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 73 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021Rehabilitation to enable recovery from COVID-19: a rapid systematic review.PhysiotherapyRehabilitation for severe respiratory illness improves walking and muscle strength, but evidence for post-ICU recovery is weak. No studies exist for COVID-19 specifically, so generalising requires caution. Individualised programmes are valued by patients, though quality of life results remain inconclusive.
• PTOTSLPOther2021A Multi-Faceted Strategy for Evidence Translation Reduces Healthcare Waiting Time: A Mixed Methods Study Using the RE-AIM Framework.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAbout half of surveyed services adopted the STAT waiting time reduction model. Managers and staff support were key facilitators. Large existing waitlists and resource shortages were main barriers. Early adopters reported reduced waiting times, but data was anecdotal.
• PTOTQualitative2021Pre-operative physiotherapy following unilateral ankle fractures at a tertiary hospital in South Africa: Perceptions of patients and nurses.The South African journal of physiotherapyPatients and nurses valued pre-operative physiotherapy for building confidence and independence while waiting for ankle surgery. Fear, pain, and staff shortages were key barriers. Participants requested more education on surgery and recovery timelines, plus daily monitoring to maintain motivation.
• PTOTSurvey2021Anthropometric determinants of lung function in apparently healthy individuals.The South African journal of physiotherapyLung volumes were larger in men and in people with more muscle mass, but smaller with age and central abdominal fat. The ratio of forced expiratory volume to vital capacity showed no gender difference, though it was lower with greater abdominal fat.
• OTCase Series2021Stable, simultaneous and proportional 4-DoF prosthetic hand control via synergy-inspired linear interpolation: a case series.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTwo upper-limb amputees used implanted EMG to control virtual prosthetic hands with four movements at once. They matched all 3-DoF targets and up to 100% of 4-DoF targets, with stability up to 10 months.
• PTOTSLPOther2021The modified Shriners Hospitals for Children Greenville (mSHCG) multi-segment foot model provides clinically acceptable measurements of ankle and midfoot angles: A dual fluoroscopy study.Gait & postureSkin-marker gait analysis closely matches bone-level dual fluoroscopy for ankle and midfoot angles in healthy adults. Differences were mostly under 4 degrees, which is clinically acceptable. However, accuracy dropped as midfoot motion increased, and one forefoot marker shifted significantly during loading.
• PTOTCohort2021Recovery of arm function during acute to chronic stage of stroke quantified by kinematics.Journal of rehabilitation medicineArm movement speed and smoothness improved most in the first 4 weeks after stroke, but continued to get better between 3 and 6 months. Younger age, milder stroke, and ischaemic type predicted faster recovery. Peak velocity did not improve over time.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2021Effects of robot-assisted training on balance function in patients with stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of rehabilitation medicineRobot-assisted training improved balance scores in stroke patients compared to conventional therapy. The benefit was significant in the acute and subacute phase, but not in chronic patients. Exoskeleton devices showed better results than end-effector devices.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Physical health of autistic girls and women: a scoping review.Molecular autismAutistic girls and women report more physical health problems than autistic boys and men, with epilepsy and endocrine issues like PCOS standing out. This pattern may reflect under-diagnosis in males or higher biological risk in females, rather than a simple prevalence difference.
• PTOTOther2021Effects of the posterior pelvic tilt sitting posture on thoracic morphology and respiratory function.Journal of physical therapy scienceSitting with a 30-degree posterior pelvic tilt significantly reduced lung function measures (FVC, FEV1, PFR) in healthy young men. Milder tilts up to 20 degrees did not impair these respiratory outcomes. The 30-degree posture also restricted lower thoracic expansion.
• PTOTOther2021Analysing the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT): a cautionary tale from the RATULS trial.International journal of rehabilitation research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Rehabilitationsforschung. Revue internationale de recherches de readaptationThe Action Research Arm Test subscales often produce U-shaped score distributions where patients score either zero or full marks. Comparing average scores between groups is misleading. Clinicians should check data shape and use binary comparisons for these subscales.
• PTOTOther2021Reliability of measurement using Image J for reach distance and movement angles in the functional reach test.Journal of physical therapy scienceImage J software reliably measures both reach distance and joint angles during the functional reach test. For healthy young men, a change of more than 18.3 mm in distance or 2.6 degrees in trunk angle is likely real improvement rather than measurement error.
