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 65 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTQualitative2021Enhanced Capacity to Act: Managers' Perspectives When Participating in a Dialogue-Based Workplace Intervention for Employee Return to Work.Journal of occupational rehabilitationManagers involved in a workplace dialogue alongside group cognitive behavioral therapy in a multimodal program described building competence, adjusting work tasks, making written plans, and sharing responsibility. They saw these as useful for return-to-work conversations.
• PTOTCohort2021Chronic Poststroke Deficits in Gross and Fine Motor Control of the Ipsilesional Upper Limb.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationPeople with chronic stroke showed reduced fine and gross motor dexterity in their ipsilesional (same-side) arm. Standard clinical tests like the Nine-Hole Peg Test and Box and Blocks Test can detect these deficits, which often go unnoticed when therapy focuses solely on the contralesional arm.
• PTOTOther2021Navigator Role for Promoting Adaptive Sports and Recreation Participation in Individuals With Disabilities.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationAdults with disabilities and parents wanted adaptive sports support from a person active in adaptive sports, not an app. They valued social connection, mental health, and accessible facilities, but cited cost and limited knowledge as barriers.
• OTRCT2021Effectiveness of a Tailored Work-Related Support Intervention for Patients Diagnosed with Gastrointestinal Cancer: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of occupational rehabilitationEarly tailored work support did not significantly reduce time off work for gastrointestinal cancer patients. The study was underpowered, but patients receiving support returned to work in a median of 190 days compared to 233 days for usual care.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021A systematic review of head-up tilt to improve consciousness in people with a prolonged disorder of consciousness.Clinical rehabilitationThere is insufficient high-quality evidence to support using head-up tilt to improve consciousness in adults with prolonged disorders of consciousness. While the Erigo device reduces treatment interruptions from low blood pressure compared to standard tilt-tables, neither device has been proven to enhance alertness.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2021Effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for treating post-stroke depressive symptoms: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Topics in stroke rehabilitationNon-drug therapies slightly reduced post-stroke depression overall. Music therapy and psychosocial therapy showed small-to-medium benefits, while exercise and multifactorial interventions did not. These effects were small, so these therapies should complement, not replace, standard care.
• PTOTSurvey2021Workforce Reintegration After Work-Related Permanent Impairment: A Look at the First Year After Workers' Compensation Claim Closure.Journal of occupational rehabilitationWorkers with permanent impairment face a difficult first year after compensation claims close. Over half reported their injury made it hard to keep a job, and 13% suffered a new work injury. Those with higher impairment levels had significantly more pain, time off, and medical costs.
• PTOTNarrative Review2020Cardiac Rehabilitation During Quarantine in COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges for Center-Based Programs.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationHome-based cardiac rehabilitation appears as effective as center-based care for improving fitness and safety, and may be more sustainable. During quarantine, 15 minutes of daily individualized exercise with remote coaching can help maintain physical function in cardiac patients.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Role of Rehabilitation Department for Adult Individuals With COVID-19: The Experience of the San Raffaele Hospital of Milan.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationThe hospital created separate acute, rehabilitation, and quarantine wards to manage COVID-19 patients. This allowed them to shorten acute stays to 10 days, discharge only patients with negative swabs, and keep staff infection-free by strictly separating care teams and paths.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2020Transcranial direct current stimulation for improving ambulation after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of rehabilitation research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Rehabilitationsforschung. Revue internationale de recherches de readaptationActive tDCS improved functional mobility and Timed Up and Go scores after stroke, but did not significantly improve walking speed or endurance compared to sham stimulation. The benefit was seen in general walking ability measures rather than specific gait velocity or distance.
• PTOTRCT2020The effects of small-needle-knife therapy on pain and mobility from knee osteoarthritis: a pilot randomized-controlled study.Clinical rehabilitationSmall needle-knife therapy improved knee pain and Oxford Knee Scores more than the drug Celecoxib at three weeks and three months. However, patients also received massage, acupuncture, and exercise. This pilot cannot separate the needle-knife effect from the standard care.
• PTOTSLPOther2020COVID-19 outcomes among people with intellectual and developmental disability living in residential group homes in New York State.Disability and health journalAdults with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in New York group homes had substantially higher COVID-19 case rates and death rates than the general state population. The disparity was greatest near New York City, where case-fatality rates also exceeded the state average.
