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 410 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPSurvey2022State-specific prevalence of current e-cigarette use by disability status and disability type-United States, BRFSS 2016-2018.Disability and health journalCurrent e-cigarette use is significantly higher among US adults with disabilities than without. The disparity is most pronounced in young adults aged 18-24 and those with cognitive disabilities. Clinicians should routinely screen all patients with disabilities for vaping.
• PTOTCohort2022Factors Associated With Ambulation and Transfer Ability: A Study From the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationMotor level remains the strongest predictor of walking and transfer ability in spina bifida. Distal surgeries like foot corrections associate with better function, while proximal surgeries like spine or hip repairs associate with worse function, likely reflecting underlying severity rather than treatment effects.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Daily Variation in Sleep Quality is Associated With Health-Related Quality of Life in People With Spinal Cord Injury.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationFor people with spinal cord injury, sleeping well one night predicts feeling less pain, fatigue, and brain fog the next morning, but this effect fades by afternoon. Weekly sleep quality predicts overall health-related quality of life, but daily sleep duration does not.
• PTOTCohort2022Accuracy of an Algorithm in Predicting Upper Limb Functional Capacity in a United States Population.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn 49 US stroke patients, a simple upper limb prediction algorithm was better than chance but less accurate than expected. It was most uncertain for people with little initial arm strength.
• PTOTCohort2022How Do Fluctuations in Pain, Fatigue, Anxiety, Depressed Mood, and Perceived Cognitive Function Relate to Same-Day Social Participation in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury?Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOn days when people with spinal cord injury had more fatigue, depressed mood, or worse perceived cognitive function than usual, they reported less social participation. Pain and anxiety did not show same-day links; people with more pain overall participated less.
• Other2021Thermoregulatory responses in persons with lower-limb amputation during upper-limb endurance exercise in a hot and humid environment.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalPeople with lower-limb amputation sweat more on the chest and thigh during exercise in hot, humid conditions than able-bodied people. This keeps core temperature the same, but causes greater fluid loss and dehydration risk. They may need to drink more.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2021Adaptations for rehabilitation services during the COVID-19 pandemic proposed by scientific organizations and rehabilitation professionals.Journal of rehabilitation medicineRehabilitation associations issued service adaptations prioritizing inpatient care for critical patients and shifting outpatient services to telerehabilitation. They mandated strict infection control, including PPE and screening, to prevent transmission while maintaining access for urgent and vulnerable populations.
• OTOther2021Relationships between cognitive functioning and power wheelchair performance, confidence and life-space mobility among experienced power wheelchair users: An exploratory study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineExperienced power wheelchair users with moderate cognitive impairment had lower indoor power wheelchair performance scores, lower confidence and lower everyday mobility than those with mild or no impairment. Mild and no impairment groups did not differ.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2021Primary Melanocytomas of the Spinal Cord: Case Studies and Rehabilitation Perspectives.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationPatients with rare spinal cord tumors had functional gains after surgery and inpatient rehabilitation, but no comparison group means these cases cannot show rehabilitation caused the gains.
• PTOther2021Altering the tuning parameter settings of a commercial powered prosthetic foot to increase power during push-off may not reduce collisional work in the intact limb during gait.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalIn four men with leg amputation, tuning a powered prosthetic foot did not reduce intact-limb collisional work or relate it to push-off work, although it changed push-off work magnitude.
• PTPilot2021Physical therapy treatments incorporating equine movement: a pilot study exploring interactions between children with cerebral palsy and the horse.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTimed walking tests got faster for four children with cerebral palsy after eight therapy sessions that included horse movement, handler, therapist, assistant, and sometimes a toy. Head and horse's back movements became more similar. The pilot was too small to show changes were not chance.
• PTOTRCT2021Reaching higher: External scapula assistance can improve upper limb function in humans with irreversible scapula alata.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFor eight people with irreversible scapula winging, a therapist’s hand-guided scapula support raised arm elevation by 17.3 degrees in flexion. A wearable orthosis raised it by 6.2 degrees and cut perceived exertion by 1.25 Borg points. Neither was tested long-term.