• PTOTOther2021Using a Web-Based App to Deliver Rehabilitation Strategies to Persons With Chronic Conditions: Development and Usability Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesOlder adults with chronic conditions could use this self-management web app, but many struggled with navigation and instructions. Clinicians liked the evidence-based content, while flagging technical problems, unclear wording, and missing help features.
• PTOTOther2021Development and evaluation of the sedentary behavior and light-intensity physical activity questionnaire.Journal of physical therapy scienceFor patients with hip or knee replacements who mostly do light activity, this new 10-item questionnaire tracks light-intensity activity fairly well but poorly captures sedentary time. Use it to measure how much people move, not how much they sit.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021A survey of health awareness and physical activity among Japanese undergraduate rehabilitation students.Journal of physical therapy scienceMost first-year Japanese rehabilitation students feel healthy and value exercise, but half report decreased physical activity since starting college. Busy school schedules and retired club activities are the main barriers, despite high motivation.
• PTOTRCT2021Impact of aerobic exercise on clinical and magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers in persons with multiple sclerosis: An exploratory randomized controlled trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAerobic exercise did not stop whole-brain shrinkage in MS patients on fingolimod. It may have preserved some specific brain structures and slightly improved walking speed, but did not help thinking or quality of life. Some participants felt social pressure during group sessions.
• PTOTCohort2021Clinical Characteristics Associated with Reduced Selective Voluntary Motor Control in the Upper Extremity of Individuals with Spastic Cerebral Palsy.Developmental neurorehabilitationUnintended movements at other joints were the most common cause of reduced selective motor control in children with cerebral palsy, occurring more often than weakness or tightness. Mirror movements affected 74% of participants and were linked to lower reported hand function.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2021The Effect of Hearing Loss and Hearing Device Fitting on Fatigue in Adults: A Systematic Review.Ear and hearingHearing loss is linked to higher fatigue in many studies, but the evidence is weak and inconsistent. Hearing device fitting shows mixed results for reducing fatigue, with some support for cochlear implants but not hearing aids. Solid conclusions are not possible.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Predictors for self-reported feeling of depression three months after stroke: A longitudinal cohort study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineCognitive screening 36–48 hours after stroke did not predict depression three months later. Female sex, being younger than 70, and living alone before the stroke were significant predictors. Use these social and demographic factors, not early cognitive scores, to identify patients at risk for post-stroke depression.
• PTOTOther2021Concurrent and discriminant validity of Nintendo Wii Fit exergame for the assessment of postural sway.Journal of physical therapy scienceFor adults, two Wii Fit games matched standard balance tests on specific sensory conditions, but for elderly users, no game matched the standard test. The games did distinguish adults from elderly participants, but they are not a valid substitute for clinical balance assessment in older adults.
• PTOTCohort2021Objectively measured arm use in daily life improves during the first 6 months poststroke: a longitudinal observational cohort study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAffected arm use in daily life improved significantly during the first 12 weeks poststroke and gains were largely retained through 6 months. Patients with excellent arm function recovery showed higher daily arm use and ratios than those with poor or moderate recovery.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Awareness and knowledge of developmental coordination disorder: A survey of caregivers, teachers, allied health professionals and medical professionals in Australia.Child: care, health and developmentIn Australia, most teachers, parents and doctors still do not know what developmental coordination disorder is. They recognise motor clumsiness but miss the anxiety and depression that often follow. The old term dyspraxia is better known than the correct one, which delays identification and support.
• PTOTRCT2021Efficacy and safety of abobotulinumtoxinA for upper limb spasticity in children with cerebral palsy: a randomized repeat-treatment study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with cerebral palsy who received 8U/kg or 16U/kg abobotulinumtoxinA plus home exercises and ongoing therapy had greater reduction in elbow or wrist muscle tone at 6 weeks than those given 2U/kg. Function and goal scores improved in all groups, without dose differences.
• PTOTSurvey2021Patterns of physical activity and exercise after lumbar surgery among Japanese patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.Journal of physical therapy sciencePost-surgery patients split into three groups: those still working, those inactive, and those active in daily tasks. The active group did more walking and stretching but had worse leg numbness. The inactive group had the lowest quality of life scores.
• PTOTPilot2021A 3-month multicomponent home-based rehabilitation program for older people with restricted life-space mobility: a pilot study.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder adults with very restricted mobility improved their life-space score by 18.5 points after 3 months of home rehab. This gain exceeded the 10-point threshold considered clinically meaningful. However, the improvement came from moving with help, not independently.
