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 334 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTSurvey2020The effects of service dogs on psychosocial health and wellbeing for individuals with physical disabilities or chronic conditions.Disability and rehabilitationPeople with a service dog reported better overall psychosocial health, including emotional, social, and work or school functioning, than people waiting for one. It was not associated with anger, companionship, or sleep.
• SLPRCT2020Mock Juror Perceptions of Child Witnesses on the Autism Spectrum: The Impact of Providing Diagnostic Labels and Information About Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFor one autistic child witness, mock jurors rated him more credible when told he had autism and given autism information. For the other, the diagnosis and information did not appear to affect credibility ratings.
• OTRCT2020A qualitative analysis of pressure injury development among medically underserved adults with spinal cord injury.Disability and rehabilitation25 adults with spinal cord injury developed medically serious pressure injuries during a prevention program, and notes identified themes including basic wound care knowledge gaps, equipment shortfalls, comorbidities, bed rest non-adherence, inactivity, or circumstances beyond the program.
• SLPOther2020Construct Validity of the Autism Impact Measure (AIM).Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe AIM parent questionnaire for children with ASD grouped into five symptom areas: repetitive behavior, atypical behavior, communication, social reciprocity, and peer interaction. Scores matched related autism measures, so it can help clinicians track specific symptom targets.
• OTRCT2020Dissociable effects of attention vs working memory training on cognitive performance and everyday functioning following fronto-parietal strokes.Neuropsychological rehabilitationCompared with waiting, home computer training with weekly phone support reduced spatial bias after selective attention training, improved a closely related memory task after working memory training, and reduced reported everyday cognitive difficulty.
• SLPCohort2020Longitudinal Epidemiological Study of Autism Subgroups Using Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) Score.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParent-reported autism severity scores fell over two years in 2272 children. No treatment was tested. Scores fell most in younger children and those with more severe initial scores; sex made no difference.
• OTSLPOther2020Evaluation of a Transition to University Programme for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic students reported fewer worries about university after a three-day summer school and rated it helpful and enjoyable. The programme included many components, so it cannot show which part helped.
• PTOTSurvey2020Cardiometabolic disease, depressive symptoms, and sleep disorders in middle-aged adults with functional disabilities: NHANES 2007-2014.Disability and rehabilitationAfter accounting for other factors, adults with severe functional disability were more likely to have cardiovascular disease and diabetes than adults without disability. Adults with moderate disability were not. Depressive symptoms and sleep disorders did not explain this.
• SLPCohort2020Long term effects of early childhood traumatic brain injury on narrative discourse gist and psychosocial functioning.Disability and rehabilitationYears after severe early childhood TBI, children produced less story language and missed the gist. Lower gist scores were linked with poorer social competence and everyday functioning.
• SLPOther2020Exploring the Role of Empathy in Understanding the Social-Cognitive Profile for Individuals Referred for Autism Spectrum Disorders Assessment in Adulthood.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdults referred for ASD assessment did not differ on emotion recognition or social inference tests. Those with confirmed diagnoses reported more autistic traits and lower self-reported empathy. Self-report traits, not task scores, separated the groups.
• Case-Control2020Adults with Autism and Adults with Depression Show Similar Attentional Biases to Social-Affective Images.Journal of autism and developmental disordersNo group differed overall in how quickly it first looked at sad, angry, or happy faces versus neutral faces. Adults with autism or depression looked less at happy faces than controls, and adults with autism looked faster at sad faces.
• PTCohort2020Benefits of direct patient discharge to outpatient physical therapy after total knee arthroplasty.Disability and rehabilitationOne month after knee replacement, patients who went straight to outpatient physical therapy had smaller losses in stair climbing, walking and strength than those who started with home visits. Direct outpatient care may mean faster recovery, but the study was not randomised.
• PTOTCase Report2020Improved Mobility, Cognition, and Disease Severity in Corticobasal Degeneration of an African American Man After 12 Weeks of Adapted Tango: A Case Study.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationShort-term gains in mobility, cognition, and disease severity were seen after adapted tango in a man with corticobasal degeneration, but many gains faded by follow-up and depression worsened.
