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 74 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTSLPOther2021How Well Does the Brief Interview for Mental Status Identify Risk for Cognition Mediated Functional Impairment in a Community Sample?Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationThe Brief Interview for Mental Status missed 95% of community adults with functional cognition impairment. It flagged only 4% of the sample, while the Mini-Cog, Menu Task, and MoCA identified far more. Do not rely on it to screen for daily living problems.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Effect of Action Observation Therapy in the Rehabilitation of Neurologic and Musculoskeletal Conditions: A Systematic Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationAction Observation Therapy improves motor recovery in stroke and Parkinson's disease, with strong evidence for upper limb function and balance. It shows moderate benefit for orthopedic pain and range of motion. However, it does not help children with cerebral palsy or improve cognition in dementia.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Caregiver-Reported Pain Management Practices for Individuals With Cerebral Palsy.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationCaregivers of children and adults with severe cerebral palsy most often treated musculoskeletal pain by changing positions. Massage and stretching were also common. Medication was used frequently but rated no more helpful than these physical approaches.
• OTCohort2021Predicting caregiver burden over the first 4 months after acute traumatic brain injury in Latin America: a multi-country study.Brain injuryCaregiver burden fell across the first 4 months after TBI discharge, but male caregivers and caregivers of patients with poorer social and emotional self-regulation reported higher burden overall.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Nonsurgical Treatment Options for Muscle Contractures in Individuals With Neurologic Disorders: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationNonsurgical treatments for muscle contractures in neurologic disorders showed no convincing benefit. Stretch and robot-assisted therapy improved range of motion by only 3 and 1 degrees, below the 5-degree threshold for clinical importance. Botulinum toxin, electrical stimulation, and physical activity showed no significant effects.
• PTOTOther2021Inpatient rehabilitation facility discharge destination among younger adults with traumatic brain injury: differences by race and ethnicity.Brain injuryAfter inpatient rehab, Hispanic/Latino patients and patients of other race/ethnicity were more likely than White patients to go home rather than subacute care. Black patients did not differ. Predictors varied by group and explained little.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Factors influencing the participation of children with disabilities in the community.Journal of physical therapy scienceFor children with disabilities, needing medical care at home limits the variety of community activities they can join, while poor motor function limits how often they go. Tube feeding and respiratory care specifically blocked trips, events, and playing with other children.
• PTOTRCT2021A comparison between laterally wedged insoles and ankle-foot orthoses for the treatment of medial osteoarthritis of the knee: A randomized cross-over trial.Clinical rehabilitationAnkle-foot orthoses reduced medial knee load more effectively than lateral wedge insoles in gait lab tests. However, neither device improved patient-reported pain or function significantly more than the other, and overall clinical gains were small for both groups.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Weight outcomes in children with developmental disabilities from a multidisciplinary clinic.Research in developmental disabilitiesChildren under 12 with developmental disabilities had better weight outcomes in a multidisciplinary clinic than typically developing peers, with 54% achieving significant improvement at 12 months. Adolescents with disabilities did not show this benefit. Family-led structure appears key for younger children.
• PTOTQualitative2021Contextualizing the lived experiences of patients with low back pain from different countries according to the ICF framework.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePatients with back pain in Canada, Botswana and Norway mostly described limits in daily activities, pain, emotions, sleep and energy. Family, health services and work environments also mattered.
• OTSLPCohort2020Development of Neural Response to Novel Sounds in Fragile X Syndrome: Potential Biomarkers.American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilitiesBrain responses to novel sounds differed between individuals with Fragile X Syndrome and controls, with higher gamma power in the FXS group. Gamma power correlated with sensory avoidance and sensitivity in males, suggesting it is a reliable marker for clinical trials.
• PTOTQualitative2021Perspectives of individuals with chronic spinal cord injury following novel balance training involving functional electrical stimulation with visual feedback: a qualitative exploratory study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFive people with incomplete spinal cord injury described a balance program using electrical stimulation and visual feedback as helping them feel stronger and more stable. They reported doing more household tasks and going out in the community. They wanted more sessions to keep improving.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Efficient and rapid assessment of multiple aspects of frailty using the Kyoto Frailty Scale, developed from the Edmonton Frail Scale.Journal of physical therapy scienceThe Kyoto Frailty Scale, a 9-question self-report derived from the Edmonton Frail Scale, accurately identifies frailty in elderly patients. It requires only 2-3 minutes, offers high sensitivity for screening, and covers physical, cognitive, and social domains without needing clinical tests like the TUG.
