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 398 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPOther2021Evaluating the latent structure of the non-social domain of autism in autistic adults.Molecular autismIn 833 autistic adults, non-social traits split into four distinct but related dimensions: repetitive motor movements, insistence on sameness, restricted interests, and sensory sensitivity. These four areas should be assessed separately rather than as a single score or broad pair, as they vary independently across individuals.
• SLPOther2021Effect of Speech-to-Noise Ratio and Luminance on a Range of Current and Potential Pupil Response Measures to Assess Listening Effort.Trends in hearingPupil size changes track listening effort, but light levels interfere with most measures. Peak and mean dilation responded to noise difficulty, yet brightness still affected them. A newer frequency-based index failed to track difficulty and was also disrupted by light, so it cannot currently separate effort from lighting.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Kinesiology Tape: A Descriptive Survey of Healthcare Professionals in the United States.International journal of sports physical therapyMost clinicians learn kinesiology taping from continuing education and peers, not research. Half use 50% tension for three days. Many skip skin prep or removal instructions. The paper reports what practitioners do, not whether the tape works.
• SLPOther2021Evidence-based use of scalable biomarkers to increase diagnostic efficiency and decrease the lifetime costs of autism.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchModeling suggests adding saliva or eye-tracking tests after screening could identify autism earlier. This approach might save over $37 billion annually by reducing wait times and starting interventions sooner, but the study is a simulation, not a clinical trial.
• SLPCohort2021Uptake of Hearing Aids and Hearing Assistive Technology in a Working Population: Longitudinal Analyses of The Netherlands Longitudinal Study on Hearing.Ear and hearingMost eligible employees did not get hearing aids. Those who did were married or reported worse hearing. Men with high job demands were also more likely to adopt them. Self-reported disability predicted uptake better than measured hearing loss.
• SLPCase-Control2021Children with autism spectrum disorder show altered functional connectivity and abnormal maturation trajectories in response to inverted faces.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchBasic brain responses to inverted faces were similar in children with autism and typically developing children. Children with autism showed lower local and long-range brain connectivity when viewing inverted faces, and lower frontal connectivity was linked to greater autism severity.
• PTOTPilot2021Effectiveness of Distance Technology in Promoting Physical Activity in Cardiovascular Disease Rehabilitation: Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, A Pilot Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesAdding a Fitbit and app to standard cardiac rehab increased light activity in the first six months but not moderate-to-vigorous activity or step counts. No benefits persisted after twelve months, and adherence to the software was low.
• OTOther2021Seat pitch and comfort of a staggered seat configuration.Work (Reading, Mass.)This study examines aircraft seat comfort for a specific engineering project and has no application to clinical practice.
• PTOther2021Measurements of the centre of pressure of individual legs reveal new characteristics of reduced anticipatory postural adjustments during gait initiation in patients with post-stroke hemiplegia.Journal of rehabilitation medicineWhen people with post-stroke hemiplegia started walking, the pressure point under the paretic foot moved later in time and over a smaller distance, especially when swinging that leg first. This may explain difficulty shifting weight onto the stance side.
• PTOTCohort2021Gripforce reduction in children with an upper neonatal brachial plexus palsy.Journal of rehabilitation medicineChildren with upper neonatal brachial plexus palsy had significantly weaker grip in their affected hand compared to healthy controls. This weakness was not linked to reduced sensation, shoulder movement, or poor bimanual coordination, suggesting the cause is unclear rather than a simple sensory or mechanical deficit.
• SLPOther2021Improved Sensitivity of Digits-in-Noise Test to High-Frequency Hearing Loss.Ear and hearingA Digits-in-Noise test using a 4 kHz low-pass noise filter detected high-frequency hearing loss with 92% sensitivity. This filter outperformed standard broadband noise, offering a more accurate screening tool for identifying subtle high-frequency deficits that standard tests might miss.
• Other2021Hippocampal neurons isolated from rats subjected to the valproic acid model mimic in vivo synaptic pattern: evidence of neuronal priming during early development in autism spectrum disorders.Molecular autismIn rats modeling autism, hippocampal neurons exposed to valproic acid in the womb formed fewer excitatory synapses after birth. This occurred even when grown in a dish without other brain cells, suggesting the neurons themselves were primed to develop these structural changes.
