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 376 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• Other2021Links Between Autistic Traits, Feelings of Gender Dysphoria, and Mentalising Ability: Replication and Extension of Previous Findings from the General Population.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 126 adults, more self-reported autistic traits linked to more gender dysphoric feelings and recalled cross-gender behaviour. Mentalising ability explained most of this link. Poorer mentalising was associated with more gender dysphoric feelings. This supports a cognitive mechanism for gender nonconformity in autism.
• SLPCohort2021Autism Adversely Affects Auditory Joint Engagement During Parent-toddler Interactions.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchToddlers with autism were significantly less likely than typically developing peers to share sounds with their parents, even when parents actively tried to include them. They often noticed the sounds but failed to turn that attention into a shared social experience.
• Other2021A fair and EMG-validated comparison of recruitment criteria, musculotendon models and muscle coordination strategies, for the inverse-dynamics based optimization of muscle forces during gait.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSimpler computer models predicted muscle forces during walking as accurately as complex physiological ones, while a synergy-based model produced unrealistically high joint forces. The simplified approach was also much faster, offering no accuracy benefit from added complexity.
• OTSLPQualitative2021How is COVID-19 Affecting the Mental Health of Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Their Families?Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of children with special needs reported that school closures disrupted routines and removed specialist support, leading to increased anxiety, challenging behaviour and feelings of being overwhelmed. A minority described reduced stress at home.
• PTPilot2021Comparison of the effects of real-time propulsive force versus limb angle gait biofeedback on gait biomechanics.Gait & postureIn ten healthy adults, telling people to extend their leg further back at push-off increased forward propulsion just as much as telling them to push harder. Targeting leg angle may help patients who cannot generate strong ankle push-off, but this was an immediate effect in healthy walkers.
• Pilot2021Immersive augmented reality system for the training of pattern classification control with a myoelectric prosthesis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSix short sessions training with an augmented reality virtual hand let able-bodied users transfer twice as many real clothespins as untrained peers. The system improved control, but the study cannot separate which specific feature drove the gain.
• SLPSurvey2021A cross-sectional analysis of trust of information and COVID-19 preventative practices among people with disabilities.Disability and health journalPeople with hearing or communication disabilities reported lower trust in health information and adopted fewer COVID-19 prevention practices. Rural residents also showed lower trust and adherence. Trust in service providers was highest overall, but varied significantly by disability type and geography.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2021Effectiveness of specialized rehabilitation after mild traumatic brain injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of rehabilitation medicineSpecialized brain injury rehabilitation reduced post-concussion symptoms compared with usual care. Cognitive behavioral therapy and interdisciplinary programmes showed small benefits for mood and activity. Evidence quality was low because participants knew which treatment they received, so effects may be exaggerated.
• OTSystematic Review2021Impacts of Low-cost Robotic Pets for Older Adults and People With Dementia: Scoping Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesLow-cost robotic cats and dogs reduced agitation and improved mood in people with dementia, and lowered loneliness in healthy older adults. However, some users found the robots creepy or distressing, and the evidence comes from small studies with poor quality ratings.
• OTCohort2021Epilepsy in adulthood: Prevalence, incidence, and associated antiepileptic drug use in autistic adults in a state Medicaid system.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceEpilepsy is highly prevalent in autistic adults, especially those with intellectual disability. Many autistic adults on antiepileptic drugs lack epilepsy diagnoses, suggesting off-label use for behavior. Clinicians should screen for epilepsy in aging autistic adults with ID.
• SLPCohort2021Therapeutic Alliance Formation for Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism: Relation to Treatment Outcomes and Client Characteristics.Journal of autism and developmental disordersStronger therapeutic alliance predicted better outcomes for low mood and motivation, but not for emotional reactivity. Alliance was weaker in clients with higher depression or autism severity. Early alliance quality specifically predicted later mood improvements.
• PTPilot2021Combining advanced computational and imaging techniques as a quantitative tool to estimate patellofemoral joint stress during downhill gait: A feasibility study.Gait & postureDuring downhill walking, people with patellofemoral OA showed an earlier rise in lateral facet contact stress than controls in this small feasibility study. It does not show any treatment works.
