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 71 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPRCT2021Can Yoga or Physical Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain Improve Depression and Anxiety Among Adults From a Racially Diverse, Low-Income Community? A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationYoga and physical therapy did not significantly reduce depression or anxiety compared to education in the full group. However, participants with moderate symptoms at baseline saw meaningful improvements in both conditions after 12 weeks of either treatment.
• PTOTSurvey2021The effects of COVID-19 restrictions on physical activity and mental health of children and young adults with physical and/or intellectual disabilities.Disability and health journal61% of parents of children and young adults with physical or intellectual disabilities reported negative physical changes, and over 90% reported worse mental health during UK lockdown. Median sitting time increased from 2 to 4 hours daily to 4 to 6 hours daily.
• PTOTOther2021Validation of IMU-based gait event detection during curved walking and turning in older adults and Parkinson's Disease patients.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationShank-mounted sensors accurately detect foot contacts during straight and curved walking in older adults and people with Parkinson's or stroke. Detection fails during turns, missing many steps and creating false ones. Do not trust sensor data from turning without manual checks.
• PTOTOther2021Performance in complex life situations: effects of age, cognition, and walking speed in virtual versus real life environments.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationVirtual reality shopping tasks did not replicate real-world walking patterns, showing slower speeds and different gait variability. However, they accurately captured age-related differences in cognitive performance and task efficiency, suggesting VR is better suited for assessing thinking strategies than gait mechanics.
• OTSLPCohort2021Brief Report: Socioeconomic Factors Associated with Minimally Verbal Status in Individuals with ASD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 404 adolescents/adults with ASD, 155 who were minimally verbal at age four to five were verbal later. Always minimally verbal status was associated with lower daily living skills and lower parent college completion and family income.
• PTOTSLPRCT2021START-Play Physical Therapy Intervention Impacts Motor and Cognitive Outcomes in Infants With Neuromotor Disorders: A Multisite Randomized Clinical Trial.Physical therapyInfants with significant motor delays showed short-term gains in sitting, fine motor skills, and problem solving with START-Play. Infants with mild delays showed no benefit and some negative long-term motor trends. The study was underpowered, so results are tentative.
• PTOTOther2021Novel velocity estimation for symmetric and asymmetric self-paced treadmill training.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new treadmill algorithm accurately estimates walking speed for people with asymmetric gaits, such as those using a knee brace. It removes the need for smoothing or position control, allowing researchers to measure true self-selected speed without artificial noise.
• PTOTOther2020Concurrent Validity and Reliability of the Transfer Assessment Instrument Questionnaire as a Self-Assessment Measure.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationWheelchair users scoring their own transfers missed few deficits, often rating themselves lower than clinicians. Total scores became acceptable only after watching video of their transfer. Use self-assessment to spot obvious errors, not to grade subtle movement quality.
• OTCohort2020Prevalence, Patterns, and Predictors of Multimorbidity in Adults With Acquired Brain Injury at Admission to Staged Community-Based Rehabilitation.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translation72.2% of adults entering staged community brain injury rehabilitation had a chronic condition, and 35.4% had conditions across two or more body systems. Older age was the only factor linked to conditions affecting multiple body systems.
• PTOTPilot2020The association between systemic inflammation and the time spent in posture and movement during daytime in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lower weight.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 11 underweight COPD patients, more walking time linked to lower muscle mass but higher inflammation. Standing time linked to higher inflammation. The authors suggest increasing activity in this group might worsen inflammation, so low-intensity exercise and nutrition are preferred.
• PTOTCohort2020Does age of patients with gastrointestinal cancer impact postoperative physical function and quality of life? A prospective study using the new Japanese elderly standard.Journal of physical therapy sciencePatients aged 75 or older had shorter walking distance, weaker knee extension, and lower physical functioning and mental health at 4 weeks after surgery. Body mass index fell in all age groups, but knee force and walking distance did not change overall.
• OTCohort2021Predictive validity of general work ability assessments in the context of sickness insurance.Journal of rehabilitation medicineThe person’s own rating of work ability predicted future sickness benefits. Most physician ratings in the general work ability assessment did not, except vision, hearing or speech problems predicted insurance decisions.
