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 405 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• Other2021Developmental Disability: Families and Functioning in Child and Adolescence.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThis is a personal essay about family-centered care in child development, not a research study. It shares the author's clinical philosophy and values but reports no methods, outcomes, or evidence of effectiveness. There are no findings to change your practice.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Reliability of the infrared motion-time acquisition system for each motion segment in the timed up-and-go test.Journal of physical therapy scienceAn infrared system measured TUG segments in healthy young adults with high repeatability. It did not test fall prediction or older patients, so it cannot yet guide clinical fall risk assessment.
• SLPOther2021Harmonic Cancellation-A Fundamental of Auditory Scene Analysis.Trends in hearingThis paper is a theoretical discussion on how the brain might cancel out background noise using harmonic structure. It reviews models and existing experiments but reports no new patient data or clinical outcomes.
• RCT2021Bidirectional effects of behavior problems and parenting behaviors following adolescent brain injury.Rehabilitation psychologyAdolescents with better parent communication had fewer behavior problems later, and those behavior problems then made parent communication worse. This cycle was the only two-way link found; warmth and negativity only affected the teen, not vice versa.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Effectiveness of eHealth Tools for Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesMost comparisons showed eHealth tools after hip or knee replacement did not outperform usual care on physical or psychological outcomes, but several studies found lower travel, time, and cost.
• PTOther2021Comparison of spinal column alignment and autonomic nervous activity using the intersegmental tenderness test in the segment above.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn healthy young men, tenderness on pressing the spine at Th5-9 was associated with lower spinal tilt angles and reduced heart rate variability. This suggests that segmental spinal tenderness may correlate with autonomic nervous system changes.
• SLPOther2021Prosodic realizations of new, given, and corrective referents in the spontaneous speech of toddlers.Journal of child languageToddlers at 2;6 use pitch patterns like adults to mark new, given, and corrective information, but favor high-pitched accents too broadly. Duration was the only acoustic cue distinguishing information types, suggesting pitch control develops later than timing.
• SLPOther2021Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging reveals white matter microstructural alterations in adults with autism.Molecular autismBrain scans showed lower nerve fiber density and higher fluid levels in adults with autism. These changes appeared in tracts handling language and social skills, and were linked to communication difficulties, though the link did not survive strict statistical correction.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Physical work conditions and perceived health problems among informal automobile artisans.Work (Reading, Mass.)Informal auto mechanics in Nigeria reported high rates of illness and injury. Heavy lifting, sucking petrol, and working over 8 hours were linked to more illnesses. Lifting and petrol sucking also predicted injuries. This is self-reported data from one setting.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Work experiences, resources, and beliefs among vulnerable subgroups of mental health care users.Work (Reading, Mass.)Three vulnerable groups with mental illness all reported very low belief in their future worker role, despite different life situations. People with substance use history had the least recent work experience. Recent immigrants had the most work experience but the lowest quality of life. Young people with psychosis had the fewest perceived resources for work.
• SLPCohort2021Associations Between Hearing and Cognitive Abilities From Childhood to Middle Age: The National Child Development Study 1958.Trends in hearingBetter hearing was linked to slightly higher cognitive ability in childhood and middle age. In 6,059 people, childhood-to-middle-age links were no longer clear after adult health and work factors were considered.
• Survey2021Demographic and psychological predictors of alcohol use and misuse in autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults in this sample were more likely to abstain from alcohol than the general population, but hazardous drinking rates were similar. Men and those with higher autistic traits were less likely to be non-drinkers. Depression and anxiety linked to both abstinence and misuse.
• PTOTSLPPilot2021Changes in cerebral blood flow during forward and backward walking with speed misperception generated by virtual reality.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter watching a VR video of walking faster than they actually walked, healthy adults showed increased blood flow in the right prefrontal cortex when walking backward on a treadmill. This did not happen when walking forward. The study measured brain activity, not physical recovery.