• Cohort2020Maternal Consistency in Recalling Prenatal Experiences at 6 Months and 8 Years Postnatal.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPBirth mothers recalled smoking, delivery type, and pre-eclampsia consistently over 8 years, but were unreliable for alcohol, infections, and prematurity. Clinicians should not rely solely on maternal report for these specific events, as accuracy does not improve with time.
• PTOther2020An electromyographic and kinematic study of the scapular stabilisers.The South African journal of physiotherapyIn healthy shoulders, lower serratus anterior activity was higher than lower trapezius activity during frontal abduction. The two muscles were linked only early in abduction.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Factors associated with stroke survivors' inconsistent uptake of physiotherapy interventions at Turton Community Health Centre, KwaZulu-Natal.The South African journal of physiotherapyStroke survivors who did not feel they were improving with exercises were significantly less likely to attend physiotherapy appointments. Transport costs and lack of family support also hindered attendance, but statistical links to these factors were not significant.
• Narrative Review2020Motor imagery and action observation for predictive control in developmental coordination disorder.Developmental medicine and child neurologyThis narrative review discusses motor imagery and action observation for developmental coordination disorder but reports no original methods or results. There is no new finding here to change practice.
• PTOTOther2020Common musculoskeletal impairments in postpartum runners: an international Delphi study.Archives of physiotherapyExperts agreed postpartum runners with pain commonly show abdominal, hip, and pelvic floor weakness, plus tight hip flexors. Risk factors include muscle imbalance, poor control, and returning to running too soon. This is expert opinion on what to check, not proof these causes pain.
• PTOTPilot2020Biodex© training post-stroke for postural stability in the upper trunk: A pilot study.The South African journal of physiotherapyAdding Biodex upper-limb weight-bearing training to standard stroke rehabilitation did not improve upper trunk postural stability more than standard care alone in this pilot. Both groups improved over the month, so the Biodex added no extra measurable benefit.
• PTPilot2020The effectiveness of Ergon Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization, foam rolling, and athletic elastic taping in improving volleyball players' shoulder range of motion and throwing performance: a pilot study on elite athletes.Journal of physical therapy scienceInstrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization and foam rolling increased shoulder range of motion in elite volleyball players, while athletic taping decreased it. However, none of these techniques improved throwing performance scores. The gain in motion did not translate to better function in this small pilot.
• PTSurvey2020Physiotherapy management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in Pretoria, South Africa.The South African journal of physiotherapyMost Pretoria physiotherapists treating chemotherapy-induced neuropathy use stability and strengthening exercises, soft tissue work and sensory integration. Few use electrotherapy. This describes current local practice, not evidence that any technique reduces symptoms.
• PTCase Series2020Lower limb muscle strengthening exercises in patients with early-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a case series study.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter three weeks of weekday physical therapy, knee extension strength rose slightly in 13 early-stage ALS patients, but walking scores did not. The program combined leg resistance, aerobic and breathing work, and all patients took riluzole while five also took edaravone.
• SLPOther2020Identifying and measuring the common elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for autism spectrum disorder: Development of the NDBI-Fi.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceA new 8-item video rating tool reliably measures how well caregivers use common autism intervention strategies. It distinguishes trained from untrained parents and detects improvement after training. The tool measures implementation quality, not child outcomes, so high scores do not prove the child improved.
• PTOther2020Effect of arm swaying from wearing a self-applied arm sling with a loop on walking and other mobility skills.Journal of physical therapy scienceElderly participants could put on a looped arm sling alone, but not a triangular bandage. Walking speed and sit-to-stand times did not differ significantly. The bandage increased step rate and arm sway during standing up, suggesting it creates more discomfort.
• PTOTCase-Control2021Mild Stroke Affects Pointing Movements Made in Different Frames of Reference.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairPeople with mild stroke could not keep their hand path steady when their trunk was unexpectedly blocked while reaching, in both body-centered and external space. Healthy adults adjusted instantly; stroke survivors diverged early. This points to a motor planning deficit missed by standard impairment scores.
