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 349 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPCohort2020Female adolescents demonstrate greater oculomotor and vestibular dysfunction than male adolescents following concussion.Physical therapy in sport : official journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports MedicineFemale adolescents tested within three weeks of a sports concussion were more likely to fail near point of convergence and tandem gait tests than males. No sex differences were found on static balance or gaze stability. These specific deficits may guide early vestibular rehab referral.
• PTOTOther2020Survivors of Chronic Stroke Experience Continued Impairment of Dexterity But Not Strength in the Nonparetic Upper Limb.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn chronic stroke survivors with severe paretic hand impairment, the nonparetic hand showed impaired dexterity but not grip strength, despite long reliance on that limb.
• SLPCase-Control2020Subclinical Auditory Neural Deficits in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.Ear and hearingABR results were similar between groups, but young adults with type 1 diabetes and normal hearing thresholds showed weaker brainstem timing encoding, worse temporal discrimination, poorer speech in noise, and more reported hearing disability.
• PTOther2020Task-invariance and reliability of anticipatory postural adjustments in healthy young adults.Gait & postureTrunk muscle timing and size during rapid arm and leg raises were reliably measured, but the specific muscle synergy patterns varied between the two tasks. Only a few characteristics, like internal oblique timing and amplitude, stayed the same across both movements.
• PTRCT2020Electrical interferential current stimulation versus electrical acupuncture in management of hemiplegic shoulder pain and disability following ischemic stroke-a randomized clinical trial.Archives of physiotherapyAfter stroke shoulder pain, electroacupuncture reduced pain more than interferential current, while interferential current improved shoulder function and active abduction more. Both were added to heat and exercises.
• PTCohort2020Importance of Outcome Domain for Patients With Musculoskeletal Pain: Characterizing Subgroups and Their Response to Treatment.Physical therapyPatients with musculoskeletal pain were grouped by what they wanted to improve. Those valuing pain and function were more satisfied at 6 months. The group that rated pain as its top priority did not have better pain response, and disability change differed by group.
• PTRCT2020Cognitively Challenging Agility Boot Camp Program for Freezing of Gait in Parkinson Disease.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairObjective freezing during turning did not change overall after the multi-station exercise program with cognitive challenges, but self-reported freezing improved. Walking under dual task, balance, and brain connectivity changed after exercise, not after education.
• SLPCohort2020Vocal Turn-Taking Between Mothers and Their Children With Cochlear Implants.Ear and hearingMothers and children with cochlear implants took turns less often and spoke over each other more at 3 months after implant activation than hearing peers. By 12 months, child turn-taking and overlap caught up, but mothers still followed their child less often.
• SLPOther2020Binaural Optimization of Cochlear Implants: Discarding Frequency Content Without Sacrificing Head-Shadow Benefit.Ear and hearingDiscarding frequencies below 1236 Hz for single-sided deafness implants or below 886 Hz and above 3814 Hz for bilateral implants does not reduce head-shadow benefit. This allows reprogramming to match frequency places across ears without sacrificing speech recognition in noise.
• SLPOther2020Music Is More Enjoyable With Two Ears, Even If One of Them Receives a Degraded Signal Provided By a Cochlear Implant.Ear and hearingExperienced single-sided deafened cochlear implant users rated music more enjoyable when hearing it through both ears than through their normal-hearing ear alone. The implant ear alone scored low, but adding its degraded signal raised enjoyment.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Sex differences in brain structure: a twin study on restricted and repetitive behaviors in twin pairs with and without autism.Molecular autismIn twins, higher repetitive behavior scores linked to thicker brain tissue in the right intraparietal sulcus in females only. Males showed no such structural link in the main analysis. This suggests different biological pathways for these symptoms in girls and boys.
• PTCohort2020Changes in center of pressure velocities during obstacle crossing one year after bariatric surgery.Gait & postureOne year after bariatric surgery, pressure moved faster forward under the midfoot of both feet and less side to side under the forefoot of the foot pushing off in 19 women. They also walked faster and used narrower steps. Falls were not measured.