• OTSystematic Review2021Performance-Based Executive Function Instruments Used by Occupational Therapists for Children: A Systematic Review of Measurement Properties.Occupational therapy internationalEvidence for five performance-based executive function tests used by OTs with children is weak. While these tools assess real-world tasks, their reliability and validity are inconsistent or unproven. Use them with caution and do not rely on them as definitive measures.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Immediate effect of video viewing with an illusion of walking at a faster speed using virtual reality on actual walking of stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter watching a 2-minute VR video of walking faster than their own pace, 12 stroke patients walked at a slightly faster step rate. Walking speed did not change significantly, and the effect of the illusion on actual walking remains unproven.
• OTSystematic Review2021Surgical Approaches to Upper Limb Spasticity in Adult Patients: A Literature Review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesNo randomized trials were found for upper-limb spasticity surgery. Low-level studies report improved pain, posture, hygiene, or function in selected patients, but surgical effects cannot be separated from combined procedures.
• OTSLPSurvey2021Computer-Mediated Communication in Adults With and Without Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Survey of Social Media Use.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesMost adults with moderate-to-severe TBI used social media, often like peers without TBI, but they reported less use of professional platforms and event-related uses, and 12 of 53 said injury changed their use.
• SLPCohort2021Hearing Aids Reduce Daily-Life Fatigue and Increase Social Activity: A Longitudinal Study.Trends in hearingFirst-time hearing aid wearers reported less listening-related fatigue and more social activity over six months. General fatigue did not change. The specific fatigue linked to the effort of hearing improved, and patients participated more in social life.
• PTNarrative Review2021ACL Return to Sport Testing: It's Time to Step up Our Game.International journal of sports physical therapyCurrent ACL return-to-sport criteria rely too heavily on time and symmetry, which often overestimate readiness. Proposed stricter testing includes higher symmetry targets, psychological readiness, and intrinsic risk factors like gender and family history. These recommendations are expert opinion and not yet validated.
• PTOTSLPOther2021A Mixed Methods Study of Functioning and Rehabilitation Needs Following COVID-19.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTwenty people with long COVID described symptoms that fluctuated and worsened if they pushed too hard. They felt powerless because they lacked guidance on pacing, yet physical strength and endurance tests looked normal. Clinicians need to ask about activity limits and mental fatigue, not just muscle power.
• OTOther2021An examination of the psychometric properties of the occupational identity questionnaire for community-living elderly who require care.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTA 14-item self-report questionnaire helped older adults in Japan describe past self, present and future expectations, and current satisfaction. It was consistent as a self-report, but weakly matched therapist-rated occupational identity, so use it as the client's voice, not a replacement for clinical interview.
• OTOther2021The Influence of Self-Perception on Manipulative Dexterity in Adults with Multiple Sclerosis.Occupational therapy internationalSelf-perception of dexterity predicted objective test scores, but self-reported ability did not correlate with actual performance. ABILHAND scores aligned with quality of life, not the pegboard tests. Assess how patients feel about their hands and their quality of life, not just their speed.
• PTOTSurvey2021Malnutrition is associated with depression in Japanese older adults requiring long-term care or support.Journal of physical therapy scienceDepression scores were significantly linked to malnutrition risk in older adults needing long-term care. Higher depression scores predicted malnutrition risk. Specific depressive feelings like emptiness and loss of interest were more common in those at nutritional risk.
• PTOTQualitative2021Social validity of work ability evaluations and official decisions within the sickness insurance system: A client perspective.Work (Reading, Mass.)Clients found work ability evaluations acceptable only when tests mirrored real workplace demands and staff listened. They felt official decisions were illegitimate because case managers gave no explanation, ignored evaluation results, and communicated solely via bureaucratic letters.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2021The delivery of the ReWork-Stroke program: A process evaluation.Work (Reading, Mass.)Two OTs delivered a stroke return-to-work program to 13 clients. They found workplace visits, building alliances with clients, and coordinating with employers were key. The three-month work trial limit was often too short for clients to fully realize their new limitations.
• SLPOther2021Effects of Increasing the Overall Level or Fitting Hearing Aids on Emotional Responses to Sounds.Trends in hearingHearing aids did not make nonspeech sounds feel more pleasant for adults with hearing loss. Without frequency compression, hearing aids lowered pleasant ratings; enabling compression restored them to unaided levels, but still below normal hearing.
