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 428 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPOther2022Language and executive functioning in young adults with Down syndrome.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRIn young adults with Down syndrome, receptive vocabulary was stronger than expressive vocabulary and overall nonverbal cognitive ability. Receptive vocabulary and verbal fluency showed strong associations with executive functioning skills like inhibition and attention, suggesting these cognitive areas are linked to language performance.
• PTOther2022Sensory substitution of elbow proprioception to improve myoelectric control of upper limb prosthesis: experiment on healthy subjects and amputees.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationVibrotactile feedback alone improved elbow control accuracy compared to no feedback, but adding it to vision did not improve accuracy over vision alone. Patients showed no significant accuracy differences between feedback types, though healthy users preferred the combined visual and tactile condition.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Thirty-Second Single-Leg Stance Identifies Impaired Postural Control in Children After Concussion: A Preliminary Report.Journal of sport rehabilitationA 30-second single-leg stance test identified postural control deficits in children after concussion, even after clinical recovery. This static task was more sensitive than dynamic gait tests for detecting subtle, persistent balance issues in this preliminary study.
• PTOther2022Impact of strength and balance on Functional Gait Assessment performance in older adults.Gait & postureOlder adults with stronger knee extensors and steadier standing balance scored better on the Functional Gait Assessment, especially on obstacle and stair tasks. Weight-shifting balance was not related to overall gait-test scores.
• PTNarrative Review2022Neurodynamics: is tension contentious?The Journal of manual & manipulative therapyThis paper reviews the biomechanics and potential benefits of nerve tensioning techniques. It argues that moderate tension may aid nerve health based on animal and lab studies, but explicitly states there is no clinical evidence that tensioning is superior to sliding techniques and warns that optimal dosage is unknown.
• PTOTSLPProtocol2022Redefining a minimal rehabilitation assessment protocol for severe acquired brain injuries.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineThe updated severe acquired brain injury rehabilitation assessment protocol organizes history, clinical tools, and outcome measures by problem areas. It supports shared data but does not show that using it improves patient recovery.
• PTOTCohort2022Investigating the underlying biomechanical mechanisms leading to falls in long-term ankle-foot orthosis and functional electrical stimulator users with chronic stroke.Gait & postureLong-term AFO and FES users with chronic stroke fell significantly more often than non-users during simulated trips. Wearing or removing the device made no difference to fall rates. The users' high fall risk stems from impaired trunk control and an inability to take a second step with the paretic leg.
• PTOTSurvey2022Physical Health Conditions in Persons with Spinal Cord Injury Across 21 Countries Worldwide.Journal of rehabilitation medicineSecondary health problems are near-universal after spinal cord injury, affecting 95.8% of people. Pain, spasticity, sexual dysfunction, and bowel issues were most common. Sexual dysfunction was rated as the most severe problem but had the lowest treatment rate, with only 16.2% of those reporting extreme problems receiving care.
• OTSLPQualitative2022In their own words: The impact of subtle language and communication difficulties as described by autistic girls and boys without intellectual disability.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic children without intellectual disability reported word-finding, listening, group conversation and explaining emotions as breaking down communication. They linked these difficulties to stress, avoidance and missed daily activities, and named written supports and familiar topics as helpful.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2022Autoimmune Neurogenic Dysphagia.DysphagiaDysphagia can be the first sign of an autoimmune neurological disease like myasthenia gravis or inflammatory myopathy. Early identification allows for immunotherapy, which often resolves swallowing issues. Clinicians should maintain a high suspicion for autoimmune causes when dysphagia presents without a clear neurological history.
• PTRCT2022Spatiotemporal, kinematic and kinetic assessment of the effects of a foot drop stimulator for home-based rehabilitation of patients with chronic stroke: a randomized clinical trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding a foot drop stimulator to home walking training improved gait speed and stride length more than conventional home exercises alone. Both groups improved equally in clinical balance and lower limb motor function scores, so the device helped the mechanics of walking but not the overall clinical assessment.
• OTCohort2022Sensory Processing in Williams Syndrome: Individual differences and changes over time.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMost children with Williams syndrome had parent-reported sensory difficulties, especially with sound, noticing sensory input, discomfort and avoiding stimuli. Over follow-up, fewer systems were impaired, but difficulties noticing sensory input remained common.
