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 97 OF 218 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTOther2022Evaluating commercially available wireless cardiovascular monitors for measuring and transmitting real-time physiological responses in children with autism.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn 55 children, two inexpensive heart-rate monitors stayed on and recorded usable data during rest and stress. They showed higher heart rate and lower variability under stress. This is device testing, not treatment evidence.
• PTOTOther2022The presence of pain in community-dwelling South African manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury.The South African journal of physiotherapy85% of manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury reported pain. Neuropathic pain was more common than musculoskeletal pain and was associated with higher severity. Burning pain in the lower limbs below the injury level was the most frequent presentation.
• PTOTRCT2022Effects of incorporating elliptical trainer exercise during rehabilitation on physical function and self-reported outcomes after total hip arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding 20 minutes of daily elliptical trainer exercise to standard hip replacement rehabilitation improved walking speed, stride length, and knee strength at 1 and 3 months compared to standard walking practice. Patients also reported less fear of falling at 1 month. There was no difference in patient-reported hip function scores.
• OTOther2021Mapping of the GEVA Items to the ICF: Preliminary Results Based on the Content of a Tool Guide Used to Assess the Needs of Persons With Disabilities in France.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA French disability assessment guide has 80% of items mapped to the ICF, a disability classification. The mapping shows which items fit and which do not, especially education and employment.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2021When Spinal Neuromodulation Meets Sensorimotor Rehabilitation: Lessons Learned From Animal Models to Regain Manual Dexterity After a Spinal Cord Injury.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThis review synthesizes animal and early human data showing cervical spinal stimulation may aid hand recovery, but only when paired with specific rehabilitation. Stimulation alone is not a cure; optimal training intensity and timing remain undefined.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Executive functions and adaptive behaviour in individuals with Down syndrome.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRParents reported that children with Down syndrome struggle most with working memory, not emotional control. In school-age children, these executive function difficulties were strongly linked to poorer daily living and social skills, suggesting therapy should target these cognitive processes directly.
• PTOTCohort2022The relationship between depression, anxiety, and pain interference with therapy referral and utilization among patients with hand conditions.Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand TherapistsDepression, anxiety, and pain interference scores were not associated with referral to hand therapy. Traumatic conditions were referred more often. Among treated patients, high depression tracked with fewer long-term goals, but this study did not prove that depression caused poorer goal attainment.
• PTOTSLPPilot2022Immediate effects of neuromuscular joint-facilitation bridging exercises on walking ability and balance function in stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceCombining neuromuscular joint facilitation with bridging exercises produced immediate improvements in walking speed and balance in stroke patients. The combined approach outperformed either intervention alone, though the study measured effects right after a single session rather than long-term recovery.
• PTOTOther2022Influence of kyphosis posture on postural control and lower limb mechanical load immediately after stopping walking.Journal of physical therapy scienceForcing a healthy young man into a slumped, kyphotic posture just before he stops walking does not change how long it takes him to stabilise. It does, however, increase side-to-side sway and shifts the work of stopping from the hip to the ankle.
• OTOther2022Thumb carpometacarpal palmar and radial abduction in adults with thumb carpometacarpal joint pain: Inter-rater reliability and precision of the inter-metacarpal distance method.Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand TherapistsUsing a digital caliper to measure the distance between thumb and index finger metacarpals showed excellent agreement between therapists. This method is more reliable than goniometry for assessing thumb abduction in patients with carpometacarpal joint pain.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2022Psychosocial interventions for older people with intellectual disabilities and the role of support staff: A systematic review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDPsychosocial approaches for older adults with intellectual disabilities mostly target engagement, communication, mood or daily skills. Many small reports suggest benefit, but this review did not show whether they work. Support staff often have a role in them, sometimes after training.
• OTCohort2022Family resources and school performance: an analysis of associated factors in middle school adolescents.CoDASAge and grade were linked to home resources in 124 middle-school students from a private school, but school performance was not significantly linked to the total Home Environment Resources Scale; having books at home showed a weak positive link.
