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 297 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPOther2018Language and culture in speech-language and hearing professions in South Africa: The dangers of a single story.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsThis article argues that South African speech and hearing services are dominated by English and Afrikaans speakers, leaving the majority of black African language speakers without care in their first language. It calls for curriculum reform and culturally responsive practice, but reports no patient outcomes or intervention results.
• SLPOther2018Long-Term Training-Induced Gains of an Auditory Skill in School-Age Children As Compared With Adults.Trends in hearingAfter a single session of hearing small pitch differences, 22 of 40 children performed like adults and stayed that way over nine sessions. The other 18 remained worse but improved 6 to 8 months later, as did untrained children.
• PTCase Report2018Addressing change in physiotherapy education in South Africa.The South African journal of physiotherapyNo clinical finding is reported. The paper is an opinion article about physiotherapy curriculum change in South Africa, with no methods, results, or patient outcomes.
• Other2018Analysis of the expression pattern of the schizophrenia-risk and intellectual disability gene TCF4 in the developing and adult brain suggests a role in development and plasticity of cortical and hippocampal neurons.Molecular autismTCF4 protein is strongly expressed in cortex and hippocampus across mouse, monkey, and human brain. Mice with reduced TCF4 dosage had thinner cortex, smaller dentate gyrus, and absent splenium, matching MRI anomalies in two girls with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome.
• OTCohort2018Does a regular Wessex Head Injury Matrix assessment identify early signs of infections in people with Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness?Brain injuryIn people with prolonged disorders of consciousness, WHIM behavioural scores often dropped when infection was present. It happened in 17 of 21 retrospective and 15 of 22 prospective patients, but vegetative-state scores may not change.
• SLPCohort2018The geometric preference subtype in ASD: identifying a consistent, early-emerging phenomenon through eye tracking.Molecular autismToddlers with ASD looked more at geometric patterns than at social scenes. Those who strongly preferred patterns had more severe autism scores and lower receptive language. Eye tracking identified 18% of toddlers with ASD in this sample.
• PTOther2018The effects of a reciprocal hip exercise on trunk flexion angle and sit-to-stand time in participants with flat backs.Journal of physical therapy scienceWomen with flat backs did a seated Thera-Band hip exercise and then had a larger trunk flexion angle and faster sit-to-stand time. No control group was used, so the exercise itself cannot be proven responsible.
• SLPOther2018Mixed-methods research: A tutorial for speech-language therapists and audiologists in South Africa.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsNo patient outcomes are reported. This tutorial explains mixed-methods research for speech-language therapists and audiologists in South Africa.
• Case-Control2018Higher exosomal tau, amyloid-beta 42 and IL-10 are associated with mild TBIs and chronic symptoms in military personnel.Brain injuryIn deployed military personnel, those with mild TBI had higher exosomal tau, Aβ42 and IL-10 than controls. Tau was related to post-concussive symptoms; IL-10 was related to PTSD. This is a research biomarker finding, not a diagnostic or treatment result.
• SLPSystematic Review2018Parenting style impacts cognitive and behavioural outcomes of former preterm infants: A systematic review.Child: care, health and developmentIn former preterm infants, parenting style was associated with child development, but studies were mostly low quality. Responsivity was linked to better cognition and behavior; warmth to better behavior; rejection to worse behavior; autonomy support to better language but not behavior.
• OTRCT2018Activity-Based Goals Generated by Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthOlder adults with mild cognitive impairment generated 55 activity-based goals with an occupational therapist, averaging 4.23 goals each. Most goals concerned instrumental daily tasks, especially exercise, not basic self-care, education, or work.
• PTCohort2018Forefoot transverse arch height asymmetry is associated with foot injuries in athletes participating in college track events.Journal of physical therapy scienceMale track athletes with foot injuries had greater asymmetry in forefoot arch height under heavy weight-bearing than uninjured peers. This asymmetry, not the arch height of either foot alone, was linked to injury history.