• PTOTCohort2022Impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on physical activity and quality of life in adults with lower limb amputation.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalPeople with lower limb amputation wore their prostheses for less time during pandemic restrictions but took slightly more steps overall. Quality of life did not change significantly. The main burden was losing contact with peers and organized activities.
• PTOTCohort2021Effects of yoga on the intervention of levator ani hiatus in postpartum women: a prospective study.Journal of physical therapy sciencePostpartum women doing yoga from week 1 to 12 showed a smaller levator ani hiatus area at week 12 than controls at rest and during straining, but no difference in muscle contraction. This suggests yoga may help pelvic floor structure recover, though long-term effects are unknown.
• SLPPilot2021Automatic boost articulation therapy in adults with dysarthria: Acceptability, usability and user interaction.International journal of language & communication disordersFourteen adults with dysarthria found a new computer-based articulation trainer easy to use and attractive. They could operate it independently after brief instruction. However, daily home use was uncertain due to low multimedia familiarity, and this pilot did not test if speech actually improved.
• PTSurvey2021Changes in availability and usage of electrophysical agents by physical therapists: a 5 year longitudinal follow-up study.Journal of physical therapy scienceElectrophysical agent use in Japan did not decline overall. Hot packs, ultrasound and cold packs remained common but dropped slightly. Traction and CPM devices were available but rarely used. Ultrasound imaging and electrotherapy saw increased usage. Clinicians with under 10 years' experience reported more confidence than senior colleagues.
• SLPOther2021False Belief Understanding in Deaf Children With Cochlear Implants.Journal of deaf studies and deaf educationDeaf children with cochlear implants aged 4 and 5 understood false beliefs worse than hearing peers, even on a simplified touch-screen task. Older children aged 6, 7, and 8 matched hearing peers, though the evidence was not strong.
• PTOther2021Kinematic effects of different gait speeds during gait initiation movement.Journal of physical therapy scienceFaster gait initiation in young healthy adults changed center of pressure movement and increased hip and ankle moments. Step time shortened. Step length did not differ. These are movement differences, not evidence of better walking.
• PTOTSLPOther2021The reliability of the augmented Lehnert-Schroth and Rigo classification in scoliosis management.The South African journal of physiotherapyClinicians disagree moderately when using the ALS and Rigo classifications to identify scoliosis curve patterns, even when looking at the same X-rays or photos twice. This means pattern-specific treatment plans based on these systems may vary significantly between therapists.
• SLPCohort2021Cognitive correlates of autism spectrum disorder symptoms.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchHigher verbal IQ predicts fewer communication symptoms on clinician observation, but not on parent reports. Verbal IQ, not the gap between verbal and nonverbal scores, drives this link. The association was strongest in participants aged 10 and older.
• PTOTOther2021Sex differences in sensory processing in children with autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchGirls with autism had higher parent-reported hearing and balance and motion sensory scores than boys with autism, while typically developing girls and boys did not differ.
• SLPCohort2022Spoken Language Skills in Children With Bilateral Hearing Aids or Bilateral Cochlear Implants at the Age of Three Years.Ear and hearingAt age three, most children with hearing aids scored below norms in phonology and vocabulary, more so than those with cochlear implants. Better unaided hearing predicted comprehension in hearing aid users. High maternal education predicted comprehension and expressive vocabulary in implant users.
• OTSLPQualitative2022Caregiver perspectives on the impact of uncertainty on the everyday lives of autistic children and their families.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceParents of autistic children described school and routine changes as major sources of anxiety. Children reacted with repetitive questions, shutdowns or avoidance, leading to missed education and social opportunities. Parents managed this through extensive preparation, reassurance and family accommodation.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Goal Attainment Scaling: An Idiographic Measure Sensitive to Parent and Teacher Report of IEP Goal Outcome Assessment for Students with ASD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAn independent observer's goal attainment ratings correlated with parent and teacher reports of progress, but not with standardized behavior scales. This supports using individualized goal tracking for IEPs, while suggesting broad norm-referenced tests miss specific skill changes.
