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 394 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTRCT2021Immediate effect of foam roller on pain and ankle range of motion in patients with plantar fasciitis: A randomized controlled trial.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoBoth foam rolling and self-stretching immediately reduced pain and improved ankle range in plantar fasciitis. Foam rolling was superior to stretching for increasing pressure pain tolerance in the calf muscles, but not for the plantar fascia or overall pain scores.
• PTOTRCT2021Transfer of mode switching performance: from training to upper-limb prosthesis use.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFive days of training switching modes on a simulator improved accuracy and speed on a functional task in able-bodied participants. Neither a serious game nor direct myosignal feedback was superior to the other. The time needed to switch remained at least four seconds, which is likely too slow for everyday prosthesis use.
• OTSLPCohort2021Touch and olfaction/taste differentiate children carrying a 16p11.2 deletion from children with ASD.Molecular autismChildren with idiopathic autism showed more touch and taste/smell issues than children with a 16p11.2 deletion. Both groups had higher sensory scores than typical children. The deletion group’s touch and taste/smell profiles looked more like typical children.
• SLPCohort2021Marking of Tense and Agreement in Language Samples by Children With and Without Specific Language Impairment in African American English and Southern White English: Evaluation of Scoring Approaches and Cut Scores Across Structures.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRDialect-specific scoring and cut scores improved the accuracy of identifying language impairment in African American English and Southern White English speaking kindergartners. Past tense marking was the most accurate single structure for diagnosis, though probes outperformed language samples for clinical efficiency.
• PTOTOther2021Guided Self-rehabilitation Contracts Combined With AbobotulinumtoxinA in Adults With Spastic Paresis.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTAdults with chronic spastic paresis who performed guided self-stretching diaries alongside botulinum toxin injections showed significant gains in voluntary movement range and walking speed. This open-label study cannot prove the exercises added benefit beyond the injections alone, but suggests high compliance with home programs is feasible.
• SLPPilot2021Technology Acceptance and Usability of the BrainFx SCREEN in Canadian Military Members and Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Mixed Methods UTAUT Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesVeterans with PTSD accepted the BrainFx cognitive screen, citing support from staff as the main driver. However, some found it distressing or misunderstood its purpose. This is a usability pilot, not evidence the tool improves care.
• PTRCT2021Effects of Combined and Alone Transcranial Motor Cortex Stimulation and Mirror Therapy in Phantom Limb Pain: A Randomized Factorial Trial.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairNo added benefit from combining motor cortex stimulation and mirror therapy. Active stimulation reduced phantom limb pain more than sham; mirror therapy did not outperform covered mirror.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Clinical management of individuals with Intellectual Disability: The outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic as experienced in a clinical and research center Research in Developmental Disabilities.Research in developmental disabilitiesIn a hospital outbreak, 109 patients with intellectual disability recovered from COVID-19 without mechanical ventilation. A phased multidisciplinary model using remote psychological support and tailored routines managed behavioral challenges and supported families, though no control group existed to prove efficacy.
• Narrative Review2021Applicability of evidence from randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews to clinical practice: A conceptual review.Journal of rehabilitation medicineThis paper proposes concepts and principles for judging whether trial results apply to real patients. It offers no data on patient outcomes or treatment effects, so there is nothing here to change clinical practice with.
• SLPCohort2021Dysarthria in children and adults with ataxia telangiectasia.Developmental medicine and child neurologyAll participants with ataxia telangiectasia had dysarthria. Most had mild to mild/severe speech impairment, and all could communicate orally. Children needed to repeat words more often than adults.
• PTOTSLPRCT2021Domains of Health-Related Quality of Life Are Associated With Specific Deficits and Lesion Locations in Chronic Aphasia.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairDepression symptoms and arm weakness predicted lower overall quality of life. Language production deficits predicted lower communication quality. Specific brain lesions in the basal ganglia and inferior frontal areas were linked to poorer physical and psychosocial outcomes.
• SLPSystematic Review2021Fathers of Young Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Children: A Systematic Review.Journal of deaf studies and deaf educationFathers of deaf children learn about hearing loss from mothers, not clinicians, and struggle with sign language. They cope through problem-solving and work flexibility. Current early intervention services often exclude them due to scheduling and communication gaps.
