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 351 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTOther2020Association between preoperative sleep disturbance and low muscle mass in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.Journal of physical therapy sciencePreoperative patients with gastrointestinal cancer who reported poor sleep quality were significantly more likely to have low muscle mass than those with good sleep quality. This association persisted after adjusting for inflammation and depression. Screening for sleep quality may help identify patients at risk for sarcopenia before surgery.
• SLPOther2020Western Aphasia Battery-Revised Profiles in Primary Progressive Aphasia and Primary Progressive Apraxia of Speech.American journal of speech-language pathologyThe WAB-R separated PPAOS from most PPA groups, but 27 people with PPA scored normal. When the test indicated aphasia, anomic was the most common profile. Use a broader battery.
• OTMeta-Analysis2020Olfactory Dysfunction in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Meta-analytic Review of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersOlfactory dysfunction is evident in autism and OCD, but not ADHD. Odor identification is the most impaired domain across all three conditions. Deficits are larger in younger males with lower IQ or more severe symptoms.
• SLPOther2020Recording Obligatory Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials in Infants: Quantitative Information on Feasibility and Parent Acceptability.Ear and hearingCortical auditory evoked potentials took 27 minutes and were successfully recorded in 95% of infants with normal hearing. Parents rated the test as highly acceptable. This confirms the procedure is feasible for clinical use, but data on infants with hearing loss are still needed.
• SLPOther2020Phonological memory problems are magnified in children from language minority homes when predicting reading disability.Journal of child languageLow phonological memory scores were more likely to point to reading disability in children from language minority homes. In children without reading disability, language minority status did not predict lower phonological memory or awareness scores.
• PTOther2020Reliability of laser-assisted hindfoot alignment evaluation.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 12 healthy adults, a laser-based standing hindfoot alignment check was consistent when repeated by the same briefly trained non-expert, but agreement between two such examiners was only moderate.
• PTOther2020Effects of pectoralis minor length on strength improvement and pain reduction during scapular reposition test.Journal of physical therapy scienceA positive scapular reposition test was more common when the pectoralis minor was short. During the test, pain fell in both short and long pectoralis minor groups, but shoulder strength rose only in the short pectoralis minor group.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2020Brief Report: Assessment Experiences of Children with Neurogenetic Syndromes: Caregivers' Perceptions and Suggestions for Improvement.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregivers of children with neurogenetic syndromes reported mixed assessment experiences. They valued understanding scores but disliked generic feedback and inappropriate testing materials. Dissatisfaction increased with child age. Examiners should individualize testing, ask about interests first, and provide actionable, strengths-based recommendations.
• PTOTOther2020An Internet-Based Consumer Resource for People with Low Back Pain (MyBackPain): Development and Evaluation.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesThis paper describes the creation of a consumer website for low back pain. It details how patients and experts shaped the content. It does not report results from the trial testing whether the website improves health or literacy.
• SLPQualitative2020Women's perspective on life after total laryngectomy: a qualitative study.International journal of language & communication disordersEight women described how total laryngectomy disrupted their roles as caregivers and partners, leading to persistent vulnerability. They disliked their new voices and faced stigma. Preoperative peer support was vital, but often painted an overly optimistic picture of daily life.
• Narrative Review2020How Should the Rehabilitation Community Prepare for 2019-nCoV?Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationNo original patient outcomes are reported. The article summarizes early coronavirus epidemiology and gives infection-control and business-continuity advice for rehabilitation teams.
• PTSystematic Review2020Assessing participation of children with acquired brain injury and cerebral palsy: a systematic review of measurement properties.Developmental medicine and child neurologyOnly 12 of 37 tools used to measure participation in children with brain injury or cerebral palsy align with attendance or involvement. Evidence that they work well in these children is limited, so match the tool to the clinical question.
• PTOther2020Effects of resistance exercise using the elastic band on the pain and function of patients with degenerative knee arthritis.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder adults with knee arthritis who added elastic band exercises to physical therapy reported less pain and better daily function after four weeks than those who had physical therapy alone. The band group also received physical therapy, so the band alone is not proven.
