THE INDEX

Every paper we have read

Each one summarised from the full article, not its abstract, and kept only if it speaks to physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology or nursing. Newest first.

35,183 PAPERS · PAGE 228 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTRCT2021Wearable vibrotactile stimulation for upper extremity rehabilitation in chronic stroke: clinical feasibility trial using the VTS Glove.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWearing a vibrotactile glove three hours daily for eight weeks improved tactile perception and reduced finger spasticity compared with sham in 16 chronic stroke survivors. Some active range of motion also increased. This is a small feasibility trial.
• Case Report2018Parent-Implemented Bedtime Fading and Positive Routines for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn six children with autism receiving ABA tutoring, parent-run bedtime fading was followed by faster falling asleep and longer sleep in three. Parent-run positive routines had smaller, mixed sleep changes.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Impact of multidisciplinary rehabilitation on functioning and quality of life in stroke survivors: a longitudinal retrospective analysis.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStroke survivors in specialized multidisciplinary rehabilitation showed improved functional and quality of life scores up to 12 months, but overall quality of life did not improve and scores declined by 3 years. The study cannot separate rehabilitation from other care.
• PTCohort2026Quantitative Analysis of the Nystagmus of Posterior Canal Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo and Its Association With Prognosis.Ear and hearingIn posterior canal BPPV, Dix-Hallpike latency and day 0 treatment success did not predict later dizziness or resolution, but torsional up-beating nystagmus during the Epley maneuver was linked to treatment success.
• OTOther2025Dementia in Intellectual Disability: An Exploratory Investigation of Comorbidity Patterns and Diagnostic Outcomes.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRMost comparisons between adults with intellectual disability with and without dementia showed no clear differences. The dementia group was more likely to have Down syndrome and less likely to have affective disorders.
• PTMeta-Analysis2026Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationActive tDCS compared with sham reduced self-reported pain and improved pressure pain thresholds, but it did not change conditioned pain modulation. Evidence for function was low certainty.
• PTSystematic Review2026The classification of walking and phases of gait using EEG: a scoping review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationEEG-based studies could distinguish walking from rest in lab settings, but gait phase classification is sparse, mostly treadmill and healthy adults, and not ready for clinical robotic gait training.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Rehabilitation needs of long COVID patients in British Columbia.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationMost people referred to a long COVID clinic needed rehabilitation by clinic criteria, especially for breathing and mental health. Many needed more than one service, so screening should ask about fatigue, breathlessness, mood, and function before choosing a single rehab pathway.
• Other2026Habilitation and assistive devices for persons with disabilities: a new approach to respect for human rights and inclusion.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesNo findings to summarise.
• PTOTOther2026Sex-related differences in the physical, functional, physiological, and emotional profile of adults with chronic vestibular hypofunction: a cross-sectional EXERVEST study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn adults with chronic vestibular hypofunction, women and men differed in body composition, exercise capacity, visual balance, and sleep. They did not differ in depression, anxiety, dizziness handicap, activity, or fall risk. Use same-sex reference values rather than assuming one sex is worse.
• Cohort2026Use of VA Facility and VA-Purchased Behavioral Health Services Among Post-9/11 Veterans With and Without Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationMost post-9/11 veterans who used behavioral health care used VA facilities only, but reliance was lowest for emergency services. Veterans with traumatic brain injury used more outpatient services, yet many did not use any behavioral health care.
• OTSystematic Review2026Setbacks to strengths: A scoping review of positive psychology constructs among veterans and service members with traumatic brain injury.Rehabilitation psychologyMost research on positive psychology after military TBI is cross-sectional and focuses on social support, resilience, and quality of life. Only 14 studies were intervention studies, so this review cannot show that any intervention works.
• PTOTRCT2026Effects of adding R-BoT + plus verticalization-based robotic locomotor training to conventional rehabilitation in patients with subacute stroke: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding R-BoT + plus robotic stepping to conventional rehab improved walking independence more than conventional rehab alone at 4 weeks and 3 months. The robot was given with usual therapy, not alone.
