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 66 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTRCT2021The effect of an integrated multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme for patients with chronic low back pain: Long-term follow up of a randomised controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationAt one year, an integrated multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme did not reduce back-specific disability more than a four-week inpatient programme for chronic low back pain. Both groups improved, but the integrated programme was not shown to be superior.
• PTOTCohort2021The Role of Earlier Receipt of a Lower Limb Prosthesis on Emergency Department Utilization.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationAmong commercially insured adults after lower limb amputation, receiving a prosthesis 0 to 3 months after surgery was associated with less emergency department use within 12 months than not receiving one within 12 months. Falls were also linked to higher emergency department use.
• PTOTRCT2021Can the early use of botulinum toxin in post stroke spasticity reduce contracture development? A randomised controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationEarly botulinum toxin injections reduced spasticity and slowed elbow contracture formation in stroke patients. All participants also received electrical stimulation. While the treatment did not improve arm function scores, it significantly reduced the need for splints at three and six months post-stroke.
• PTOTOther2021Subgroups of Long-Term Sick-Listed Based on Prognostic Return to Work Factors Across Diagnoses: A Cross-Sectional Latent Class Analysis.Journal of occupational rehabilitationLong-term sick-listed workers fell into four distinct groups based on return-to-work factors, not their medical diagnosis. One group had low symptoms and high work ability. Another had high anxiety and low self-efficacy. A third had poor scores across all areas. The fourth had pain and poor workplace adjustments.
• PTOTRCT2021Resistance band training after triamcinolone acetonide injection for subacromial bursitis: A randomized clinical trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAdding 9 weeks of resistance band training to a steroid injection kept shoulder pain and function improved for six months. Injection alone worked for three weeks, then pain returned. The band training group also needed far fewer repeat treatments.
• PTOTOther2021Psychosocial Factors Influence Physical Activity after Dysvascular Amputation: A Convergent Mixed-Methods Study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPeople after dysvascular lower-limb amputation described activity as shaped by prosthesis trust, fear of falling, effort and time, and social outlook. Step count related to Timed Up-and-Go, not disability scores.
• PTOTQualitative2020Virtual reality in pain therapy: a requirements analysis for older adults with chronic back pain.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationOlder adults with chronic back pain prioritized safety, simple controls, and positive reinforcement over complex game stories when designing VR exercises. They feared falling and found the demo too difficult, demanding a seated option, help button, and therapist supervision.
• OTCohort2020Predicting clinically significant motor function improvement after contemporary task-oriented interventions using machine learning approaches.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFor chronic stroke patients, a machine-learning model using time since stroke and baseline arm movement and daily independence scores could identify who was likely to improve after task-oriented upper-limb therapy. It was tested only on a small sample.
• PTOTPilot2020Rhythmic neural activity is comodulated with short-term gait modifications during first-time use of a dummy prosthesis: a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAble-bodied men using a dummy leg prosthesis showed immediate brain rhythm changes in frontal and parietal areas. These neural shifts tracked specific gait adjustments like foot placement and weight support, suggesting the brain actively manages the new mechanical demands from the very first step.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Managing the Rehabilitation Wave: Rehabilitation Services for COVID-19 Survivors.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationThis paper describes a hospital's operational response to a surge in COVID-19 patients, detailing how they triaged rehabilitation needs using functional scores and modified care models. It offers a template for organizing services but reports no patient outcomes, so it does not show that these methods improved recovery.
• PTOTRCT2020Gains Across WHO Dimensions of Function After Robot-Based Therapy in Stroke Subjects.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairRobot-assisted therapy improved arm movement and daily task performance in 40 stroke survivors, but did not change their perceived quality of life or participation. Gains in physical function correlated with activity scores, but neither predicted improvements in participation.
• PTOTRCT2020Kinematic parameters obtained with the ArmeoSpring for upper-limb assessment after stroke: a reliability and learning effect study for guiding parameter use.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeak velocity and game score are reliable and stable for assessing upper-limb impairment. Time-based measures improve with practice, so the first session and early trials must be excluded to avoid mistaking learning for recovery.