• PTOTCohort2020Relationship Between Motor Level and Wheelchair Transfer Ability in Spina Bifida: A Study From the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMost patients with spina bifida maintained their wheelchair transfer ability over time. When transfer ability changed, it tracked directly with shifts in motor level rather than baseline severity. Older age and hip or knee strength changes were key factors in these functional shifts.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Cause of death in adults with Down syndrome in the United States.Disability and health journalAdults with Down syndrome face much higher death risks from choking, pneumonitis, and early-onset dementia. They also have lower cancer death rates. Clinicians should screen for swallowing issues and start dementia checks by age 35.
• PTOTSLPCohortEvaluating the Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Relationships Predicting Suicidal Ideation Following Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationSuicidal thoughts after brain injury were linked to depression, substance misuse, and injury severity. Injury severity predicted these thoughts even when depression was absent. Screen all patients for suicidal thoughts, not just those with diagnosed depression.
• PTOTSurvey2021Rates, patterns, and correlates of fitness tracker use among older adults with multiple sclerosis.Disability and health journalAmong older adults with MS, 28% use fitness trackers. Users report slightly more physical activity than non-users, but this association exists only in those who already have higher income, employment, and less disability.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Content Validation of a Practice-Based Work Capacity Assessment Instrument Using ICF Core Sets.Journal of occupational rehabilitationA Dutch work capacity assessment tool covers physical and mental functions well but misses key environmental factors. It lacks items on social support, workplace attitudes, and psychosocial job demands, which are common in core sets for people with chronic conditions.
• PTOTCohort2021The self-assessment INTERMED predicts healthcare and social costs of orthopaedic trauma patients with persistent impairments.Clinical rehabilitationEach one-point higher self-assessment INTERMED score in 136 orthopaedic trauma patients in rehabilitation was associated with 2% higher healthcare costs, 3% higher lost-wage costs and 4% longer work incapacity.
• PTOTCohort2021Regional Variations in Rehabilitation Outcomes of Adult Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation Investigation.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAdults with traumatic brain injury discharged after inpatient rehabilitation varied widely by U.S. region. After accounting for patient factors, some regions had higher discharge function scores, longer stays, or lower likelihood of going home.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Emerging health challenges for children with physical disabilities and their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic: The ECHO French survey.Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicineDuring lockdown, rehabilitation services were massively interrupted, leaving parents to deliver therapy at home. This caused a heavy mental load for families and led to negative effects on children's morale, behavior, and physical activity levels.
• OTSurvey2021Loneliness, social support, social isolation and wellbeing among working age adults with and without disability: Cross-sectional study.Disability and health journalWorking-age adults with disability reported more loneliness, less support and more isolation than adults without disability. Loneliness was linked to lower life satisfaction, worth, happiness and wellbeing, more strongly than low support or isolation.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Brain Injury Functional Outcome Measure (BI-FOM): A Single Instrument Capturing the Range of Recovery in Moderate-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationA new 31-item measure tracks recovery from moderate to severe brain injury more accurately than standard scales. It captures patients who are nearly normal and those with profound impairment, avoiding the common problem where scores bunch up at the very top or bottom.
• OTQualitative2021Barriers That Obstruct Return to Work After Coronary Bypass Surgery: A Qualitative Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationPatients after coronary bypass surgery reported that a lack of clear advice from healthcare professionals was a major barrier to returning to work. Many felt abandoned after cardiac rehabilitation ended, with no guidance on how to resume their jobs safely.
• OTCohort2020Sleep impairment is related to health-related quality of life among caregivers of lower-functioning traumatic brain injury survivors.Rehabilitation psychologyCaregivers of service members with traumatic brain injury who perceived the survivor as having lower everyday function and who reported high sleep-related impairment had worse social quality of life. This link was not found in caregivers of civilians.
• PTOTRCT2020The Efficiency, Efficacy, and Retention of Task Practice in Chronic Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairMore practice hours improved perceived arm movement quality in chronic stroke, but extra hours gave smaller gains and larger doses faded faster. The authors suggest shorter, spread-out practice and encouraging daily arm use to retain gains.
