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 68 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTRCT2020Fall inducing movable platform (FIMP) for overground trips and slips.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new mobile platform successfully induced realistic trips and slips in healthy young adults without restricting their walking. The device attached to the ankle and moved with the person, allowing researchers to capture natural balance recovery reactions that treadmill studies often miss.
• PTOTSLPRCT2020A comprehensive scheme for the objective upper body assessments of subjects with cerebellar ataxia.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA sensor-based system accurately identified cerebellar ataxia and estimated severity. Using just two tests, finger chase and finger tapping, matched the accuracy of four tests. This suggests clinicians could rely on a shorter, objective assessment without losing diagnostic precision.
• OTOther2021COVID-19 outcomes among people with intellectual and developmental disability in California: The importance of type of residence and skilled nursing care needs.Disability and health journalMost people with IDD receiving services in California lived in family homes and had the lowest case and death rates. Skilled nursing facilities had the highest.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2021Effect of core-based exercise in people with scoliosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical rehabilitationCore exercises may slightly reduce spinal curvature and improve quality of life in scoliosis, but the evidence is weak and inconsistent. Pain and visible trunk rotation did not improve. Do not expect these exercises to reverse structural changes or relieve pain.
• PTOTCohort2021Impact of rehabilitation start time on functional outcomes after stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStarting stroke rehabilitation on day 1 or 2 was linked to better discharge outcomes than starting later. For haemorrhagic stroke specifically, starting on day 1 was worse than day 2. This is an observational association, not proof that timing causes the difference.
• PTOTRCT2021Effect of combined home-based, overground robotic-assisted gait training and usual physiotherapy on clinical functional outcomes in people with chronic stroke: A randomized controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationAdding a home-based robotic leg orthosis to usual physiotherapy improved walking distance and balance in chronic stroke survivors. These gains persisted 12 weeks after the device was removed. The robotic device alone cannot be credited as the sole cause, as all participants also received standard care.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021Rehabilitation setting during and after Covid-19: An overview on recommendations.Journal of rehabilitation medicineThis review of 31 early pandemic papers produced no tested outcomes, only expert recommendations. It advises telerehabilitation and strict PPE for speech and swallowing therapists, plus phased respiratory exercises for post-acute patients.
• PTOTCohort2021Reliability and precision of single frequency bioelectrical impedance assessment of lower extremity swelling following total knee arthroplasty.Physiotherapy theory and practiceSingle-frequency bioelectrical impedance assessment is highly reliable for measuring leg swelling after knee replacement. It detects smaller true changes than tape measurements. A 2% reduction in swelling is considered a real change, helping therapists judge if treatment is working.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Measurement of range-of-motion in infants with indications of upper cervical dysfunction using the Flexion-Rotation-Test and Lateral-Flexion-Test: a blinded inter-rater reliability study in a clinical practice setting.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapyTwo manual tests for infant neck stiffness show poor agreement between therapists. The tests cannot reliably measure reduced mobility. Therapists should not use these tests alone to diagnose or decide on treatment for infants.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Service deserts and service oases: Utilizing geographic information systems to evaluate service availability for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceService deserts exist for autism care in Michigan. Rural areas and low-income urban neighborhoods, particularly Detroit, have significantly fewer providers and longer travel distances than wealthier suburbs. This geographic gap limits access to essential behavioral and educational services.
• OTCase-Control2020Sensory profiles in adults with and without ADHD.Research in developmental disabilitiesAdults with ADHD reported different sensory processing than matched adults, even after accounting for anxiety or depression. They missed weak stimuli more, were more sensitive to detail, and sought more sensation, but did not report more avoidance.
