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 67 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTCohort2020Is fatness or fitness key for survival in older adults with intellectual disabilities?Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDOlder adults with intellectual disabilities who were unfit had 3.6 to 4.6 times higher mortality risk than those who were fit, regardless of obesity. Fitness predicted survival; weight measures did not. Prioritize improving physical fitness over weight reduction for healthy aging.
• OTSLPOther2020Measurement Properties of the Suicidal Behaviour Questionnaire-Revised in Autistic Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe SBQ-R suicide questionnaire does not measure suicidality the same way in autistic adults as in the general population. Items about telling others and future intent work differently, so comparing total scores between these groups is invalid without adaptation.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2020Virtual reality and non-invasive brain stimulation for rehabilitation applications: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationCombining virtual reality with brain stimulation showed promise for stroke, pain, and PTSD in small trials, but results were mixed and no study proved it works better than either alone. Single-session treatments mostly failed, so this is not yet a standard care option.
• OTQualitative2020Conversations about health-Sharing the personal experiences of women with intellectual disabilities.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDWomen with intellectual disabilities did not view their disability as an illness but reported doctors dismissing their opinions or demanding a parent's presence. They valued peer support to navigate health decisions and body image pressures, seeking care that respects their adult autonomy.
• PTOTCohort2021Predictive Value of Midsagittal Tissue Bridges on Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairWider ventral and dorsal tissue bridges seen on 1-month MRI were associated with better neurological grade and functional recovery at 12 months after spinal cord injury. This helps set prognosis, not a treatment target.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021What Determines the Quality of Rehabilitation Clinical Practice Guidelines?: An Overview Study.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationRehabilitation guidelines rated with AGREE II varied widely, and no single domain by itself made a guideline high quality or recommended. Rigor of development was strongest, but applicability did not predict recommendation, so guideline scores alone should not decide use.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Impact of COVID-19: Nursing challenges to meeting the care needs of people with developmental disabilities.Disability and health journalNurses supporting people with developmental disabilities report severe challenges securing protective equipment and maintaining routines. They describe being excluded from pandemic planning despite managing high-risk congregate care. Social and behavioral support needs remain unmet due to staffing shortages and lack of specific guidance.
• PTOTRCT2021Telerehabilitation After Stroke Using Readily Available Technology: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairACTIV did not significantly improve physical function at 6 months after stroke. Participation and self-rated health favoured ACTIV, and those receiving at least half the intervention showed physical gains, but these were not sustained.
• OTSLPCase-Control2020Brief Report: Reduced Heart Rate Variability in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism had lower heart rate variability than typically developing peers, but variability did not differ in response to or recovery from a task. In the autism group, lower variability was linked to caregiver-reported attentional responses to sensory input, not social communication scores.
• PTOTOther2020Multiple processes independently predict motor learning.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn healthy young adults, improvements in hitting targets were independently predicted by faster hand movements, more efficient visual search, and looser eye-hand coupling. Avoiding distractors was predicted only by looser eye-hand coupling. This shows motor learning involves multiple distinct processes.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Males and Females with Fragile X Syndrome: Developmental Trajectories in Toddlers Through Young Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn Fragile X syndrome, sensory-motor behaviors decreased with age for both sexes, but higher-order behaviors like restricted interests and compulsions remained stable. Males consistently showed more severe repetitive behaviors than females, except for compulsions. Higher nonverbal IQ was linked to increased compulsive behavior.
• OTQualitative2020One social network, two perspectives: Social networks of people with Down syndrome based on self-reports and proxy reports.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDAdults with Down syndrome rated friends and partners as very close, often omitting paid staff. Proxies listed more staff and family for future support but missed these emotional ties. Self-reports are essential to identify meaningful relationships that proxies overlook.
• PTOTRCT2020Effects of virtual reality training on occupational performance and self-efficacy of patients with stroke: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding 3 weeks of virtual reality training to standard care improved self-efficacy and daily living activities in stroke survivors, but did not improve occupational performance or upper limb function more than standard care alone.
