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 402 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOther2021Analysis of the numbers of clinical trials on physical therapy in Japan: comparison with those in the North American register from 2010 to 2019.Journal of physical therapy sciencePhysical therapy trials make up 1.3% of all registered trials in North America but only 0.3% in Japan. While North American numbers rose steadily, Japan's share plateaued after 2016 despite an aging population. This highlights a gap in research capacity rather than clinical practice.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021A method for measuring time spent in bradykinesia and dyskinesia in people with Parkinson's disease using an ambulatory monitor.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWrist-worn monitoring quantifies time spent above bradykinesia and dyskinesia targets, correlating with clinical scales and showing larger changes than those scales after treatment. This offers a continuous objective measure for tracking motor fluctuations and therapy response in Parkinson's disease.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2021A Narrative Review of Function-Focused Measures for Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA review identified 14 ICF-based tools for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Most focus on participation and activity rather than body function. Seven target cerebral palsy, but three can be used for any child regardless of diagnosis.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2021Primary Progressive Apraxia of Speech: From Recognition to Diagnosis and Care.AphasiologyProgressive apraxia of speech is a distinct neurodegenerative syndrome, not just aphasia. It often precedes parkinsonism or supranuclear palsy. Treatment should prioritize communication strategies and partner training, as impairment-focused therapy has limited evidence.
• PTOTOther2021Reliable and valid robot-assisted assessments of hand proprioceptive, motor and sensorimotor impairments after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA robotic test of the index finger reliably separates stroke patients from healthy controls and correlates with standard clinical scores. It takes about 14 minutes per hand and can distinguish motor from sensory impairments, offering a detailed profile of hand deficits.
• SLPNarrative Review2021Evaluating evidence-based practice in light of the boundedness and proximity of outcomes: Capturing the scope of change.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchInterventions that teach specific skills in structured settings often look highly effective because they are measured close to the training context. Clinicians should check if an 'evidence-based' label reflects generalized development or just narrow, context-bound learning.
• OTOther2021The effect of different work-rest schedules on ergonomic risk in poultry slaughterhouse workers.Work (Reading, Mass.)Simulating three 20-minute breaks instead of six 10-minute breaks raised ergonomic risk scores by 20% in poultry slaughterhouse tasks. Frequent short breaks distributed hourly kept risk lower than longer, less frequent blocks.
• SLPQualitative2021Decision making and the bedside assessment: The Speech Language Therapists' thinking when making a diagnosis at the bed.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsSeven South African speech therapists relied on 'gut feelings' and experience to diagnose swallowing issues at the bedside. Adding oxygen and sound monitoring to standard checks gave them more data and confidence. They often trusted their own assessment over inaccurate nursing notes.
• PTOther2021Knee joint angle sensing in healthy young adults using flexible orthosis with different wearing pressure.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn healthy young men, a soft knee brace at standard or tight pressure did not improve knee position sense compared with no brace. Tight pressure produced the largest errors.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Fathers Matter: Enhancing Healthcare Experiences Among Fathers of Children With Developmental Disabilities.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesFathers of children with disabilities said they were involved, but clinicians said fathers were less involved. Seven fathers and 13 clinicians described ways to include fathers: direct attention, explain, take time, and accommodate schedules.
• SLPCohort2021Characteristics of Speech-Evoked Envelope Following Responses in Infancy.Trends in hearingSpeech-evoked brainstem responses in infants look adult-like only when stimulus levels are boosted by their smaller ear canals. When levels are corrected to match adults, low-frequency responses remain immature. Do not assume infant responses are mature just because they appear normal at standard settings.
• OTOther2021Stimulating Research to Advance Evidence-Based Applications of Telehealth in Occupational Therapy.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthThis paper outlines a research agenda for occupational therapy telehealth. It identifies four priority areas: assessing in everyday contexts, partnering with caregivers, improving delivery methods, and standardizing data collection. It proposes studies but reports no patient outcomes or evidence of effectiveness.
• PTSurvey2021Importance of satisfaction level with initiatives toward the national examination: a 4-year cross-sectional study.Journal of physical therapy scienceStudents who were least satisfied with national-exam preparation also reported lower satisfaction with job hunting. In women, the least satisfied group also reported lower satisfaction with mock test scores and own effort for computer-based testing. Overall satisfaction did not differ by gender.