• OTOther2020Executive Functioning in 60+ Autistic Males: The Discrepancy Between Experienced Challenges and Cognitive Performance.Journal of autism and developmental disordersOlder autistic men and non-autistic men performed similarly on cognitive tests. However, the autistic men and their proxies reported more everyday executive function problems. Test scores did not match daily-life complaints.
• PTOther2020Relationship between chronic ankle sprain instability and ultrasonographic evaluation of the peroneus during a single-leg standing task.Journal of physical therapy scienceNine students with chronic ankle instability had weaker ankle valgus strength and more sway forward and up-down on the sprained side during one-leg standing. Ultrasound showed a smaller long peroneus muscle angle, not thinner muscles.
• SLPCohort2020Maternal polyunsaturated fatty acids and risk for autism spectrum disorder in the MARBLES high-risk study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceMothers of children with autism reported lower total omega-3 intake in the second half of pregnancy than mothers of typically developing children. However, plasma omega-3 levels showed no difference for autism risk, and supplement use was not associated with outcomes.
• PTOther2020Exploring the effects of deep brain stimulation and vision on tremor in Parkinson's disease - benefits from objective methods.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationObjective force-platform and motion-capture tests detected Parkinsonian tremor in 9 of 10 patients, including 3 missed by standard clinical scoring. Turning deep brain stimulation on greatly reduced recorded tremor amplitude. Eyes open had smaller effects.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2020Immediate and long-term effects of BCI-based rehabilitation of the upper extremity after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationLong-term upper-limb function after stroke did not show a clear BCI benefit over control at follow-up. BCI training did show immediate improvement compared with control interventions.
• OTSLPRCT2020Behavioral effects of multiple-dose oxytocin treatment in autism: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial with long-term follow-up.Molecular autismFour weeks of daily intranasal oxytocin did not improve social symptoms compared to placebo. However, it significantly reduced repetitive behaviors and feelings of attachment avoidance. These benefits lasted up to one year. This was a small pilot in adult men, so results are preliminary.
• SLPSystematic Review2020Beyond intervention into daily life: A systematic review of generalisation following social communication interventions for young children with autism.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchGains in social communication often moved beyond therapy partners or settings in autism trials, but generalisation was inconsistent and structured researcher tasks may not capture daily life.
• Cohort2020Traumatic microbleeds persist for up to five years following traumatic brain injury despite resolution of other acute findings on MRI.Brain injuryTiny bleeding spots seen on MRI within 48 hours of traumatic brain injury persisted in 15 of 18 patients at one year and all later scans, while many other acute MRI findings resolved.
• OTQualitative2020Stakeholder perspectives on transition planning, implementation, and outcomes for students with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceStakeholders reported that school transition plans often did not account for job skills, adult services, or benefits. Parents said implementation often fell to families. They wanted earlier vocational rehabilitation involvement, clear roles, and long-term supports after graduation.
• PTOTOther2020Spinal kyphotic alignment changes spinal movement strategy during lateral reaching motion while in a sitting position.Journal of physical therapy scienceFlexed sitting changed how young men moved their spine during seated rightward reaching. Some thoracic side tilt and rotation were less, and lumbar rotation patterns shifted. Posture may alter trunk movement strategy.
• SLPOther2020Family Environment in Children With Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants: Associations With Spoken Language, Psychosocial Functioning, and Cognitive Development.Ear and hearingFamily environments were mostly similar across normal-hearing, hearing-aid and cochlear-implant groups. In children with hearing loss, enriched safe homes, low conflict, supportive interaction and shared recreation went with better language, behaviour and self-control.
• SLPOther2020Therapist-Guided Telerehabilitation for Adult Cochlear Implant Users: Developmental and Feasibility Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesAdult cochlear implant users and therapists rated a new web-based auditory training platform as highly usable and enjoyable. Older users found it slightly harder to use and needed more support. This study tested feasibility, not whether the training improves hearing.