• PTRCT2018Effects of a powered ankle-foot orthosis on perturbed standing balance.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn ten healthy adults, a powered ankle-foot orthosis body-sway controller did not reduce sway or recovery time after forward perturbations. For large perturbations, it lowered the person's own ankle torque, but calf activity fell and shin activity rose, so total effort is unclear.
• SLPQualitative2018Caregivers' reading practices to promote literacy in a South African children's home: Experiences and perceptions.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsTen caregivers in a South African children’s home read to children in the evening. Many saw three times weekly as beneficial. They used bedtime stories, cottage libraries, pictures, and older children helping. They wanted home-language books.
• PTRCT2018SPARC: a new approach to quantifying gait smoothness in patients with Parkinson's disease.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new sensor-based measure called SPARC detected less smooth gait in patients with Parkinson's disease than standard speed or variability metrics, especially when off medication. It correlated strongly with motor severity scores, suggesting it offers a more sensitive way to quantify gait quality from simple wearable sensors.
• OTSLPOther2018Quantitative evaluation of handwriting: factors that affect pen operating skills.Journal of physical therapy scienceTracing accuracy depends on pen pressure variability, not just force or speed. Pressing harder increased wrist angles and reduced accuracy, while writing faster also reduced accuracy. For therapists, measuring how much pen pressure fluctuates may be more useful than total force when assessing handwriting control.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2018Association between maternal antidepressant use during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder: an updated meta-analysis.Molecular autismPooled cohort results found no significant association between maternal antidepressant use during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder. Case-control results looked positive, but after adjusting for possible publication bias they were not significant.
• SLPCohort2018Evaluation of Auditory Functioning and Rehabilitation Using Patient-Reported Outcome Measures.Trends in hearingA hearing questionnaire profiled six listening problems; patient-chosen goals were mostly rated highly. Use both together for counselling, but this observational study does not prove hearing aids work.
• SLPPilot2018The internal and external consistency of a speech reception threshold test for isiZulu speakers with normal hearing sensitivity.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsThe new isiZulu speech reception threshold test showed substantial agreement between its two halves and across repeated testing. Scores remained stable within clinically acceptable limits, supporting further development for use with first-language isiZulu speakers.
• OTOther2018The use of evidence-based guidance to enable reliable and accurate measurements of the home environment.The British journal of occupational therapyA measurement booklet helped occupational therapists and older people complete 90% of previously missing measurements, and 80.55% of those were within the accepted 50 mm margin. Formal accuracy improvement was seen only for stair length, chair depth and chair width.
• PTSystematic Review2018Influence of body weight unloading on human gait characteristics: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationUnloading body weight up to 30% changed step timing and length relatively little, while forces, joint moments and muscle activity showed clearer decreases. This describes gait mechanics, not patient outcomes.
• PTOTSLPCohort2018Should I stay or should I go? A prospective investigation examining individual factors impacting employment status among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).Work (Reading, Mass.)Among employed people with multiple sclerosis, those considering leaving work had higher physical fatigue, lower self-efficacy, and relied more on behavioral disengagement than humor. This pattern appeared early in the disease course, suggesting psychosocial factors drive job decisions before physical disability peaks.
• SLPOther2018On the Cost of Introducing Speech-Like Properties to a Stimulus for Auditory Steady-State Response Measurements.Trends in hearingAdding speech-like features to an ASSR stimulus kept detection rates similar but reduced response magnitude by about 4 dB and increased detection time by a factor of 1.5, less than 1 minute extra.
• Narrative Review2018Modeling autism in non-human primates: Opportunities and challenges.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchNo patient outcomes are reported. This review of monkey autism models does not provide evidence to change physical, occupational, or speech therapy practice.
• PTOther2018Comparing two methods to record maximal voluntary contractions and different electrode positions in recordings of forearm extensor muscle activity: Refining risk assessments for work-related wrist disorders.Work (Reading, Mass.)For measuring forearm extensor muscle activity, a resisted wrist extension produced higher and more consistent signals than a hand grip. Placing electrodes closer to the elbow improved reliability. This method offers a better reference for assessing work-related wrist risk.