• OTCohort2020Atypical Development of Attentional Control Associates with Later Adaptive Functioning, Autism and ADHD Traits.Journal of autism and developmental disordersA plateaued parent-reported attention trajectory between 10 and 25 months was associated with higher autism and ADHD traits and lower adaptive functioning at age 3. Most infants later diagnosed with autism showed typical attention development.
• OTSLPOther2020The Development and Feasibility Study of a Multimodal 'Talking Wall' to Facilitate the Voice of Young People with Autism and Complex Needs: A Case Study in a Specialist Residential School.Journal of autism and developmental disordersTen minimally verbal or complex-needs students used a multimodal 'Talking Wall' to express preferences. While staff found it promising for capturing immediate likes, spontaneous use was absent, and students often matched images rather than expressing true feelings, especially regarding negative emotions.
• PTOTCohort2020Motor behaviour in infancy is associated with neurological, cognitive, and behavioural function of children born to parents with reduced fertility.Developmental medicine and child neurologyInfants with slow adaptability and performance scores had lower IQs at age 9. Slow adaptability also predicted less optimal neurological function. Non-optimal variation and fluctuating fluency were linked to more internalizing problems, though these behavioural differences were small.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Measuring child functioning: Assessing correlation and agreement between caregiver and child responses at the Iganga-Mayuge health and demographic surveillance site in Uganda.Disability and health journalChildren aged 11 to 17 in Uganda reported their own disability levels with agreement similar to their caregivers. Clinicians can trust child self-reports for physical and cognitive domains, but should still interview caregivers to capture context and mental health nuances.
• OTOther2021Rasch Analysis of Social Attitude Barriers and Facilitators to Participation for Individuals with Disabilities.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationA questionnaire measuring perceived social barriers and supports for people with stroke, spinal cord injury, or brain injury showed scores that were consistent and related to standard social health measures. It may help therapists identify participation problems, but does not show any treatment works.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Strategies for Research, Practice, and Policy for Autism in Later Life: A Report from a Think Tank on Aging and Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersA think tank of 27 people, including autistic adults, identified gaps in care for aging autistic individuals. They recommended adapting existing community programs and training long-term care staff, rather than creating new silos, to address sensory and social needs.
• PTOTQualitative2021Participation in leisure activities from the perception of children with disabilities and their families in Brazil.Journal of rehabilitation medicineChildren with disabilities and their families identified environmental barriers as the main obstacle to leisure participation, outweighing physical limitations. Overprotective family attitudes and inaccessible public spaces were frequent barriers. Family support and adapted environments were the primary facilitators.
• PTOTRCT2021Rehabilitation following rotator cuff repair: A multi-centre pilot & feasibility randomised controlled trial (RaCeR).Clinical rehabilitationEarly sling removal was feasible and resulted in significantly more time out of the sling than standard care. However, clinical outcomes showed no significant difference between groups, and the study was underpowered to confirm effectiveness.
• PTOTCohort2021Brief report: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health behaviors in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Disability and health journalIn nine adolescents with ASD, self-reported physical activity fell from 4.17 to 2.27 days per week, while screen time rose. Sleep duration did not change, but four said bedtime shifted later.
• PTOTCase-Control2021Mu Rhythm during Standing and Walking Is Altered in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy Compared to Children with Typical Development.Developmental neurorehabilitationChildren with unilateral CP showed lower peak brainwave frequencies and altered connectivity during standing compared to typically developing peers. However, brain activity changes during walking were similar between groups. These EEG measures may help track motor development, but need larger studies.
• PTOTRCT2021Experience of physical activity described by patients with heart failure who have received individualized exercise advice: A qualitative study.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePatients with heart failure felt encouraged to be active by advice and monitoring, but often lacked specific guidance on how much or what to do. They adapted activities to fit their abilities and relied on social support and accessible environments to stay active.
• OTSLPQualitative2021A study of mapping usual care and unmet need for vocational rehabilitation and psychological support following major trauma in five health districts in the UK.Clinical rehabilitationAcross the UK trauma networks studied, support after major trauma was uneven. Many musculoskeletal and amputation survivors lacked vocational or psychological help, faced long waits, and fell between acute and community teams.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2020The Prevalence of Self-injurious Behaviour in Autism: A Meta-analytic Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersSelf-injury affects 42% of autistic people. It is not more common in those with intellectual disability, contrary to assumption. Female gender is linked to higher prevalence. Hand hitting, skin picking and hitting objects are the most common forms.