• OTPilot2021Inpatient Virtual Vision Clinic Improves Access to Vision Rehabilitation Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationVirtual vision consults using iPad tests and OT support increased monthly vision rehabilitation visits at an acute rehab hospital. Access continued during the COVID-19 quarantine, though visits were lower.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021A High Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Preschool Children in an Immigrant, Multiethnic Population in Sweden: Challenges for Health Care.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn a high-immigrant Swedish district, 3.66% of preschoolers were diagnosed with autism, rising to 4.32% with later cases. Most had intellectual disability and multiple risk factors, including maternal migration and family history, challenging standard care models.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Characterizing health care utilization following hospitalization for a traumatic brain injury: a retrospective cohort study.Brain injuryOne year after hospitalization for traumatic brain injury, 26% to 30% of patients were superutilizers of emergency, inpatient, or outpatient care. These patients accounted for 60% to 81% of all visits in those settings. Prior healthcare use and comorbidities strongly predicted this high utilization.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2021Laying the foundation for a primary care core set of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) for community-dwelling older adults: A qualitative study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineCommunity-dwelling older adults prioritized leisure, family relationships, and mobility over physical impairments. They viewed coping and environmental support as central to independence. These patient-focused themes may differ from deficit-oriented clinical assessments.
• OTSLPMeta-Analysis2020The relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety in autism: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceIntolerance of uncertainty is strongly linked to anxiety in autistic children and young adults. This association is as strong as in neurotypical people. Targeting uncertainty tolerance may help treat anxiety in this group, though current evidence is correlational.
• PTOTRCT2020Intensive upper extremity training improved whole body movement control for children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy.Gait & postureHABIT improved tray-carrying symmetry but not walking. CIMT improved walking speed and stride length but not tray symmetry. Both improved toe clearance. Neither approach fixed both hand and leg problems, so choose the intervention based on the specific deficit you want to treat.
• OTSLPCohort2020Factors associated with enrollment into a clinical trial of caregiver-implemented intervention for infants at risk for autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceFamilies invited to a clinic-based caregiver intervention trial for 12-month-olds were less likely to enroll when mothers worked full time, household income was $60,000-$100,000, or they lived more than 30 miles away. Infants with higher communication scores were also less likely to enroll.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Differential effects of deployment and nondeployment mild TBI on neuropsychological outcomes.Rehabilitation psychologyVeterans with mild TBI during deployment showed lower attention and processing speed than those with non-deployment TBI. However, all group scores remained in the average range. Most veterans with deployment TBI had intact cognition, though PTSD drove stronger behavioral health symptoms.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Effect of a comprehensive eRehabilitation intervention alongside conventional stroke rehabilitation on disability and health-related quality of life: A pre-post comparison.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAdding eRehabilitation to standard stroke care showed no benefit in the first 3 months. Between 3 and 6 months, the intervention group had slightly better communication and strength scores than controls, but these changes were too small to be clinically meaningful.
• PTOTRCT2021Optimal duration of stretching exercise in patients with chronic myofascial pain syndrome: A randomized controlled trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineFor chronic neck pain, stretching for 30 seconds reduced pain and improved pressure thresholds. Stretching for 60 seconds caused similar pain relief but significantly worsened nerve function tests, including slowed conduction time. Thirty seconds appears to be the optimal balance of benefit and safety.
• PTOTOther2021Development of a new pregnancy informational and decisional needs survey for women with physical disabilities.Disability and health journalA new survey helps clinicians understand what women with physical disabilities need when deciding about pregnancy. It covers risks, support, and provider communication. It is a tool for gathering information, not a test that scores patients or proves an intervention works.
• PTOTRCT2021Effects of virtual reality-based neck-specific sensorimotor training in patients with chronic neck pain: A randomized controlled pilot trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePatients adding VR neck training to standard rehab reported significantly less headache than those doing standard rehab alone. They also gained more range of motion in bending the neck forward and backward. The helmet was heavy, but no other side effects occurred.
• PTOTOther2021Sensor-based categorization of upper limb performance in daily life of persons with and without neurological upper limb deficits.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesWrist accelerometer data from 211 adults grouped daily upper-limb use into 5 categories, from Minimal Activity/Rare Integration to High Activity/Full Integration. People with stroke appeared in all categories, while clinic arm capacity scores overlapped widely across them.
• PTOTRCT2021Rehabilitation following rotator cuff repair: A nested qualitative study exploring the perceptions and experiences of participants in a randomised controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationMost patients found keeping a sling for four weeks after rotator cuff repair difficult, affecting sleep and daily tasks. Many preferred early removal. Clinicians felt conflicted about early movement due to fears of damaging the repair. Patients were unhappy that ultrasound scan results were not shared.