• PTOther2020Assessing gait efficacy in older adults: An analysis using item response theory.Gait & postureThe 10-item walking confidence questionnaire could be shortened to 7 items, and possibly 3 with small losses. It still gives clinicians similar information about older adults' confidence in walking.
• PTOTSLPRCT2020Adaptive conjunctive cognitive training (ACCT) in virtual reality for chronic stroke patients: a randomized controlled pilot trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA VR cognitive training program showed within-group improvements in attention and spatial awareness for chronic stroke patients. However, there was no significant difference compared to home-based paper-and-pencil exercises, and the authors state they cannot claim a rehabilitation effect.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Cranial Ultrasound and Minor Motor Abnormalities at 2 Years in Extremely Low Gestational Age Infants.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPMinor motor issues like stiff posture or poor hand control were more common in infants with severe ultrasound findings, but not low-grade ones. Children with any minor motor abnormality used more therapy and feeding supports than peers with normal exams.
• PTOther2020Aerobic capacity is associated with disease activity and cardiovascular risk factors in early rheumatoid arthritis.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyIn early rheumatoid arthritis, higher estimated aerobic capacity was linked to lower disease activity, better cardiovascular risk markers, and more favourable body composition.
• PTOTRCT2020Exploring the effectiveness of an 18-month weight management intervention in adults with Down syndrome using propensity score matching.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRAdults with Down syndrome lost similar weight to those with other intellectual disabilities during an 18-month diet and activity program. Both groups achieved clinically significant weight loss, but physical activity did not increase, especially in those with Down syndrome.
• PTQualitative2020The Practical Work of Ensuring Effective Use of Serious Games in a Rehabilitation Clinic: A Qualitative Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPhysiotherapists did much hands-on work to run a shoulder-rehab serious game: briefing, calibrating sensors, prescribing exercises, and supporting play. The game did not free therapist time; it added setup and monitoring tasks.
• SLPPilot2020Treatment of Adults with Autism and Major Depressive Disorder Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: An Open Label Pilot Study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchTolerability of brain stimulation was mixed, with withdrawals and a seizure from a device error. Depression symptoms improved, while self-reported autism symptoms did not change.
• OTCohort2020Position-Cortical Coherence as a Marker of Afferent Pathway Integrity Early Poststroke: A Prospective Cohort Study.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairA brain-wave marker of wrist position input changed over early stroke recovery but did not clearly separate patients who did not recover from those who did. It may help research, not therapy.
• OTSLPOther2019Development of the Stanford Social Dimensions Scale: initial validation in autism spectrum disorder and in neurotypicals.Molecular autismThe Stanford Social Dimensions Scale separates social motivation, affiliation, communication, recognition, and unusual approach into five distinct scores. It reliably measures these traits in children with autism and neurotypical peers, offering a clearer profile of social strengths and weaknesses than existing diagnostic tools.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2019Neuropsychiatric decompensation in adolescents and adults with Phelan-McDermid syndrome: a systematic review of the literature.Molecular autismAdolescents and adults with Phelan-McDermid syndrome show a high risk of sudden neuropsychiatric decompensation, including bipolar disorder and catatonia. Peak onset is between 16 and 20 years. Antipsychotics were often ineffective or poorly tolerated, while lithium and divalproex sodium showed more consistent benefit.
• SLPPilot2019Diurnal Cortisol Levels and Subjective Ratings of Effort and Fatigue in Adult Cochlear Implant Users: A Pilot Study.American journal of audiologyAdults with hearing loss reported significantly more listening effort and listening-related fatigue than controls, yet showed no difference in general fatigue or salivary cortisol. Generic mood scales missed these specific listening burdens, while cortisol did not track subjective effort.
• SLPOther2019Improving Patient Safety and Patient-Provider Communication.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsPatients who could not use the nurse call or speak reported more favorable experiences when given the noddle switch and noddle-chat tablet than when they had no access, but less favorable experiences than patients using the standard call system.
• PTOther2020Construct Validity of the Observable Movement Quality Scale in Pediatrics: Hypothesis Testing of a Formative Measurement Model.Physical therapyThe OMQ Scale accurately reflects movement quality in children with motor disabilities. Scores dropped as disability severity increased and correlated with standard motor test results. Use it alongside quantitative tests, as children with good movement quality can still have severe functional limitations.