• PTPilot2020The effect of a novel thoracolumbar brace on spinal alignment in Parkinson's disease: a pilot study.Journal of physical therapy scienceNine of ten people with Parkinson's disease had at least one posture change while wearing a thoracolumbar brace, but balance measures did not change at the group level. This pilot does not show the brace improves function.
• SLPCohort2020Dysphagia in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.DysphagiaIn PSP, swallowing problems are mostly oral: tongue control and bolus transport are impaired, and pharyngeal swallow starts late. Airway protection and pharyngeal clearance were often spared, and few reported changing food textures. Higher PSP severity tracked worse oral and pharyngeal scores.
• PTOther2020Accuracy and repeatability of smartphone sensors for measuring shank-to-vertical angle.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalA smartphone on the front of the shin measured shank angle during walking 0.67° from the marker-based angle on average, but side placement was less accurate and repeatable. Only two healthy adults were tested.
• SLPOther2020Effect of Stimulation Rate on Speech Understanding in Older Cochlear-Implant Users.Ear and hearingGroup-level rate changes made little difference to average speech understanding, and age did not predict benefit. Eleven of 40 ears showed a 10 or more percentage point difference between rates, with lower rates favored in eight of 10 non-default optimal cases.
• PTOther2020Effects of active and passive light-touch support on postural stability during tandem standing.Journal of physical therapy scienceLight fingertip contact steadied tandem standing more than no contact in 11 healthy adults. Active self-touch was better overall than passive touch, especially with eyes closed. This was a lab test, not evidence for fall-risk patients.
• PTOther2020Reconstruction of the lower limb bones from digitised anatomical landmarks using statistical shape modelling.Gait & postureShape models did not clearly beat simple scaling for adult lower limb bone reconstruction. Surface errors were on average smaller, but hip centre estimates were not clearly better.
• Narrative Review2020Promoting equity at the population level: Putting the foundational principles into practice through disability advocacy.Rehabilitation psychologyNo clinical finding is reported. This rehabilitation psychology commentary calls for population-level disability advocacy and describes examples, but it does not provide methods or outcomes that change care.
• PTCase Report2020Sum of phase-shifted sinusoids stimulation prolongs paralyzed muscle output.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn one person with spinal cord injury, phase-shifted electrical stimulation to knee extensors maintained knee extension force longer than constant stimulation, and closed-loop control made the force steadier. This was seated isometric knee extension testing, not standing.
• PTOTCohort2020Evaluating hand performance and strength in children with high rates of smartphone usage: an observational study.Journal of physical therapy scienceChildren with high smartphone addiction scores had much weaker grip and pinch strength in their dominant hand than those with low scores. Their dominant-hand grip averaged 19.6 kg versus 58.9 kg in the low-use group. Hand function scores were also worse in the high-use group.
• SLPOther2020Superior Canal Dehiscence Similarly Affects Cochlear Pressures in Temporal Bones and Audiograms in Patients.Ear and hearingSuperior canal dehiscence lowers air-conduction hearing mainly at low frequencies. Six temporal bones and 53 patient audiograms showed the same pattern. Testing below 250 Hz may catch cases missed by routine audiograms.
• OTSLPCohort2020Autism Heterogeneity in a Densely Sampled U.S. Population: Results From the First 1,000 Participants in the RI-CART Study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutism presentations in this population were highly heterogeneous. Many participants had co-occurring medical, psychiatric, or neurological conditions, and girls were diagnosed later than boys, with verbal status linked to earlier diagnosis in boys.
• SLPOther2020Wideband Acoustic Immittance in Cochlear Implant Recipients: Reflectance and Stapedial Reflexes.Ear and hearingBroadband reflex thresholds were not clearly lower than higher-frequency probe thresholds in ears with cochlear implants. Reflectance varied widely, though average low-frequency reflectance was higher than in controls and a standard middle-ear test helped explain that difference.
• PTOther2020Enriched, Task-Specific Therapy in the Chronic Phase After Stroke: An Exploratory Study.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTA combined high-dose, task-specific program with physical therapy, speech therapy when needed, outdoor activities, excursions, social interaction, and cognitive and sensory stimulation improved motor function by 2.3 points on a 55-point scale after three weeks. Gains persisted six months. No control group weakens causation.