• PTPilot2021Semi-automated approaches to optimize deep brain stimulation parameters in Parkinson's disease.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn two Parkinson's patients with DBS, algorithm-guided frequency testing found the same setting that most reduced rigidity with fewer tests, but patients preferred lower frequencies than that setting. This is proof-of-principle, not a therapy trial.
• PTOTCohort2021Fear Avoidance Predicts Persistent Pain in Young Adults With Low Back Pain: A Prospective Study.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyFear avoidance and pain interference predicted persistent pain in young adults. Most participants improved, but those with high fear avoidance stayed in moderate/high pain. Physical activity levels did not differ between groups, challenging the assumption that inactivity drives chronicity in this population.
• SLPCohort2021Longitudinal Changes in Auditory and Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHROver nine years, hearing thresholds and some cognitive scores declined, but dichotic temporal-order performance linked to cognitive decline more strongly than simple hearing loss. Auditory processing speed may be a better predictor of cognitive change than pure-tone thresholds.
• SLPCase Report2021Therapeutic relationships in aphasia rehabilitation: Using sociological theories to promote critical reflexivity.International journal of language & communication disordersIn one dyad, the therapist’s focus shifted from building a personal connection to completing discharge tasks after the patient requested early release. Structural pressures and team expectations, rather than individual choices, drove this change in the therapeutic relationship.
• PTPilot2021Feasibility of a blended therapy approach in the treatment of patients with inflammatory myopathies.Archives of physiotherapyA blended therapy combining face-to-face physiotherapy with a tablet-based home exercise app was feasible for patients with inflammatory myopathies. Adherence was high at 84%, and participants reported strong satisfaction. Muscle strength and function outcomes were mixed, with no significant change in most measures.
• SLPCohort2021Hearing Status Affects Children's Emotion Understanding in Dynamic Social Situations: An Eye-Tracking Study.Ear and hearingChildren with hearing loss watched dynamic social videos differently than hearing peers. They looked less at the target's head and more at their body. This visual shift was linked to lower accuracy in identifying emotions. Hearing loss affects how children process social cues.
• PTNarrative Review2021Physical Therapist Recognition and Referral of Individuals With Suspected Lyme Disease.Physical therapyThere is no original research finding here. This narrative review gives background on recognizing and referring suspected Lyme disease, but reports no methods, patients, or outcomes.
• SLPRCT2021Cannabinoid treatment for autism: a proof-of-concept randomized trial.Molecular autismWhole-plant cannabis extract improved disruptive behaviors on clinician ratings compared to placebo, but showed no benefit on the primary parent questionnaire. Pure cannabinoids were not significantly better than placebo. Somnolence was common.
• PTOther2021The interrater and intrarater reliability of the flexibility and strength tests included in the Sport Science Lab® screening protocol amongst professional rugby players.The South African journal of physiotherapyMost strength and flexibility tests in the Sport Science Lab protocol agreed closely between raters and across days. However, the Modified Thomas test and hip external rotation tests showed poor to moderate reliability. Do not rely on these specific tests to screen elite male rugby players.
• PTOTCohort2021Change in outdoor walking behavior during the coronavirus disease pandemic in Japan: A longitudinal study.Gait & postureDuring Japan's state of emergency, outdoor steps dropped by about 1000 per day, but walking speed and step length slightly increased. The speed change was too small to be clinically significant, suggesting people walked faster to compensate for less overall walking.
• SLPPilotEarly Adolescent Social Media-Related Body Dissatisfaction: Associations with Depressive Symptoms, Social Anxiety, Peers, and Celebrities.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPEarly adolescents who felt down about their bodies after viewing social media checked their accounts more often and reported higher depressive symptoms, online social anxiety, and difficulty making friends. Female participants and those following celebrities were disproportionately affected.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions in adults with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome: A rapid review.Journal of rehabilitation medicineNeuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) showed mixed results in critically ill adults with multi-organ dysfunction. While some studies reported preserved muscle mass and strength, others found no functional difference compared to standard care. The evidence is very low certainty due to small sample sizes and high risk of bias.