• PTOTCohort2021Rehabilitation progress after lower-extremity bypass surgery in patients with peripheral arterial disease with different occlusive lesions.Journal of physical therapy scienceRehabilitation progress after lower-extremity bypass surgery did not differ by the location of the arterial blockage. Patients generally began walking on day 2 and achieved independent walking around day 5, unless they suffered postoperative complications.
• PTOTOther2021Finger orthoses for management of joint hypermobility disorders: Relative effects on hand function and cognitive load.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalWomen with hypermobility disorders completed hand function tests significantly faster when wearing custom silver finger orthoses. However, brain activity measured during the tasks showed no consistent reduction in attentional demand, suggesting the orthoses helped speed but not necessarily mental effort.
• PTOTRCT2021Self-Management to Improve Function After Amputation: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the VETPALS Intervention.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationThe VETPALS self-management program did not improve physical function, which was the primary outcome. However, it did reduce depression and improve satisfaction with health at six months compared to standard education. Participants rated the program highly.
• PTOTCohort2021Factors characterizing gait performance of patients before and soon after knee arthroplasty.Journal of physical therapy scienceTwo weeks after knee replacement, walking speed and Timed Up and Go times worsened for the entire group. Older patients and those with slower pre-surgery walking declined the most. Minimally invasive and unicompartmental surgeries resulted in less decline than conventional total knee replacement.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021What are the effects of different modes of exercise training for intermittent claudication? - A Cochrane Review summary with commentary.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAlternative exercise modes showed little to no difference compared to supervised walking for pain and walking distance in patients with intermittent claudication. Evidence was low due to bias and small samples. Alternative modes may help when walking is not an option.
• PTOTOther2021Added-value of spasticity reduction to improve arm-hand skill performance in sub-acute stroke patients with a moderately to severely affected arm-hand.NeuroRehabilitationAdding botulinum toxin to standard arm-hand therapy showed no group-level benefit once spontaneous recovery was accounted for. However, individual results varied: three patients improved arm capacity, seven improved function, and three showed no benefit, suggesting patient selection is key.
• PTOTOther2021Does pre-operative physical rehabilitation improve the functional outcomes of patients undergoing gastrointestinal cancer surgery?Journal of physical therapy sciencePatients who improved their walking distance before GI cancer surgery maintained it four weeks after, while those who deteriorated lost about 15% of it. However, this pre-operative gain did not reduce post-operative complications or improve quality of life scores compared to those who did not improve.
• PTOTSLPOther2020A Psychometric Evaluation of the Motor-Behavioral Assessment Scale for Use as an Outcome Measure in Rett Syndrome Clinical Trials.American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilitiesThe revised Motor-Behavioral Assessment Scale works best as a single total score rather than separate subscales. Its 24 items reliably capture overall Rett syndrome severity, correlating strongly with clinical status and genetic mutation type, making it a valid outcome measure for trials.
• PTOTCohort2021Predictive validity of the Hand Assessment for Infants in infants at risk of unilateral cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyThe Hand Assessment for Infants accurately predicts unilateral cerebral palsy in at-risk infants, but only from about 3.5 months of age. Scores before this time are too variable to rely on. The single-hand score and asymmetry index perform best.
• PTOTCohort2021Effect of performing daily activities while standing on the quantity and quality of the thigh muscles in adults with severe cerebral palsy: a cross-sectional study.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn adults with severe cerebral palsy, those who stood daily during care had thicker quadriceps and higher gross motor function scores. However, they also showed higher muscle echo intensity, suggesting more fat or connective tissue within the muscle. Standing may change muscle quality, not just strength.
• OTOther2021United States Medicaid home and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A scoping review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDMedicaid home and community-based services waivers for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are associated with reduced unmet healthcare needs for children with autism, fewer parents stopping work to provide care, and lower psychiatric hospitalization risks when respite and aide services increase.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review of Interventions.International journal of sports physical therapyNo treatment for proximal hamstring tendinopathy has high-quality evidence. Shockwave therapy looked better than a weak multi-modal control in one small trial, but evidence was very low. Surgery had the most complications. Do not assume any single injection or procedure is proven.