• PTOTCohort2020Technology-aided assessment of functionally relevant sensorimotor impairments in arm and hand of post-stroke individuals.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn chronic stroke survivors with mild to moderate deficits, a virtual peg task captured grip force and movement patterns. Three metrics were reliable enough for tracking recovery over time, and performance correlated with standard hand dexterity tests.
• PTOTQualitative2021Exploring Cancer Treatment Experiences for Patients With Preexisting Mobility Disability.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationPatients with pre-existing mobility disability reported that prior negative healthcare experiences and fears of losing function drove them to refuse or alter cancer treatments. They also faced inaccessible equipment and staff who lacked disability-specific knowledge, leading to unmet basic needs.
• PTOTSurvey2021A team approach to applying the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Rehabilitation set in clinical evaluation.Journal of rehabilitation medicineChinese rehabilitation experts divided the 30 ICF Rehabilitation Set categories among physicians, nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists: 6 for physicians, 7 for nurses, 9 for physiotherapists and 8 for occupational therapists. Speech therapists were excluded.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Distress, Work Satisfaction, and Work Ability are Mediators of the Relation Between Psychosocial Working Conditions and Mental Health-Related Long-Term Sickness Absence.Journal of occupational rehabilitationWorkers facing high emotional demands and work-family conflict were more likely to go on long-term mental health sick leave. This link was driven by distress. Supportive resources like learning opportunities and co-worker support lowered this risk, mediated by work satisfaction and ability.
• PTOTRCT2021Sustained efficacy of incobotulinumtoxina repeated injections for upper-limb post-stroke spasticity: A post hoc analysis.Journal of rehabilitation medicineRepeated incobotulinumtoxinA injections for upper-limb post-stroke spasticity reduced muscle tone and caregiver burden more than placebo. Benefits in tone and disability increased with each injection cycle up to 48 weeks, suggesting a cumulative effect rather than a single-shot fix.
• OTOther2020Sensory Overresponsivity as a Predictor of Amplitude Discrimination Performance in Youth with ASD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn children with autism, higher parent-reported sensory overresponsivity predicted worse performance on a tactile test involving adaptation. This link was not found in typically developing children. The study suggests sensory issues may underlie specific tactile processing differences in autism.
• PTOTRCT2020Relationships between accelerometry and general compensatory movements of the upper limb after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAccelerometer data from daily life, but not clinic visits, reflects movement quality. People who compensated more during tasks used their non-paretic arm more and showed less variability at home. Clinic training masks these patterns, so daily wearables capture compensations that in-clinic tests miss.
• OTRCT2020Academic Needs in Middle School: Perspectives of Parents and Youth with Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersA seven-session planning and organization group for youth with autism had full attendance and high parent satisfaction, but youth reported low understanding. Focus groups linked planning problems to missed homework and middle-school demands.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Age of First Walking and Associations with Symptom Severity in Children with Suspected or Diagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism walked independently later than peers, and later walking linked to more severe autistic symptoms. This association held after adjusting for IQ and other factors. Delayed walking is not specific to autism, but warrants considering autism as a possible diagnosis, especially in girls.
• PTOTNarrative Review2020Translational Approaches to Electrical Stimulation for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairBrief electrical stimulation after nerve surgery shows promise for faster recovery in small human trials, but results are mixed. A key trial found no significant difference in functional disability compared to surgery alone, though sensory recovery was better.
• PTOTRCT2020Activity-based training with the Myosuit: a safety and feasibility study across diverse gait disorders.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTraining with the Myosuit exosuit was safe and feasible for most participants with diverse gait disorders. Walking speed and endurance improved after several sessions, but this likely reflects adaptation to the device rather than clinical efficacy.
• OTCohort2021Cognitive and emotional symptoms in patients with first-ever mild stroke: The syndrome of hidden impairments.Journal of rehabilitation medicineOne year after mild stroke, 67% of 117 patients had at least one abnormal cognitive test score and 43% had at least one abnormal emotional score. Only 18% had no detectable deficit.
• PTOTRCT2021Effects of Lower Thoracic Spinal Cord Stimulation on Bowel Management in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationBowel routines dropped from 118 minutes to 18 minutes in five men with cervical spinal cord injury using implanted spinal cord stimulation. Mechanical methods and medications became less necessary. This is a tiny case series, so it proves feasibility, not efficacy.