• Narrative Review2021UBE3A reinstatement as a disease-modifying therapy for Angelman syndrome.Developmental medicine and child neurologyThere are no original clinical results to act on. This review covers UBE3A loss in Angelman syndrome and possible ways to restore UBE3A.
• Other2021Epidural cerebellar stimulation drives widespread neural synchrony in the intact and stroke perilesional cortex.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn anaesthetised rats, epidural cerebellar stimulation altered firing rates and increased neural synchrony in the motor cortex, both in intact tissue and in a stroke model. These were immediate electrophysiological changes. No motor function was tested, so this does not demonstrate that the stimulation improves recovery.
• SLPOther2021Confidence Limits of Word Identification Scores Derived Using Nonlinear Quantile Regression.Trends in hearingA new statistical model defines the lowest expected word score for any hearing loss level using only pure-tone average. Age does not change this limit. Scores falling below this curve are disproportionately poor for the degree of hearing loss.
• OTOther2021ADHD severity as a predictor of cognitive task performance in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).Research in developmental disabilitiesIn children with autism, higher parent-reported ADHD symptom severity was linked to poorer performance on attention and memory tasks. Autism symptom severity was not linked to these tasks. The study cannot show cause.
• PTOTRCT2021Effects of a Tailored Physical Activity Intervention on Cardiovascular Structure and Function in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairAn 8-week community-based physical activity coaching program improved fitness in people with spinal cord injury but did not change resting heart or blood vessel structure. Only those with lower-level injuries showed minor heart shape changes, suggesting higher-level injuries may need more intense or specific loading.
• SLPOther2021Towards Personalized Auditory Models: Predicting Individual Sensorineural Hearing-Loss Profiles From Recorded Human Auditory Physiology.Trends in hearingA computational model using otoacoustic emissions and brainstem responses predicted hidden nerve damage in hearing-impaired listeners. The method achieved 83.81% accuracy in simulations but cannot yet be validated against actual human tissue, so it is not ready for clinical use.
• PTOther2021The Chinese (Mandarin) instructions of the 6-minute walk test: A validation study.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoChinese Mandarin instructions for the 6-minute walk test produced walk distances similar to English instructions in 52 healthy bilingual adults, and the same assessors could repeat the test consistently.
• SLPCohort2021Impact of drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment on hearing function in South African adults: Bedaquiline versus kanamycin.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsAdults on kanamycin showed progressive hearing loss and tinnitus, while those on bedaquiline showed no significant hearing changes. This supports bedaquiline as a safer option for preserving hearing in drug-resistant TB treatment.
• PTOTCohort2021The multi-directional reach test in children with Down syndrome.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoChildren with Down syndrome showed shorter backward reach distances than typical peers. Younger children with Down syndrome also had shorter forward reach. They relied on hip and mixed movement strategies, never the ankle strategy used by typical children.
• PTOTOther2021A Scoping Review of Evidence-Informed Recommendations for Designing Inclusive Playgrounds.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThirteen design recommendations emerged from 35 studies, including flat surfaces, ramps to elevated structures, and sensory variety. Trained staff and involving families in the design process were also key to reducing barriers for children with disabilities.
• PTOther2021Diaphragm Pacing and a Model for Respiratory Rehabilitation After Spinal Cord Injury.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPT
• OTSLPOther2021Implicit Semantic Processing of Linguistic and Non-linguistic Stimuli in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn adults with autism, brain responses to picture meanings were larger than in controls, while word responses showed no group difference. Age interacted with autistic traits differently for pictures and words, suggesting visual supports may aid comprehension while language demands increase.
• OTQualitative2021Understanding the role of self-determination in shaping university experiences for autistic and typically developing students in the United Kingdom.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic students prioritised academic success over socialising, often relying on family for advocacy. They viewed their cognitive strengths as tools for achievement but found unstructured time and uncertainty highly stressful, preferring clear routines and explicit guidance to manage anxiety.
• SLPOther2021Factors Influencing Speech Perception in Adults With a Cochlear Implant.Ear and hearingAdult cochlear implant users with precurved electrodes had better speech perception scores than users with straight electrodes. The electrode was chosen clinically, not randomly, so this shows an association, not that the electrode itself caused better hearing.