• PTOTCohort2026Return to Community Living and Functional Ability Following Inpatient Rehabilitation for Hip Fracture in Patients Aged ≥65 Years: A Retrospective Descriptive Observational Study.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationMost older hip fracture patients who had lived at home returned after inpatient rehabilitation, but 18.1% returning to family and 26.3% returning to live alone had low function scores and likely needed support beyond family caregivers.
• PTRCT2026Effects of a 12-week Tai Chi program on postural stability and gait biomechanics in prefrail older adults: a randomized controlled study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAfter 12 weeks, prefrail older adults given Tai Chi plus health education finished the Timed Up-and-Go test 1.63 seconds faster than those given health education alone. Balance and physical performance scores were also better. The study did not test Tai Chi without health education.
• OTCohort2026Unveiling the Impact of Occupational Therapy on Acute Care Outcomes: A Machine Learning Approach.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOT service patterns were linked with 30-day readmission and daily-activity gains in orthopedic patients, but not with discharge to home. More total OT minutes were linked with higher readmission, so these are observational patterns, not proven treatment effects.
• SLPOther2026Decoding motor imagery related to major mimetic muscles from electroencephalography.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationEEG signals can distinguish between different facial movements imagined by healthy people and those with facial paralysis. Accuracy was high for kinesthetic imagery but dropped for visual imagery and across different people. This supports future brain-computer interface development but does not yet prove clinical efficacy.
• OTOther2026Development and validation of a prediction model for activities of daily living dysfunction among stroke survivors: insights from the CHARLS cohort.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThis model flags stroke survivors more likely to have current ADL difficulty using depression, older age, falls, hypertension, arthritis, lung disease, social contact, sleep and drinking. It was not tested in practice.
• PTCohort2026Ethnic Differences in Postacute Stroke Rehabilitation.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAfter adjusting for income, education, and other factors, there was no clear difference in first inpatient rehab use between MA and NHW stroke survivors. Before adjustment, NHW use was higher.
• PTOther2026A multidimensional evaluation of the Atalante exoskeleton as an assistive locomotion device for individuals with complete paraplegia: a prospective longitudinal study in a controlled environment.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 11 adults with complete paraplegia, supervised hands-free Atalante exoskeleton walking became faster to set up and take off, with rare harness-assisted near-falls, but one fracture occurred. Use needs careful bone screening and supervised indoor setup.
• PTOTPilot2026Transcutaneous spinal stimulation with upper extremity robotic training in chronic stroke and spinal cord injury: individual neurophysiological and clinical responses.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding cervical transcutaneous spinal stimulation to arm robotic and grip training produced no clear group-level arm gains. Some people with chronic stroke or spinal cord injury showed individual improvements in grip, arm scores, tone, or sensation.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Immediate changes during dysesthesia-matched transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in refractory neuropathic pain: a retrospective observational case series.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPain scores dropped by a median of 2 points during stimulation in this case series. However, without a control group, these changes cannot be separated from placebo effects or natural symptom fluctuation.
• PTOther2026Handgrip strength reference values and dynapenia risk thresholds in an urban adult sample from Lima, Peru.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn Lima adults, grip strength was lower than commonly reported in European and North American groups, fell by 2.5 kg per decade, and age and sex reference values can guide local screening.
• PTCohort2026Relative fat mass predicts symptomatic knee osteoarthritis in older adults with metabolic syndrome: a longitudinal cohort study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn Chinese adults with metabolic syndrome, higher relative fat mass was associated with new symptomatic knee osteoarthritis during follow-up. It identified risk better than BMI, but the paper describes the gain as modest and meant for screening, not diagnosis.
• SLPCohort2026The Relationship Between Age, Brain Structure, and Cognition in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn chronic moderate-severe TBI, middle-aged adults had lower fornix and thalamus brain structure than same-age controls. In the oldest groups, TBI and control differences were smaller or absent. Lower structure was linked to poorer verbal memory and processing speed.
