SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY

Research for speech-language pathology

Papers a speech-language pathologist can act on — aphasia, dysphagia, developmental language, fluency, voice and augmentative communication — read in full and summarised plainly.

10,216 PAPERS · PAGE 171 OF 205 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Caregiver and student perspectives on school services for students with traumatic brain injury during the COVID-19 pandemic.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineFamilies described remote learning as often failing to deliver necessary accommodations, with teachers overlooking plans and students unable to engage with screens. However, some found flexibility and self-pacing reduced anxiety and helped them manage symptoms and appointments better.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Factors Related to the Recurrence of Sickness Absence Due to Common Mental Health Disorders: A Systematic Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationEmployees with low socioeconomic status and those with previous short-term or mental-health-related sickness absences are at higher risk of recurrent absence. Therapists should extend support and monitor these groups long after they return to work.
• OTSLPOther2025Using the RE-AIM and TDF frameworks to evaluate the implementation of a standardized cognitive assessment protocol in outpatient rehabilitation.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationA standardized cognitive assessment protocol was used in 71% of patient records at one outpatient site and 54% at another. Occupational therapists adopted it much less than speech-language pathologists. Site A used leadership checks and audits, while Site B relied only on training and templates.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025Disclosure Decisions of Workers Living with a Chronic Health Condition Causing Disability at Work: Are Decisions to Disclose to Co-workers and Supervisors Different?Journal of occupational rehabilitationMost Canadian workers with a disability disclosed their condition to colleagues. Factors predicting disclosure included age, pain, health variability, job disruptions, accommodation use, and workplace perceptions, rather than the specific type of disability.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025Are the Quality of Organizational Changes Associated with Expected Retirement-Age Among Senior Employees?Journal of occupational rehabilitationPoorly managed workplace reorganizations are linked to senior employees expecting to retire about 0.7 years earlier than those with well-managed changes. For therapists advising on return-to-work or career retention, this suggests that how a company handles change, not just the change itself, impacts older workers' decisions to stay in the workforce.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Development and validation of the Physical Disability Identity Scale: A multistudy quantitative investigation with participant feedback.Rehabilitation psychologyA new scale measures six ways people relate to their physical disability. Feeling connected or satisfied with the identity linked to better wellbeing. Seeing disability as central to self or shaped by it linked to worse mental health and more discrimination.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Barriers and Facilitators for Interprofessional Education in Work-Focused Healthcare: An Integrative Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationOnly seven studies examined interprofessional education for work-focused healthcare. Facilitators included skilled educators, practical site visits, and reflection time. Barriers were lack of organizational support, time constraints, and misunderstanding roles. One trial showed no improvement in collaboration or patient outcomes.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Feasibility and Effects of Exercise During Working Hours in Acute Hospital Staff - A Non-Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of occupational rehabilitationSupervised exercise during working hours was feasible for hospital staff. Participants showed improved aerobic capacity, blood pressure, and pain. However, adherence was low, and without a control group, these changes cannot be proven to result from the intervention alone.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Realising the Case Management Ideal in Multi-organisational Coordination Work to Support Work Ability and (Re)employment in Finland.Journal of occupational rehabilitationWork ability coordinators cannot track clients across agencies because each organisation uses separate systems. This breaks the continuity of care during rehabilitation. Informal local networks were the only way to maintain contact. Clinicians should expect gaps in client history when patients move between services.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Social development of girls with a physical disability during adolescence: Parent perspectives.Rehabilitation psychologyMothers of girls with physical disabilities reported that puberty amplified the gap between their daughters and peers. Girls struggled to find friends who understood their daily medical routines. This led to increased self-consciousness and hesitancy to socialize, even for those who appeared to have good friendships.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Conceptualizing Stigma in the Injured Worker Literature: A Scoping Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationThe word "stigma" is rarely used in research on injured workers, making these studies hard to find. Researchers instead describe these experiences using terms like "malingering," "blame," "discrimination," and "lack of support." This terminology gap limits awareness of the problem.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Identity development among veterans with spinal cord injury: A qualitative study.Rehabilitation psychologyVeterans with spinal cord injury rebuilt their identities by adapting activities to keep doing what mattered and by changing their self-concept to accept new roles. Support from peers with similar injuries and engaging in active daily routines were central to this process.