• OTCohort2021Mealtime behaviours of young children with sensory food aversions: An observational study.Australian occupational therapy journalMealtimes averaged 17.5 minutes in 21 children with sensory food aversions. They accepted 18.2 preferred bites and 1.5 targeted bites. Longer mealtimes and licking were linked to targeted food acceptance; caregiver strategies were not.
• OTOther2021Rasch Analysis of the Norwegian Version of the Occupational Balance Questionnaire in a Sample of Occupational Therapy Students.Occupational therapy internationalThe Norwegian Occupational Balance Questionnaire failed to work as intended in students. It could not separate high from low performers, showed signs of two distinct factors rather than one, and had biased items. It is currently unsuitable for clinical practice or research.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Validity of the Rotterdam Elderly Pain Observation Scale for institutionalised cognitively impaired Dutch adults.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRThe Rotterdam Elderly Pain Observation Scale reliably detects pain in institutionalised adults with intellectual disabilities. A score of 3 or higher indicates likely pain, though specificity is moderate. It also appears valid for subgroups with autism or Down syndrome, despite small sample sizes in those analyses.
• SLPCohort2021Psychological distress and burden among family caregivers of children with and without developmental disabilities six months into the COVID-19 pandemic.Research in developmental disabilitiesCaregivers of children with autism or ADHD reported higher anxiety, depression, stress and burden than those without DD six months into the pandemic. Scores did not worsen over time. For caregivers of children without DD, losing self-care opportunities drove distress; for ASD/ADHD caregivers it did not.
• PTOther2021Sagittal spine shape literacy in the general adult population, assessed by a novel, simple graphical tool.Journal of physical therapy scienceOnly 21-30% of adults correctly identified the ideal sagittal spine shape. The drawing test was more reliable than the selection test, and the two are not interchangeable. Lower spine literacy was associated with reported spinal pain, but this does not prove cause.
• PTOTOther2021Effects of cane use on walking parameters and lower limb muscle activity in adults with spastic cerebral palsy: a cross-sectional study.Journal of physical therapy scienceWalking with two canes slowed adults with cerebral palsy compared to walking unaided. However, it also reduced lower limb muscle activity. Muscle coactivation patterns did not change, suggesting the cane reduces physical burden but does not alter underlying motor control strategies.
• SLPCohort2021Bayonet-shaped language development in autism with regression: a retrospective study.Molecular autismChildren with autism who lose early words take longer to reach fluent speech. However, if they have normal non-verbal intelligence, almost all become fluent by age 18. The loss itself does not predict poor long-term language outcomes.
• SLPCohort2021Extremely preterm birth and autistic traits in young adulthood: the EPICure study.Molecular autismThe main autistic-trait score was not significantly higher after the study's strict correction for many tests, but extremely preterm young adults had more traits, especially pragmatic language, and more exceeded the trait cut-off.
• SLPQualitative2021It's crunch time: Exploring the sensibility of food textural acoustics for individuals with dysphagia.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsExperts and literature suggest the sound of chewing is a neglected part of the eating experience. For patients with dysphagia, modifying food texture often removes these acoustic cues, potentially reducing enjoyment. The authors propose considering sound when designing safer diets.
• SLPNarrative Review2021Exercise Science and the Vocalist.Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice FoundationThis paper applies exercise science theories to voice training but provides no clinical data. It suggests that while typical speech does not require high muscle strength, professional voice use or pathology might benefit from fatigue management principles, though these ideas remain theoretical and untested in patients.
• PTOTQualitative2021Beneficial and limiting factors in return to work after primary total knee replacement: Patients' perspective.Work (Reading, Mass.)Patients identified four themes influencing return to work: rehabilitation, patient factors, occupational factors, and medical support. Physical therapists who coached gently and set realistic expectations were most helpful. Patients needed control over their work pace and felt surgeons often lacked knowledge of their specific job demands.
• OTMeta-Analysis2021Protocols Used by Occupational Therapists on Shoulder Pain after Stroke: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Occupational therapy internationalAdding electrical stimulation, taping, or dry needling to standard care reduced shoulder pain and improved arm movement in people after stroke. However, these results rest on only four small trials, so the benefit is real but the size of the effect is uncertain.