• Other2026Medication prescription patterns in cancer rehabilitation physiatry outpatients: A multicenter retrospective study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationOpioids and neuropathic pain medicines were the most frequently prescribed medication categories in outpatient cancer rehabilitation visits, at 14.5% and 11.3% of encounters, with clear differences between institutions.
• Narrative Review2025Special Communication: The Global Phenomenon of Sex Work, Intimate Partner Violence, and Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationNo original study findings are reported. This is a narrative commentary and proposed framework, not evidence of treatment effects.
• PTCohort2026Home-based digital exercise versus hospital physiotherapy for plantar fasciitis: a propensity-score-matched retrospective cohort study with dual-perspective cost-utility evaluation.Journal of rehabilitation medicineFor adults with plantar fasciitis who chose a home app-delivered exercise programme over hospital physiotherapy, 3-month first-step pain was similar and slightly lower, and costs were less. The groups were not randomised, so this is not proof the programme caused the difference.
• OTSurvey2026Factors of family-centered care associated with state anxiety in parents of children and adolescents with disabilities.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesParents who already tend to feel anxious were more likely to feel anxious now. Parents who said they received specific information about their child and used more care facilities reported less current anxiety. These are links, not proof of benefit.
• PTRCT2026Peripheral and central vestibular neuromodulation improve postural control in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a randomized, sham-controlled, multi-arm intervention study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis, 20 minutes of noisy vestibular stimulation over the mastoid processes, scalp stimulation over the right parietal cortex, or both reduced immediate sway on a hard balance task. The combined approach gave the largest short-term sway reduction.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Inpatient rehabilitation after acute injury or illness for patients with and without mental health disorders: service utilization, functional improvement, and pain.Journal of rehabilitation medicineInpatients with mental health disorders made similar functional gains and were equally satisfied, but reported more pain, used more opioids on discharge, cancelled more physiotherapy, and required far more team coordination and nurse time.
• Other2026Neuromechanical synergy patterns explain metabolic efficiency differences during the sit-to-walk transition.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHealthy adults with different estimated metabolic cost during sit-to-walk had similar visible joint movement but localized differences in muscle coordination timing and weighting. This is a research framework in healthy adults, not evidence that a therapy changes efficiency.
• Other2026Scientific and Technological Developments in Brain-Computer Interfaces: Dual Bibliometric Analysis of Articles and Patents.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesBrain-computer interface articles and patents grew through 2025, but patents cited 50 of 157 highly cited papers and the mean time lag between patent grant year and article publication year was 8.8 years.
• PTOTRCT2026Tai Ji for stroke rehabilitation: a randomized controlled trial on improving upper limb function and cortico-muscular coupling in stroke patients.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke patients who added Tai Ji to standard medical treatment, health education, and upper limb rehabilitation had greater upper limb motor score gains after four weeks. Because Tai Ji was extra training, its unique effect is unclear.
• OTSLPOther2026Digital Aids for Social Media in Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury: Longitudinal Evaluation Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesOnly life satisfaction rose from before to after the study in adults with TBI who used Facebook aids. Emotional support, social connection and self-esteem did not change clearly. Participants rated the aids helpful, especially focus, filter and customization.
• Case Report2026Residual muscle activity associated with phantom limb movements after transhumeral amputation without surgical reinnervation: a preliminary ultrasound study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn one man with a transhumeral amputation who did not have nerve surgery, ultrasound showed that moving individual phantom fingers produced distinct muscle patterns in his upper arm. This suggests phantom movements could control prostheses without targeted muscle reinnervation, but it is a single case.
• OTCohort2026Multidimensional Preinjury Health and 6-month Outcome After Traumatic Brain Injury in Older Adults Presenting With Mainly GCS 13-15.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAdding pre-injury frailty and daily-function measures to existing prediction models did not improve prediction in older adults with mostly mild traumatic brain injury, although the measures were linked to worse 6-month recovery.
• PTOTRCT2026Development of virtual reality in the upper extremities function in children with Cerebral Palsy. A pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationVirtual reality training did not significantly improve upper-extremity range of motion or motor function versus conventional therapy in 42 children with cerebral palsy. A younger 10 to 12 year subgroup showed better self-reported manual ability.