• SLPCohort2025Assessing the Relationship Between Chronic Pain and Cognition: A NIDILRR and VA TBI Model Systems Collaborative Project.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAmong people with moderate-to-severe TBI and current chronic pain, higher pain intensity and interference were linked to slightly worse telephone cognitive scores. Head pain was also linked to worse scores. The links were small, so their practical meaning is unclear.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Self-regulation resource model of body compassion in multiple sclerosis.Rehabilitation psychologyIn 799 adults with multiple sclerosis, feeling compassionate toward one's own body was linked to higher confidence managing symptoms. This confidence was associated with less drug use and better social participation, but not with exercise. These are cross-sectional links, not proof that compassion causes behavior change.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Characteristics of pediatric patients with sports-related concussions: A single site retrospective review.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicinePediatric sports concussions peak during each sport's season, with football leading. Uninsured or Medicaid patients were more likely to present to the emergency department, miss follow-up appointments, and require a longer period to complete the same number of visits as privately insured patients.
• PTOTSLPOther2026A national consensus-based framework on preferred assessments and interventions in current treatment for young people with acquired brain injury in Dutch rehabilitation centers.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineDutch rehabilitation teams agreed on 37 assessments and 25 interventions for young people with acquired brain injury. The list covers physical, occupational, speech, and social work domains to standardize care, though most tools were not specifically validated for this population.
• PTOTSLPRCT2026Long COVID brain fog treatment: An early-phase randomized controlled trial of constraint-induced cognitive therapy signals go.Rehabilitation psychologyIn adults with long COVID brain fog, a 36-hour cognitive rehabilitation programme produced large improvements in everyday task performance and return to work. This pilot study suggests the approach is feasible and safe, but the sample was tiny and unblinded, so it cannot confirm the treatment works.
• OTSLPQualitative2026The Experience of Return to Work Among People with Persistent Symptoms Following a Concussion: An Interview Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationSeven Danes with persistent concussion symptoms described their return-to-work process as defined by whether others believed them. Supportive stakeholders shortened their recovery, while distrust and random, late access to energy management programs prolonged it and caused isolation.
• OTSLPPilot2025Purpose Renewal in Adults With Persisting Symptoms After Concussion: Results of a Non-Randomized Feasibility Trial.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationThe 12-week Compass Course was feasible for adults with persisting concussion symptoms, with 22 of 37 completing it. While completers reported high satisfaction and gains in purpose, nearly half withdrew, and the uncontrolled design cannot prove efficacy.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Ultrasound-guided injections for the retrotrochanteric region: A cadaveric investigation.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationIn embalmed cadavers, a deep ultrasound-guided injection reached the target between the piriformis/triceps coxae tendons and hip capsule in 86% of suitable sides, while superficial injections failed. This confirms technical feasibility but does not prove pain relief in patients.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Behavioral Fluctuation in Disorders of Consciousness: A Retrospective Analysis.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness, CRS-R scores fluctuated frequently. A 1-point change was common without treatment. Motor behaviors were the most stable signs of consciousness, while language behaviors were the least stable. Serial assessment over 21 days is essential to distinguish spontaneous fluctuation from true clinical change.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Supportive Elements and Challenges to Return to Work Following a Concussion: A Scoping Review.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationConcussion recovery at work depends on more than symptoms. Personal agency and social support help, while prolonged rest advice and poor funder relations hinder return. Clinicians should prioritize individualized, abilities-focused plans over generic rest.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2025The role of rehabilitation across the continuum of liver disease from cirrhosis to transplantation and beyond: A narrative review.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationRehabilitation is safe and improves function across liver disease stages. PTs focus on early mobility and endurance. OTs manage ADLs and tremor. SLPs address dysphagia and cognitive effects of encephalopathy. Evidence supports exercise for frailty, but long-term outcome data remain sparse.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025Compassion fatigue, work engagement, and psychological distress in health care workers treating patients with long COVID.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationHealth care workers who themselves had long COVID reported significantly higher distress, compassion fatigue, and lower engagement than those who did not. Early-career staff also reported less engagement and more fatigue than late-career peers.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Impact of intensive, multidisciplinary neurorehabilitation on functional independence following pediatric acquired brain injury (ABI): A matched cohort study.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineIn matched pediatric ABI inpatient cohorts, higher-intensity and lower-intensity therapy did not differ for functional independence at discharge. Both groups improved. OT minutes were associated with better discharge scores, but this was observational and not proven causal.