• PTOTOther2021Effect of low back pain on the muscles controlling the sitting posture.Journal of physical therapy scienceSlump sitting fails to relax back muscles in people with recurrent low back pain. While healthy adults showed reduced muscle activity, those with pain kept their trunk muscles highly active. This posture may increase spinal stress rather than provide rest for patients with pain.
• PTOTOther2021Translational Value of Skilled Reaching Assessment in Clinical and Preclinical Studies on Motor Recovery After Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairSkilled reaching recovery followed a similar proximal-to-distal timeline in rats and humans. In patients, this assessment correlated strongly with standard clinical measures like the Fugl-Meyer and Action Research Arm Test, supporting its use to distinguish true motor recovery from compensation.
• PTOTCohort2021Joint position sense in individuals with anterior knee pain.The South African journal of physiotherapyKnees with anterior knee pain were no more likely to have impaired joint position sense than pain-free knees in the same people. Both groups averaged errors under five degrees, so routine proprioception testing may not distinguish these patients.
• PTOTCase Report2021Long-term effects of combined botulinum toxin treatment and rehabilitation on upper limb muscle spasms: a case report.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn one man with cervical spinal cord injury, years of botulinum toxin type A plus physical and occupational therapy and splints were followed by improved upper-limb motion, less finger spasm, and faster left-hand tasks. It is one person, not proof the treatment works.
• PTOTSLPOther2021An Exercise Mimetic Approach to Reduce Poststroke Deconditioning and Enhance Stroke Recovery.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn rats, resveratrol improved early balance and reduced compensatory gait, while delayed exercise restored cardiovascular fitness. Neither intervention improved long-term balance more than the other, and the combination showed no additive benefit. These findings do not yet apply to human stroke recovery.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Early Stage Longitudinal Subcortical Volumetric Changes following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.Brain injuryPatients with persistent post-concussive symptoms showed early volume loss in the thalamus and hippocampus within one month of mild traumatic brain injury. This thalamic shrinkage persisted at six months and correlated with worse self-reported symptoms and lower quality of life, unlike objective cognitive test scores which recovered.
• PTOTQualitative2021'I forget to do pressure relief': Personal factors influencing the prevention of secondary health conditions in people with spinal cord injury, South Africa.The South African journal of physiotherapyPeople with spinal cord injury described money, mood, knowledge, habits, and equipment as shaping pressure sore and infection prevention. Forgetfulness, shame, beliefs, and late help-seeking made prevention harder.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2021New obstacles and widening gaps: A qualitative study of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. adults with disabilities.Disability and health journalThirty-eight U.S. adults with disabilities described how pandemic measures created new barriers. Masks blocked communication for speech-readers, drive-through testing was inaccessible, and telehealth helped some but burdened others. These obstacles varied by disability type but affected every group in the study.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021School outcomes of adolescents with cerebral palsy in Sweden.Developmental medicine and child neurologyAdolescents with cerebral palsy had significantly lower school grades and were less likely to progress to secondary school or university compared to matched peers. Communication ability was the strongest functional predictor of these poor outcomes, outweighing gross or manual motor skills.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic from their own perspective.Research in developmental disabilitiesPeople with intellectual disabilities reported that lockdown support depended heavily on where they lived. Those in residential settings lost natural supports and relied on staff, while those at home depended on family. Contact with loved ones was the most missed aspect across all groups.
• OTOther2021Mechanical evaluation of the "Hüfner hand" prosthesis.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalThe Hüfner hand requires far less energy to close and pinch than modern body-powered hands. Its simple design avoids inner gloves that cause friction, offering a model for future prosthetics that could reduce user fatigue.
• PTOTRCT2021The use of game modes to promote engagement and social involvement in multi-user serious games: a within-person randomized trial with stroke survivors.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationCollaborative game modes drove significantly higher behavioral involvement than competitive or co-active modes. Competitive modes generated more flow and challenge, particularly for participants with better motor skills and higher cognitive function. Co-active modes produced the lowest engagement metrics.
• OTSurvey2021Changes in the Employment Status of People With and Without Disabilities in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationDuring early pandemic months, employment fell for people with and without disabilities. Unemployment rose, and the share of unemployed people on temporary layoff increased sharply. By January 2021, employment and unemployment had partly improved, but neither group had fully returned to February 2020 levels.