• SLPNarrative Review2026Biohybrid cochlear implants: neural interfaces, regenerative pathways, and translational benchmarks.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationCurrent cochlear implants leave a 0.5 to 2 mm gap between electrodes and auditory neurons, limiting how independently sound channels can work. A proposed biohybrid idea uses tiny native channels to guide nerve regrowth and growth factor support, but no method is clinically validated.
• PTSystematic Review2026Ankle-foot orthosis mechanical testing: a scoping review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationDifferent tests of ankle-foot orthosis stiffness can disagree, so measured stiffness may not mean the same thing across labs. Clinicians cannot yet rely on stiffness numbers to choose an AFO until testing methods are standardized.
• SLPRCT2026Effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on cognition through sleep slow-wave activity in older adults.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA single session of brain stimulation did not improve memory or executive function in older adults with subjective cognitive decline. Reaction speed on one attention task improved slightly, but the change was smaller than what is considered clinically meaningful.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Clinically interpretable prediction models of stroke functional outcomes: A national cohort study of adults in inpatient rehabilitation facilities in the US.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn US inpatient rehab, discharge self-care and mobility were best predicted by admission self-care and mobility, continence and length of stay. Therapy minutes had limited influence.
• OTCase Report2026Intention-driven functional electrical stimulation therapy using a wearable high-density electrode sleeve in chronic stroke: a case report.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn two adults with chronic stroke hand weakness, a wearable forearm sleeve supported multi-movement, intention-driven electrical stimulation during task practice; both had changes beyond small meaningful thresholds on hand function tests.
• PTOTSLPRCT2026Low-Frequency STN-DBS for Standing and Gait Initiation in Parkinson's Disease: A Double-Blinded Randomised Cross-Over Feasibility Trial.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairSwitching to low-frequency brain stimulation improved standing balance and movement initiation in Parkinson's, but caused tremor to return in 10 of 16 patients off medication. Clinical mobility scores did not change, so the benefit is only visible on specialised force-plate tests.
• PTCohort2026Sensor-derived heel pressure metrics capture reversible gait dysfunction beyond conventional gait measures in normal pressure hydrocephalus.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAfter a spinal fluid tap test, heel pressure patterns changed in responders. Adding heel pressure to a 10-m walk test showed added clinical usefulness, but did not clearly separate responders better.
• PTOther2026Fidelity of an Online Telecoaching Community-Based Exercise Intervention Among Adults Living With HIV in Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Observational Longitudinal Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies83% of the 18 participants assessed at month 6 attended at least 80% of online personal training sessions, but only 50% met the independent exercise target and 33% attended group classes. The only part delivered as planned was supervised attendance.
• PTOTRCT2026Safety, feasibility and preliminary effects of Atalante exoskeleton-assisted gait training in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a prospective ABA pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTen people with ALS completed six weeks of exoskeleton gait training safely. Objective measures showed no significant change, but participants reported high motivation and perceived benefits. This confirms feasibility and safety, not that the training preserves walking function.
• PTOTOther2026Topological data analysis of postural sway: characterizing balance control during childhood development.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationYounger children show more complex, oscillatory sway patterns than adults. Removing vision increased sway size but not its structural complexity, while standing on one leg increased both. These topological markers track balance maturation in healthy children.
• OTSystematic Review2026Effectiveness of low vision rehabilitation on visual function and quality of life in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesLow-vision services that provided assessment, devices, and sometimes training were associated with better distance acuity and vision-related quality of life in one of three small studies, but a reading-rate gain was not supported and evidence was low.
• PTRCT2026Beyond microprocessor knees: exploring the potential of fully powered prosthetic legs.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThe powered knee-ankle prototype did not give clinically meaningful walking benefits over microprocessor knees. With 12 transfemoral users, it was slower on fastest-speed tests, less symmetrical in swing time, and less preferred, while oxygen cost was similar.