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 294 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPNarrative Review2018Early hearing detection and intervention: Reflections from the South African context.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsThis paper is a narrative reflection, not a trial. It offers expert recommendations on newborn hearing screening in South Africa, not tested outcomes.
• SLPCase Report2018Exploring the efficacy of melodic intonation therapy with Broca's aphasia in Arabic.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsOne Jordanian Arabic-speaking man with severe Broca's aphasia improved accuracy on treated automatic and self-generated phrases after intensive melodic intonation therapy. His family-rated communication and quality-of-life scores rose, but this is one person, not proof MIT works.
• PTOTRCT2018Phase II Randomized Controlled Trial of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis. Part 1: Effects on Real-World Function.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairTen adults with MS who received intensive constraint-induced movement therapy reported using their weaker arm in daily life at 85% of normal levels after treatment, up from 25%. This gain held at one year. The comparison group saw little real-world improvement.
• PTRCT2018Effects of dynamic neural mobilization on cerebral cortical activity in patients with stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 20 people with stroke, dynamic neural mobilization of the arm changed brain-wave measures in the motor cortex more than neural mobilization after four weeks. No arm function was measured, so this does not show better recovery.
• PTOther2018The reliability of postural control method in athletes with and without ACL reconstruction: a transitional task.Journal of physical therapy scienceForce plate measurements of weight-shifting balance tasks are reliable for both ACL-reconstructed athletes and healthy controls. Clinicians can trust these dynamic balance tests to track rehabilitation progress, as scores remained consistent between test and retest sessions.
• SLPOther2018Adapting Hearing Devices to the Individual Ear Acoustics: Database and Target Response Correction Functions for Various Device Styles.Trends in hearingIndividualized diffuse-field correction gives the smallest modeled sound error for hearing devices, especially in ear-canal styles. Behind-the-ear microphones still cannot reproduce open-ear sound.
• PTOTRCT2018Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Enhances Motor Skill Learning but Not Generalization in Chronic Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairAdding real anodal tDCS to five days of pinch training raised the trained-task learning score (2.29 vs 1.53), but gave no extra gain on untrained hand tests. Training alone improved those tests.
• PTPilot2018Early mobilisation of patients with community-acquired pneumonia reduce length of hospitalisation-a pilot study.Journal of physical therapy scienceEarly mobilisation within 24 hours did not significantly shorten hospital stay: mean 5.0 days versus 6.5 days. Shorter stays were significant only in patients with a CURB65 score of 2 or COPD.
• PTCohort2018Ethics reporting practices in randomized controlled trials of physical therapy interventions after stroke.Archives of physiotherapyStroke physical therapy trials increasingly report ethics details, but key safety and consent information is often missing. Only 21% mentioned potential harms, and just 3% reported participant compensation. Trials with higher methodological quality and later publication years provided more complete ethical reporting.
• PTOTSLPRCT2018Evaluating the effects of delivering integrated kinesthetic and tactile cues to individuals with unilateral hemiparetic stroke during overground walking.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding tactile vibration to a kinesthetic cane did not improve walking symmetry or muscle activity more than the cane alone. Balance measures showed no significant change. The benefits seen at higher speeds were driven by the speed itself, not the added vibration.
• PTOTSLPCohort2018Can Older Adults Accurately Report Their Use of Physical Rehabilitation Services?Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMost older Medicare patients accurately reported using PT, OT or speech therapy in the past year. But under-reporting was more likely for Black adults, adults 85 or older, those with less than high school, proxy answers, and inpatient rehab.
• PTOther2018Validation of the Narrowing Beam Walking Test in Lower Limb Prosthesis Users.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn 40 established prosthesis users, the Narrowing Beam Walking Test gave lower scores to fallers than non-fallers and separated them better than Berg, TUG, FSST, and ABC. It may be useful for balance assessment, but it was not tested for predicting future falls.