• OTSLPCohort2021Developmental associations between joint engagement and autistic children's vocabulary: A cross-lagged panel analysis.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceEarly joint engagement with caregivers predicted later vocabulary growth in autistic toddlers, but early vocabulary did not predict later engagement. However, statistical tests showed no clear superiority of the engagement-to-vocabulary direction over the reverse, so the causal pathway remains unresolved.
• OTSLPOther2021The Learning, Social and Emotion Adaptation Questionnaire-Short Form: A Measure of Adaptive Behavior for Primary School Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchThe 53-item LSEAQ-S reliably measures school adaptation for students with autism. It takes teachers 15 to 20 minutes to complete and provides norms showing girls with autism lag behind peers more than boys do, especially as they age.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2021Physical therapist-led swimming lessons for children with cerebral palsy: a report of 2 cases.Journal of physical therapy scienceTwo children with cerebral palsy improved swimming speed and distance after six monthly PT-led lessons. Gross motor function and daily living scores barely changed. Muscle tone increased slightly. The intervention was safe and well-liked, but too small to prove it works.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Implementation and Evaluation of the Virtual Graded Repetitive Arm Supplementary Program (GRASP) for Individuals With Stroke During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond.Physical therapyNine stroke survivors completed a virtual upper-limb exercise program. Self-reported hand function improved significantly, with six of nine reaching a clinically important change. Staff found the format workable, though webcam angles and audio interference posed technical challenges.
• PTOTNarrative Review2021The Role of the IL-4 Signaling Pathway in Traumatic Nerve Injuries.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIL-4 signaling helps nerves heal in mice, but no human trials exist. Therapists should not expect IL-4 to improve recovery. This mechanism explains why nerve repair often fails and why surgery outcomes remain poor.
• PTOTCase Report2021Perioperative Botulinum Toxin Injections to Enhance Surgical Outcomes in Patients With Spasticity: Preoperative, Intraoperative, and Postoperative Case Reports.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationFavorable outcomes were reported after surgery, botulinum toxin, and postoperative care in three patients with spasticity, but without controls these reports cannot show the toxin caused the improvement.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021mHealth Intervention Applications for Adults Living With the Effects of Stroke: A Scoping Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationMost stroke phone or tablet apps for adults are early-stage tools for hand, speech, exercise, and risk-factor management. They show feasibility or user interest, not proven effectiveness. Many studies had small samples and pilot designs.
• PTOTQualitative2021Considerations for Implementation of an Ankle-Foot Orthosis to Improve Mobility in Peripheral Artery Disease.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationPatients who stopped wearing ankle-foot orthoses reported more pain, discomfort, and health barriers than those who continued. While many users found standing and walking easier, physical discomfort and poor overall health were the main reasons for dropping out.
• OTSLPCohort2021Oral health and oral health behaviour of adolescents with mild or borderline intellectual disabilities compared with a national representative sample of 17-year-olds in the Netherlands.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDAdolescents with mild or borderline intellectual disabilities had more tooth decay and plaque than their peers, despite reporting similar brushing habits. They visited dentists less often and snacked more at night. Dental anxiety was higher, and those living in institutions had worse outcomes than those at home.
• PTOTPilot2021Feasibility and Convergent Validity of an Activity Tracker for Low Back Pain Within a Clinical Study: Cross-sectional Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesMost patients with low back pain wore and synced a commercial activity tracker, but its step and distance data correlated poorly with self-reported activity questionnaires. The device is feasible for tracking compliance but does not accurately measure activity levels compared to standard surveys.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2021Safety and efficacy of mesotherapy in musculoskeletal disorders: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials with meta-analysis.Journal of rehabilitation medicineMesotherapy injections for musculoskeletal pain reduced pain scores more than systemic medication or placebo in most trials. Side effects were mild and temporary. However, the treatments varied widely in drugs and techniques, making it hard to know which specific protocol worked best.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Diagnostic approach to paediatric movement disorders: a clinical practice guide.Developmental medicine and child neurologyThis guide outlines a step-by-step clinical algorithm for diagnosing paediatric movement disorders. It prioritizes distinguishing normal developmental patterns from pathology, classifying the specific movement phenotype, and ruling out functional disorders before initiating genetic or metabolic testing.