• PTOTOther2021Flipping the ICF: Exploring the Interplay of Theory and the Lived Experience to Reconsider Physical Activity in Community-Dwelling People With Multiple Sclerosis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with MS prioritized daily routines like self-care and family roles to maintain identity and independence. Physiotherapists focused on physical performance and overlooked these personal and contextual drivers. This mismatch explains why standard exercise advice often fails to sustain engagement.
• OTCohort2021Identifying dementia in Down syndrome with the Severe Impairment Battery, Brief Praxis Test and Dementia Scale for People with Learning Disabilities.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRCaregiver reports separated no dementia from possible or probable dementia in 100 adults with Down syndrome, while direct tests separated possible from probable but not early change.
• PTOTCase Report2021Case Report: Bionic Reconstruction in an Adult With Obstetric Brachial Plexus Injury.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesOne adult with lifelong severe obstetric brachial plexus injury reported better arm use after a package of surgery, prosthetic fitting, and rehabilitation. Scores improved, but this is one person, not evidence that the approach works for others.
• OTSLPPilot2021Metacognitive Strategy Training Is Feasible for People With Aphasia.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthAdapted strategy training using supported conversation was feasible for stroke survivors with aphasia. Therapists maintained fidelity, participants engaged well, and disability scores improved similarly to patients without aphasia, though only half mastered the strategy.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Evaluating a Therapeutic Powered Mobility Camp for Children with Severe Cerebral Palsy.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieChildren with severe cerebral palsy improved powered mobility skills after a three-week camp, with gains maintained at follow-up. Participants achieved personal functional goals, such as driving to friends or moving around the school, and reported enjoying driving independently.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022ICF Core Sets for the assessment of functioning of adults with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyExperts created a checklist of 33 essential categories to assess functioning in adults with cerebral palsy. This brief set highlights mobility, self-care, pain, and environmental factors like support services, aiming to standardise care for this growing population.
• PTOTRCT2022Comparison of the effects of external focus of attention with metaphor and internal focus of attention on temporal changes in seating pressure during sitting motion in community-dwelling elderly people.Journal of physical therapy scienceTelling healthy older adults to imagine sitting in a bathtub without making waves led to smoother, safer sit-downs than telling them to lean forward slowly. This external focus reduced the speed of pressure increase on the spine, potentially lowering fracture risk.
• PTOTOther2022Effects of cognitive tasks on center-of-foot pressure displacements and brain activity during single leg stance: comparison in community-dwelling healthy older and young people.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding a recall task to single-leg stance increased foot pressure sway in healthy older adults, but not in young adults. Brain activity did not change with any task. The recall task was not superior to single-leg stance alone for fall risk screening.
• PTOTCohort2022Recovery and prediction of physical function 1 year following hip fracture.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyPhysical function improves most in the first 3 months after hip fracture. Pre-fracture walking aid use and discharge SPPB scores predict recovery. Asking about walking aids is a simple way to identify patients at risk of poor long-term outcomes.
• OTPilot2021Teachers' Perceptions of Handwriting Legibility Versus the German Systematic Screening for Motoric-Handwriting Difficulties (SEMS).OTJR : occupation, participation and healthThe SEMS screening test matched teacher opinions for Grade 2 students but missed problems in Grade 4s. It works for young children copying short texts but fails to catch older students whose handwriting breaks down during complex class tasks.
• PTOTQualitative2021The Experience of Locomotor Training From the Perspectives of Therapists and Parents of Children With Cerebral Palsy.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesParents and therapists described 6 weeks of intensive locomotor training as manageable and meaningful. Families valued the short duration and peer support. Reported improvements extended beyond walking to include better sleep, mood, and respiratory function, which were key motivators for participation.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2021ICF Linking and Cognitive Interviewing Are Complementary Methods for Optimizing Content Validity of Outcome Measures: An Integrated Methods Review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesOutcome questionnaires may miss what matters to patients unless developers link items to ICF codes and test how patients interpret them. Use both methods when choosing or adapting measures for functioning and disability.
• PTOTSLPRCT2021Early visual training and environmental adaptation for infants with visual impairment.Developmental medicine and child neurologyInfants with visual impairment who received intensive visual training improved in eye control and hand-eye coordination compared to those who received only routine care. Both groups improved in visual acuity. The training required at least three sessions per week for six months.