• OTSLPOther2020Brief Report: Performance-Based Executive Functioning Abilities are Associated with Caregiver Report of Adaptive Functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism who scored lower on spatial working memory tasks also had lower caregiver ratings of daily living skills. Verbal working memory was linked to communication scores. Neither type of executive function was associated with socialization skills.
• OTCohort2020Applicability of the post-traumatic stress disorder gate criterion in people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities: Do additional adverse events impact current symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in people with intellectual disabilities?Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDCaregivers reported that non-traumatic adverse life events added to PTSD symptoms in people with intellectual disabilities, but self-reports did not. The two groups disagreed on which events mattered most, so clinical assessment must include both perspectives rather than relying on one.
• OTCohort2020Early Motor Differences in Infants at Elevated Likelihood of Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAt 10 months, infants with a family history of autism or ADHD crossed the body midline less often during block play than typical infants. The difference was not seen at 5 or 14 months, and it was not accompanied by differences in motor scores.
• OTSurvey2020Diversity and Inclusion in the American Legal Profession: Workplace Accommodations for Lawyers with Disabilities and Lawyers Who Identify as LGBTQ.Journal of occupational rehabilitationLawyers with disabilities were more likely to request workplace accommodations but less likely to have them granted. Multiple marginalized identities, such as being a disabled woman of color, further reduced the odds of receiving accommodations.
• OTSLPCohort2020Work, living, and the pursuit of happiness: Vocational and psychosocial outcomes for young adults with autism.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceYoung adults with autism and lower verbal IQ had worse work, living, friendships, and daily living skills than higher-IQ autistic and never-ASD adults. Higher-IQ autistic adults were similar to never-ASD adults, except poorer daily living skills and quality of life.
• PTOTPilot2020Virtual Reality in Pain Rehabilitation for Youth With Chronic Pain: Pilot Feasibility Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesIn 17 youth receiving intensive pain treatment, Fruity Feet was feasible and acceptable. Among 8 with repeated daily reports, pain, fear, avoidance, and functional limitations decreased, while activity engagement and pain reactivity did not change.
• PTOTRCT2020Commercial head-mounted display virtual reality for upper extremity rehabilitation in chronic stroke: a single-case design study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSeven people with chronic stroke played commercial VR games for ten weeks. Most showed improved arm function on clinical tests. The games required no button pressing, allowing those with severe weakness to participate using straps. This is a small pilot, not proof of efficacy.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Posthospital Brain Injury Rehabilitation Providers.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationSeven posthospital brain injury rehabilitation organizations adapted services with telehealth and strict safety protocols during the pandemic. Infection rates remained low among patients and staff, with zero deaths reported, though financial strain and service limitations were significant.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Prevalence of intellectual disability among eight-year-old children from selected communities in the United States, 2014.Disability and health journalIntellectual disability affected 11.8 of every 1,000 eight-year-olds in nine US states. Prevalence was twice as high in boys as girls and highest in Black children. Rates dropped as neighborhood income and education rose. Children in lower-income areas were tested later.
• OTSLPOther2021Brief Report: Social Anxiety in Autism Spectrum Disorder is Based on Deficits in Social Competence.Journal of autism and developmental disordersHigh-functioning adults with autism reported social anxiety levels comparable to those with social anxiety disorder, but showed significantly greater deficits in social competence and information processing. This suggests autistic social anxiety stems from fundamental social skill deficits rather than fear of negative evaluation alone.
• OTSLPCohort2021Trajectories of Autism Symptom Severity Change During Early Childhood.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutism symptom severity changed during early childhood. Most children stayed stable, some decreased, and some increased. Baseline severity did not predict direction, so watch for both improvement and worsening.
• PTOTCohort2021IQ and Sensory Symptom Severity Best Predict Motor Ability in Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism had lower motor scores than children in the typically developing or intermediate groups, but sensory symptom severity and IQ predicted motor ability better than diagnosis. Assess sensory and cognitive factors before assuming motor problems follow from diagnosis alone.