• OTSurvey2021The Use and Perceived Usefulness of an Online Toolbox Targeted at Employers (MiLES Intervention) for Enhancing Successful Return to Work of Cancer Survivors.Journal of occupational rehabilitationEmployers of cancer survivors used a six-week online support tool mainly before work conversations. Most found it useful, practical and reassuring when uncertain. This describes their perceptions, not proof it improved return to work.
• OTQualitative2021How children and their parents value using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) with children themselves.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineChildren with a mental age of at least 8 years and their parents valued using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure to set goals. Children felt capable of rating their own performance and satisfaction. Parents prioritized the child's wishes over their own in most cases.
• OTQualitative2021Roles, Facilitators and Challenges of Employment Support Specialists Assisting Young People with Mental Health Conditions.Journal of occupational rehabilitationEmployment support specialists, including occupational therapists, described roles beyond job placement, such as profiling, coaching, employer education and disclosure decisions. They viewed client-centered relationships, support networks and employer understanding as key, while stigma and limited jobs constrained placements.
• OTQualitative2020Experiences of service users with a mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning with Flexible Assertive Community Treatment: A qualitative study.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDFifteen people with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning described FACT as helpful because teams stayed involved, were available, respected autonomy, and helped with practical needs. Some were disappointed about housing or felt restricted.
• PTOTOther2020Postural control strategy after incomplete spinal cord injury: effect of sensory inputs on trunk-leg movement coordination.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeople with incomplete spinal cord injury struggle to shift from an ankle to a hip balance strategy when sway increases or surfaces soften. Trunk-leg coherence measured by two sensors tracked this reliably, unlike standard balance measures.
• PTOTNarrative Review2020These legs were made for propulsion: advancing the diagnosis and treatment of post-stroke propulsion deficits.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPost-stroke walking deficits stem from poor propulsion, not just weakness. Current rigid braces can block push-off. Emerging therapies like functional electrical stimulation and soft exosuits aim to restore true propulsion, but these remain experimental and require rigorous testing before clinical adoption.
• PTOTRCT2020Evaluation of an exercise-enabling control interface for powered wheelchair users: a feasibility study with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFive boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy drove a powered wheelchair using arm motions that also raised their heart rate. They completed the tasks, though driving was slower and less accurate than with a joystick.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Leisure activity in middle-aged adults with Down syndrome: Initiators, social partners, settings and barriers.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDMiddle-aged adults with Down syndrome self-initiated most leisure, often alone. They met recommended time for physical activity but lacked intensity, and spent most cognitively stimulating time on games rather than reading. Transportation and lack of nearby places were top barriers.
• PTOTSLPPilot2020Eye movement performance and clinical outcomes among female athletes post-concussion.Brain injuryFemale athletes with recent concussion made more errors on a task requiring them to look away from a target than healthy controls. However, eye movement measures did not reliably predict how long symptoms lasted or when athletes returned to play.
• PTOTRCT2020Immersive Virtual Environments and Wearable Haptic Devices in rehabilitation of children with neuromotor impairments: a single-blind randomized controlled crossover pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn children with cerebral palsy or developmental dyspraxia, immersive virtual reality with haptic feedback did not show better hand-function test results than conventional therapy. Some movement smoothness measures favoured virtual reality, but the trial was very small.
• OTSurvey2020Schooling for Pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Parents' Perspectives.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of 1799 Swedish pupils with autism reported school absence without illness, more often in girls, and named staff autism knowledge and poor school adaptation more than bullying.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Stroke impairment categories: A new way to classify the effects of stroke based on stroke-related impairments.Clinical rehabilitationStroke patients fall into seven distinct impairment groups. These groups predict different therapy needs and outcomes. Motor-Cognitive-Sensory strokes are most common. Loss of Consciousness strokes have highest mortality. Clinicians can use these categories to benchmark expected therapy doses and discharge destinations.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Multi-stage Screening in Early Intervention: A Critical Strategy for Improving ASD Identification and Addressing Disparities.Journal of autism and developmental disordersEmbedding two-stage autism screening in Early Intervention caught 83.7% of diagnosed cases. Follow-through was high, and gaps in diagnosis for children of color or those with limited English vanished after Stage 1. This model helps therapists identify risk without relying on pediatric referrals.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021Impact of COVID-19 on people with physical disabilities: A rapid review.Disability and health journalPeople with physical disabilities faced major disruptions to care, including suspended physiotherapy and transportation barriers. While some reported worse sleep and mood, others showed resilience or even improved sexual satisfaction. No single consistent pattern of harm emerged across the small number of studies.