• PTOTSLPOther2021An Inclusive Early Childhood Intervention Program for Children With Disabilities: Possible Effects on Children and Nursery Teachers.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesChildren with disabilities in inclusive nursery schools showed improved development and fewer emotional and peer problems after teachers used a structured behavioral support program for six months. Teachers reported higher confidence and lower state anxiety. No control group was used, so natural maturation cannot be ruled out.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Proposing a Core Outcome Set for Physical Activity and Exercise Interventions in People With Rare Neurological Conditions.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesResearchers and patients agreed that trials of exercise for rare neurological conditions should measure participation and self-efficacy, not just physical function. They selected two questionnaires that capture daily life and confidence, which previous studies largely missed.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Out-of-Home Activities and Health in Older Adults: A Scoping Review.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthResearch on older adults leaving home focuses heavily on social and leisure activities. It rarely measures the quality of the experience, such as autonomy or meaning. Clinicians should not assume simply going out improves health; what people do and how they feel matters.
• OTQualitative2021Occupational Therapists as Social Change Agents: Exploring Factors that Influence Their Actions.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieSuccessful occupational therapists acting as change agents rely on nine personal factors, including adaptability and directed collaboration. They also depend on environmental supports like accessible expertise and collaborative teams, while facing barriers such as resistance to change and lack of resources.
• OTCase Series2022Using Subthreshold Vibratory Stimulation During Poststroke Rehabilitation Therapy: A Case Series.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthFour stroke survivors used a wearable wristband delivering imperceptible vibration during six weeks of therapy. They showed continuous improvement in arm function and daily use without safety issues. This small series cannot prove the device works, but suggests it is feasible for longer trials.
• PTOTRCT2022Embodiment, tailoring, and trust are important for co-construction of meaning in physiotherapy after stroke: A qualitative study.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyStroke survivors valued trust and engagement over specific exercises. They wanted to be pushed and corrected, interpreting exertion as progress. Assessment and goal-setting were often tacit, with patients trusting therapists to decide what mattered, rather than seeking explicit explanations.
• OTPilot2022Gut mobilization improves behavioral symptoms and modulates urinary p-cresol in chronically constipated autistic children: A prospective study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchTreating chronic constipation with daily PEG lowered hyperactivity, anxiety, and social deficits in autistic children. Gut mobilization improved behavior across all participants, though the study lacked a control group and blinding.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022Can Transcranial Electrical Stimulation Facilitate Post-stroke Cognitive Rehabilitation? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencestDCS may briefly improve attention and language recovery in stroke survivors, but does not help global thinking, memory, or visual neglect. The evidence is weak, based on small studies with no long-term follow-up, so it should not replace standard therapy.
• OTQualitative2022Occupational Lives in Sustained Recovery From Alcohol Dependency: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthThree people in sustained recovery from alcohol dependency described replacing drinking with specific leisure activities like songwriting or rugby. These activities served the same emotional purpose as alcohol had, helping them manage distress and build new social connections.
• OTSLPOther2022Toward better characterization of restricted and unusual interests in youth with autism.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceParents of autistic youth described restricted interests most often as sensory, vehicle, character, or media-related. Male sex, intellectual disability, and more severe social-communication difficulties were linked to having at least one such interest.
• OTPilot2022Promoting Routines of Exploration and Play during Mealtime: Estimated Effects and Identified Barriers.Occupational therapy in health careChildren with sensory food aversion accepted more bites of targeted foods after Mealtime PREP, a bundled parent-coaching mealtime programme, and risk of nutritional problems fell.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022Sensory-Based Priming for Upper Extremity Hemiparesis After Stroke: A Scoping Review.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthMost studies found that adding sensory priming to motor training improved arm function in stroke patients. However, protocols varied wildly in dose and method, and many were small pilots, so there is no single proven recipe to copy yet.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Reliability of the PEDro scale: comparison between trials published in predatory and non-predatory journals.Archives of physiotherapyRaters agreed less on the PEDro quality score for trials in predatory journals than in reputable ones. For predatory trials, the agreement was too weak to trust a single score. This makes judging bias risk harder when relying on those publications.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Comparison of respiratory function, physical function, and activities of daily living among community-dwelling patients with respiratory and non-respiratory disease.Journal of physical therapy sciencePatients with respiratory disease had significantly shorter maximum phonation times than those without, averaging 8.9 seconds versus 13.5 seconds. However, there were no differences in grip strength, chair stand performance, or daily living independence between the groups.