• PTOther2021Examination of the innominate movements in individuals with and without a positive march test.Journal of physical therapy scienceMarch test groups differed in pelvic movement, but the direction depended on position. The positive group moved more while standing, and less during hip flexion at 90 and 100 degrees, and during the March test motion.
• PTOther2021Reducing the energy cost of running using a lightweight, low-profile elastic exosuit.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAcross three band stiffnesses, the suit did not lower running energy cost overall. When each runner's best band was chosen after testing, cost fell 4.7%, but that result was selected after seeing the data.
• SLPOther2021Objective Assessment System for Hearing Prediction Based on Stimulus-Frequency Otoacoustic Emissions.Trends in hearingMachine-learning models using stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions estimated hearing thresholds within 10 dB in 62.05% to 83.71% of ears and identified hearing status in 88.38% to 95.93% of ears, but thresholds of 60 dB HL or worse were not predictable.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021Pediatric unilateral spatial neglect: A systematic review.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicinePediatric unilateral spatial neglect often persists for years but is missed by simple paper-and-pencil tests. Clinicians should use challenging functional tasks, eye tracking, or age-appropriate tools like the Teddy Bear Cancellation Test to detect it, as standard assessments frequently fail to identify the condition.
• PTOther2021Inter-rater reliability between two examiners with different professional roles in the evaluation of fat infiltration in the lumbar paraspinal muscles using magnetic resonance imaging.Journal of physical therapy scienceA physiotherapist and a spinal surgeon agreed substantially when grading lumbar muscle fat infiltration on MRI. The agreement was comparable to that seen among radiologists, suggesting the method is reliable for use in clinical teams.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021The intersection of gross motor abilities and participation in children with autism spectrum disorder.Infants and young childrenChildren with autism who had better gross motor skills participated more in self-care, active play, and social interaction. Many children lacked opportunities for team sports or bike riding due to parent or environmental factors, not just their own ability.
• PTPilot2021Measurement of finger tapping performance using a smartphone application: a pilot study.Journal of physical therapy scienceA smartphone app counted finger taps similarly across sessions in young right-hand dominant adults, and the dominant hand tapped faster than the other. It did not track well with grooved pegboard time.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2021The Assistive Device Situation for ALS Patients in Norway.Occupational therapy internationalPatients and therapists found specialist hospital care effective but municipal follow-up inconsistent due to staff turnover and lack of ALS expertise. Upper limb devices for dressing and eating were described as inadequate. Rapid disease progression often rendered specially adapted equipment obsolete before delivery.
• SLPOther2021Utilizing True Wireless Stereo Earbuds in Automated Pure-Tone Audiometry.Trends in hearingAutomated audiometry using Honor FlyPods earbuds did not differ overall from manual clinical audiometry. 78% of thresholds were within 10 dB, but low-frequency thresholds were higher.
• Other2021Autism-associated biomarkers: test-retest reliability and relationship to quantitative social trait variation in rhesus monkeys.Molecular autismIn rhesus monkeys, lower cerebrospinal fluid arginine vasopressin predicted greater social impairment. This is a correlational animal finding, not evidence of a biomarker or treatment target for human autism. It does not change clinical assessment or therapy.
• SLPOther2021Heritability of quantitative autism spectrum traits in adults: A family-based study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutism-related behaviors in adults and their families show moderate genetic influence, but the strength varies by trait and how it is measured. Self-reports and informant reports capture different genetic signals, so using both provides a more complete picture than either alone.
• PTOther2021Relationship between single-leg stance test with light touch and hip muscle strength in healthy young adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceLonger single-leg stance time with light fingertip touch was related to hip rotator muscle strength in healthy young adults. In men, external rotator strength was related. In women, internal rotator strength was related.