• PTOTSurvey2020Minimal clinically important difference and minimal detectable change of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) amongst patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.Clinical rehabilitationIn patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, a change in WHODAS 2.0 score must exceed 8.6 points to be real rather than measurement error. This threshold is larger than the minimal clinically important difference of 3 to 5 points, meaning small score changes may not reflect true improvement.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Feasibility and Acceptability of Telemedicine to Substitute Outpatient Rehabilitation Services in the COVID-19 Emergency in Italy: An Observational Everyday Clinical-Life Study.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationTelemedicine maintained outpatient services with high satisfaction. Physiotherapy sessions recovered during the telemedicine phase, but consultation volumes remained lower than pre-pandemic levels. Most patients did not require a subsequent face-to-face visit.
• PTOTOther2020Classification of Parkinson's disease and essential tremor based on balance and gait characteristics from wearable motion sensors via machine learning techniques: a data-driven approach.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMachine learning models using wearable sensor data on balance and gait could distinguish Parkinson's disease from essential tremor, with neural networks performing best. However, accuracy was moderate and the dataset heavily favored Parkinson's cases, limiting immediate clinical application.
• PTOTCohort2020Rudimentary Dexterity Corresponds With Reduced Ability to Move in Synergy After Stroke: Evidence of Competition Between Corticoreticulospinal and Corticospinal Tracts?Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn people with moderate arm impairment after stroke, the ability to move the arm out of synergy and the ability to move within synergy trade off against each other. This suggests a competition between brain pathways, where recovering fine control may temporarily reduce gross synergy movement.
• PTOTOther2020Quantitative description of upper extremity function and activity of people with spinal muscular atrophy.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn people with spinal muscular atrophy, arm strength and muscle activity were already reduced when daily tasks still looked near normal. People unable to lift their arms overhead had lower upper limb function, and active shoulder movement was closely related to daily performance.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Knee Extensor and Flexor Torque Variability During Maximal Strength Testing and Change in Knee Pain and Physical Function at 60-Mo Follow-Up: The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST).American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationIn adults with or at risk of knee OA, inconsistent hamstring strength predicted worsening pain and function over 5 years, even after accounting for peak strength. Inconsistent quadriceps strength did not. Screening for hamstring variability may identify patients at higher risk of decline.
• OTCohort2021Predicting and Assessing Work Performance of People with Limited Work Capacity (LWC): A Multi-Wave, Multi-Source Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationSelf-reported avoidance coping consistently predicted lower work accuracy, pace, social behaviour and task performance. Other-rated concentration and conscientiousness predicted work accuracy, but other-rated self-confidence predicted lower accuracy. Self- and other-ratings captured complementary, not identical, predictors of work behaviour.
• OTCase Report2021Postoperative Treatment of Intracranial Hypotension Venous Congestion-Associated Brain Injury With Zolpidem.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationOne patient with a postoperative brain injury from low spinal fluid pressure was more alert and oriented after zolpidem doses and later inpatient rehabilitation. This describes one person, not proof zolpidem caused recovery.
• PTOTOther2021Cognitive-Motor Interference Heightens the Prefrontal Cortical Activation and Deteriorates the Task Performance in Children With Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationChildren with hemiplegic cerebral palsy showed more prefrontal activation and poorer shape matching when doing the task on a therapy ball than while sitting. The dual task also slowed their reaction time.
• PTOTCohort2021Accelerometer Measured Sedentary and Physical Activity Behaviors of Working Patients after Total Knee Arthroplasty, and their Compensation Between Occupational and Leisure Time.Journal of occupational rehabilitationWorking knee replacement patients spent 60% of their time sedentary. Those with physical jobs moved less during leisure time to compensate for work activity. Those with desk jobs continued prolonged sitting at home. Encourage active breaks for desk workers.
• PTOTOther2021Self-Efficacy and Social Support are Associated with Disability for Ambulatory Prosthesis Users After Lower-Limb Amputation.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationHigher self-efficacy and social support were linked to less disability in 122 ambulatory lower-limb prosthesis users at least 1 year after amputation. Motivation was not linked. This shows an association, not proof that changing these factors reduces disability.
• OTCohort2021Using Administrative Data to Assess the Risk of Permanent Work Disability: A Cohort Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationA score from pension, income and benefit records separated future disability-pension cases well. At a score of 50 points, it flagged 71.5% of cases and correctly classified 80.6% of people. Most people with high scores stayed employed, so it cannot assign rehabilitation.