• PTOther2018An ultrasonographic analysis of the activation patterns of abdominal muscles in children with spastic type cerebral palsy and in typically developing individuals: a comparative study.Archives of physiotherapyIn children with spastic type cerebral palsy, ultrasound showed oblique and transverse abdominis muscles thicker at rest than in typically developing children, but their thickness decreased during activity. Rectus abdominis increased like the typically developing group. This describes muscle activation, not a treatment effect.
• SLPOther2018Age, Hearing, and the Perceptual Learning of Rapid Speech.Trends in hearingOlder adults with or without hearing loss rapidly learned less about time-compressed speech than young adults. Training helped all groups, but gains and transfer were smaller in older adults.
• PTSystematic Review2018Concussion and the autonomic nervous system: An introduction to the field and the results of a systematic review.NeuroRehabilitationConcussion likely affects autonomic nervous system function, especially reduced parasympathetic activity and poorer responses to exercise, standing, stress, or light. No high-quality causal evidence or tested treatment was found.
• PTRCT2018Shaping neuroplasticity by using powered exoskeletons in patients with stroke: a randomized clinical trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding 45 minutes of Ekso exoskeleton gait training to conventional physiotherapy let all 20 patients reach the primary mobility target, unlike adding conventional overground walking to the same physiotherapy.
• Other2018Impairment of social behaviors in Arhgef10 knockout mice.Molecular autismMice lacking the Arhgef10 gene showed impaired social interaction and increased activity. They also had lower anxiety and depression-like behaviors. Brain scans revealed higher serotonin and norepinephrine levels, linked to reduced breakdown enzymes. This is animal data, not human evidence.
• SLPOther2018Evaluating Sex and Age Differences in ADI-R and ADOS Scores in a Large European Multi-site Sample of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 2684 people with autism, females had fewer early repetitive interests than males on parent report, but current social communication and observed scores were similar; age differences were not shown to be long-term change.
• Case-Control2018Advanced glycation endproducts, dityrosine and arginine transporter dysfunction in autism - a source of biomarkers for clinical diagnosis.Molecular autismA blood test measuring protein damage markers correctly identified 88% of children with autism in this small study. These markers reflect metabolic stress, not behavior. The test is not ready for clinical use and requires validation in larger, independent groups before diagnosis.
• SLPOther2018Investigating Mirror System (MS) Activity in Adults with ASD When Inferring Others' Intentions Using Both TMS and EEG.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMagnetic pulse measures found no difference between judging intentions and judging action success. Brain wave measures linked more autistic traits to lower right-hemisphere activity during intention judging, and left-hemisphere activity to better intention judging. This is lab evidence, not a therapy target.
• OTCohort2018Psychological well-being in individuals living in the community with traumatic brain injury.Brain injuryPeople after traumatic brain injury who were not working or volunteering reported low life satisfaction, high distress, and cognitive difficulties. Several well-being questions tended to agree, so a single question may not show the whole picture.
• Survey2018Caregivers' Priorities and Observed Outcomes of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Medication for Their Children.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPCaregivers prioritize medication effects on school behavior and grades over stigma or social pressure. Those focused on side effects were less likely to use medication, while those focused on outcomes saw high rates of perceived improvement.
• SLPOther2018Application of Data Mining to a Large Hearing-Aid Manufacturer's Dataset to Identify Possible Benefits for Clinicians, Manufacturers, and Users.Trends in hearingLogged hearing-aid data linked device style and low-frequency thresholds at 250 and 500 Hz with quiet or loud environments, but the redacted dataset cannot show whether any fitting helped patients.
• OTOther2018Superior Disembedding in Children with ASD: New Tests Using Abstract, Meaningful, and 3D Contexts.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with ASD found hidden shapes more accurately than typically developing peers on embedded-figures tests. They were slower on meaningful and depth tests. This describes a visual processing pattern, not a treatment effect.
• OTCohort2018The Emergence of Effortful Control in Young Boys With Fragile X Syndrome.American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilitiesYoung boys with fragile X showed lower effortful control than typically developing boys from 18 months, and did not improve over time. Higher autism symptoms were linked to lower effortful control, but not to slower growth.