• OTOther2021Designing a floor plan using aircraft seat comfort knowledge by aircraft interior experts.Work (Reading, Mass.)Aircraft interior experts and computer algorithms both achieved a maximum of 48 seats in a test cabin section. Experts prioritized passenger comfort and regulatory feasibility, while algorithms found layouts with slightly higher potential revenue by rotating seats, though the comfort impact of these rotated configurations remains unknown.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Youth Baseball Caregiver Understanding of Safe Pitching Guidelines and Player Injury.International journal of sports physical therapyMost caregivers of youth pitchers did not know safe pitching guidelines existed. Caregivers who knew the rules monitored pitch counts better. Pitchers throwing breaking balls or pitching for more than six months a year were more likely to report arm pain.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021Psychological eHealth interventions for people with intellectual disabilities: A scoping review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDMost studies used wearable sensors to prompt adaptive behaviour in people with severe disabilities. Only two trials tested remote video coaching for parents. No study delivered therapy directly to adults via video. Evidence is mostly single-case, so effectiveness remains unproven.
• SLPOther2021Quality of Life-CI: Development of an Early Childhood Parent-Proxy and Adolescent Version.Ear and hearingNew questionnaires capture quality of life for children with cochlear implants from birth to age 22. They cover issues like device management, social functioning, and noisy environments that standard hearing tests miss. These tools are not yet validated for clinical use.
• SLPOther2021Errors on a Speech-in-Babble Sentence Recognition Test Reveal Individual Differences in Acoustic Phonetic Perception and Babble Misallocations.Ear and hearingAnalyzing errors in a standard speech-in-noise test reveals how well listeners perceive phonemes and exclude background noise. These error patterns predict word recognition accuracy better than vocabulary scores alone, offering a way to assess individual listening difficulties using existing clinical data.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Shoulder Isokinetic Strength Balance Ratio in Overhead Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of sports physical therapyShoulder strength balance ratios differ by sport and sex, so grouping all overhead athletes together is inaccurate. Female softball players had higher conventional ratios, while judo, handball, and tennis players had lower functional ratios than controls.
• OTQualitative2021What is good service quality? Day service staff's perspectives about what it looks like and how it should be monitored.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDNine day service staff identified five practical markers of quality: managers working on the frontline, staff matched to activities, treating clients as partners, regular reflection, and respecting the support worker role. They felt current audits miss these realities.
• OTOther2020Development of Learning Media for the Elderly to Promote Child Health in the Community.Occupational therapy internationalGrandparents caring for young children most often needed help with daily self-care. A web-based media package for brushing, eating, dressing, bathing, and toileting was rated easy to use in a trial of 58 users, but no child outcomes were tested.
• OTQualitative2020Cognitive Interviewing during Pretesting of the Prefinal Afrikaans for the Western Cape Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire following Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation.Occupational therapy internationalPatients with low literacy and vision problems struggled with the Afrikaans DASH questionnaire. Changing the format to use words instead of numbers and providing reading glasses fixed these issues, making the test usable in busy public clinics.
• OTQualitative2020Experience of Filipinos with Spinal Cord Injury in the Use of Assistive Technology: An Occupational Justice Perspective.Occupational therapy internationalFilipinos with spinal cord injury found wheelchairs essential for work, travel, and advocacy, yet faced steep ramps, inaccessible transport, and stigma. Social support and charity, often viewed negatively in Western models, were reported as necessary adjuncts to assistive technology use.
• SLPOther2021Sexual Dimorphism in the Functional Development of the Cochlear Amplifier in Humans.Ear and hearingOtoacoustic emissions in boys drop significantly between ages 4 and 12, while girls' emissions remain stable. This suggests the cochlear amplifier matures differently in males during childhood, potentially driven by hormonal changes rather than middle ear structure.
• PTOTOther2021Assessing the validity of administrative health data for the identification of children and youth with autism spectrum disorder in Ontario.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchOntario administrative health data identified only 50.0% of children and youth with autism, and 56.6% of those flagged actually had autism. Billing data alone misses many and may mislabel others.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Study Paradigms and Principles Investigated in Motor Learning Research After Stroke: A Scoping Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationExplicit instructions about movement sequences hindered motor learning in people with stroke, while providing feedback and using mental practice or action observation improved it. Increasing task difficulty helped, but neurostimulation results were inconsistent and hard to apply clinically.