• OTRCT2021Does a brief work-stress intervention prevent sick-leave during the following 24 months? A randomized controlled trial in Swedish primary care.Work (Reading, Mass.)A brief work-stress intervention in primary care did not prevent sick leave over 24 months. The intervention group had slightly fewer sick days, but the difference was not significant. The study may have been underpowered to detect a real effect.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021Psychological interventions with older adults during inpatient postacute rehabilitation: A systematic review.Rehabilitation psychologyPsychological interventions for older adults in inpatient rehab lack high-quality evidence. Anxiety showed no significant improvement. Depression results were mixed and unreliable due to high risk of bias. Clinicians cannot assume these therapies work in this setting.
• OTSurvey2021A mixed methods study of employers' and employees' evaluations of job seekers with a mental illness, disability, or of a cultural minority.Work (Reading, Mass.)Employers and employees rated job seekers with mental illness or physical disability lower than a single mother without health issues. Previous experience with similar colleagues predicted more favourable ratings. Barriers varied by condition: physical disabilities raised concerns about job fit and accommodation, while mental illness raised concerns about social interaction and customer relations.
• SLPCohort2021Maternal steroid levels and the autistic traits of the mother and infant.Molecular autismHigher maternal estradiol during pregnancy linked to more autistic traits in sons, but not daughters. Conversely, higher placental marker hCG linked to fewer traits in daughters, but not sons. These are correlational findings from a small cohort, not evidence that hormones cause autism.
• SLPPilot2021The Palatal Closure Efficiency (PaCE) Index: A New Speaker-Centered Aerodynamic Metric for the Evaluation of Velopharyngeal Function During Speech.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsThe PaCE index, which compares a speaker's nasal and oral pressure areas, correlates strongly with hypernasality ratings. It may identify speech issues in children that traditional absolute area measurements miss, though it did not outperform standard methods overall.
• OTSLPNarrative Review2021Acquired Brain Injury in Adults: A Review of Pathophysiology, Recovery, and Rehabilitation.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsYoung adults with acquired brain injury face unique barriers returning to college. Existing cognitive rehabilitation often lacks the intensity and real-world context needed for academic success. A proposed integrated approach combines restorative drills with contextualized, high-intensity training in meaningful settings to better support educational goals.
• SLPCase-Control2021Abnormal sleep physiology in children with 15q11.2-13.1 duplication (Dup15q) syndrome.Molecular autismChildren with Dup15q syndrome had abnormal overnight sleep brain waves. They showed more beta activity, a fast brain-wave pattern, fewer spindles, and less deep slow-wave sleep than matched controls. Some had no detectable slow-wave sleep. This was a small study, not a treatment trial.
• PTSurvey2021Mechanical Percussion Devices: A Survey of Practice Patterns Among Healthcare Professionals.International journal of sports physical therapyMost clinicians using percussion devices rely on peer collaboration and anecdotal experience rather than evidence. There are no established guidelines, and treatment settings vary widely among practitioners. This describes current habits, not proven effectiveness.
• PTOTRCT2021Efficacy of wrist robot-aided orthopedic rehabilitation: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRobot-assisted wrist rehab matched conventional therapy on standard clinical tests for grip, dexterity, and function. However, patients using the robot showed significantly better range of motion and overall robotic performance scores than those receiving traditional manual therapy.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Co-Occurrence of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPTwenty-four percent of children with sickle cell disease had a neurodevelopmental disorder. Half of those with language disorders and only 63% of those with ADHD received appropriate therapy or medication. Screen for cognitive issues in all sickle cell patients, as many eligible children miss school support.
• SLPCase-Control2021Sports Related Concussion Impacts Speech Rate and Muscle Physiology.Brain injuryFormer athletes with concussion history spoke more slowly and paused more on rapid speech tasks than matched controls, and blinded speech-language pathologists rated their rate as slower despite no current symptoms.
• Protocol2021The Monash Autism-ADHD genetics and neurodevelopment (MAGNET) project design and methodologies: a dimensional approach to understanding neurobiological and genetic aetiology.Molecular autismThis paper describes the plan for a large study on the genetics and neurobiology of autism and ADHD. No results or findings are reported, so there is nothing here to change your clinical practice on.