• PTOTCase Report2021Case Report: Perspective of a Caregiver on Functional Outcomes Following Bilateral Lateral Pectoral Nerve Cryoneurotomy to Treat Spasticity in a Pediatric Patient With Cerebral Palsy.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn one non-verbal teenager with severe cerebral palsy, freezing the nerves to the chest muscles improved shoulder movement and made dressing, bathing, and wheelchair transfers easier for his caregiver.
• PTOTSLPOther2021A Scoping Review of Barriers and Facilitators Affecting the Lives of People With Disabilities During COVID-19.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with disabilities faced worsened access to care and information, but telehealth and clear masks helped some. Therapists must ask about home internet, family support and safety before virtual care, and provide accessible communication.
• OTOther2021Collaborative Relationship-Focused Occupational Therapy: Evolving Lexicon and Practice.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieNo clinical finding is available. This article argues client-centred language is inadequate and proposes collaborative relationship-focused practice, but reports no patients, outcomes, or tested interventions.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Sex differences in age of diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder: Preliminary evidence from Uganda.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn Ugandan clinics, girls were diagnosed with autism at an average of 7.75 years, compared to 6.60 years for boys. This delay suggests clinicians should screen girls more aggressively for social communication differences, as cultural expectations may mask their symptoms.
• PTOTOther2022Concurrent validity and precision of the thumb disability examination (TDX) in first carpometacarpal osteoarthritis.Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand TherapistsIn 16 adults with thumb CMC osteoarthritis, the TDX agreed with the bMHQ. Total score changes above about 17 points on a 0 to 100 scale may reflect real change, but the pain subscale was less precise.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022A novel magnetic resonance imaging-based scoring system to predict outcome in neonates born preterm with intraventricular haemorrhage.Developmental medicine and child neurologyA new MRI scoring system predicted cognitive and motor outcomes better than standard ultrasound grading in preterm infants with brain bleeds. Higher MRI scores and lower gestational age independently signaled worse development, offering clinicians a more precise tool for prognosis.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2022Risk and protective factors of quality of life for children with autism spectrum disorder and their families during the COVID-19 lockdown. An Italian study.Research in developmental disabilitiesChildren with ASD who played at a table with parents or did physical activity had better quality of life. Worsening overall autism symptoms lowered quality of life for both children and parents. Telehealth showed a non-significant trend toward protecting children's quality of life.
• OTOther2021Assessment of Participation within the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF): The Turkish Validity and Reliability of the Participation Scale.Occupational therapy internationalThe Turkish version of the Participation Scale is a reliable tool for identifying participation constraints in low-income university students. It consistently measures two aspects of life: work-related participation and general participation. This allows therapists to pinpoint specific barriers to social and academic integration in this group.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Free-Living User Perspectives on Musculoskeletal Pain and Patient-Reported Mobility With Passive and Powered Prosthetic Ankle-Foot Components: A Pragmatic, Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesCurrent users of powered prosthetic feet reported less knee pain and better mobility than when they used passive feet. However, most people who tried the powered device gave it up because it did not help them, so it is not a universal fix.
• OTQualitative2021Ethical Tensions in Occupational Therapy Practice: Conflicts and Competing Allegiances.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieSeven occupational therapists described ethical tensions arising from competing allegiances to clients, employers, colleagues, and regulatory colleges. Common conflicts included balancing client autonomy with safety risks, navigating gift-giving guidelines, and managing value clashes with colleagues or employers.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Ultrasound Imaging of Head/Neck Muscles and Their Fasciae: An Observational Study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesUltrasound reliably measured head and neck muscle thickness, but fasciae thickness did not change with contraction. While group averages showed symmetry, individual data revealed significant imbalance in how muscles activated, suggesting compensation strategies that standard tests might miss.