• PTOTSurvey2021Musculoskeletal symptoms among adult smartphone and tablet device users: a retrospective study.Archives of physiotherapyMost users reported neck stiffness or discomfort starting within 30 minutes. Tablet use over 30 minutes per session was linked to more symptoms in young adults, but smartphone duration was not. People who rested their device on a stand reported fewer symptoms than those holding it.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Examining Environmental Predictors of Community Participation for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).Journal of autism and developmental disordersFor adults with autism, access to bus stops and religious organizations predicted better social participation and service use. Population density did not. Daily living skills remained the strongest predictor, suggesting interventions should target both skills and local transport access.
• PTOTSLPOther2021COVID-19: Patient Characteristics in the First Phase of Postintensive Care Rehabilitation.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationPatients arriving for post-ICU rehabilitation after severe COVID-19 had profound weakness, with 72.7% showing severe muscle loss in most major groups. Forty percent had swallowing difficulties requiring tube feeding or modified food, and 38.3% experienced low oxygen levels during exercise.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Do Patients With COVID-19 Benefit from Rehabilitation? Functional Outcomes of the First 100 Patients in a COVID-19 Rehabilitation Unit.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationPost-acute COVID patients in a specialized rehab unit improved motor function and independence during a 10-day stay. However, at discharge, their daily living skills remained lower than before infection, and grip strength stayed below normal values. Severe cases showed similar or greater functional gains.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2020Factors Associated with Risk of Stroke-Associated Pneumonia in Patients with Dysphagia: A Systematic Review.DysphagiaProphylactic antibiotics did not reduce pneumonia risk. Metoclopramide and multidisciplinary swallowing care appeared protective, but data were limited. PPI use was linked to higher risk. Nasogastric tube evidence was inconsistent. Mobility and dysphagia severity were strong risk markers.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Assessing the requirements of prenatal UBE3A expression for rescue of behavioral phenotypes in a mouse model for Angelman syndrome.Molecular autismRestoring UBE3A expression in mice just before birth prevented Angelman-like behavioral deficits. Paternal gene loss during prenatal development had no significant effect on behavior, suggesting early postnatal intervention may be sufficient for rescue in this model.
• PTOTSLPCase Series2021Early Physical Therapist Interventions for Patients With COVID-19 in the Acute Care Hospital: A Case Report Series.Physical therapyPhysical therapists managed severe instability by moving patients very slowly and stopping exercises before coughing triggered oxygen drops. Anxiety worsened breathlessness, requiring active listening and education alongside movement. Family video calls helped reorient delirious patients when visits were banned.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2021Immersive virtual reality health games: a narrative review of game design.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMost virtual reality health games rely on simple points and scoring rather than engaging game design. Therapists should not assume immersion alone drives adherence; without compelling mechanics, these tools may fail to sustain long-term patient engagement.
• PTOTOther2021Inception cohort of the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study (SwiSCI): Design, participant characteristics, response rates and non-response.Journal of rehabilitation medicineThis cohort describes newly injured spinal cord patients but has a 47.5% response rate. Participants were younger, male, and more independent than non-responders. Treat findings as representative of those who engaged, not all patients.
• PTOTCohort2021Evidence for a Window of Enhanced Plasticity in the Human Motor Cortex Following Ischemic Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn people after mild to moderate ischemic stroke, a brain-stimulation test showed the opposite side of the motor cortex was more changeable around two weeks, then less so. The injured side showed no clear early change. This was a measure, not a treatment.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Peripheral electrical stimulation to reduce pathological tremor: a review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeripheral electrical stimulation, including functional electrical stimulation and nerve stimulation, sometimes reduced hand tremor in essential tremor and Parkinson disease trials. Results varied widely across 27 studies, most with 20 or fewer participants, so this is not enough to change therapy on Monday.
• OTQualitative2021The value of competitive employment: In-depth accounts of people with intellectual disabilities.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDSix people with intellectual disabilities described competitive work as vital for feeling normal and useful. However, they faced stigma that made them feel dependent or insecure. Some hid their disability to fit in, while others struggled with low pay compared to colleagues.
• PTOTPilot2021Preliminary Improvements in Dynamic Postural Control after A Group-based Intervention Program for Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Brief Report.Developmental neurorehabilitationA 10-week group program improved dynamic balance but not static balance in 12 children with DCD. Nine participants improved their dynamic control scores. The lack of a control group and small sample size mean this is preliminary evidence, not proof the program works.