• PTOTCohort2018Does Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Have an Added Value to Clinical Assessment in Predicting Upper-Limb Function Very Early After Severe Stroke?Neurorehabilitation and neural repairAdding TMS to the SAFE clinical test did not improve 6-month upper-limb prediction. At 11 days, SAFE plus TMS was better than TMS alone, but not better than SAFE alone.
• Other2018Impact of age on acute post-TBI neuropathology in mice expressing humanized tau: a Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium Study.Brain injuryOlder mice showed more support-cell scarring and tau changes after repeated mild head injuries, while younger mice showed more brain immune-cell activation and axonal injury. This is mouse pathology, not a therapy result.
• PTOther2018Users' Perspectives, Opportunities, and Barriers of the Strengthen Your Ankle App for Evidence-Based Ankle Sprain Prevention: Mixed-Methods Process Evaluation for a Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesThe app and booklet produced similar ankle sprain recurrence and similar compliance. App users later rated the app more satisfying, easier and less annoying, but only 23% were still doing part of the program at 12 months.
• OTCohort2018Hand luggage in the train toilet.Work (Reading, Mass.)No participant used the high train toilet hook. Travellers kept hand luggage on their bodies, and the body was the most common place. A lower hook was used only occasionally.
• PTOther2018Motor coordination during body rotation while standing in healthy participants.Journal of physical therapy scienceHealthy adults turning while standing moved the head and neck most, then the pelvis, and the thoracolumbar joint had the smallest final angle. This gives PTs a healthy reference pattern.
• PTOther2018Effect of spinal kypho-orthosis to gait and forward flexion in Parkinson disease.Journal of physical therapy scienceWearing the spinal orthosis did not change walking forward speed or step length. It reduced turning time and turning steps and improved stooped posture in people with Parkinson disease.
• PTOTSLPCohort2018Difference in independent mobility improvement from admission to discharge between subacute stroke patients using knee-ankle-foot and those using ankle-foot orthoses.Journal of physical therapy sciencePatients prescribed knee-ankle-foot orthoses had smaller mobility improvements than those prescribed ankle-foot orthoses, but they also started with more severe impairments. The orthosis type alone did not cause the difference; initial severity and age were strong predictors of recovery.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2018Click-evoked auditory brainstem responses and autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analytic review.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchChildren with autism showed longer auditory brainstem response latencies than typically developing peers. The effect varied widely depending on age, hearing status, and testing speed. These results suggest ABRs are not yet a reliable standalone biomarker for diagnosis.
• SLPCohort2018The relation between phonological and lexical development in French-speaking children.Clinical linguistics & phoneticsFrench-speaking children with smaller vocabularies at age 2.5 rely heavily on words with many sound neighbours and simpler phonetic structures. They also have poorer non-word repetition and fewer consonants in their speech. These phonological factors explain 76% of the variance in vocabulary size.
• PTOTOther2018Examining Guided and Directed Cues in Strategy Training and Usual Rehabilitation.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthIn 20 inpatient stroke rehabilitation video sessions, strategy training used more guided cues than usual occupational or physical therapy: 42.5% guided versus 3% to 4%. It also used fewer cues per minute. This describes therapist behavior, not patient outcomes.
• SLPOther2018Self-Adjusted Amplification Parameters Produce Large Between-Subject Variability and Preserve Speech Intelligibility.Trends in hearingHearing aid users self-adjusted their devices to settings vastly different from clinical prescriptions, yet their speech understanding remained stable. This suggests clinicians should not assume standard gain targets are the only acceptable option for comfort or clarity.
• OTOther2018Sleep disturbances are associated with specific sensory sensitivities in children with autism.Molecular autismIn children with autism, more severe touch hypersensitivity was linked to more reported sleep problems. Auditory and visual sensitivities were not. Controls showed a similar touch link plus vestibular. This is an association, not proof touch causes poor sleep.
• SLPOther2018Signal-to-Noise-Ratio-Aware Dynamic Range Compression in Hearing Aids.Trends in hearingA hearing-aid algorithm that compresses speech quickly and noise slowly kept speech compression similar to fast compression and left the output speech more separated from noise than fast compression did in simulated tests. No people were tested.