• PTOTCohort2020Association between non-obesity and health state among young Japanese male university students.Journal of physical therapy scienceYoung men with normal body weight showed poor fitness and diet. Higher aerobic capacity linked to better insulin sensitivity and lower triglycerides, independent of body size. Daily activity correlated with lower resting heart rate. Normal weight did not guarantee metabolic health in this small group of students.
• Other2020Generation of a Novel Rat Model of Angelman Syndrome with a Complete Ube3a Gene Deletion.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchA new rat model of Angelman syndrome shows motor and memory deficits similar to humans, including hind-limb clasping, poor coordination, and social interaction issues. It lacks the weight gain seen in mouse models, making it a potentially more accurate tool for testing future therapies.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Factors associated with employment and work perception in combat-exposed veterans.Rehabilitation psychologyDepression and pain symptoms predicted unemployment, but objective cognitive test scores did not. History of mild TBI predicted the belief that work ability had declined, not actual unemployment. Clinicians should target negative self-perceptions rather than assuming cognitive deficits are the primary barrier to work.
• PTCohort2020Timed immersion expiration measures in patients with muscular dystrophies.Archives of physiotherapyIn patients with muscular dystrophies, mouth blowing time in water stayed similar over the follow-up year, while nose blowing time became longer. Motor and breathing measures still worsened, so this does not show aquatic therapy stopped decline.
• PTRCT2020Transfer of motor skill between virtual reality viewed using a head-mounted display and conventional screen environments.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHealthy adults learned a pinch task equally well on a headset or a screen, but skill transfer was asymmetric. Training on a screen improved performance when moving to the headset, while training on the headset led to decreased performance on the screen.
• PTOTCase Report2020Design of a lightweight passive orthosis for tremor suppression.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA lightweight, inflatable wrist glove reduced tremor power by 74-82% during drinking, pouring, and drawing in one patient with Parkinson's disease. The device allows users to adjust stiffness manually, offering a potential alternative to medication for specific daily tasks.
• PTOther2020Monitoring of the human body and brain behavior using optical motion capture system and EEG utilizing horseback riding simulator: an extended case study.Journal of physical therapy scienceProfessional riders moved their pelvis more smoothly than non-professional riders on a horseback riding simulator. Brain activity was recorded in one rider. This is a prototype observation, not evidence that riding therapy works.
• PTRCT2020Robotic therapy for the hemiplegic shoulder pain: a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRobotic shoulder therapy was associated with faster pain relief and larger gains in shoulder movement than conventional therapy, but this small pilot does not prove it works.
• SLPPilot2020Physiological arousal and observed behaviour in parent-child interactions involving young children with Down syndrome.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRWearable sensors showed that fathers' physiological arousal tracked closely with their children's during play, but mothers' did not. Children's arousal levels were linked to how often mothers asked for behavioural compliance or made comments.
• PTOTOther2020Burden and Patterns of Multimorbidity: Impact on Disablement in Older Adults.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationA higher count of chronic conditions was linked to worse strength, walking, activity and participation in older adults with mobility problems. Specific disease patterns were not linked to these outcomes. The count may be more useful than the condition mix.
• PTProtocol2019Methods for an Investigation of Neurophysiological and Kinematic Predictors of Response to Upper Extremity Repetitive Task Practice in Chronic Stroke.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationNo predictors of arm recovery have been reported yet. This planned chronic stroke study gives all participants the same robot-assisted arm therapy and will test whether baseline measures predict a 4-point rise on the 66-point arm movement score.
• SLPOther2020Noise exposures of sugar cane mill workers in Guatemala.International journal of audiologyMost sugar cane mill workers in Guatemala were exposed to noise levels well above safety limits. Evaporator cleaners faced extreme exposure, while computer and heavy equipment operators stayed within safe ranges. These findings highlight the urgent need for hearing conservation programs and noise controls.