• PTOTRCT2021Effectiveness of robotic balance training on postural instability in patients with mild Parkinson's disease: A pilot, single blind, randomized controlled trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineBoth robotic and conventional balance training improved postural stability in mild Parkinson's disease. The robotic group showed greater improvement on balance scales and retained these gains at one-month follow-up, whereas the conventional group's balance scores returned toward baseline.
• OTQualitative2021A multiple case study investigating changes in organizations serving residents with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviours.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDStaff in residential disability services described changes as messy when self-organizing teams reduced routine support and information about residents. Relocations and role changes also left staff, managers and psychologists distant, and staff said resident-staff trust and behaviour management became harder.
• PTOTCohort2021Outcome prediction in patients with putaminal hemorrhage at admission to a convalescent rehabilitation ward based on hemorrhage volume assessed with computed tomography during acute care.Journal of physical therapy scienceCT hemorrhage volume predicted motor independence and stay length only when age was the only other factor. Once admission motor scores and days since onset were included, CT volume no longer predicted either outcome.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Impairments of cortico-cortical connectivity in fine tactile sensation after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke patients showed disrupted brain connectivity patterns when feeling cotton fabric, with activity spreading to attention areas instead of staying focused on sensation. This suggests the brain recruits extra networks to process touch, but does not prove any treatment works.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Association Between Dysphagia and Inpatient Outcomes Across Frailty Level Among Patients ≥ 50 Years of Age.DysphagiaHospitalized adults 50 and older with dysphagia stayed longer, cost more, and had more complications than those without, regardless of frailty level. This held true even for non-frail patients. Dysphagia is an independent risk factor for poor outcomes, not just a marker of being frail.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Prevalence of pain and interference with daily activities and sleep in adults with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyTwo-thirds of adults with cerebral palsy report pain, with back pain most common. Pain is significantly underreported when proxies report for patients, especially those with communication difficulties. Clinicians must ask patients directly about pain rather than relying on caregivers.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Mediating effects of family functioning on the relationship between care burden and family quality of life of caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities in Mongolia.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDBetter family functioning partially buffered the link between care burden and poor family quality of life. For therapists, assessing how a family communicates and copes is as crucial as measuring the child's disability, as these dynamics directly influence the family's well-being.
• PTOTSLPPilot2021Short-term effects of range-of-motion exercise on temporomandibular joints of patients who undergo disc displacement with reduction of temporomandibular joint.Journal of physical therapy sciencePatients with jaw disc displacement reported less pain and wider mouth opening after two weeks of combining therapist-led jaw exercises with daily self-traction. Because everyone received the same care with no control group, these gains might reflect natural recovery.
• PTOTCohort2021Association of Occupational and Physical Therapy With Duration of Prescription Opioid Use After Hip or Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Medicare Enrollees.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAfter hip or knee replacement, non-drug pain interventions, mostly OT/PT evaluations, were linked to shorter opioid use only with home health. Without home health, there was no clear link. This cannot prove the interventions caused the change.
• PTOTCohort2021Associations between exercising in a group and physical and cognitive functions in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study using data from the Kasama Study.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder adults who exercised with others had better lower-limb strength and higher overall cognitive scores than those who exercised alone. Group exercise was associated with better function even after accounting for total activity levels, suggesting the social component matters.
• OTSLPPilot2020Social Capital and Autism in Young Adulthood: Applying Social Network Methods to Measure the Social Capital of Autistic Young Adults.Autism in adulthoodA social network survey was feasible for autistic young adults, showing their networks are mostly family and rarely include service providers. Employment support was the least accessed resource. This pilot method needs a larger sample to link network types to adult outcomes.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Biopsychosocial Classification of Hearing Health Seeking in Adults Aged Over 50 Years in England.Ear and hearingAmong older adults with measured hearing loss, 40% did not report any hearing difficulties. Severity of hearing loss predicted help-seeking across all stages. Men and those with lower cognitive function were less likely to recognize their own hearing problems.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2020The Effect of Lingual Resistance Training Interventions on Adult Swallow Function: A Systematic Review.DysphagiaTongue strength training reliably increases tongue pressure, but evidence that this improves actual swallowing safety or efficiency is inconsistent. Most included studies were small and had high risk of bias, so clinicians should not assume strength gains translate directly to safer swallowing.