• SLPOther2021Structural and Contextual Cues in Third-Person Pronoun Interpretation by Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Neurotypical Peers.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn simple stories, older children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder answered pronoun questions like neurotypical peers. They used context to override the usual subject preference. Eye-tracking showed different timing, but the comprehension answers did not differ.
• SLPOther2021Caution When Screening for Autism among Socially Anxious Youth.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe SRS-2 parent questionnaire fails to distinguish autism from social anxiety in youth. It misclassified many children, with socially anxious youth scoring as high as those with autism. Clinicians should not rely on SRS-2 scores alone to rule in autism.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Systematic review on wearable lower-limb exoskeletons for gait training in neuromuscular impairments.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMost evidence comes from small, short-term trials with few randomised comparisons. Stroke studies show some gains over conventional therapy, but spinal cord injury research lacks randomised controls. Devices remain heavy, require staff supervision and walking aids, and have limited home-use data.
• SLPSurvey2021What Happens at a Dental Surgery When the Patient is a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder? An Italian Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism were far likelier to fail their first dental visit when they feared the dentist. Parental fear strongly predicted child fear, and communication difficulties predicted aggression, suggesting anxiety and communication barriers drive poor dental access.
• PTNarrative Review2021Delivering remote consultations: Talking the talk.Musculoskeletal science & practiceThis masterclass reviews communication strategies for remote consultations, highlighting the need for explicit consent and adapted rapport-building due to missing non-verbal cues. It synthesises existing literature and offers practical tips for clinicians, but reports no original data or trial outcomes.
• PTOTRCT2021Effects of wearable ankle robotics for stair and over-ground training on sub-acute stroke: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding 20 sessions of stair and over-ground training with a powered ankle robot to standard care improved walking speed more than standard care alone. The powered mode also allowed patients to walk faster and climb more steps during the training itself compared to a passive locking mode.
• PTOther2021Isolating the energetic and mechanical consequences of imposed reductions in ankle and knee flexion during gait.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRestricting an ankle or restricting ankle and knee together made 15 healthy adults use more energy to walk than wearing the knee brace without restriction. Ankle restriction alone was not clearly different from knee restriction alone, and it did not test a treatment.
• SLPCohort2021Timing of diagnosis, depression and self-harm in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAdolescents whose autism was first reported at age 11 or 14 had higher rates of depression and self-harm at age 14 than those diagnosed before age 5. Later diagnosis was associated with worse mental health, not with more severe autism traits.
• PTOTSLPRCT2021Investigating the feasibility of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation to facilitate post-stroke overground gait performance in chronic stroke: a partial least-squares regression approach.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA single session of cerebellar brain stimulation was tolerated by ten men with chronic stroke. It did not improve clinical walking speed or balance. However, it changed specific timing patterns in gait, with one stimulation setup speeding up steps on the affected side while slowing stance on the unaffected side.
• Narrative Review2021The Importance of Professional Discourse for the Continual Advancement of Practice Standards: The RBT® as a Case in Point.Journal of autism and developmental disordersNo patient outcomes are reported. This commentary discusses RBT credential standards, not evidence therapists can use to change client care.
• PTOther2020Correlation between leg extensor torque and the degree of sway.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn healthy men, stronger leg extension was associated with less one-leg sway; in healthy women, no such association was seen. This does not show strengthening reduces sway in patients.
• PTOther2020Reliability of the original Lehnert-Schroth (LS) scoliosis classification in physiotherapy practice.Journal of physical therapy scienceSpecialist clinicians classified adolescent idiopathic scoliosis into Schroth 3-curve or 4-curve patterns with fair to good agreement, especially from X-rays. Clinical photos were less consistent, so confirm uncertain patterns with imaging.
• PTOTOther2020One-repetition maximum can be estimated with a handheld dynamometer and circumference in community-dwelling older adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceFor older adults, knee strength (1RM) can be estimated using a handheld dynamometer and thigh circumference. The predicted values matched actual measurements closely, offering a safe, low-cost alternative to heavy gym equipment for prescribing resistance training.