• PTOTRCT2021Evaluation of the enhanced upper limb therapy programme within the Robot-Assisted Training for the Upper Limb after Stroke trial: descriptive analysis of intervention fidelity, goal selection and goal achievement.Clinical rehabilitationStroke survivors chose eating, dressing and range-of-motion goals most often. Overall, only 51% of goals were achieved. Those under three months post-stroke achieved 73-88%, but those with severe arm limitation over a year post-stroke achieved just 27%, especially for self-care tasks.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Ecological Momentary Assessment of Social Interactions: Associations With Depression, Anxiety, Pain, and Fatigue in Individuals With Mild Stroke.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn 48 people with mild stroke, higher momentary fatigue and depressed mood were linked to lower social confidence and satisfaction. Better social interactions predicted lower fatigue and mood symptoms hours later, while social success unexpectedly predicted increased pain at the next check-in.
• OTOther2020Sensing form - finger gaiting as key to tactile object exploration - a data glove analysis of a prototypical daily task.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHealthy adults rotating a small cuboid at 1 Hz moved thumb and fingers through three coordinated joint groups within each 1-second act. The pattern is a normal reference for hand tactile exploration, not tested stroke treatment.
• PTOTCase Series2020Acceptability of a Mobile Phone-Based Augmented Reality Game for Rehabilitation of Patients With Upper Limb Deficits from Stroke: Case Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesFive stroke patients rated a smartphone augmented reality game as acceptable, finding it comfortable and motivating despite difficulty with the hand controllers. This small study confirms users would try it again but does not prove it improves physical recovery.
• PTOTCohort2020Conditioned Pain Modulation Decreases Over Time in Patients With Neuropathic Pain Following a Spinal Cord Injury.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairDescending pain inhibition decreased over rehabilitation in patients with neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury, but remained stable in those with only musculoskeletal pain. Early pain levels did not predict later pain, suggesting impaired inhibition is a consequence of neuropathic pain rather than its cause.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020The relative influence of intellectual disabilities and autism on sensory impairments and physical disability: A whole-country cohort of 5.3 million children and adults.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDIntellectual disabilities were associated with much higher odds of sight loss, hearing loss and physical disability than autism alone. Autism was also independently linked to these impairments, but to a lesser extent. Both conditions require heightened vigilance for sensory and physical health issues.
• PTOTRCT2020Virtual reality-based treatment for regaining upper extremity function induces cortex grey matter changes in persons with acquired brain injury.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationVirtual reality arm exercises showed promise for improving strength and movement in chronic brain injury patients, with associated brain volume changes. However, the study was small and non-randomized, so these benefits are not yet proven compared to standard therapy.
• OTCohort2020Sleep Problems and Trajectories of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism or developmental delay who had more parent-reported sleep problems at age 4 showed higher sameness, ritual, and compulsive behavior trajectories through early childhood. This was a link, not proof that poor sleep caused the behaviors.
• PTOTQualitative2020Users with spinal cord injury experience of robotic Locomotor exoskeletons: a qualitative study of the benefits, limitations, and recommendations.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeople with spinal cord injury valued exoskeletons for therapy and the psychological boost of standing at eye level. However, they found the devices too costly, bulky, and dependent on a companion for independent home or community use. They prioritized lighter, faster designs with fall protection.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Tolerability and psychological effects of a multimodal day-care rehabilitation program for persons with Huntington's disease.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePeople with Huntington's disease who completed an 8-week multimodal day-care rehabilitation programme reported less anxiety and depression and better self-rated health. The study was small and uncontrolled, so it cannot show the programme caused these changes.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Positive Beliefs and the Likelihood of Successful Community Discharge From Skilled Nursing Facilities.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationPatients who believed they could become more independent were 6.0% more likely to return home successfully than those who did not. Staff optimism only helped if the patient also believed. If patients were pessimistic, staff optimism was linked to lower discharge success.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Association Between 2010 Medicare Reforms and Utilization of Postacute Inpatient Rehabilitation in Ischemic Stroke.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationDischarges to inpatient rehabilitation facilities dropped 1.1% after 2010 Medicare reforms, while skilled nursing facility discharges remained unchanged. The adjusted odds of IRF admission fell 12% compared to home discharge. This suggests fewer stroke patients received intensive therapy despite the policy aiming to target complex needs.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021Systems Approach Is Needed for In-Hospital Mobility: A Qualitative Metasynthesis of Patient and Clinician Perspectives.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationHospitalized older adults stay inactive because staff expect them to be passive, fear falls, and lack time. Mobility fails when teams wait for physical therapy clearance instead of acting. Success requires clarifying roles and challenging ageist assumptions about patient capability.