• SLPCohort2022Lexicogrammatical skills in 2-year-old children with and without repaired cleft palate.Clinical linguistics & phoneticsTwo-year-old children with repaired cleft palate had lower parent-reported vocabulary and grammar scores than peers, though some grammar details did not differ. Their 18-month vocabulary size was associated with 24-month word and sentence scores.
• SLPPilot2022Brief Report: The Effectiveness of Hugging a Huggable Device Before Having a Conversation with an Unfamiliar Person for Autism Spectrum Disorders.Journal of autism and developmental disordersTen autistic young men reported feeling more comfortable and secure after hugging a human-shaped cushion before talking to a stranger or robot. Their physiological stress markers also decreased, though the study was too small to prove the cushion alone caused this.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2022A community-engaged approach to examining barriers and facilitators to accessing autism services in Korean immigrant families.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceKorean immigrant parents described barriers to autism services including long waitlists, school dismissals, and stigma. They valued family-centered care, bilingual providers, and community organizations. These findings highlight specific communication and navigation needs for therapists working with this population.
• OTSLPOther2022Cognitive processes in autism: Repetitive thinking in autistic versus non-autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults reported more repetitive thinking than non-autistic controls, but their thoughts were not more restricted, negative, or visual. The study suggests that obsessive thinking, rather than generic repetition, may drive insistence on sameness behaviours.
• Other2022Robot-assisted gait training: more randomized controlled trials are needed! Or maybe not?Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRobot-assisted gait training often fails to show superiority because studies compare poorly customized device settings to conventional therapy. The author argues we should stop running more large trials until we understand how to optimally adjust parameters like speed and support for individual patients.
• SLPOther2022Effect of Masker Head Orientation, Listener Age, and Extended High-Frequency Sensitivity on Speech Recognition in Spatially Separated Speech.Ear and hearingListeners understood speech better when background talkers faced away and when target and background talkers were separated. Adults with poorer extended high frequency hearing gained less from background talkers facing away. Children gained less than adults.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022Exercise and Rehabilitation in People With Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: A Systematic Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationExercise and rehabilitation showed improvements in muscle strength, pain, and function for adults with hypermobile EDS. However, the evidence is weak due to high risk of bias in the included studies, so these benefits are not yet confirmed.
• SLPOther2022The Influence of Sensation Level on Speech-Evoked Envelope Following Responses.Ear and hearingSpeech-evoked brain responses at equal audibility are larger for fricatives than vowels, but all grow by about 50% per 10 dB increase in sensation level. This means response size depends on the sound itself, not just how loud it is relative to threshold.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Relationship of Recovery of Contralesional Ankle Weakness With the Corticospinal and Corticoreticular Tracts in Stroke Patients.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationIn stroke patients with severe initial ankle weakness, good recovery was strongly linked to a higher number of nerve fibers in the contralesional corticoreticular tract. This suggests the undamaged side's reticular pathway supports ankle function when the primary motor pathway is completely injured.
• PTOTRCT2022Wearable airbag technology and machine learned models to mitigate falls after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA fall detection algorithm trained on stroke survivors' movements detected more falls than one trained on healthy controls. This suggests commercial airbag devices, which often use general population data, may miss falls in stroke patients because their movement patterns are different.
• PTOTNarrative Review2021Physiotherapy support for self-management of persisting musculoskeletal pain disorders.The South African journal of physiotherapySelf-management support for chronic pain often fails because patients lack readiness and therapists reinforce unhelpful beliefs. Success requires therapists to act as coaches using motivational interviewing and pain neuroscience education, rather than just delivering exercises.
• PTNarrative Review2021Is there an indication for surgery in patients with spinal deformities? - A critical appraisal.The South African journal of physiotherapyNo high-quality evidence was found to support a general indication for spinal surgery in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis or Scheuermann’s kyphosis based only on Cobb angle. Reported complications can be severe and long-term harms are unclear.
• PTOther2021Long-term changes of psychological factors regarding exercise in patients with type 2 diabetes after discharge and the effect of these changes on glycemic control.Journal of physical therapy scienceExercise confidence stayed high for 12 months, but blood sugar control worsened after the initial 3-month drop. Only diabetes duration predicted long-term control. High exercise confidence did not prevent glycemic decline, so do not assume sustained psychological factors guarantee ongoing metabolic improvement.