• SLPPilot2020Brief Report: Learning Language Through Overhearing in Children with ASD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn a lab, 13 children with ASD chose the new object more often than random when the examiner spoke directly to them and when the examiner spoke to an assistant. This does not prove overhearing helps language learning.
• RCT2019Two-Year Follow-Up of a Multi-centre Randomized Controlled Trial to Study Effectiveness of a Hospital-Based Work Support Intervention for Cancer Patients.Journal of occupational rehabilitationThe hospital work support intervention did not improve return-to-work rates or quality of life compared to usual care. Most patients returned to work by two years. Patients with chemotherapy, low education, or low work ability took longer to return.
• PTOTOther2019Physical Function and Pre-Amputation Characteristics Explain Daily Step Count after Dysvascular Amputation.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationFour factors explain 62% of daily step count after dysvascular amputation: walking distance in a 2-minute test, assistive device use, cardiovascular disease, and pre-amputation walking time. Rehabilitation should target these alongside physical function.
• OTSystematic Review2019The Influence of Social Support and Social Integration Factors on Return to Work Outcomes for Individuals with Work-Related Injuries: A Systematic Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationNo eligible studies tested social support interventions. Injured workers said timely communication, trust, belief that the injury was real, and positive reactions made return to work easier. Poor communication, judgement, exclusion, and indifference made it harder.
• SLPCase-Control2019Validation of the Arabic version of the Social Communication Questionnaire.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceIn 412 Arabic-speaking children, the Arabic Social Communication Questionnaire separated autism cases from controls well. At a score of 15, it correctly flagged 0.796 of children with autism and correctly passed 0.966 of typically developing children.
• OTSurvey2019Three Out of Ten Working Patients Expect No Clinical Improvement of Their Ability to Perform Work-Related Knee-Demanding Activities After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Multicenter Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationMost working patients expecting total knee replacement believed their work-related knee activities would improve. Still, 28% expected no meaningful improvement, and many expected severe difficulty with kneeling, crouching, and clambering.
• OTQualitative2019"Knocking on Doors that Don't Open": experiences of caregivers of children living with disabilities in Iquitos and Lima, Peru.Disability and rehabilitationCaregivers and key informants in Peru described little emotional or tangible support at diagnosis, confusing access to services, and stigma. They wanted caregiver support groups, clearer routes to help, and community education. No treatment outcomes were measured.
• PTOther2019A Prospective Assessment of an Adjustable, Immediate Fit, Transtibial Prosthesis.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationIn 22 people, a new adjustable transtibial prosthesis improved self-reported fit and comfort versus their own devices, lowered overall, anterior tibia, and lateral side peak pressures, but gait speed and step patterns did not differ.
• PTOTSystematic Review2019Sustainable Return to Work: A Systematic Review Focusing on Personal and Social Factors.Journal of occupational rehabilitationSupport from managers and colleagues, positive attitude, confidence, younger age and higher education were most consistently linked with staying back at work after musculoskeletal or mental health absence. No single factor explained sustainable return.
• PTOther2019Motor Adaptation to Weight Shifting Assistance Transfers to Overground Walking in People with Spinal Cord Injury.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationIn one treadmill session with lateral pelvis assistance, weight shifting and stronger-side step length improved. Overground walking gains were limited, and speed was not clearly faster.
• OTQualitative2019Barriers to and Facilitators of Implementing Programs for Return to Work (RTW) of Cancer Survivors in Four European Countries: A Qualitative Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationExperts in four European countries said cancer return-to-work programs are hard to implement because employers, clinicians and society often lack work-cancer knowledge, roles are unclear and communication breaks down. Clear rights, supportive cultures and early planning were named as useful.
• Other2020Brief Report: A Gene Enrichment Approach Applied to Sleep and Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersSleep-related genes appeared more often than expected among autism risk genes, but this database analysis tested no patients and offers no therapy guidance.