• OTOther2020Comparative analysis of self-injurious behaviour topographies in young children with and without developmental delay.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRParents rated five self-injury actions as more common in children with developmental delay than typically developing children. Five actions were also rated as a bigger problem. Children with developmental delay were more likely to have two or more actions.
• PTOTSystematic Review2020Meniscus or Cartilage Injury at the Time of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear Is Associated With Worse Prognosis for Patient-Reported Outcome 2 to 10 Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: A Systematic Review.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyPatients with ACL tears who also have meniscus or cartilage injuries report worse knee function and quality of life two to ten years after surgery. These concurrent injuries are a strong predictor of poor long-term outcomes, unlike age or sex which showed no association.
• PTOTCohort2020Day-to-Day Variability of Walking Performance Measures in Individuals Poststroke and Individuals With Parkinson Disease.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTPeople who walk more each day have larger swings in their step counts from one day to the next. For someone averaging 5,000 steps, daily variation can exceed 2,300 steps. Clinicians need multiple days of data to distinguish real improvement from normal fluctuation.
• OTSLPOther2020The role of staffing and classroom characteristics on preschool teachers' use of one-to-one intervention with children with autism.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceIn autism preschools, therapists and teachers did more planned one-to-one teaching than aides. Classrooms with more aides were linked to less planned teaching. Classrooms with more children were linked to less spontaneous teaching.
• OTSystematic Review2020eHealth in the support of people with mild intellectual disability in daily life: A systematic review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDMost studies did not ask people with mild intellectual disability what they needed or wanted before choosing an eHealth tool. Interventions were often delivered by researchers in schools, not by support staff or family in the home, limiting real-world applicability.
• PTOTCohort2020Improved Self-Reported Comfort, Stability, and Limb Temperature Regulation with an Immediate Fit, Adjustable Transtibial Prosthesis.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationParticipants rated the iFIT adjustable prosthesis significantly better than their conventional device for comfort, stability, and temperature regulation. No skin breakdown or falls were reported. However, wear time was lower, and the study was short-term with self-selected participants.
• PTOTOther2020Slip-Fall Predictors in Community-Dwelling, Ambulatory Stroke Survivors: A Cross-sectional Study.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTIn community-dwelling stroke survivors, a combination of dynamic gait stability, Timed Up and Go time, and hip extensor strength predicted who would fall when a slip was simulated. A 13-second TUG time and hip extensor strength below 106 Nm were key cutoffs.
• PTOTOther2021Measuring freezing of gait during daily-life: an open-source, wearable sensors approach.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA wearable sensor algorithm detects freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease with good accuracy for episodes lasting two seconds or more, but it is unreliable for very brief episodes. In daily life, people who reported freezing spent more time freezing and turned less completely than those who did not.
• OTQualitative2021The meaning of social support for persons with serious mental illness: A family member perspective.Rehabilitation psychologyFamily members said support for someone with serious mental illness meant validating feelings, respecting choices, joining community activities, managing health, and helping with daily living. These are described supports, not proven outcomes.
• OTSurvey2021Associations between frequent pain or headaches and neurobehavioral symptoms by gender and TBI severity.Brain injuryAdults with TBI reported more frequent symptoms overall. Adults with frequent pain or headaches reported more mood, fatigue, and thinking symptoms. Women reported pain most often, and transgender or other gender participants reported the most mood and fatigue symptoms.
• PTOTOther2020Construct Validity of a Task-Oriented Bimanual and Unimanual Strength Measurement in Children With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy.Physical therapyA new measure of task-oriented strength in children with unilateral cerebral palsy correlates moderately with grip strength but poorly with functional skill scores. It captures strength during lifting tasks, not general manual dexterity or parent-reported performance, so it adds distinct information rather than replacing existing assessments.
• OTSLPSurvey2020Short report: Social communication difficulties and restricted repetitive behaviors as predictors of anxiety in adults with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAmong 742 autistic adults, self-reported repetitive sensory-motor and routine or insistence-on-sameness behaviors were linked to anxiety symptoms. Social communication difficulties were not once these behaviors were considered.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2020How can care settings for people with intellectual disabilities embed health promotion?Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDPeople with intellectual disabilities and their support networks prioritized 'encouraging support' (29%) and a 'supportive network' (13%) as the most critical assets for healthy living. Practical, visible help from staff was valued far more by clients than abstract organizational policies or environmental changes.