• Survey2018Healthcare providers' attitudes and behaviours related to paediatric mild traumatic brain injury: results from the 2014 DocStyles survey.Brain injuryMost clinicians seeing paediatric patients feel only somewhat prepared to guide return to school or sports after mild traumatic brain injury. Few use screening tools often. Beliefs about guideline adequacy did not improve between 2011 and 2014.
• PTOTRCT2018Post-stroke unilateral spatial neglect: virtual reality-based navigation and detection tasks reveal lateralized and non-lateralized deficits in tasks of varying perceptual and cognitive demands.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke survivors with unilateral spatial neglect missed remembered or shifting left targets by larger distances and were slower to detect targets in a seated virtual-reality task. Standard neglect tests did not track these navigation errors.
• Systematic Review2018Intracranial pressure changes after mild traumatic brain injury: a systematic review.Brain injuryEvidence that mild traumatic brain injury raises intracranial pressure is limited and mixed. Four of five animal studies suggested pressure increases, but two of four human studies did not. Do not assume raised pressure causes concussion symptoms.
• SLPOther2018Objective measurement of head movement differences in children with and without autism spectrum disorder.Molecular autismChildren with autism turned and tilted their heads more quickly and widely than peers without autism, but only while watching social videos. This suggests head movement differences are tied to social processing, not general motor control.
• PTOTOther2018The influence of high heeled shoes on balance ability and walking in healthy women.Journal of physical therapy scienceHigher heels worsened balance and walking in healthy young women. At 9 cm, balance time rose to 37.6 s and index fell to 45.6/100, while step length shortened to 51.3 cm. This applies only to healthy adults, not patients with existing deficits.
• PTCase Report2018Effects of lengthwise postural taping for lumbar spine rotation with flexion syndrome: a case report.Journal of physical therapy scienceLengthwise tape on the lower back and pelvis showed the greatest decrease in sitting force pattern after 20 minutes in a young woman with low back pain during sitting. This was a single-case pressure measure, not proof the tape reduces pain.
• PTCase Report2018Effects of scrambler therapy on pain and depression of patients with chronic low back pain: case study.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn a single man with chronic low back pain, pain and depression scores were lower after 10 days of scrambler therapy. This describes one person's response, not proof that the treatment works.
• SLPRCT2018A software program to assist coding of prelinguistic vocalizations in real time.Clinical linguistics & phoneticsTimeStamper lets a coder mark canonical and non-canonical syllables while listening in real time, stamps each keypress, calculates the canonical babbling ratio, and shows only the last annotation. It is described for assessing infant prelinguistic vocalizations.
• OTCohort2018Emotion Control Predicts Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior Problems in Boys With and Without an Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn boys aged 9 to 15, higher worry and repetitive negative thinking predicted more disruptive behavior 18 months later, especially in boys with ASD. More anger, fear, and sadness predicted anxiety and somatic complaints.
• PTOther2018The effect of the trunk and gluteus maximus muscle activities according to support surface and hip joint rotation during bridge exercise.Journal of physical therapy scienceBridge on a stable table at 25 degrees hip external rotation produced the highest measured gluteus maximus activity. A Swiss ball bridge raised external oblique activity, highest at 25 degrees internal rotation. These were muscle-activity findings in normal males, not evidence about pain or function.
• SLPSurvey2018Practice patterns and determinants of wait time for autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in Canada.Molecular autismPediatricians in Canada reported wide variation in autism diagnostic practices and long, variable waits. Longer assessment time was associated with longer wait, while diagnostic tool use was not.
• SLPOther2018Genetic testing and autism: Tutorial for communication sciences and disorders.Journal of communication disordersNo new study results are reported. This tutorial explains genetic testing and autism and suggests families consult a genetic counselor.