• SLPCase-Control2020Brief Report: "Um" Fillers Distinguish Children With and Without ASD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with ASD used fewer 'um' pauses than typically developing peers, while 'uh' use did not differ. Using fewer than two 'um' per 100 fluent words was associated with ASD, but it is not a standalone diagnostic test.
• OTSLPOther2020Creating a digital memory notebook application for individuals with mild cognitive impairment to support everyday functioning.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyPeople with memory impairment and caregivers completed adding and navigating tasks faster across four iPad usability tests and rated the app more favourably. The result is better usability, not proof it improves daily memory.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2020Perceptions of the impact of chorea on health-related quality of life in Huntington disease (HD): A qualitative analysis of individuals across the HD spectrum, family members, and clinicians.Neuropsychological rehabilitationPeople with Huntington disease and their families describe chorea as a source of stigma, isolation, and lost independence, not just physical movement. Clinicians must address the social and safety impacts of chorea, rather than assuming motor symptoms are the primary concern.
• OTCase-Control2020A Quantitative Sensory Testing Approach to Pain in Autism Spectrum Disorders.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 13 autistic adults and 13 matched controls, lab pain tests showed no consistent group difference. Autistic adults needed stronger touch and pinprick stimuli to detect or feel pain, and individual patterns varied widely.
• SLPOther2020Brief Report: Testing the Psychometric Properties of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn boys with ASD, common parent and child anxiety questionnaires separated those with an anxiety diagnosis from those without, but published cut-offs did not work well. Do not use the usual cut-offs.
• PTOTCohort2020Examination of the Lumbar Movement Pattern during a Clinical Test and a Functional Activity Test in People with and without Low Back Pain.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationLumbar movement patterns during a clinical forward bend test closely match those used during a functional pick-up task. Early lumbar excursion predicts functional limitation in people with chronic low back pain, suggesting clinical tests can reflect real-world movement issues.
• PTOther2020Using Clinical Balance Tests to Assess Fall Risk among Established Unilateral Lower Limb Prosthesis Users: Cutoff Scores and Associated Validity Indices.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationFor established unilateral lower limb prosthesis users, the Narrowing-Beam Walking Test gave the strongest clue to falls in the past year. A score above the cutoff was associated with being three times more likely to be a faller. Combining tests did not add much.
• SLPOther2020Speaking the Same Language? A Preliminary Investigation, Comparing the Language and Communication Skills of Females and Males with High-Functioning Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersGirls with high-functioning autism performed better than boys on some complex language tasks, but below typically developing girls on figurative language and inference. Simple vocabulary and sentence tasks did not separate the groups.
• SLPQualitative2020Blindness and Autism: Parents' Perspectives on Diagnostic Challenges, Support Needs and Support Provision.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of blind children with autism described strong music and hearing abilities, but also said the children were very sensitive to noise. They reported delayed diagnosis, isolation and fragmented support, and wanted coordinated services from staff who knew both conditions.
• PTOTQualitative2020Mobility and medical service dogs: a qualitative analysis of expectations and experiences.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyOwners of mobility or medical service dogs stressed companionship, emotional support, and social interactions, while waitlist applicants expected mainly physical or medical help. Both groups noted care demands and public access problems, and 30% of owners said no drawbacks.
• PTCohort2020Preliminary Evidence of a Dose-Response for Continuing to Play on Recovery Time After Concussion.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationYoung athletes who kept playing after concussion had longer recovery. Playing for more than 15 minutes was linked to the longest recovery and the greatest chance of taking 21 days or more.
• OTSLPQualitative2020Supporting Minimally Verbal Autistic Girls with Intellectual Disabilities Through Puberty: Perspectives of Parents and Educators.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents and educators described varied puberty needs in minimally verbal autistic girls with intellectual disabilities. Menstrual care was prioritised for dignity and independence, taught in small individualised steps over long periods. These are perspectives, not tested outcomes.
• OTOther2019Reliability and responsiveness of the Jebsen-Taylor Test of Hand Function and the Box and Block Test for children with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyThe Box and Block Test and Jebsen-Taylor Test gave stable scores over 2 weeks, except the Box and Block Test on the more affected hand. They changed after 90 hours of intensive bimanual therapy. Over 120 days without therapy, scores were not stable.