• PTOTSurvey2021Fatigue in men and women who have returned to work after stroke: Assessed with the Fatigue Severity Scale and Mental Fatigue Scale.Journal of rehabilitation medicineWomen who returned to work after stroke reported significantly more fatigue than men. Most men did not find that exercise worsened their fatigue, suggesting physical activity is not a common barrier to recovery for this group.
• Other2021Effects of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate supplementation on muscle mass and strength in onabotulinumtoxin type-A-injected and contralateral quadriceps femoris in rabbits.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn rabbits, HMB did not preserve strength or mass in botulinum toxin-injected quadriceps. It helped preserve contractile material in the injected muscle and maintained strength in the opposite leg.
• PTOther2021Reducing stiffness of shock-absorbing pylon amplifies prosthesis energy loss and redistributes joint mechanical work during walking.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA softer pylon increased energy absorbed by pylon compression, but the prosthesis did not return more energy later. The sound limb had less impact work, and residual hip work changed with stiffness. This is a mechanical finding, not a comfort outcome.
• PTOther2021Psychological mediators of avoidance and endurance behavior after concussion.Rehabilitation psychologyCatastrophizing mediated the link between post-concussion symptoms and avoidance behavior. Thought suppression and self-distraction did not mediate endurance behavior. This supports targeting catastrophic beliefs to reduce avoidance, but does not support targeting these specific cognitive styles for endurance.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2021Transcranial direct current stimulation combined with robotic therapy for upper and lower limb function after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding tDCS to robotic therapy did not improve upper limb function compared to sham stimulation. Secondary outcomes including strength, spasticity, independence, and velocity also showed no significant difference between groups.
• PTOTCohort2021Correlation of N30 somatosensory evoked potentials with spasticity and neurological function after stroke: A cross-sectional study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStroke patients missing a specific brain response (N30 SEP) had worse wrist spasticity and upper-limb function. Combining this response with motor evoked potentials better predicted arm recovery than either test alone, but not hand dexterity. This offers a potential marker for proximal limb prognosis.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Repetitive Traumatic Brain Injury Among Older Adults.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationOlder adults with a first head injury face a 3% annual risk of a second one. Epilepsy, dementia, Parkinson's, depression, and atrial fibrillation significantly raise this risk. These factors should trigger aggressive fall prevention and close monitoring for further head trauma.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Cognitive function and performance of everyday activities in adults with spina bifida.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAdults with spina bifida showed poor daily living skills and cognitive deficits, even without intellectual disability. Psychomotor speed and executive function correlated with ADL performance. Clinicians should screen for these specific deficits to guide support, as standard cognitive tests may miss key functional issues.
• PTOTCohort2021Continuous Head Motion is a Greater Motor Control Challenge than Transient Head Motion in Patients with Loss of Vestibular Function.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairPatients with vestibular loss showed slower, wider head movements during continuous exercises compared to healthy controls, but not during transient ones. Continuous head motion is a greater motor control challenge and may better reveal compensatory strategies.
• PTSurveyPrescription Opioid Misuse and Sports-Related Concussion Among High School Students in the United States.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationHigh school students who reported a concussion were more likely to report prescription opioid misuse: 9.8% versus 5.5%. The link persisted after accounting for age, sex, depressive symptoms, alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use.
• OTOther2022Effect of digital divide on people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.Disability and health journalDuring the pandemic, people with disabilities used digital services less than those without, despite similar awareness of health information. They reported less increase in internet use and found services like delivery and streaming less useful, pointing to barriers in accessibility and skills rather than just access.
• OTSLPSurvey2022Therapy use for U.S. school-aged children with developmental disabilities: State variation and determinants.Disability and health journalOnly 34.6% of U.S. school-aged children with developmental disabilities were currently using therapy services. Use varied by state, from 21.7% in Iowa to 51.1% in the District of Columbia. State-level factors did not explain these differences.
• PTCohort2022Aberrant Lumbopelvic Movements Predict Prospective Functional Decline in Older Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationFour observed aberrant lumbopelvic movements at baseline were linked to worse physical function one year later in older adults with chronic low back pain. Higher movement scores were associated with worse function.