• SLPRCT2026Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Over the Vagus Nerve Promotes Poststroke Dysphagia Recovery: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Clinical Trial.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationAdding transcranial direct current stimulation to the vagus nerve to routine swallowing rehab improved swallowing scores more than sham stimulation. The extra stimulation group had less severe dysphagia and better functional communication after four weeks. This suggests targeting the peripheral nerve may help poststroke recovery.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Reductions in Therapy Provision in Skilled Nursing Facilities After Medicare Payment Reform and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMedicare's 2019 payment reform cut therapy minutes in skilled nursing facilities by roughly a quarter. Physical and occupational therapy dropped the most. Rural and for-profit facilities saw the sharpest declines, and therapy levels had not recovered by late 2021.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Telerehabilitation as an innovative strategy for the management of anxiety and dyspnea in post-COVID-19: A scoping review.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationTelerehabilitation for post-COVID patients generally improved breathing, physical function, and quality of life across 19 studies. Anxiety results were mixed, with some reviews showing no significant reduction. Evidence remains limited by small sample sizes and a lack of standardized guidelines.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Codesign of a framework to support compassionate care appropriate to technology use by people with cognitive decline.Disability and rehabilitationPeople with cognitive decline want home monitoring technology that respects their privacy and autonomy. They fear being judged for low activity or insurance penalties. Clinicians should discuss these specific risks and tailor technology selection to individual values.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Applying NLP methods to code functional performance in electronic health records using the international classification of functioning, disability, and health.Disability and health journalThe ICF framework helped standardize how therapists document mobility, self-care, relationships, and communication in electronic records. But codes often overlapped, lacked cultural inclusivity, and failed to capture modern technology use, requiring manual consensus to make them usable for automated data extraction.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Effects of Internal and External Cues on Brain Activity and Gait in Parkinson's Disease: Findings From BARC-PD.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairInternal and visual cues improved gait speed and stride length more than auditory or tactile cues. Disease stage did not change who benefited, contradicting guidelines that reserve internal cues for early Parkinson's. The brain's response varied by cue type, suggesting different mechanisms for each strategy.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Course of Fatigue and Sleep After Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationFatigue and poor sleep remained high and stable for 18 months after moderate to severe brain injury. Physical tiredness and objectively measured sleep time decreased slightly. Mood problems consistently linked to worse fatigue and sleep quality, while processing speed did not.
• SLPRCT2026Measurement of cross-language and cross-domain generalization following semantic feature-based anomia treatment in bilingual aphasia.Neuropsychological rehabilitationTreating naming deficits in one language of bilingual patients with chronic aphasia improved word retrieval in both languages. Gains extended to untrained words and overall language ability, but did not improve nonverbal reasoning or semantic control tasks.
• SLPOther2026Directional vibro-tactile hazard warnings for drivers with vision impairments.Assistive technology : the official journal of RESNAIn a driving simulator, seat vibrations warning of pedestrian hazards reduced collisions to zero for drivers with central vision loss and to under 1% for those with field loss. The warnings helped those with vision loss, not normal-vision drivers.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Patient engagement in inpatient rehabilitation: A scoping review of measures and evolving conceptualizations.Rehabilitation psychologyClinicians mostly rate engagement by watching patients, which misses why someone holds back. Patients rarely rate themselves, and no measure captures the interaction between patient and therapist. This gap makes it hard to target interventions for low engagement.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Self-management in youth with spina bifida: predictors of health and quality of life outcomes.Disability and rehabilitationHigher self-management in young adults with spina bifida lowered the odds of diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis, and improved quality of life. However, self-management did not reduce recent urinary tract infections or pressure injuries. Mental health declined with age, with females reporting worse outcomes.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026A socioecological approach to understanding and positively affecting the intersectionality between disability, race and ethnicity, climate change, and rehabilitation outcomes: A scoping review.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationClimate events disrupt rehab care for people with disabilities, especially those with mobility, temperature regulation, or ventilator needs. The review found no tested interventions, only expert recommendations for disaster planning, telerehabilitation, and policy advocacy to protect continuity of care.