• SLPOther2021Synchronized Automatic Gain Control in Bilateral Cochlear Implant Recipients Yields Significant Benefit in Static and Dynamic Listening Conditions.Trends in hearingSynchronizing the automatic gain control in bilateral cochlear implants significantly improved the ability to locate stationary and moving sounds. Participants found the tasks less difficult. This technique preserves level differences between ears, which are normally distorted by independent processing.
• PTOTCohort2021Clinical value of assessing motor performance in postacute stroke patients.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 15 postacute stroke patients, wearable sensors showed daily walking and arm use varied widely and did not match clinical capacity scores. A patient with good walking capacity could still be mostly sedentary, or a slow walker could cover long distances at home.
• PTOTPilot2021Biomechanical analysis of an unpowered hip flexion orthosis on individuals with and without multiple sclerosis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFive people with MS who wore a simple, passive hip orthosis showed significant increases in peak hip flexion angle and net hip work. The device was well-tolerated, but muscle activity responses were highly variable, suggesting individualized fitting is required.
• OTNarrative Review2021Effects of extreme weather events on child mood and behavior.Developmental medicine and child neurologyAfter extreme weather events, children may show posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, aggression, sleep problems, and school difficulties. Social support and caregiver presence are associated with less severe or shorter mood symptoms; other factors are mixed.
• PTOTCase Series2021Health Parameters in Standing and Nonstanding Nonambulatory Adults With Cerebral Palsy.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationBone density and health parameters showed no meaningful differences between 13 adults with cerebral palsy who stood and 5 who did not. Only descriptive occurrences, such as stand pivot transfers, were noted in the standing group.
• OTOther2021Usability and consistency in findings of the work support needs assessment tool.Work (Reading, Mass.)Most vocational rehabilitation professionals found a new 21-item tool useful for structuring client interviews and gaining insight into work support needs. However, training on the tool did not make their support recommendations more consistent across clients.
• SLPCohort2021Detailed Vision Screening Results from a Cohort of Individuals with Aphasia.AphasiologyMost patients with aphasia in this cohort had visual deficits, but few were stroke-related. Many failed distance vision screenings despite having had recent eye exams. Clinicians should screen vision before assuming assessment failures are purely language-based, as uncorrected poor sight can mimic aphasia severity.
• PTCase Report2021Upper Extremity Superficial Vein Thromboses Presenting as Acute Neck Pain in a Young and Healthy Male: A Case Report.International journal of sports physical therapyA young soldier's acute neck pain was musculoskeletal in appearance but resistant to therapy. A rising blood pressure trend and an elevated D-dimer prompted referral, revealing superficial vein thromboses likely caused by prolonged crutch use. This case highlights that unexplained pain worsening despite care warrants vital sign review.
• PTSurvey2021A Nation-Wide Survey of High School Baseball Coaches' Perceptions Indicates their Arm Care Programs Play a Role in Injury Prevention.International journal of sports physical therapyMost high school baseball coaches use group-based arm care programs, but their knowledge of key injury risks like fatigue and prior injury is poor. Coaches believe they are the primary protectors of player health, yet they rarely individualize exercises or collaborate with medical staff.
• PTCase Report2021A New Method for Postural Misalignment of a 6-Year-Old Girl With Cerebral Palsy: A Case Report.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationIn a single 6-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, Constraint Standing Training improved knee hyperextension and flexed-knee gait. She walked stairs independently after 4 weeks. This is one case, not proof that the method works for others.
• PTOther2021Shoulder Strength and Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test Performance in Division III Collegiate Baseball and Softball Players.International journal of sports physical therapyDIII baseball players showed greater shoulder rotation strength than softball players, while their upper-extremity stability test scores were similar. Baseball strength did not match test performance, so do not use one measure to infer the other.
• SLPCohort2021Cochlear Implantation in Infants: Evidence of Safety.Trends in hearingCochlear implantation in infants under 1 year is safe when performed by experienced surgeons and pediatric anesthesiologists. Major complications occurred in 2.9% of ears, mostly infections manageable with treatment. No meningitis or device failures were seen. Anesthesia risks were minimal.