• PTSurvey2021Structure and conceptualization of acceptance: a split-sample exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis approach to investigate the multidimensionality of acceptance of spinal cord injury.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAcceptance after spinal cord injury is not one switch. People's responses grouped into accepting reality, changing values, letting go of control, and engaging in life. Clinicians should ask which part is hard, not just whether someone accepts the injury.
• PTOther2021Brain Activity Response to Visual Cues for Gait Impairment in Parkinson's Disease: An EEG Study.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairVisual cues improved gait speed and stride length in all groups. In people with Parkinson's, especially those with freezing of gait, cues changed brain activity in visual and sensory processing areas, which correlated with better walking performance.
• PTOTCohort2021Digital Rehabilitation for Acute Ankle Sprains: Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPatients with acute ankle sprains who completed a fully remote digital rehabilitation program reported significant reductions in pain and improvements in function over six months. Because this study had no control group, these results describe what happened to patients using the app, not proof that the app works better than standard care.
• PTOTQualitative2021Clinicians' perceptions of a potential wearable device for capturing upper limb activity post-stroke: a qualitative focus group study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTherapists said a wearable sensor must capture both how much and how well a patient uses their arm, not just repetition counts. They saw value in using it outside clinic hours for self-monitoring and motivation, provided the device is easy to set up and fits individual client needs.
• OTRCT2021Effects of Peer Mentoring for Caregivers of Patients With Acquired Brain Injury: A Preliminary Investigation of Efficacy.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationPeer mentoring did not increase caregiver participation in support services, but it significantly reduced caregiver stress at discharge and 30 days. The study was small and interrupted by the pandemic, so these results suggest a potential benefit that needs confirmation.
• SLPPilot2021Reemergence of the language network during recovery from severe traumatic brain injury: A pilot functional MRI study.Brain injuryIn eight patients who recovered basic language after severe TBI, fMRI responses to speech rose over months in the left superior temporal gyrus, but not consistently in right temporal or frontal regions. This is imaging evidence of network change, not a therapy effect.
• PTOTCohort2021Upper Limb Performance in Daily Life Approaches Plateau Around Three to Six Weeks Post-stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairUpper limb use in daily life plateaued 3-6 weeks post-stroke, before impairment or capacity stabilized. This suggests motor habits form early. Clinicians should assess actual arm use, not just clinical test scores, to guide timely behavioral interventions.
• PTOTCohort2021Timing of Health Service Use Among Truck Drivers After a Work-Related Injury or Illness.Journal of occupational rehabilitationPhysical therapy was common for injured truck drivers, with 16 visits typical over 130 weeks, peaking 5 to 15 weeks after their compensation claim was lodged. Mental health care was used by only 6.3%, and mostly later.
• PTOTOther2021Muscle activation strategies of people with early-stage Parkinson's during walking.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeople with early-stage Parkinson's showed significantly higher muscle co-activation, lower modulation, and greater asymmetry in ankle muscles during walking compared to controls. These differences were present even in those with low clinical gait scores, suggesting wearable sensors may detect subtle gait impairment earlier than standard observation.
• Survey2021Symptom profile of affirmative responses to a self-report concussion question, United States 2019.Brain injuryAbout 2.6% of surveyed adults reported a concussion in the past year, but one-third of them reported only one symptom or none. A single self-report question may identify people who did not sustain a concussion.
• PTOTPilot2021Home-based self-help telerehabilitation of the upper limb assisted by an electromyography-driven wrist/hand exoneuromusculoskeleton after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationEleven chronic stroke survivors used a home EMG-driven wrist/hand exoskeleton for 20 sessions. All completed training with no adverse events. Motor control, muscle coordination, and movement smoothness improved significantly, but daily activity independence scores did not change.
• PTOTCase Series2021Amputation for chronic pain and/or functional impairment of a limb.Journal of rehabilitation medicineMost patients in this small series reported less pain and better mobility after elective lower-limb amputation for chronic pain. Thirteen of sixteen would choose the surgery again. These are self-reported outcomes from a retrospective survey, not proof that amputation works.
• PTOTOther2021Coupling of shoulder joint torques in individuals with chronic stroke mirrors controls, with additional non-load-dependent negative effects in a combined-torque task.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationNo stroke-specific difference appeared in how shoulder rotation changed with load. Stroke arms were weaker and produced less torque overall, possibly because of background muscle tone rather than abnormal synergy.