• Other2019Effect of Lidocaine on Viability and Gene Expression of Human Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells: An in vitro Study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationIn lab cells, lidocaine at 2, 4 or 8 mg/ml for 1, 2 or 4 hours reduced viable stem cells; 1 mg/ml did not. Cells often recovered after shorter or lower exposure, but 4 hours at 4 or 8 mg/ml did not.
• PTOther2019Genitourinary Complications Are a Leading and Expensive Cause of Emergency Department and Inpatient Encounters for Persons With Spinal Cord Injury.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationGenitourinary complications were the main diagnosis in 8.2% of spinal cord injury hospitalizations and 18.7% of emergency visits, appeared in more than half of hospitalizations overall, and were tied to about half of related costs.
• OTNarrative Review2019Obstetric management, tests, and technologies that impact childhood development.Developmental medicine and child neurologyNeonatal hypoglycemia was associated with poorer executive function and visual motor function at 4 years 6 months, and could influence later learning.
• OTSurvey2019Sex differences in employment and supports for adults with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceWomen with autism were equally likely as men to be employed or receive benefits, but reported less desire to work more hours and received significantly less financial and service support when they did qualify. Men were more likely to cite inability to find work; women more often chose not to work.
• PTOther2019Reliability of the Motor Learning Strategies Rating Instrument in physiotherapy intervention for children with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyTrained physiotherapists could rate the total Motor Learning Strategies score for children with cerebral palsy with moderate agreement, but individual items were less reliable. Do not use the instrument to judge single therapist behaviours.
• PTOTSLPCohort2019Risk Markers for Not Returning to Work Among Patients with Acquired Brain Injury: A Population-Based Register Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationOne year after brain injury, women, people born outside Sweden, lower education, aphasia, long hospital stays, mobility or self-care problems, pain, anxiety/depression, and lower satisfaction with rehabilitation process or planning were at higher risk of not returning to work.
• PTOther2019Caloric Intake Relative to Total Daily Energy Expenditure Using a Spinal Cord Injury-Specific Correction Factor: An Analysis by Level of Injury.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationPeople with cervical spinal cord injury showed higher calorie intake per bodyweight and higher trunk fat than those with lower-level injury. People with lower-level injury showed higher energy expenditure and lean mass. The able-bodied factor gave higher estimated energy expenditure than the injury-specific factor.
• PTOTCohort2019Walking and living independently with spina bifida: a 50-year prospective cohort study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyWalking ability declined from 51% in childhood to 27% at age 50. However, independent living increased from 23% to 54% over the same period, partly because those with severe deficits died younger. Neurological level at birth and shunt history predicted long-term outcomes.
• PTOTCohort2019Longitudinal Effects of Medical Comorbidities on Functional Outcome and Life Satisfaction After Traumatic Brain Injury: An Individual Growth Curve Analysis of NIDILRR Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Data.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAfter moderate-severe brain injury, motor and cognitive independence rose for years, then fell by 10 years. Life satisfaction stayed stable. Anxiety, depression, PTSD, diabetes, and other comorbidities were associated with different function or life-satisfaction trajectories. These are associations, not proven causes.
• OTCohort2019Parenting Behaviors after Moderate - Severe Traumatic Injury in Early Childhood.Developmental neurorehabilitationAcross broad parenting styles, injury type did not predict change. Parents of children with severe or moderate TBI reported declining warmth and involvement over years, while permissive and authoritarian behaviors fell in all groups.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2019Rehabilitation Practices in Patients With Moderate and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationMost ICU clinicians caring for moderate and severe TBI supported starting rehabilitation, but timing varied. They usually waited for extubation, normal intracranial pressure and hemodynamic stability, and cited staff and resource limits as barriers.
• SLPOther2020Visual Disengagement: Genetic Architecture and Relation to Autistic Traits in the General Population.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMoving gaze away from a central target was not associated with parent-reported autistic traits. The Overlap condition did not show its own genetic contribution, so this task did not support visual disengagement as a marker for social communication traits.