• PTOTCase Series2021Deep brain stimulation in Lesch-Nyhan disease: outcomes from the patient's perspective.Developmental medicine and child neurologyCaregivers reported mixed benefits after deep brain stimulation in Lesch-Nyhan disease. Some improvements were reported, but scores varied widely and adverse events were common. Only about half endorsed repeating the procedure.
• SLPOther2021Systematic Comparison of Trial Exclusion Criteria for Pupillometry Data Analysis in Individuals With Single-Sided Deafness and Normal Hearing.Trends in hearingChanging how many blinks trigger trial exclusion did not alter speech intelligibility or pupil dilation results. However, single-sided deafness listeners blinked significantly more in noise than in quiet, suggesting strict exclusion criteria might disproportionately remove difficult trials.
• SLPOther2021Interleaved Acoustic Environments: Impact of an Auditory Scene Classification Procedure on Speech Perception in Cochlear Implant Users.Trends in hearingAutomated scene classification improved speech perception in quiet and steady noise, but offered little or no benefit in reverberant rooms or when multiple speakers were talking. It can also misclassify complex scenes, so it is not a reliable solution for every noisy environment.
• PTOTSLPPilot2021Desktop lighting for comfortable use of a computer screen.Work (Reading, Mass.)In a dark room, warm light at 1500 lux made computer use more comfortable than total darkness. It reduced eye strain and cognitive load during easy reading tasks. These findings apply to evening leisure use, not work performance or bright daytime settings.
• PTCohort2021Effect of health locus of control on physical activity in stable patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.Journal of physical therapy sciencePatients who believed health is controlled by gods or ancestors had lower physical activity after education. Higher scores for this belief predicted less movement, while family and chance beliefs also linked to lower vigorous activity.
• OTOther2021Effect of scent on comfort of aircraft passengers.Work (Reading, Mass.)Scenting an aircraft cabin did not stop comfort from dropping or discomfort from rising over 60 minutes. Mandarin slightly helped at first, but lavender made people feel worse. Stronger scents did not improve results. Personalising cabin smells may work better than one scent for everyone.
• PTCohort2021A Comparison of Resting Scapular Posture and the Davies Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test.International journal of sports physical therapyResting scapular posture did not predict performance on the Davies Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test in healthy young adults. A second-year student could identify scapular types as reliably as an experienced therapist. Static posture alone does not explain dynamic stability test results.
• SLPPilot2020Teaching Vocabulary to Improve Print Knowledge in Preschool Children with Hearing Loss.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsPreschoolers with hearing loss scored lower than peers on print knowledge items containing spatial or quantity words. A pilot intervention teaching these concept words to four children showed immediate gains, suggesting vocabulary gaps may hide behind print assessment scores.
• OTOther2020The Development of Leisure Participation Assessment Tool for the Elderly.Occupational therapy internationalA new Korean assessment measures how often older adults engage in leisure, how satisfied they are, and what stops them. It showed strong consistency across items and stable results over two weeks, helping therapists identify meaningful leisure beyond just activity lists.
• PTOTOther2020Psychological Effects of Hands-On Training Using Public Transportation among Inpatients with Physical Disabilities: Analysis of the Self-Efficacy and Perception of Occupational Enablement Using a Multimethod Design.Occupational therapy internationalHands-on public transport training increased patients' confidence but did not change their view of their own ability. Patients who used transport after discharge had better balance and walking scores than those who did not.
• PTProtocol2021Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation in Professional Athletes: Rehabilitation and Return to Play.International journal of sports physical therapyA proposed staged knee protocol after osteochondral allograft in athletes emphasizes early extension, partial weight bearing, quadriceps re-education, core work, and progress only when criteria are met. Cited return rates range 75% to 88%.
• OTOther2021Guided by joy to live and work with hearing loss.Work (Reading, Mass.)One occupational therapist describes changing work and finding joy after progressive hearing loss. The paper reports no methods, outcomes, comparisons, or evidence that any approach works.
• OTSLPSurvey2021It took a pandemic: Perspectives on impact, stress, and telehealth from caregivers of people with autism.Research in developmental disabilitiesCaregivers of children with autism reported that loss of daily structure and difficulty with emotion regulation were the biggest stressors during pandemic shutdowns. While many families found telehealth helpful for continuing care, it was often less effective for children with significant communication challenges.