• PTOTOther2021A Descriptive Study of the Implementation of Remote Occupational Rehabilitation Services Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Within a Workers' Compensation Context.Journal of occupational rehabilitationRemote occupational rehabilitation proceeded with no reported adverse events, but clinicians made more cautious recommendations. Fewer workers were cleared for full pre-accident duties, and more received permanent restrictions. Service volumes dropped, and complex cases were largely excluded from remote assessment.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2021Developmental outcomes after early surgery for complex congenital heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Developmental medicine and child neurologyInfants with complex heart defects score below average on motor and cognitive tests. Single-ventricle patients continue to have lower IQ and language issues into school age, while two-ventricle patients often catch up to typical ranges.
• PTOTOther2021Rasch analysis to evaluate the motor function measure for patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.International journal of rehabilitation research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Rehabilitationsforschung. Revue internationale de recherches de readaptationThe Motor Function Measure is too easy for many patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. It fails to distinguish between those with mild weakness and those with severe disability, so it may not accurately track progression or treatment response in this group.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2020Resilience in the face of adversity in adults with an intellectual disability: A literature review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDAdults with intellectual disability described resilience as feeling in control, accepting themselves, staying healthy, having supportive people, and doing regular activities. The evidence came from six case reports, so it is not proof that any therapy works.
• PTOTOther2020Improving Accelerometry-Based Measurement of Functional Use of the Upper Extremity After Stroke: Machine Learning Versus Counts Threshold Method.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairMachine learning models accurately measured functional arm use in stroke survivors, closely matching video evidence. The standard counts threshold method failed, grossly overestimating functional use by including nonfunctional movements like arm swing. This suggests current accelerometry metrics may be misleading for assessing real-world recovery.
• PTOTSLPRCT2020'Recoupling' the attentional and motor control of preparatory postural adjustments to overcome freezing of gait in Parkinson's.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn people with Parkinson's, freezing attempts failed when the sideways weight shift was too small. Training a specific verbal or analogy cue to increase this shift helped nearly all participants initiate a step successfully, with no difference between the two cue types.
• PTOTCohort2020Executive Control of Walking in People With Parkinson's Disease With Freezing of Gait.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairPeople with Parkinson's who report freezing of gait showed higher prefrontal brain activity while walking than those without freezing. This suggests their brains work harder to control movement. However, their actual walking speed and step variability looked the same as non-freezers once disease severity was accounted for.
• OTOther2020Before the Accommodation Principle: Disability and Employment Among Union Army Veterans.Journal of occupational rehabilitationUnion army veterans with disabilities were often unemployed, but they also returned to work more often than veterans without disabilities. For pensions under $18 per month, disability was a stronger marker of unemployment than income.
• OTSLPQualitative2020"For Me, the Anorexia is Just a Symptom, and the Cause is the Autism": Investigating Restrictive Eating Disorders in Autistic Women.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic women with anorexia described their eating disorder as a coping mechanism for autism-related distress, not primarily driven by weight concerns. Restriction served to numb sensory overload, regulate confusion, and create predictability. This suggests standard anorexia treatments may fail if they ignore the underlying autism.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2020Systematic review on the application of wearable inertial sensors to quantify everyday life motor activity in people with mobility impairments.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWearable sensors can track specific movements like sitting duration or gait speed in people with mobility impairments. However, the studies varied too much in method and reporting to confirm which sensor setups work best or how accurate they are for clinical use.
• PTOTOther2020Telework After COVID: A "Silver Lining" for Workers with Disabilities?Journal of occupational rehabilitationWorkers with disabilities are more likely to work from home, but they face larger wage gaps in those roles. Telework expands job access for this group but does not close the pay disparity, suggesting employers must address compensation separately.