• PTSurvey2021Physiotherapists' use and perceptions of digital remote physiotherapy during COVID-19 lockdown in Switzerland: an online cross-sectional survey.Archives of physiotherapySwiss physiotherapists rapidly adopted remote therapy during lockdown, rising from 4.9% to 44.6% of practitioners. Despite this uptake, two-thirds lacked confidence in its future utility, and nearly half offered services without billing, signaling poor integration into standard care.
• PTProtocol2021Experiences and effects of telerehabilitation services for physiotherapy outpatients in a resource-constrained public health set-up in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic: A proposal.The South African journal of physiotherapyNo findings are reported. This paper is a protocol describing the planned implementation and evaluation of telerehabilitation for physiotherapy outpatients in South Africa. It contains no results, outcomes, or evidence to inform clinical decisions.
• SLPNarrative Review2021Family as a Context for Child Development: Mothers with the FMR1 Premutation and Their Children with Fragile X Syndrome.Seminars in speech and languageThis review summarizes what is already known about how carrying the FMR1 premutation affects the mental health and communication skills of mothers of children with Fragile X syndrome. It presents no new data or intervention results.
• PTOTPilot2021A wearable ring-shaped inertial system to identify action planning impairments during reach-to-grasp sequences: a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeople with dysexecutive mild cognitive impairment moved slower and adjusted their grip less when planning different tasks compared to healthy controls. A wearable finger ring captured these differences, but the study is too small to confirm it works as a diagnostic tool.
• SLPOther2021Transmission of Binaural Cues by Bilateral Cochlear Implants: Examining the Impacts of Bilaterally Independent Spectral Peak-Picking, Pulse Timing, and Compression.Trends in hearingBilateral cochlear implants distort sound location cues because each ear picks different frequencies independently, not because their internal clocks are unsynchronized. For patients struggling to locate sounds, check if the processor settings are reducing level differences or if the strategy is causing asymmetric pulse allocation.
• PTOTOther2021Efficacy of multi-wave locked system laser therapy on nerve regeneration after crushing in Wister rats.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn rats with crushed sciatic nerves, MLS laser therapy improved nerve function, electrical conduction, and physical healing compared to untreated injured nerves. This is preclinical animal data only. It does not yet show that the laser helps human patients recover from nerve injuries.
• Narrative Review2021Review of control strategies for lower-limb exoskeletons to assist gait.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMost successful full-mobilization exoskeletons rely on manual user input and pre-defined trajectories, while partial assistance devices perform best with event-triggered torque profiles. This review maps the engineering control strategies but reports no clinical outcomes.
• PTOTRCT2021Effects of a 6-month exercise programme on disease activity, physical and functional parameters in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: Randomised controlled trial.The South African journal of physiotherapyA 6-month swimming and land-based exercise programme improved spinal mobility, function, disease activity and aerobic capacity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Blood markers of inflammation did not change, and the programme did not worsen disease activity.
• OTQualitative2021United Nations Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities (UNCRPD) Implementation: Perspectives of Persons with Disabilities in Namibia.Occupational therapy internationalPersons with disabilities in Namibia reported that most people do not know the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This lack of rights awareness, combined with stigma, inaccessible infrastructure, and limited financial opportunities, prevents them from claiming their rights or participating in society.
• PTOther2021Community-based rehabilitation implementation framework to address patellofemoral pain amongst runners in under-resourced communities: Delphi consensus.The South African journal of physiotherapyExperts agreed on a four-part plan for runners with knee pain in poor communities: form a mixed-discipline team, train local helpers to deliver exercises, offer free or low-cost services, and refer complex cases to hospitals. This is a consensus on how to organise care, not proof it works.
• Case Report2021Case Report: Sacral Nerve Root Pelvic Neural Retraining, With Long-Term Sustainability After the Device Explantation.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAn 18-year-old with neurogenic incontinence continued to improve for 29 months after her sacral nerve stimulator was removed. She reduced diaper use and gained bladder sensation. This single case suggests benefits may persist after device explantation, but it does not prove this works for other patients.
• OTSLPRCT2021Examining a stepped-care telehealth program for parents of young children with autism: a proof-of-concept trial.Molecular autismParents using a stepped-care website for imitation training had higher fidelity and self-efficacy than usual care. Children in the program showed better parent-reported social communication, but objective imitation scores did not reach significance.
