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 60 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTCohort2020Time Course of Wrist Hyper-Resistance in Relation to Upper Limb Motor Recovery Early Post Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairPassive wrist resistance became higher in patients who could not extend their fingers early after stroke, while it stayed mostly stable in those who could.
• PTOTQualitative2020Web-Based Consumer Health Education About Back Pain: Findings of Potential Tensions From a Photo-Elicitation and Observational Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPeople with back pain using a website described tensions between reducing pain and living with it, staying active and resting, choosing treatments and needing guidance, hearing warnings without feeling judged, and biomedical facts without human context.
• PTOTRCT2020Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation with virtual reality on upper limb function in patients with ischemic stroke: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding real cathodal tDCS to VR and conventional occupational and physical therapy improved upper limb impairment after ischemic stroke more than sham tDCS with the same VR and conventional occupational and physical therapy in this small trial.
• PTOTOther2020Repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation improves severe upper limb paresis in early acute phase stroke survivors.NeuroRehabilitationIn 19 adults with severe arm weakness after stroke, final FMA scores did not differ significantly between groups. The rPMS group had higher FMA score gain relative to treatment duration (2.65 versus 1.10).
• OTOther2020Felt but not seen: Observed restricted repetitive behaviors are associated with self-report-but not parent-report-obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms in youth with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceYouth with autism who reported more obsessive-compulsive symptoms had more clinician-observed repetitive behaviors. Parent-reported OCD symptoms did not track these observed behaviors, so parent report alone may miss distress reported by the child.
• PTOTCohort2020Sleep Disruption After Brain Injury Is Associated With Worse Motor Outcomes and Slower Functional Recovery.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairInpatients with more fragmented sleep showed slower recovery of functional independence and worse motor outcomes. Sleep quality did not improve during rehabilitation. Screening for sleep disruption may identify patients at risk of poorer recovery, though causality is not proven.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Facilitating sensorimotor integration via blocked practice underpins imitation learning of atypical biological kinematics in autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults who struggled to imitate a novel, atypical movement learned it when they practised that single movement repeatedly in a block, rather than mixing it with typical movements. Blocked practice allowed them to encode the unusual timing, a skill that transferred to random testing.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Driving after pediatric traumatic brain injury: Impact of distraction and executive functioning.Rehabilitation psychologyA history of pediatric TBI did not independently worsen simulated driving. Instead, executive functioning deficits drove poor vehicle control and speed variability. Texting impaired driving for all participants, while hands-free conversation did not.
• OTSurvey2020Does occupational noise matter amongst manufacturing (small and medium enterprises) workers? Empirical evidence from Magaba, Mbare, Zimbabwe.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsReported workplace noise exposure was linked to manufacturing workers' attitudes about noise and concern about hearing loss; those factors were also linked to job performance. The study did not test whether reducing noise helps.
• PTOTRCT2020Intense and unpredictable perturbations during gait training improve dynamic balance abilities in chronic hemiparetic individuals: a randomized controlled pilot trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding intense, unpredictable perturbations to treadmill walking improved dynamic balance and gait speed in people with chronic stroke. Walking alone did not help. The perturbation group gained more balance than the control group, but the study was small and short.
• PTOTSurvey2020Satisfaction with quality of healthcare at primary healthcare settings: Perspectives of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.The South African journal of physiotherapyPatients with type 2 diabetes rated overall care at South African clinics as good, with 80.9% satisfied. However, dissatisfaction was high regarding wait times and clarity of discharge instructions. Those who gave suggestions overwhelmingly called for more staff, better communication from doctors, and reduced pharmacy queues.
• OTSLPOther2020Observed emotional reactivity in response to frustration tasks in psychiatrically hospitalized youth with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceHospitalized autistic youth showed more intense and longer negative reactions during frustration tasks than before them, then generally returned to baseline during recovery. Youth with little or no speech and lower adaptive skills reacted more strongly.