• PTOTCohort2021Motor Impairment and Its Influence in Gait Velocity and Asymmetry in Community Ambulating Hemiplegic Individuals.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationIn 55 community ambulators with stroke, stronger ankle plantarflexors predicted faster walking and more symmetrical gait patterns. Spasticity in the hip adductors and quadriceps was associated with greater asymmetry in swing time and step length, respectively.
• PTOTRCT2021Mobilization Started Within 2 Hours After Abdominal Surgery Improves Peripheral and Arterial Oxygenation: A Single-Center Randomized Controlled Trial.Physical therapyMobilizing patients out of bed within 2 hours of abdominal surgery improved arterial oxygen levels compared to staying in bed. Adding breathing exercises provided no extra benefit over mobilization alone. The intervention was safe, with no adverse events reported.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Describing the Delivery of Evidence-Based Physical Therapy Intervention to Individuals With Cerebral Palsy.Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy AssociationTherapists delivered evidence-based interventions in 48% of treatment selections for children with cerebral palsy, but usage dropped for those with the most severe motor impairment. This suggests outpatient therapy may not be reaching the children who need it most, or that effective options for severe cases remain limited.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021Appraising the Validity of Tools to Measure Multijoint Leg Power: A Systematic Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationNo existing tool reliably measures maximum multijoint leg power for older adults. Three devices were reviewed, but all had validation flaws. Correlation does not prove accuracy. Without a valid measure, therapists cannot accurately prescribe or track leg power rehabilitation.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing Using the Modified Balke Protocol in Fully Ambulatory People With Multiple Sclerosis.Cardiopulmonary physical therapy journalA treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise test was safe and feasible for people with multiple sclerosis who could walk without aids. Seventeen of twenty tests provided usable data. The results correlated with walking distance, cognitive speed, and disability levels, supporting its use for assessment.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children with cerebral palsy: high prevalence rates in a population-based study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn a population of children with cerebral palsy, 30% had autism and 30% had ADHD, rates higher than previously reported. Intellectual disability, not motor severity, was the strongest predictor. Screening for these conditions is warranted regardless of physical function.
• PTOTRCT2021The yield and usefulness of PAIN+ and PubMed databases for accessing research evidence on pain management: a randomized crossover trial.Archives of physiotherapyPAIN+ top three pain articles were rated more useful than PubMed top three, but PubMed was preferred for multidisciplinary questions and PAIN+ for discipline-specific questions.
• PTOTCohort2021Evaluating Intrinsic Fall Risk Factors After Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: Distinguishing Fallers From Nonfallers.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationSlower walking, weaker legs, poor foot sensation, and side-to-side sway when eyes are closed were linked to more falls in people with incomplete spinal cord injury. These factors help flag risk, but no single test predicts falls reliably.
• PTOTNarrative Review2021Breast edema, from diagnosis to treatment: state of the art.Archives of physiotherapyBreast edema after breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy often improves after treatment ends. Monitor with the BrEQ and physical exam, and treat persistent cases with skin care, compression and exercise, without manual lymphatic drainage.
• PTOTOther2021Evaluation of the Structural Validity of the Work Instability Scale Using the Rasch Model.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationThe 23-item Work Instability Scale fits poorly for upper-limb injury workers. Removing three items creates a 20-item version that measures work instability accurately and allows valid statistical comparison of scores.
• PTOTSLPOther2021The relationship between changes in deoxy Hb and body composition before and after cycling exercise during unilateral lower extremity occlusion.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn nine healthy young men, higher body water and muscle mass correlated with better blood flow recovery after leg occlusion. This suggests hydration and muscle status may influence circulation, but it is a small pilot with no patients or clinical outcomes.
• PTOTCohort2021Impact of sarcopenia on the progress of cardiac rehabilitation and discharge destination after cardiovascular surgery.Journal of physical therapy scienceSarcopenia delayed cardiac rehab milestones and increased transfer to other facilities, but did not change total hospital stay. Anxiety, depression, and nutrition showed no link to these outcomes. Balance decline predicted transfer.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021Factors facilitating or hindering meaningful staff-client interactions in people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour: A systematic mixed studies review using thematic synthesis.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDMeaningful staff-client interactions depend on balancing autonomy with clear boundaries, responding to subtle communication cues, and supporting staff’s emotional regulation. Large services and high staff turnover hinder these relationships, while small, stable teams with shared visions facilitate them.