• PTOTPilot2021Effect of Different Forms of Activity-Based Recovery Training on Bladder, Bowel, and Sexual Function After Spinal Cord Injury.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationStand training did not improve bladder, bowel, or sexual function after spinal cord injury. Arm crank exercise lowered bladder pressure and improved bladder compliance, but bowel and sexual function scores did not change.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2020Parents' knowledge of their child with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities: An interpretative synthesis.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDParents of children with profound disabilities describe knowing their child through a physical, intuitive bond. This knowledge is hard to transfer via written logs but can be shared by showing caregivers how to interact or by telling stories, helping them understand the child's needs.
• PTOTRCT2020Effects of robot viscous forces on arm movements in chronic stroke survivors: a randomized crossover study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 13 chronic stroke survivors, only a robot force that assisted movement made reaching faster while it was on. Speed did not stay faster after it stopped, and resisting or rewarding speed did not increase speed.
• PTOTQualitative2020Exploring Attitudes and Experiences of People With Knee Osteoarthritis Toward a Self-Directed eHealth Intervention to Support Exercise: Qualitative Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPeople with knee osteoarthritis found a self-directed website and SMS program easy to use and helpful for exercising. However, automated texts caused guilt when they missed sessions. Most wanted a health professional to introduce the program and be available for questions.
• PTOTRCT2020Development of the Home based Virtual Rehabilitation System (HoVRS) to remotely deliver an intense and customized upper extremity training.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFifteen people with chronic stroke used a home virtual reality system for three months. Their upper limb function scores improved by an average of 5.2 points, exceeding the clinically important difference. The system was feasible, with participants averaging 13.5 hours of use and few technical issues.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2021The impact of injury: The experiences of children and families after a child's traumatic injury.Clinical rehabilitationInjured children and parents describe discharge as a time when hidden problems surface. Late-onset fatigue, fear of re-injury, and coordination gaps leave families feeling abandoned. Therapists should proactively manage activity restrictions and screen for post-traumatic stress symptoms after hospital discharge.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Identification of Functional Limitations and Discharge Destination in Patients With COVID-19.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn patients with COVID-19 matched for age and comorbidities, physical health deficits and being single, divorced or widowed were associated with discharge to an institution rather than home. Rehabilitation therapy was provided to a minority of patients overall.
• OTSLPSurvey2021Teacher-Reported Prevalence of FASD in Kindergarten in Canada: Association with Child Development and Problems at Home.Journal of autism and developmental disordersTeacher-reported FASD in Canadian kindergarten was uncommon. Children with FASD only generally scored higher than children with other neurodevelopmental disorders on teacher-rated development, but teacher-reported home problems were more common in the FASD groups.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Development and Validation of the WHO Rehabilitation Competency Framework: A Mixed Methods Study.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationThe final WHO rehabilitation competency framework has 5 domains, 17 competencies, 4 core values, 56 behaviors, 20 activities, and 62 tasks. It was built from existing frameworks, professional surveys, and 36 service users.
• PTOTCase Report2020Portable neuromodulation induces neuroplasticity to re-activate motor function recovery from brain injury: a high-density MEG case study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA man with severe brain injury and a long-standing walking plateau stood for 20 minutes with minimal assistance after 14 weeks of physiotherapy plus tongue stimulation. His sitting balance scores improved substantially. This is a single case, so it does not prove the device works.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Validation of ICD-10-CM surveillance codes for traumatic brain injury inpatient hospitalizations.Brain injuryInpatient records coded for skull fractures alone often do not represent true traumatic brain injury, with a positive predictive value of 15.8%. Records coded for intracranial injury were far more accurate, confirming TBI in 96.9% of cases when listed as the primary diagnosis.
• OTSurvey2020Dimensions of group home culture as predictors of quality of life outcomes.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDTwo staff-perceived culture dimensions predicted resident outcomes. Better team leadership linked to higher engagement. Staff focus on well-being linked to more community participation. Culture did not predict choice or domestic tasks. These are associations, not proof that changing culture improves outcomes.