• SLPCohort2020Chronic Conductive Hearing Loss Is Associated With Speech Intelligibility Deficits in Patients With Normal Bone Conduction Thresholds.Ear and hearingAdults with chronic unilateral conductive hearing loss and normal bone conduction thresholds had significantly poorer word recognition on the affected side. This deficit was linked to the degree and duration of the conductive loss, not inner ear sensitivity. Amplification may be needed even when standard thresholds appear normal.
• OTSLPOther2020Development of the Behavioral Inflexibility Scale for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Developmental Disabilities.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchA new parent-rated scale measures how much a child's rigidity disrupts daily family life, not just the behavior itself. It is reliable and stable over time, helping therapists identify which children need intervention for inflexibility and track if that help works.
• PTSystematic Review2020Step width variability as a discriminator of age-related gait changes.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHealthy older adults had more side-to-side step variation than younger adults. In group-based thresholds, values above 2.50 cm were labelled excessive, while values below 1.97 cm were within the younger adult reference range.
• SLPCohort2020Longitudinal analysis of communication repair skills across three neurodevelopmental disabilities.International journal of language & communication disordersAt the second time point, no significant differences were found among diagnostic groups. With age, boys generally used fewer inappropriate repairs, but boys with fragile X and autism did not gain metacomments; girls with fragile X or Down syndrome became less responsive to clarification requests.
• PTOTRCT2020Home-based rehabilitation using a soft robotic hand glove device leads to improvement in hand function in people with chronic spinal cord injury:a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeople with chronic spinal cord injury who wore a soft robotic glove at home for 12 weeks improved their hand function and grip strength. These gains remained six weeks after they stopped using the device. The study had no control group.
• SLPOther2020Vagus Nerves Provide a Robust Afferent Innervation of the Mucosa Throughout the Body of the Esophagus in the Mouse.DysphagiaThis paper maps nerve endings in mouse esophagus tissue. It contains no human data, patient outcomes, or treatment results, so it offers no guidance for clinical practice.
• Survey2020University Students' Notion of Autism Spectrum Conditions: A Cross-Cultural Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersUK-campus students reported more knowledge, contact and acceptance of autism than Malaysia-campus students. Malaysia-campus students more often linked autism to upbringing; UK-campus students more often linked it to diet. These are student attitudes, not clinical evidence.
• Other2020Not So Automatic Imitation: Expectation of Incongruence Reduces Interference in Both Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typical Development.Journal of autism and developmental disordersNo evidence of a specific imitation deficit in autism. The autism group had more overall disruption, but both groups reduced it when most trials made a non-matching hand action likely.
• PTOTRCT2020Adding Contralaterally Controlled Electrical Stimulation of the Triceps to Contralaterally Controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation of the Finger Extensors Reduces Upper Limb Impairment and Improves Reachable Workspace but not Dexterity: A Randomized Controlled Trial.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationAdding triceps stimulation to hand-focused electrical therapy improved arm reach and reduced impairment, but did not improve hand dexterity or perceived daily use compared to hand therapy alone. The added component helps reach, not fine motor control.
• SLPPilot2020Interaction Between Electric and Acoustic Stimulation Influences Speech Perception in Ipsilateral EAS Users.Ear and hearingIn 15 combined implant and hearing-aid users, overlap fitting worsened speech in noise compared with standard split and masking-adjusted maps. The masking-adjusted map did not beat standard split fitting.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2020Instrumented assessment of motor function in dyskinetic cerebral palsy: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA systematic review of 49 studies found that while sensors and motion capture can measure movement in dyskinetic cerebral palsy, most methods require the child to understand instructions and move voluntarily. This excludes the 70-80% who are non-ambulatory and severely impaired, leaving no validated tools for them.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020How do patients pass through stroke services? Identifying stroke care pathways using national audit data.Clinical rehabilitationPatients discharged to community rehabilitation had relatively mild strokes yet the highest therapy demand. Stroke care routes varied widely, and direct discharge included many mild and very severe strokes and 27% mortality.