• SLPPilot2021Modified CBT for social anxiety and social functioning in young adults with autism spectrum disorder.Molecular autismYoung adults with autism reported lower social anxiety and stress after an eight-week modified CBT group, but overall social functioning did not improve significantly. Without a control group, these gains cannot be proven to come from the therapy.
• Other2021A compact system for simultaneous stimulation and recording for closed-loop myoelectric control.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new wearable system lets prosthetic users feel touch and control the hand at the same time without the signals interfering. The touch feedback worked when vision was blocked, but it did not make control better than using vision alone.
• Systematic Review2021Web-Based Peer Support Interventions for Adults Living With Chronic Conditions: Scoping Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesMost web-based peer support programs for chronic conditions lack a clear theoretical basis and are poorly described. While some randomized trials showed benefits like increased self-efficacy, the evidence is limited to six trials across four conditions, leaving gaps for older adults and other diseases.
• SLPSurvey2021Do We Need a Measure of Vocal Effort? Clinician's report of vocal effort in voice patients.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsMost voice clinicians treat vocal effort as a key symptom but lack a validated tool to measure it. They rely on the Voice Handicap Index, which was not designed for this purpose. Developing a specific, reliable measure of vocal effort is a priority.
• Other2021Abnormal electrophysiological phenotypes and sleep deficits in a mouse model of Angelman Syndrome.Molecular autismLoss of maternal Ube3a in Angelman syndrome mice produced seizure-like responses after a seizure-provoking drug, more baseline EEG spiking and delta activity, less REM-like sleep, and fewer sleep spindles. This describes a mouse phenotype, not a tested therapy.
• SLPCase Series2021Computer-assisted challenge point intervention for residual speech errors.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsFive children with persistent rhotic errors showed highly variable responses to computer-adapted biofeedback. Two made large gains, but three showed little or no improvement in spontaneous speech despite high accuracy during practice. The software aids tracking but does not guarantee generalization.
• PTMeta-Analysis2021Critical spatiotemporal gait parameters for individuals with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoPeople with dementia walked slower, had shorter stride length, and showed more variability in stride time than healthy older adults, both alone and while doing another task. Speed and stride time variability were among the clearest differences.
• PTOTSurvey2021Prevalence and patterns of musculoskeletal pain among undergraduate students of occupational therapy and physiotherapy in a South African university.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoMost occupational therapy and physiotherapy students reported musculoskeletal pain in the past year, especially neck and low back. Longer daily travel and not exercising were linked to more pain; measured ergonomic hazards were not.
• PTOTRCT2021The influence of low-intensity resistance training combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation on autonomic activity in healthy adults: A randomized controlled cross-over trial.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoAdding electrical stimulation to low-intensity resistance training did not cause worse heart rate or blood pressure changes than training alone in healthy young men. Both methods raised sympathetic activity and blood pressure slightly during exercise, but neither was safer than the other in this small group.
• PTOTSLPCohortAssociation of Positional Plagiocephaly and Developmental Delay Within a Primary Care Network.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPInfants diagnosed with positional plagiocephaly in primary care were more likely to later receive a developmental delay diagnosis, particularly for motor and language delays. The skull shape diagnosis typically appeared months before the delay, suggesting it may serve as an early marker for children who need closer developmental monitoring.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Sociodemographic factors and health-related, neuropsychological, and psychosocial functioning in youth with spina bifida.Rehabilitation psychologyYouth with spina bifida from lower-income families reported more pain but fewer attention and executive function problems than those from higher-income families. Family stress mediated outcomes, with lower sociodemographic risk linked to less condition-specific stress.
• OTPilot2021Zero-Effort Ambient Heart Rate Monitoring Using Ballistocardiography Detected Through a Seat Cushion: Prototype Development and Preliminary Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesA seat cushion prototype could record heart-rate signals from a seated person, but usable data depended on staying still. In 20 participants, a 1-minute still-sitting test showed 91.4% heartbeat detection accuracy against ECG. This shows engineering feasibility, not clinical usefulness.