• PTOTSLPPilot2021Distance support and online intervention to blind and visually impaired children during the pandemic COVID-19.Research in developmental disabilitiesDuring lockdown, blind and visually impaired children received online therapy at home. Parents rated the support highly, with median satisfaction scores of 9/10. Professionals also found it useful but rated it lower than parents, citing difficulty adapting face-to-face methods to a screen.
• OTOther2021Generosity of state insurance mandates and growth in the workforce for autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceMore generous state autism insurance mandates were associated with greater growth in board certified behavioral analysts and child psychiatrists per 100,000 children. Pediatrician supply did not change. This is an association, not proof the mandates caused the growth.
• OTSLPCase-Control2020Alpha connectivity and inhibitory control in adults with autism spectrum disorder.Molecular autismAdults with autism matched controls on lab-based inhibition tasks but reported more everyday difficulties. Brain scans showed reduced alpha-band connectivity in a right-hemisphere network, which correlated with self-reported poor inhibition. This suggests a specific difficulty suppressing distractions in complex real-world settings.
• OTCohort2021Group climate, aggressive incidents and coercion in a secure forensic setting for individuals with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning: A multilevel study.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDIn a secure forensic setting for people with mild intellectual disability, residents who perceived a more therapeutic group climate had fewer aggressive incidents. Aggressive incidents were strongly linked to higher use of coercive measures. Improving the social environment may reduce both aggression and coercion.
• PTOTRCT2021Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a combined virtual reality, robotics and electrical stimulation intervention in upper extremity stroke rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationChronic stroke patients improved arm function after 12 sessions combining robotics, virtual reality, and electrical stimulation. However, hand strength and dexterity showed no gains, and without a control group, these improvements cannot be separated from usual care or time.
• OTOther2021Use of behaviour change techniques by direct support professionals to support healthy lifestyle behaviour for people with moderate to profound intellectual disabilities.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDDirect support professionals used many behaviour change techniques to support adults with intellectual disabilities, but relied on nine: feedback, instructions, doing together, rewards, environment changes, graded tasks, prompts and demonstration. This describes daily support, not whether these techniques improve health.
• PTOTRCT2021Changes in levels of cartilage oligomeric proteinase and urinary C-terminal telopeptide of type II collagen in subjects with knee osteoarthritis after dextrose prolotherapy: A randomized controlled trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineDextrose prolotherapy reduced a urine marker of cartilage breakdown significantly more than hyaluronic acid. Both injections improved pain and function similarly, but the prolotherapy group started with worse pain. High dropout rates mean these results need cautious interpretation.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Motor Impairment Increases in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder as a Function of Social Communication, Cognitive and Functional Impairment, Repetitive Behavior Severity, and Comorbid Diagnoses: A SPARK Study Report.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn children with autism, the risk of motor impairment rises alongside social, cognitive, and functional difficulties. The risk also increases with comorbid diagnoses like ADHD or intellectual disability. This suggests motor issues are pervasive and linked to overall severity.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2021Effectiveness of total knee arthroplasty rehabilitation programmes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAdding specific methods like electrical stimulation or balance exercises to standard knee replacement rehab did not consistently improve range of motion or pain. While some scores for function and walking speed improved, the results were inconsistent across studies. There is no single superior rehabilitation protocol.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Comparison of Common Methodologies for the Determination of Knee Flexor Muscle Strength.International journal of sports physical therapyKnee flexor strength measured by a wall-anchored handheld dynamometer correlates with lab equipment but cannot be swapped for it. Seated testing yields higher torque than supine, and dorsiflexing the foot increases force compared to plantarflexion.
• PTOTRCT2021Self-reported socket comfort, mobility, and balance-confidence of individuals with transtibial amputation using pinlock vs suction suspension.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalAdults with transtibial amputation using suction suspension reported significantly better socket comfort than those using pinlock. Self-reported mobility and balance-confidence were similar between groups. Choose suspension based on the patient's primary goal: comfort favors suction, while ease of donning may favor pinlock.
• PTOTOther2021Examining Muscle Activity Differences During Single and Dual Vector Elastic Resistance Exercises.International journal of sports physical therapyDual vector elastic resistance increased muscle activation during shoulder abduction and flexion, but not during internal or external rotation. This suggests dual vectors may be useful for specific strengthening phases, but are not universally beneficial for all shoulder exercises.