiver Training and Neurocognition of HIV-Exposed Ugandan Siblings.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPCaregiver training aimed at a preschool child, with nutrition support for all children, did not show substantial cognitive benefit for older siblings. Some test gains did not hold when many outcomes were considered, and parent-reported behavior scores were worse in the training group.
• PTOTOther2020What happens before the first step? A New Approach to Quantifying Gait Initiation Using a Wearable Sensor.Gait & postureA single lower-back sensor accurately measured gait initiation timing compared to a lab gold standard. Older adults with fall history showed significantly longer reaction and preparation times than young adults, offering a feasible way to assess movement planning outside the clinic.
• PTOTRCT2020Hebbian-Type Primary Motor Cortex Stimulation: A Potential Treatment of Impaired Hand Function in Chronic Stroke Patients.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairNo significant difference between Hebbian-type and sham stimulation on the primary hand function measure. Both groups improved after training, and only the Hebbian-type group remained significantly better than baseline at four weeks.
• PTOTCase Report2019Impact of combination of therapeutic exercise and psychological intervention for a patient with first-time traumatic shoulder dislocation.Journal of physical therapy scienceA young woman with first-time traumatic shoulder dislocation who chose conservative care improved shoulder function and returned to recreational badminton after phase-based exercise, the Watson program, and psychological support. This was a single case, not proof the treatment works.
• PTOTSLPPilot2020Automatic versus manual tuning of robot-assisted gait training in people with neurological disorders.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAn automatic tuning algorithm reached stable assistance levels faster than an experienced therapist and used lower assistance overall. Participants reported similar safety and effect for both methods. This pilot compared tuning mechanics, not long-term clinical recovery.
• OTRCT2020Anatomical and Functional Characterization in Children With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy: An Atlas-Based Analysis.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn children with unilateral cerebral palsy, whole-brain anatomical patterns tracked hand function more closely than lesion type alone. Children with periventricular lesions had better hand function than children with middle cerebral artery lesions.
• PTOTCohort2020Spatio-temporal gait variables predicted incident disability.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 4121 Japanese older adults, slower walking, shorter stride, slower steps, and more variable stride were associated with later need for long-term care support. More abnormal gait measures meant higher risk.
• PTOTSLPRCT2020Athletes With Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Autograft for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Were Slower to Meet Rehabilitation Milestones and Return-to-Sport Criteria Than Athletes With Hamstring Tendon Autograft or Soft Tissue Allograft : Secondary Analysis From the ACL-SPORTS Trial.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyAthletes with bone-patellar tendon-bone grafts took 1.5 to 2.5 months longer to meet rehab milestones and up to 4 months longer to return to sport than those with hamstring autografts or allografts. They also had lower quadriceps strength after training, though outcomes equalized by one year.
• PTOTRCT2020Relationship between changes in motor capacity and objectively measured motor performance in ambulatory children with spastic cerebral palsy.Child: care, health and developmentAfter 12 weeks of physiotherapy plus optional botulinum toxin, serial casting or ankle foot orthoses, changes in motor capacity did not go together with objectively measured motor performance. At 24 weeks, strength and walking speed gains went with less sedentary time.
• PTOTCohort2020Community-based participation of children with and without disabilities.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with disabilities were less likely to get together with friends, join physical activities, or attend religious gatherings. They also took part in several of these activities less often, even after accounting for sex, income, and parental education.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Prevalence of physical and mental health conditions in Medicare-enrolled, autistic older adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic older adults had significantly higher odds of nearly every physical and mental health condition compared to non-autistic peers. This included high risks for epilepsy, Parkinson’s, gastrointestinal issues, and suicidality. Clinicians should anticipate complex comorbidities in this population.
• PTOTPilot2020Changes in standing stability with balance-based torso-weighting with cerebellar ataxia: A pilot study.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyLight torso weights helped people with cerebellar ataxia stand longer and sway less when balance was challenged, but did not improve walking speed. The weights were safe in this small pilot, suggesting potential for stability support but not faster mobility.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2020Inconsistent Classification of Mild Stroke and Implications on Health Services Delivery.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMild stroke is defined inconsistently across the literature, with ten different cutoff scores on the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale alone. This confusion likely contributes to patients being misclassified and missing out on necessary rehabilitation referrals and services.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2019The effects of regenerative injection therapy compared to corticosteroids for the treatment of lateral Epicondylitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Archives of physiotherapyAutologous blood or platelet rich plasma injections for tennis elbow matched corticosteroids for pain at 1 and 2 months, then showed less pain and better arm use at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year.
• PTOTPilot2019Minimal clinically important difference for the Fugl-Meyer assessment of the upper extremity in convalescent stroke patients with moderate to severe hemiparesis.Journal of physical therapy scienceFor convalescent stroke patients with moderate to severe arm weakness, a 12.4-point improvement on the Fugl-Meyer upper extremity score marked the threshold where patients felt their arm function had meaningfully improved in daily life.
• PTOTSLPCohort2019Psychiatric Symptoms: Prevalence, Co-occurrence, and Functioning Among Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborns at Age 10 Years.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPAbout 30% of 10-year-olds born extremely preterm screened positive for at least one psychiatric disorder. Co-occurrence was frequent, especially between internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Higher numbers of co-occurring disorders were linked to worse school, social, and physical functioning.
• PTOTOther2019The "subluxation" issue: an analysis of chiropractic clinic websites.Archives of physiotherapyNearly half of Alberta chiropractic clinic websites use the word "subluxation," and one-third present it as a theory causing nerve interference and organ dysfunction. Eight percent specifically market this concept for children, linking it to conditions like colic, ADHD, and asthma.
• OTSLPNarrative Review2020From Early Childhood to Adolescence: Lessons About Traumatic Brain Injury From the Ohio Head Injury Outcomes Study.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationChildren with early childhood TBI had lasting cognitive, language, behavior, and school difficulties, often unmet. Family stress, parenting, and genetics were related to outcomes. This review reports associations, not treatment effects.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2020Family-centred care in early intervention: Examining caregiver perceptions of family-centred care and early intervention service use intensity.Child: care, health and developmentParents rated respectful care and partnership highly but scored general information sharing lowest. Higher service intensity was linked to better perceptions of respectful care and partnership, but not to information exchange. Parents and providers did not agree on most care quality aspects.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2020Self-reported short sleep duration among US adults by disability status and functional disability type: Results from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.Disability and health journalAdults with disabilities are more likely to report short sleep duration than those without. The risk increases with the number of disability types. Clinicians should routinely ask about sleep health in patients with functional limitations.
• OTOther2020Social and Object Attention Is Influenced by Biological Sex and Toy Gender-Congruence in Children With and Without Autism.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic boys looked less at faces than typical boys, while autistic and typical girls did not differ. Children looked longer at toys matching their own sex, and at faces more when actor sex and toy gender mismatched.
• PTOTCohort2020Influence of Prior and Intercurrent Brain Injury on 5-Year Outcome Trajectories After Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationPrior and later moderate to severe injuries did not change the recovery course after moderate to severe TBI, but they were linked to worse function over five years. Mild injuries showed no such link.
• PTOTCohort2020Using accelerometry for measurement of motor behavior in children: Relationship of real-world movement to standardized evaluation.Research in developmental disabilitiesWrist accelerometers can objectively measure how much children with hemiparesis use their affected arm in daily life. The movement data correlated moderately with clinical test scores, suggesting this affordable tool can help screen for asymmetry and guide therapy intensity.