• PTOTRCT2018Effects on work ability, job strain and quality of life of monitoring depression using a self-assessment instrument in recurrent general practitioner consultations: A randomized controlled study.Work (Reading, Mass.)Adding structured depression self-assessment to GP visits improved patients' perceived work ability at 3 months and increased perceived social support at 12 months. However, it did not reduce job strain, improve quality of life, or shorten sick leave compared to usual care.
• Case Series2018Identification of a PTEN mutation with reduced protein stability, phosphatase activity, and nuclear localization in Hong Kong patients with autistic features, neurodevelopmental delays, and macrocephaly.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchThree of thirteen Hong Kong patients with autism, developmental delay or macrocephaly carried PTEN mutations. In cells, the I101T mutation made less stable PTEN, reduced phosphatase activity and lowered nuclear localization. This is a molecular finding, not a treatment result.
• Other2018CRISPR/Cas9-induced shank3b mutant zebrafish display autism-like behaviors.Molecular autismZebrafish with a shank3b mutation moved less, swam in repetitive patterns, and showed weaker social grouping. They also had lower levels of brain proteins. This is an animal model result, not evidence about human autism treatment.
• PTOTSurvey2018Recovery, work-life balance and work experiences important to self-rated health: A questionnaire study on salutogenic work factors among Swedish primary health care employees.Work (Reading, Mass.)Primary care staff who reported recovery, work-life balance, and positive work experiences rated their health higher. Recovery during working hours was related to higher health ratings regardless of recovery outside work. This was an association, not proof of cause.
• SLPNarrative Review2018A Review of the Possible Perceptual and Physiological Effects of Wind Turbine Noise.Trends in hearingWind turbine low-frequency noise may reach the inner ear's outer hair cells at levels far below those needed for conscious hearing. However, laboratory studies have not proven that this causes physical symptoms or health issues in people living near turbines.
• SLPOther2018Longitudinal Imaging of Reading and Naming Recovery after Stroke.AphasiologyBrain activation patterns for reading and naming changed differently over a year in five stroke survivors, regardless of whether their language skills improved or declined. A shift in brain activity did not reliably predict recovery. Individual outcomes varied widely, with some patients declining in reading skills.
• OTPilot2018Towards a Treatment for Intolerance of Uncertainty for Autistic Adults: A Single Case Experimental Design Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFour autistic adults completed an adapted uncertainty programme, and all attended every session. Confidence in handling a chosen uncertain situation generally increased for three participants, but changes were inconsistent and this was not an efficacy trial.
• OTOther2018Lessons learned from women in leadership positions.Work (Reading, Mass.)There is no clinical finding to act on. This is a leadership commentary about women in professional workplaces.
• PTOTRCT2018Early Shortening of Wrist Flexor Muscles Coincides With Poor Recovery After Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairPatients whose arm recovery after stroke was poor already had shorter wrist flexor muscles and stiffer wrist tissue around week 4 or 5. Reflex torque differences appeared later, around week 12. With 36 patients, this cannot show that shortening caused poor recovery.
• PTOther2018Relationship between functional balance and walking ability in individuals with chronic stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 31 people with chronic stroke, the Functional Ambulation Category (FAC) strongly correlated with Berg Balance Scale scores. This quick walking assessment may help estimate balance ability, potentially saving time compared to the longer Berg Balance Scale.
• SLPNarrative Review2018More Shared Responsibility for "More Appropriate Communication".Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsOnly 7 of 100 articles made "more appropriate communication" a shared responsibility. 61 placed it on more powerful partners, such as clinicians or organizations. 32 placed it on less powerful partners, often children with developmental disabilities.
• OTOther2018Cross-cultural adaptation of the Work Role Functioning Questionnaire 2.0 to Norwegian and Danish.Work (Reading, Mass.)The WRFQ 2.0 was adapted into Norwegian and Danish, and 40 Norwegian workers back at work after sick leave reported high work functioning. The translated questionnaire is available, but full validation is still needed.