• OTSLPCohort2020Trajectories of emotional and behavioral problems from childhood to early adult life.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceEmotional, conduct and ADHD symptoms declined modestly from childhood to early adulthood in autistic people, but many still scored high on screening questions. Better everyday adaptive function was associated with faster declines in conduct and ADHD symptoms.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2020Transcranial direct current stimulation combined with physical or cognitive training in people with Parkinson's disease: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding tDCS to physical or cognitive therapy showed inconsistent benefits. Cognition and upper limb function improved in some trials, but gait and motor symptoms showed no clear advantage over sham stimulation. Small study sizes and varied protocols limit confidence in these findings.
• PTOTRCT2020High-Intensity Exercise Improves Fatigue, Sleep, and Mood in Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.Physical therapyThree months of high-intensity exercise improved fatigue, vitality, mood, and perceived health in patients with axial spondyloarthritis. These benefits disappeared by 12 months, likely because fewer than half continued exercising. The effects were small to moderate and did not reach the threshold for clinically important change.
• PTOTPilot2020COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Considerations and Costs of Telehealth Exercise Programs for Older Adults With Functional Impairments Living at Home-Lessons Learned From a Pilot Case Study.Physical therapyA single stroke survivor completed a 36-session telehealth strength and balance program. He improved in sit-to-stand speed and perceived recovery, but walking speed and daily step count barely changed. The program cost about $158 per session, far exceeding standard Medicare reimbursement rates.
• PTOTCohort2020Upper limb kinematics during the first year after stroke: the stroke arm longitudinal study at the University of Gothenburg (SALGOT).Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAfter stroke, movement time and hand speed approached healthy performance by 3 months, but elbow speed, arm lifting away from the body and trunk lean stayed impaired through 12 months.
• PTOTSLPRCT2020A comparison of two personalization and adaptive cognitive rehabilitation approaches: a randomized controlled trial with chronic stroke patients.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationVirtual reality cognitive training improved general cognition more than paper-and-pencil tasks in chronic stroke patients. However, the VR group also used their affected arm for motor tasks, so the benefit may come from combined motor-cognitive training rather than VR alone.
• PTOTRCT2020Neurophysiological signatures of hand motor response to dual-transcranial direct current stimulation in subacute stroke: a TMS and MEG study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationDual tDCS shifted brain activity in subacute stroke patients: it increased excitability in the damaged-side motor cortex and decreased it in the healthy-side cortex. These neurophysiological changes mirrored those in healthy controls and correlated with the patients' existing hand function.
• OTQualitative2020'Conflict versus Congruence': A Qualitative Study Exploring the Experience of Gender Dysphoria for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersTen autistic adults with gender dysphoria described autism as both a barrier to accessing support and a protector against societal judgment. They reported that structured, predictable clinical environments and peer connections were essential for reducing distress and enabling transition.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Effects of nutritional status on prognosis in patients with severe hemiplegia who were recently admitted to a rehabilitation hospital.Journal of physical therapy sciencePatients with severe hemiplegia who had normal serum albumin levels at admission achieved better walking ability and daily living independence at discharge than undernourished patients. However, age and time since stroke onset differed significantly between the two groups.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Statistical measures of motor, sensory and cognitive performance across repeated robot-based testing.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRepeat testing on a robotic arm platform showed performance often improved due to learning, not recovery. Clinicians must use task-specific change thresholds to distinguish real skill gains from natural variability and practice effects.
• OTOther2020Age- and gender-stratified adult myometric reference values of isometric intrinsic hand strength.Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand TherapistsAdults aged 21 and older showed different intrinsic hand strength by age, gender and body mass index. Strength usually peaked in the 30s and 40s, then declined. These values can help compare a patient's hand strength to similar peers.
• PTOTSystematic Review2020Dart thrower's motion and the injured scapholunate interosseous ligament: A scoping review of studies examining motion, orthoses, and rehabilitation.Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand TherapistsIn a torn scapholunate ligament, dart thrower motion may separate the scaphoid and lunate at end range, especially ulnar flexion. Midrange motion may be safer, but cadaver and imaging studies did not test repaired ligaments, and orthosis designs are unproven.