• OTSLPCase-Control2020Computer Vision Analysis of Reduced Interpersonal Affect Coordination in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchYouth with autism smiled less and coordinated their smiles less with conversation partners than typically developing peers. This reduced coordination was associated with lower parent-rated social skills and empathy, suggesting a link between facial synchrony and daily social functioning.
• PTOTOther2020People with Parkinson disease with and without freezing of gait respond similarly to external and self-generated cues.Gait & postureListening to music increased walking variability in all groups, while mental singing did not. People with Parkinson's and freezing of gait responded like those without freezing. Those with the highest baseline variability improved the most when cued.
• OTSLPOther2020Autism spectrum disorder/Takiwātanga: An Integrated Data Infrastructure-based approach to autism spectrum disorder research in New Zealand.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceNew Zealand linked data identified 9555 children and young people with autism. The identified group had much higher co-occurring intellectual disability and disruptive behaviours than non-autistic children, but the method likely undercounts cases.
• PTOTRCT2021Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on posture, movement planning, and execution during standing voluntary reach following stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationCathodal stimulation over premotor areas did not improve the startle-related posture response in stroke patients. It reduced it at both tested sound timings, while stimulation over motor cortex increased it only at 500 ms before the go cue.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Optimizing Recruitment Strategies and Physician Engagement for Stroke Recovery Research.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTA 'customer service' recruitment model using physician champions and trained student recruiters raised stroke trial enrollment from 6% to 19%. Early face-to-face contact and consistent communication streamlined screening and retention without requiring new medical devices.
• PTOTOther2021One-to-One and Group-Based Teleconferencing for Falls Rehabilitation: Usability, Acceptability, and Feasibility Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesFalls rehab via smartphone video was acceptable but unreliable for delivering exercises. Poor connectivity, phone overheating, small screens, and safety concerns outweighed benefits; it may support follow-up calls, not replace face-to-face visits.
• PTOTRCT2021User-centred assistive SystEm for arm Functions in neUromuscuLar subjects (USEFUL): a randomized controlled study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationArm supports help people with muscular dystrophy, but the benefit depends on residual strength. Those with moderate weakness improved with both devices, while those with severe weakness needed the adjustable semi-active device. Patients with slight strength saw no functional gain.
• OTSLPCohort2021Using phecode analysis to characterize co-occurring medical conditions in autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practicePeople with ASD had more constipation, dental problems, hearing loss, convulsions, sleep disorders, anxiety, conduct disorders and developmental delay than matched controls, with more frequent and longer visits. Later first ASD code was linked to more respiratory, gut and psychiatric conditions.
• PTOTSLPRCT2021Return-to-work self-efficacy after occupational rehabilitation for musculoskeletal and common mental health disorders: Secondary outcomes of a randomized clinical trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAdding a workplace meeting to standard rehabilitation did not improve return-to-work self-efficacy more than the standard programme alone. However, patients who ended rehabilitation with higher self-efficacy scores had fewer sick leave days in the following year.
• PTOTRCT2021Behavioral and neurophysiological effects of an intensified robot-assisted therapy in subacute stroke: a case control study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding intensive robot-assisted arm training to standard inpatient rehabilitation did not improve upper limb function more than standard care alone in subacute stroke patients. Both groups improved significantly, but the extra training offered no clinical advantage over the conventional therapy they already received.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Factors related to physical and mental components of quality of life in the community-dwelling frail older persons.Journal of physical therapy scienceDeclines in physical quality of life were linked to reduced lung function, while declines in mental quality of life were linked to depression and swallowing problems. Therapists should monitor breathing capacity, mood, and swallowing to protect overall well-being.
• PTOTSLPRCT2020A web-based daily care training to improve the quality of life of mothers of children with cerebral palsy: A randomized controlled trial.Research in developmental disabilitiesMothers of children with severe cerebral palsy who added a 12-week web-based care training to routine occupational therapy reported better physical health quality of life and less musculoskeletal pain. Anxiety, depression, and stress did not improve more than with routine care alone.