• SLPQualitative2025"I'd rather be in pain than be patronized." A qualitative study of health care experiences of persons with disabilities.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPeople with disabilities described care that ignored accommodations, dismissed their knowledge, or assumed incompetence. They wanted physicians to prepare, collaborate, and treat them as people first.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Traumatic Brain Injury in Those With Preexisting Disability: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Psychosocial Function.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAdults with pre-existing disability who sustained a TBI with loss of consciousness reported significantly more days of poor mental and physical health and higher loneliness compared to those without such TBI. Employment rates did not differ between the groups.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Facilitating Return to Work through a Broader Perspective on Vocational Rehabilitation: Insights from Patients with Stress-Related Disorders.Journal of occupational rehabilitationPatients with stress-related exhaustion said successful return to work required workplace and organisational changes, not just individual coping. They needed managers with authority to adjust tasks, clear structures, and influence over their own pace and environment.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026Disability, Job Satisfaction, and Workplace Accommodations: Evidence from the Healthcare Industry.Journal of occupational rehabilitationHealthcare workers with disabilities report worse workplace experiences, including higher turnover intentions and lower support, than those without. Accommodation requests are common for both groups, but denial or partial granting harms job satisfaction and commitment regardless of disability status.
• PTOTSLPRCT2026Quantifying Exercise Intensity to Predict Changes in Walking Capacity in Individuals with Chronic Stroke.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationTraining speed predicted walking gains in chronic stroke, but heart rate did not. Walking at a patient's fastest speed yielded larger improvements than their normal pace. Clinicians should target speed, not just heart rate, to maximize endurance and velocity.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Mental and Physical Well-Being of Informal Stroke Caregivers Compared With Noncaregiver Family and Friends.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationInformal stroke caregivers had worse physical and mental health than non-caregiver family and friends 90 days after the stroke. They reported more depression symptoms, fatigue, and sleep difficulties, even after adjusting for the stroke survivor's severity and both groups' demographics.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Multidisciplinary rehabilitation and follow-up for children hospitalized with traumatic brain injury.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineOver half of children hospitalized with traumatic brain injury had new functional impairments requiring fresh referrals at their first follow-up clinic. Earlier inpatient therapy consultations were associated with discharge to home, but this was a single-center observational study.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025How important are working relationships for stroke self-management? A qualitative study with healthcare professionals in community stroke teams.Clinical rehabilitationClinicians said trust, clear expectations, shared goals and family networks helped working relationships and self-management, but they also often led goal setting and confused self-management with ongoing rehab.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Rehabilitation needs prior to adjuvant chemotherapy in a rural Swedish population.Journal of rehabilitation medicineBefore starting chemotherapy, many cancer patients and their families reported anxiety, depression, and unmet needs. Families often had higher unmet needs than patients, especially for information and coordination. Screening both groups early is necessary, as their needs differ and are not always obvious.
• SLPCase Report2026The Experience of Adult-Onset Hearing Loss and Adaptation to a Cochlear Implant.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairA neurologist describes adapting to a cochlear implant after progressive hearing loss. Single-word recognition improved from 10% to 64% over four months, but music and spatial localization remained poor. The author notes that formal rehabilitation training is essential for adapting to synthetic sound.
• SLPCohort2026Temporal Association Between Reported Use of Psychoactive Substances and Cognitive Function in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn people with MS, using caffeine was linked to better self-reported thinking and faster processing speed. Alcohol use was linked to worse working memory. Cannabis use was linked to worse self-reported thinking, but no change in objective tests.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Associations among aerobic physical activity, mild traumatic brain injury history, and health-related quality of life in military service members and Veterans: A LIMBIC-CENC study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationMilitary service members and veterans who met aerobic exercise guidelines reported better quality of life than inactive peers. This benefit held regardless of how many mild traumatic brain injuries they had sustained. Exercise is associated with better outcomes, but this study did not prove that starting exercise causes improvement.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2025Utilizing Smart Televisions as Assistive Technology to Enhance Communication and Social Lives of Older Adults: Systematic Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesOnly 30 small, varied studies examined smart TVs as familiar communication aids for older adults, mostly prototypes or usability tests; little long-term evidence of improved social well-being.