• PTOTOther2021Neurophysiological validation of simultaneous intrinsic and reflexive joint impedance estimates.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn healthy adults, a robotic method estimating joint resistance matched muscle activity signals. The match was strong for intrinsic stiffness but only moderate for reflexive gain. This supports the method's physiological basis but does not yet validate it for treating spasticity in patients.
• PTOTSLPPilot2021Take it personal! Development and modelling study of an indicated prevention programme for substance use in adolescents and young adults with mild intellectual disabilities and borderline intellectual functioning.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDIn six adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities, a tailored prevention programme was feasible and well-liked. Reported substance use decreased after the intervention, but the study was too small to confirm the programme caused this change.
• PTOTCohort2021Longitudinal goal attainment with integrated upper limb spasticity management including repeat injections of botulinum toxin A: Findings from the prospective, observational Upper Limb International Spasticity (ULIS-III) cohort study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn routine practice, repeated botulinum toxin injections helped most patients meet their goals. Pain and passive movement goals were achieved more reliably than active hand function goals, which often required adjusting expectations over several cycles.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2021A comparison of visual analog scale and shear-wave ultrasound elastography data in fibromyalgia patients and the normal population.Journal of physical therapy scienceRhomboid muscles in fibromyalgia patients were stiffer than in healthy controls, but stiffness did not match their reported pain scores. Shear-wave ultrasound measures tissue hardness objectively, yet it does not track how much pain a patient feels.
• OTCase-Control2021Inhibition in developmental disorders: A comparison of inhibition profiles between children with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and comorbid symptom presentation.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceChildren with both autism and ADHD showed a unique pattern of inhibition deficits, struggling more with stopping responses than typically developing peers. However, they did not show the expected additive impairment across all inhibition types compared to children with only one diagnosis.
• PTOTCohort2021Fatigue in relation to long-term participation outcome in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage survivors.Journal of rehabilitation medicineFour years after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage, fatigue severity was independently linked to worse functional performance and perceived participation problems, even after adjusting for depression. However, fatigue was not associated with community integration.
• PTOTRCT2021A usability study in patients with stroke using MERLIN, a robotic system based on serious games for upper limb rehabilitation in the home setting.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationNine stroke patients rated a home robotic rehabilitation system as easy to use and motivating. They found it safe, but because most also received other therapy, the small improvements in arm movement cannot be attributed to the robot alone.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Very Long-Term Outcomes in Children Admitted in a Disorder of Consciousness After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMost children admitted to rehab in a disorder of consciousness after severe brain injury emerged from that state by one year, but nearly all remained severely disabled. Children in a minimally conscious state at admission had better long-term outcomes than those in a vegetative state.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Characteristics of toddlers with early versus later diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceToddlers diagnosed with autism at 25 to 41 months showed more severe delays and symptoms than those diagnosed at 12 to 24 months, especially in motor, daily living, socialization, and restricted behaviors. Expressive language was delayed in all groups.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Fundamental research on surface electromyography analysis using discrete wavelet transform-an analysis of the central nervous system factors affecting muscle strength.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 16 healthy young men, surface EMG signals from the biceps changed predictably as contraction force increased from 10% to 100% of maximum. These signal patterns tracked the rise in muscle strength, suggesting EMG analysis can reflect underlying nervous system control of force.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Delivering Virtual Cancer Rehabilitation Programming During the First 90 Days of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multimethod Study.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationVirtual cancer rehab kept high attendance and increased visit volume during the pandemic. However, therapists found assessing physical impairments and teaching exercises difficult without in-person exams. Video was preferred over phone, and an initial in-person assessment was recommended for complex cases.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2021Anxiety in autistic individuals who speak few or no words: A qualitative study of parental experience and anxiety management.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceParents of autistic people who speak few or no words struggle to distinguish anxiety from autism traits or other distress. They rely on deep knowledge of the child's baseline and behavioural cues. While they use sensory and distraction strategies, avoidance and reassurance may inadvertently maintain anxiety.