• OTCohort2020Autism Symptoms, Executive Functioning and Academic Progress in Higher Education Students.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAmong higher education students with autism, self-reported planning and organizing problems were linked to earning fewer course credits. Computerized flexibility and working memory scores were also linked to progress, but those task scores did not each add clear information about progress.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Association Between Saccule and Semicircular Canal Impairments and Cognitive Performance Among Vestibular Patients.Ear and hearingPatients with bilateral vestibular organ impairment made significantly more errors on a visual memory test than those with normal function. They also performed worse on a cognitive sequencing task than age-matched controls. This links severe inner ear damage to specific cognitive deficits.
• PTSystematic Review2020Identifying reproductive-aged women with physical and sensory disabilities in administrative health data: A systematic review.Disability and health journalAdministrative diagnostic and procedure codes can flag women with physical or sensory disabilities, but only one algorithm was checked against self-reported disability, and that check was modest. Treat data-based disability counts as approximate.
• SLPOther2020Pharyngeal Area Changes in Parkinson's Disease and Its Effect on Swallowing Safety, Efficiency, and Kinematics.DysphagiaPeople with Parkinson's disease had larger resting pharyngeal areas than healthy older adults. Larger pharyngeal area was linked to poorer swallowing safety, efficiency, and pharyngeal constriction. Clinicians reviewing VFSS should consider this anatomical change.
• PTOTCohort2020Obesity and diabetes are jointly associated with functional disability in stroke survivors.Disability and health journalStroke survivors with both obesity and diabetes had 2.62 times higher adjusted odds of functional disability compared to those with neither condition. Having either condition alone also increased odds. This suggests that managing weight and blood sugar is critical for preserving mobility and self-care after a stroke.
• PTCohort2020In-clinic event related potentials after sports concussion: A 4-year study.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineAfter sports concussion, a simple brain-wave test was different from baseline even after reaction time and thinking tests returned to normal. The findings suggest lingering brain activity changes, not a proven standalone return-to-play test.
• SLPCohort2019Efficacy of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on Wilson's disease patients with dysphagia.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding neuromuscular electrical stimulation to standard swallowing exercises improved swallowing function in Wilson’s disease patients more than exercises alone, with no adverse effects reported.
• Other2019Increased Ca2+ signaling in NRXN1α+/- neurons derived from ASD induced pluripotent stem cells.Molecular autismNeurons grown from patients with autism and a specific genetic deletion showed more frequent, longer, and stronger calcium signals than control neurons. This cellular change was linked to increased activity of calcium channels, suggesting a mechanism for heightened brain excitability.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2019Biological motion perception in autism spectrum disorder: a meta-analysis.Molecular autismAcross studies, people with autism were less accurate at detecting and interpreting human movement, especially emotions shown by body motion. The gap was largest in children and narrowed with age. Reaction-time and brain-activity results were less clear.
• Case Report2019Cellular and molecular characterization of multiplex autism in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons.Molecular autismCells from three family members with autism showed increased cell death and altered gene expression compared to unaffected controls. This cellular difference tracked with symptom severity, suggesting stem cell models can reveal biological mechanisms in complex, non-single-gene autism cases.
• SLPOther2019Specific Language Impairment in African American English and Southern White English: Measures of Tense and Agreement With Dialect-Informed Probes and Strategic Scoring.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRDialect-informed probes identified language impairment in African American and Southern White English-speaking kindergartners. Strategic scoring worked best. Accuracy never exceeded 90%, so these probes should profile strengths and guide goals, but never diagnose alone.
• SLPQualitative2019'It depends': Characterizing speech and language therapy for preschool children with developmental speech and language disorders.International journal of language & communication disordersSpeech-language therapists described preschool therapy as nine aims: foundation skills, comprehension, expressive language, speech, self-monitoring, generalization, functional communication, adult understanding and adult-child interaction. They chose and combined these flexibly for each child.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Altered gait mechanics are associated with severity of chondropathy after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome.Gait & posturePatients with moderate-to-severe cartilage damage after hip arthroscopy walked slower with less total limb loading. Those with no or mild damage shifted load away from the hip to the ankle. Neither group reported better function than healthy controls.