• PTOTPilot2020Effects of an exercise program with video: targeting older female residents in a remote island.Journal of physical therapy scienceA three-month DVD exercise program improved standing balance in older women living on a remote island. Walking speed, grip strength, and cognitive measures did not change significantly. Self-selection into groups limits confidence in the results.
• PTOTSLPOther2020The effect of a postural exercise program on muscle power in Italian high school students.Journal of physical therapy scienceStudents' vertical jump height increased by 2.1 cm on average after eight weeks of postural exercises. However, with no control group, it is impossible to know if the exercises caused the gain or if students simply improved from normal growth and activity.
• PTOTOther2020Habitual posture and weekly time spent sitting do not contribute to the lumbopelvic curvature during active unilateral knee extension in sitting test.Journal of physical therapy scienceHabitual slouching and total sitting time did not predict lumbopelvic control during the active unilateral knee extension test in young adults. Gender was the only significant predictor, with males showing poorer control. Clinicians should not expect posture correction alone to improve this specific movement control.
• PTOther2020The exercise intensity of square-stepping exercise in community-dwelling late elderly females.Journal of physical therapy scienceSquare-stepping performed alone reached moderate intensity, but in group classes it dropped to low intensity because participants waited for turns. Therapists should not assume a class session equals moderate exercise, as the actual workload is lower than individual performance.
• PTRCT2020How does physical guidance affect motor learning and learner's workload?Journal of physical therapy scienceUsing light physical guidance for every balance practice session left healthy adults less stable at final testing than using no guidance or stopping guidance. Guidance did reduce frustration after the first session, but not after the second.
• Cohort2020Student, Educator, and Parent Perspectives of Self-Determination in High School Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchStudents with autism rated their own self-determination abilities much higher than their parents and teachers did. Teachers reported giving students more opportunities at school than the students felt they had. Adaptive behavior was the strongest predictor of self-determination across all three groups.
• OTSLPCase-Control2020Developmental-behavioral profiles in children with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring gastrointestinal symptoms.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchPreschoolers with autism and gastrointestinal symptoms showed more self-injury, sensory sensitivities, sleep issues, and aggression than those without GI symptoms. These behavioral changes occurred regardless of cognitive level or sex, suggesting problem behaviors may signal physical discomfort in young children.
• OTSLPOther2020Assessing the convergence of self-report and informant measures for adults with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceCaregivers reported more daily living skill deficits and unmet service needs than adults with autism did themselves. Both groups agreed closely on symptom severity. Combining self-report and caregiver views predicted employment status better than either alone.
• PTOther2020Where do healthy older adults take more time during the Timed Up and Go test?Journal of physical therapy scienceHealthy older adults spent proportionally more time turning and sitting during TUG, and turned along a wider path with less body lean. The study compared healthy groups in a lab and did not test falls or therapy.
• SLPSystematic Review2020Factors associated with spoken language comprehension in children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn children with cerebral palsy, poorer spoken language comprehension was seen with lower intellectual functioning, more severe white matter damage, and more limited mobility. Caregiver speech and AAC systems were barely studied.
• PTOTSLPCohortSuccessful Community Discharge Among Older Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury in Skilled Nursing Facilities.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationFor older adults with TBI in skilled nursing facilities, discharge home depends on function, not injury severity. Cognitive impairment, dependence in daily activities, incontinence, and dual Medicare/Medicaid enrollment predict failure to discharge home. Traditional injury scores like GCS do not.
• PTCohort2021Predictors of Low Physical Function in Patients With COVID-19 With Acute Respiratory Failure Admitted to a Subacute Unit.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMost adults recovering from COVID-19 respiratory failure in a subacute unit had severe physical function disability. Older age, previous walking disability, and invasive or noninvasive ventilation were linked to worse scores.
• Other2021Five years after development of the national disability, health and rehabilitation plan for Ukraine: Achievements and challenges.Journal of rehabilitation medicineNo patient outcomes are reported, so this policy update cannot be used as evidence that Ukraine's rehabilitation services improved function.