• PTOTOther2020Quantitative clinical assessment of motor function during and following LSVT-BIG® therapy.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWearable sensors showed that LSVT-BIG therapy improved walking speed, sit-to-stand times, and Timed-Up-and-Go scores in people with Parkinson's. These gains remained stable for 13 weeks after therapy ended. However, there was no improvement in balance or fine finger movements.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Structural validity of the mealtime behaviour questionnaire for children with autism spectrum disorder in Japan.Journal of physical therapy scienceA new 42-item questionnaire accurately groups mealtime problems in autistic children into five distinct areas: selective eating, manners, concentration, oral motor skills, and overeating. This structure helps therapists pinpoint specific causes of feeding difficulties rather than treating them as one single issue.
• PTOTOther2020Responsiveness of pain, functional capacity tests, and disability level in individuals with chronic nonspecific low back pain.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoPain scores changed most after two weeks of therapy for chronic low back pain. The five-time sit-to-stand test also changed noticeably. But the functional reach and step tests barely budged. Disability scores improved less than expected. These tests may need longer to show real progress.
• PTOTOther2020The effects of a defecation posture, supported by the upper limbs, on respiratory function.Journal of physical therapy scienceArm-supported forward-leaning posture on a toilet seat produced larger breath volumes and higher comfort ratings than upright or unsupported forward-leaning postures in 73 healthy young adults.
• OTSLPOther2020Incorporating discriminative stimuli into functional communication training with augmentative and alternative communication devices: a tutorial.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)This tutorial describes how to embed color-coded discriminative stimuli into AAC software to signal when communication responses are reinforced. It provides a step-by-step progression for teaching functional communication and thinning schedules, but notes that formal efficacy evaluations of these specific software applications are still needed.
• PTOTPilot2020Web-Based Health Coaching for Spinal Cord Injury: Results From a Mixed Methods Feasibility Evaluation.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesEleven people with spinal cord injury completed a web-based peer coaching program, but none of the changes in self-efficacy, mood or secondary conditions reached significance. The authors report feasibility, not proof the intervention works.
• OTNarrative Review2020The interaction between pain and movement.Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand TherapistsNo new finding changes practice here. The article summarizes pain and movement theories and prior evidence, not original outcomes.
• PTOTSystematic Review2020Systematic review with network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of robotic-assisted arm training for improving activities of daily living and upper limb function after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationNo robotic arm training type improved daily living or arm function significantly more than others. Indirect comparisons found no clear evidence to support choosing one specific device over another for stroke recovery.
• PTOTRCT2020Gait improvements by assisting hip movements with the robot in children with cerebral palsy: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFive minutes of hip-assistive robot training improved hip movement symmetry and push-off force in children with cerebral palsy, but did not increase walking speed. The benefits were temporary and seen only after the robot was removed.
• PTOTRCT2020Effects of virtual reality associated with serious games for upper limb rehabilitation inpatients with multiple sclerosis: randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding Leap Motion virtual games to usual upper-limb therapy improved dexterity and coordination on the more affected side in MS, but not grip strength, fatigue, or quality of life compared with control.
• PTOTRCT2020Timing-dependent effects of transcranial direct current stimulation with mirror therapy on daily function and motor control in chronic stroke: a randomized controlled pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationApplying tDCS before mirror therapy improved daily activities more than doing them together or with sham. However, motor function improved similarly in all three groups, so the brain stimulation did not add benefit to physical movement recovery.
• PTOTSLPRCT2020Electronic participation-focused care planning support for families: a pilot study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyCaregivers of children in early intervention used a web-based care-planning tool over two weeks. Most finished it independently in under 13 minutes. Feedback was neutral to favorable, but many found it burdensome. It is feasible for future trials but not yet a tested treatment.
• OTCase-Control2020Concentrations of Cortical GABA and Glutamate in Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchYoung adults with autism had typical brain chemical levels linked to excitation and inhibition across visual, auditory and motor regions. These levels did not relate to visual sensitivity or overall autism severity, so this study does not support an excitation-inhibition imbalance in adults.