• PTOTCohort2018Age-related changes in the tactile pressure sensitivity threshold in the sole of the foot in diabetic patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder diabetic patients had higher tactile pressure sensitivity thresholds in their feet, meaning they needed stronger pressure to feel it. This age-related decline was stronger than the effect of how long they had had diabetes. Clinicians should test the heel as well as the forefoot.
• SLPCase Report2018A pilot study: Considering spirituality in an inclusive model of practice in clinical audiology.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsA man with profound hearing loss described a supernatural healing in one ear as answer to family prayers. His deaf identity, sign and oral language use, and purpose bridging deaf and hearing worlds shaped his hearing journey.
• SLPNarrative Review2018Assessment of Individuals with Primary Progressive Aphasia.Seminars in speech and languageFor SLPs, PPA assessment should target the specific variant, not just use stroke aphasia batteries or language-based cognitive screens. Detailed case history and PPA-specific tasks can help identify semantic, nonfluent/agrammatic, or logopenic profiles.
• PTRCT2018The effects of the continuous bridge exercise on the thickness of abdominal muscles in normal adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceSix weeks of continuous prone and side bridge exercise increased ultrasound thickness of internal oblique and transverse abdominis in healthy adults. External oblique did not change.
• SLPOther2018Influence of Multi-microphone Signal Enhancement Algorithms on the Acoustics and Detectability of Angular and Radial Source Movements.Trends in hearingSimulated hearing aids changed older adults' ability to detect moving sounds. A beamformer that uses both ears improved left-right detection in the group tested with interferers. Near-far detection also differed by algorithm, but no benefit appeared in the target-only group.
• SLPNarrative Review2018Application of Data Mining to "Big Data" Acquired in Audiology: Principles and Potential.Trends in hearingThere are no clinical findings to act on. This narrative review explains data mining principles and possible audiology uses. It does not test an intervention or report patient outcomes.
• Pilot2018Patients Using an Online Forum for Reporting Progress When Engaging With a Six-Week Exercise Program for Knee Conditioning: Feasibility Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesMost healthy students dropped out of an online forum reporting knee exercises. Those who stayed posted enough data to track their progress individually. Gender, age, and body mass index did not predict who kept reporting. The study did not test if the exercises worked.
• Other2018Insulin receptor sensitization restores neocortical excitation/inhibition balance in a mouse model of autism.Molecular autismIn mouse brain slices from an autism-related Met mutation, insulin plus pioglitazone increased inhibitory signals and shifted the balance toward inhibition, while insulin alone did not.
• PTOTNarrative Review2018The Use of Digital and Remote Communication Technologies as a Tool for Multiple Sclerosis Management: Narrative Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesEvidence for MS digital tools is mostly small studies; large trials are lacking, so do not assume they improve outcomes. Many are usable and accepted.
• PTOther2018A Kinematic Sensor and Algorithm to Detect Motor Fluctuations in Parkinson Disease: Validation Study Under Real Conditions of Use.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesWhen the waist sensor made an On or Off decision, it matched patient diaries 92.20% of the time, but only when movement allowed a decision.
• SLPNarrative Review2018Static measurements of vowel formant frequencies and bandwidths: A review.Journal of communication disordersVowel formant measures vary with speech samples, measurement points, and analysis choices. Published norms need cautious use. Vowel space area relates to intelligibility but cannot stand alone.
• SLPOther2018Implementation of a Practice Development Model to Reduce the Wait for Autism Spectrum Diagnosis in Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdults referred for autism assessment waited less after a bundled program with new pathways, documentation, mentorship, peer forums, practice changes and validation roles: average wait for diagnosis fell from 149.4 days to 119.5 days. No control group means the program's effect cannot be proven.
• SLPSurvey2018Adjusting Expectations: Hearing Abilities in a Population-Based Sample Using an SSQ Short Form.Trends in hearingAmong 1,711 adults, SSQ hearing scores were lower with reported hearing difficulties, asymmetry, health issues and low education, while age showed no consistent effect. Use score distributions rather than a single cut-off to interpret questionnaires.