• PTOther2021Use of vision-based augmented reality to improve student learning of the spine and spinal deformities. An exploratory study.The South African journal of physiotherapyPhysiotherapy students reported better understanding of spinal anatomy and pathology using a vision-based augmented reality app than traditional 2D methods. The app allowed them to interact with 3D spine models, helping them visualise complex movements and correct misconceptions.
• PTNarrative Review2021Choosing what works for whom: towards a better use of mechanistic knowledge in clinical practice.Archives of physiotherapyNo original results are reported. This narrative review discusses using mechanistic knowledge in chronic pain care but gives no finding to change practice.
• PTNarrative Review2021Brace treatment for patients with scoliosis: State of the art.The South African journal of physiotherapyBrace success for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis varied widely. Physiotherapy was indicated for moderate progression risk and bracing for higher risk, while night-time and soft brace evidence was inconsistent.
• Other2021Reduced brain volume and white matter alterations in Shank3-deficient rats.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchRats with Shank3 deficiency did not show a clear difference in brain measures after the researchers corrected for many comparisons. Some patterns suggested smaller brains and white matter changes, but they were not firm.
• PTOTOther2021The reliability of VO2 kinetics during a 6-minute walking test is influenced by walk speed.Journal of physical therapy scienceMeasuring oxygen uptake kinetics during a 6-minute walk test is more reliable when patients walk fast (6.0 km/h) than at a comfortable pace (4.5 km/h). The fast pace produced less variability, while the slow pace had wider limits of agreement.
• SLPNarrative Review2021Separating the Causes of Listening Difficulties in Children.Ear and hearingThis paper proposes a new model for separating auditory, language, and cognitive causes of listening difficulties in children. It argues current tests are too mixed to diagnose specific deficits. It outlines research needs but provides no clinical data or validated diagnostic tools.
• SLPSurvey2021Differences in emotional state and autistic symptoms before and during confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Research in developmental disabilitiesCaregivers reported more anxiety, aggression, irritability and hyperactivity in autistic individuals during COVID confinement than in neurotypical controls. Repetitive behaviour was higher than in an earlier autistic group. Communication scores did not clearly change. This does not prove cause.
• OTOther2021Linking Free Text Documentation of Functioning and Disability to the ICF With Natural Language Processing.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesNatural language processing models mapped free-text disability claim notes to ICF Mobility, Self-Care, and Domestic Life codes for many common activities, but the ICF category for looking after one's health was too broad.
• SLPCase-ControlListening Difficulties in Children With Normal Audiograms: Relation to Hearing and Cognition.Ear and hearingChildren with listening difficulties but normal hearing scores showed broad deficits in cognition and auditory processing compared to typically developing peers. Cognitive factors like vocabulary and attention switching were strong predictors of listening problems, alongside specific auditory measures.
• PTOTRCT2022Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Pilot Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCerebellar tDCS did not improve motor sequence learning speed in children with DCD. Accuracy showed only an unconfirmed improvement.
• SLPSurvey2022Psychological Stress and Perceived School Success Among Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 1919 parents of children with developmental disabilities in China, one part of the pandemic stress measure was linked to lower views that their child was succeeding at school. The study cannot show stress changed those views.
• PTOTPilot2022Rehabilitation of Upper Extremity by Telerehabilitation Combined With Exergames in Survivors of Chronic Stroke: Preliminary Findings From a Feasibility Clinical Trial.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesHome-based VR games with clinician video supervision were feasible for 9 chronic stroke survivors. Two of four in the VR group improved motor function enough to be clinically meaningful, matching the conventional hand exercise group. Use requires basic computer skills or caregiver support.
• SLPOther2022The Dosimetric Outcome of a Rotational Planning Target Volume in Patients With Oropharyngeal Cancers.DysphagiaShaping radiation targets to follow neck rotation lowered planned dose to swallowing muscles in 10 patients. The study predicted, but did not observe, less swallowing trouble, so it is not proof of clinical benefit.