• PTOTOther2020Assessment of dynamic balancing responses following perturbations during slow walking in relation to clinical outcome measures for high-functioning post-stroke subjects.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn slow walking, 44% of stroke subjects fell outside the healthy response range for forward pushes and 27% for backward pushes; outward pushes also showed impaired responses, while inward pushes mostly did not. Routine tests related only to forward pushes.
• OTSurvey2019Profiles and Predictors of Smart Home Technology Adoption by Older Adults.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthOlder adults mostly own basic safety devices like alarms and thermostats but reject complex automation like voice assistants or remote monitoring. Being female, younger, or having mobility issues predicts higher adoption, but these factors explain very little of the variance, so no single profile guarantees success.
• PTOTCase-Control2020Quantitative Gait Analysis in Duplication 15q Syndrome and Nonsyndromic ASD.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchPeople with dup15q syndrome walk significantly slower and with much less stability than those with nonsyndromic autism or typical development. This distinct gait profile offers a precise, objective way to track motor progress in clinical trials for this genetic syndrome.
• PTOTOther2020Thai dance exercises benefited functional mobility and fall rates among community-dwelling older individuals.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoCommunity-dwelling older adults who performed Thai dance exercises for six weeks showed improved functional mobility and fewer falls. Participants walked faster, stood up from a chair more quickly, and the number of fallers dropped from 21 to 5. Benefits appeared within three weeks.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Number of trials necessary to achieve performance stability in a reaching kinematics movement analysis game.Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand TherapistsHealthy children and adults needed 6 practice trials to stabilize arm movement in a VR game. The study suggests therapists should collect multiple trials before assessing performance, as even simple reaching requires repetition to be reliable.
• OTOther2020The Infant Toddler Activity Card Sort: A Caregiver Report Measure of Children's Occupational Engagement in Family Activities and Routines.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthCaregivers of infants and toddlers helped build a picture card set for talking about daily family activities. Occupational therapists are the intended users, but the measure has not yet been tested in outcome studies.
• PTOTOther2020Validity and reliability of an accelerometer-based assessgame to quantify upper limb selective voluntary motor control.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAn accelerometer game separated children with upper motor neuron lesions from healthy peers and agreed with therapist notes, but it is not yet reliable enough to track small changes after therapy.
• PTOTOther2020Normative database of spatiotemporal gait parameters using inertial sensors in typically developing children and young adults.Gait & postureGait does not fully mature until ages 9 to 21, not age 4. Stride length variability is highest in children aged 5 to 6 and normalizes by age 9. Absolute stride length and speed increase with age, but normalized values remain stable.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Clinical examination factors that predict delayed recovery in individuals with concussion.Archives of physiotherapyConcussed athletes who had cognitive symptoms or positive vestibular exam findings on initial evaluation were significantly more likely to have delayed recovery. These predictors were strongest when the examination occurred early after injury.
• OTSurvey2019Relationships between Occupational Therapy Practitioner Characteristics and Home Exercise Program Prescription for Clients with Neurological Injuries.Occupational therapy in health careMost OTs prescribe home exercises focused on range of motion and fine motor tasks rather than daily living activities. While experience level did not change exercise dosage, treatment setting strongly influenced which activities were chosen and when programs were started.
• OTCohort2019The Association between ADL Ability and Quality of Life among People with Advanced Cancer.Occupational therapy internationalObserved motor ability during daily tasks was significantly associated with higher quality of life in people with advanced cancer. Self-reported ability and observed process skills showed no significant link, though trends suggested those with higher observed motor skills reported better well-being.
• OTOther2019Spanish Transcultural Adaptation of the Activity Card Sort.Occupational therapy internationalThe Spanish Activity Card Sort now contains 79 activities tailored to local habits, including napping and going for drinks, while removing less common ones like bingo or church attendance. This provides therapists with a culturally relevant tool to assess participation in community-dwelling older adults.
• PTOTQualitative2020Fostering Holistic Hand Therapy: Emergent Themes of Client Experiences of Mind-Body Interventions.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthEight hand therapy clients described sonographic biofeedback as helping them understand their injury's physical cause and mindfulness as reducing stress to allow focus. Both approaches helped clients feel more in control and active in their recovery.