• PTOTSLPPilot2021SWADAPT1: assessment of an electric wheelchair-driving robotic module in standardized circuits: a prospective, controlled repeated measure design pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA robotic wheelchair module reduced collisions in expert users on difficult circuits but significantly slowed them down. It did not change cognitive load or satisfaction. These findings apply to skilled drivers, not the patients with driving difficulties who need such assistance.
• PTOTSLPRCT2021Comparison of attention process training and activity-based attention training after acquired brain injury: A randomized controlled study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAttention Process Training (APT) improved specific work skills like mental energy and organization more than Activity-based Attention Training (ABAT). However, both groups improved similarly in daily life satisfaction and general work ability, so neither approach proved superior for overall occupational outcomes.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Which Balance Evaluation Systems Test sections best distinguish levels of post-stroke functional walking status?Journal of rehabilitation medicineThe Stability in Gait section of the BESTest best identifies stroke patients who can walk in the community. A score of 73.8% on this section accurately distinguishes limited from unlimited community walkers. Other sections help identify those restricted to household walking.
• PTSystematic Review2021Assessing the usability of wearable devices to measure gait and physical activity in chronic conditions: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationYou cannot trust current data on whether patients find wearable gait devices usable. The studies reviewed measured and reported usability so inconsistently that no firm conclusions could be drawn about which devices patients actually accept or find helpful.
• PTOTOther2021Concurrent validity of human pose tracking in video for measuring gait parameters in older adults: a preliminary analysis with multiple trackers, viewing angles, and walking directions.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationVideo pose tracking accurately measures step time and cadence in older adults, but fails to reliably measure step width or variability. Clinicians should use these tools only for temporal gait metrics, not for assessing lateral stability or step consistency.
• Other2021A Virtual Smash Room for Venting Frustration or Just Having Fun: Participatory Design of Virtual Environments in Digitally Reinforced Cancer Rehabilitation.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPatients found the VR smash room enjoyable and relaxing, but 23 of 101 reported headache or dizziness. Grip difficulties and hardware issues were common. This was a design test, not a trial of efficacy for venting frustration.
• PTCohort2021Does Subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation Impact Asymmetry and Dyscoordination of Gait in Parkinson's Disease?Neurorehabilitation and neural repairAfter subthalamic deep brain stimulation, motor scores improved by 58%, but step time asymmetry and left-right stepping dyscoordination increased, especially in the postural instability and gait disorder group.
• PTOther2021Walking with robot-generated haptic forces in a virtual environment: a new approach to analyze lower limb coordination.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWalking with a robot-powered leash pulling the hand increased gait speed by 0.04 to 0.14 m/s in older adults with chronic stroke. Coordination changes persisted after the pull stopped, but the study was a single session and did not test if this improves daily walking.
• PTOther2021Testing of a Self-administered 6-Minute Walk Test Using Technology: Usability, Reliability and Validity Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesHealthy young adults found the EasyMeasure app easy and acceptable, but none calculated the 6-minute walk distance correctly. They lost lap counts or misread scores, so this app version is not accurate enough for independent use.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Determining the Prevalence, Implementation Approaches, and Opinions of Above Cuff Vocalization: A Survey of Health Care Professionals.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationHealth professionals report huge variability in how they deliver above cuff vocalization, with no standard approach to timing, safety checks, or staff training. Most use it with fewer than ten patients a month, and few collect any outcome measures to track whether it is actually working.
• PTOTCohort2022Physical Activity Advice for Prevention and Rehabilitation of Low Back Pain- Same or Different? A Study on Device-Measured Physical Activity and Register-Based Sickness Absence.Journal of occupational rehabilitationFor workers with low back pain, high-intensity activity at work increased sickness absence risk, while light activity at work and moderate-to-vigorous activity during leisure lowered it. These associations were not significant for workers without low back pain.
• OTCohort2022Psychosocial Working Conditions Play an Important Role in the Return-to-Work Process After Total Knee and Hip Arthroplasty.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAfter knee or hip replacement, mainly physical or mixed physical-mental jobs were linked to longer time to return. More job development, recognition, or supervisor leadership was linked to faster return; work adjustments were not linked.