• PTRCT2021Low-frequency STN-DBS provides acute gait improvements in Parkinson's disease: a double-blinded randomised cross-over feasibility trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 14 people with Parkinson's, low-frequency subthalamic deep brain stimulation with voltage adjusted made trunk movement while walking more rhythmic side-to-side and up-and-down than usual high-frequency. Clinical walking tests did not change, and tremor worsened in some.
• Other2021Information and Empowerment of Families of Children With Cerebral Palsy in Brazil: The Knowledge Translation Role of Nossa Casa Institute.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesNo evaluated outcomes are reported. This is a service description of a knowledge translation institute and workshop for families of children with cerebral palsy in Brazil.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Cardiovascular health status of taxi/for-hire vehicle drivers in the United States: A systematic review.Work (Reading, Mass.)US taxi drivers show high rates of cardiovascular risks like hypertension, obesity, and inactivity, but evidence is weak due to small, unrepresentative convenience samples. Screening may be warranted, but findings cannot be generalized to all drivers.
• SLPNarrative Review2021Cochlear Implantation in Infants: Why and How.Trends in hearingThis review summarizes existing evidence on cochlear implantation in infants under 12 months. It highlights the importance of early auditory development and multidisciplinary care but reports no original patient outcomes or new findings.
• PTCase Series2021Selective neural stimulation methods improve cycling exercise performance after spinal cord injury: a case series.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn three people with spinal cord injury, implanted cycling stimulation patterns that reduced overlap between activated muscle groups or rested one group each stroke produced more total work or higher end power in short trials. The best pattern differed by person.
• SLPCohort2021Distinct Contributions of Working Memory and Attentional Control to Sentence Comprehension in Noise in Persons With Stroke.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRStroke survivors took longer to match pictures to sentences in noise, but accuracy stayed high. Those with poorer working memory slowed down in any noise. Those with poorer attentional control slowed down specifically when hearing other people talking.
• PTOTRCT2021A robot goes to rehab: a novel gamified system for long-term stroke rehabilitation using a socially assistive robot-methodology and usability testing.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke patients rated a robot-guided game and a computer-screen version of the same game as similarly helpful and enjoyable, with no significant difference between the two. Both groups found the system acceptable, and technical errors did not reduce trust or willingness to keep training.
• SLPOther2021Listening Effort Is Not the Same as Speech Intelligibility Score.Trends in hearingNearly perfect intelligibility scores can hide effortful mental correction. When words were distorted, listeners' pupils dilated more despite 99.2% correct responses. In cochlear implant users, pupil dilation tracked nonsense responses more than error count.
• OTSurvey2021Clinicians' Views on the Need for Cultural Adaptation of Intervention for Children with ADHD from the Ultraorthodox Community.Occupational therapy internationalTherapists treating Ultraorthodox children with ADHD report needing to adapt communication methods and visual materials. Parents often lack knowledge about the condition's biological basis, and stigma leads to hiding diagnoses. Standard digital contact and culturally mismatched images hinder engagement.
• SLPNarrative Review2021Clinical Use of PROMIS, Neuro-QoL, TBI-QoL, and Other Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Individual Adult Clients with Cognitive and Language Disorders.Seminars in speech and languageThis is a guidance article on using PROMs with adults in speech-language therapy. It gives implementation advice, not study results.
• PTOTRCT2021Technology-supported sitting balance therapy versus usual care in the chronic stage after stroke: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding T-Chair sitting-balance training to usual care (physiotherapy and/or occupational therapy with strength, conditioning, task-oriented exercises) was feasible, safe, and improved trunk function, maximum gait speed and balance more than usual care alone.
• PTOTCohort2021Preoperative physical activity and functional performance levels are predictors of acute postoperative outcomes in a private South African colorectal cancer cohort.The South African journal of physiotherapyIn this colorectal surgery cohort, patients with lower preoperative vigorous activity stayed in hospital longer, and those with poorer functional performance had more postoperative complications. Screening these two factors before surgery may help identify patients at higher risk for a difficult recovery.
• OTSLPCohort2021Cataloguing and characterizing interests in typically developing toddlers and toddlers who develop ASD.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchFor toddlers at high risk for autism, the unusualness of their interests, not just their intensity, better distinguished those who developed ASD from those who did not. High-risk siblings showed more intense interests than low-risk peers, regardless of diagnosis.