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 520 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTOther2024Development and validation of the coffee task: a novel functional assessment for prosthetic grip selection.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThe Coffee Task reliably measures prosthetic grip selection in healthy users. It tracks skill improvement with practice but cannot distinguish between trigger and pattern recognition control. Use it to monitor rehabilitation progress, not to compare controller types.
• PTQualitative2024Consumer Perceptions of Home-Based Percussive Massage Therapy for Musculoskeletal Concerns: Inductive Thematic Qualitative Analysis.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesSome consumers buying a best-selling massage gun on Amazon reported using it for aches, chronic pain, injury and recovery, valuing affordability and adjustable attachments. They also reported defects, intensity problems, and ignoring the 10 minute automatic shutdown. These are consumer perceptions, not evidence it works.
• PTOTPilot2024Validity and Reliability of a Telehealth Physical Fitness and Functional Assessment Battery for Ambulatory Youth With and Without Mobility Disabilities: Observational Measurement Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesHand grip, sit-to-stand, and timed walk tests matched in-person scores closely when done via video. The home-modified six-minute walk did not match in-person distances and should not be compared to them. No falls occurred.
• SLPOther2024Perceptual Sensitivity to Tonal Alignment in Nuer.Language and speechNuer speakers distinguished tonal timing differences as small as 19 ms. This fine-grained sensitivity was highest for short vowels, where timing shifts altered the pitch contour over the vowel more dramatically than in long vowels.
• PTOTCohort2024Prevalence of Arm Weakness, Pre-Stroke Outcomes and Other Post-Stroke Impairments Using Routinely Collected Clinical Data on an Acute Stroke Unit.Neurorehabilitation and neural repair34.8% of 463 stroke patients at one acute hospital had upper limb weakness at a median of 1.0 day post-stroke. No one with severe weakness went home directly.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2024Effects of physical exercise interventions on balance, postural stability and general mobility in Parkinson's disease: a network meta-analysis.Journal of rehabilitation medicineBalance exercises were the only intervention to improve all measured outcomes of mobility and stability. Dance, alternative exercises like Tai Chi, and resistance training also showed significant benefits. Combining these elements in a multimodal programme is likely more effective than any single exercise type alone.
• PTCohort2024Barriers to Enrollment in a Post-Stroke Neuromodulation and Walking Study: Implications for Recruiting Women.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairWomen were significantly more likely to be excluded from a stroke walking trial than men. Fewer women were enrolled than in the general stroke population. Headache history and cognitive test scores were non-significant barriers that may disproportionately affect women.
• OTSLPOther2024Transitions Pop-ups: Co-designing client-centred support for disabled youth transitioning to adult life.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesDisabled youth, families and service providers wanted transition support to start early, connect with peers, and complete one task at a time. The resulting Transitions Pop-ups model offers targeted sessions with adult services, not proof that it improves transition outcomes.
• SLPCase Series2024Playing With Fire Compounds: The Tonal Accents of Compounds in (North) Norwegian Preschoolers' Role-Play Register.Language and speechNorth Norwegian preschoolers in role-play used the correct pitch contours of the Oslo dialect but applied the wrong tonal accents to compound words. They treated all compounds as having the same accent, mirroring their home dialect rather than the target variety.
• PTOTCohort2024Changes in self-perceived performance and satisfaction with performance of daily activities following interdisciplinary rehabilitation in people with late effects of polio.NeuroRehabilitationMean self-perceived performance and satisfaction improved slightly after interdisciplinary rehabilitation, but only 22% and 19% of participants respectively reached clinically relevant change thresholds. Some participants scored lower at discharge. The program’s broad, tailored nature makes it hard to attribute gains to specific interventions.
• SLPOther2024Associations Among Sex, Cognitive Ability, and Autism Symptoms in Individuals with Down Syndrome.Journal of autism and developmental disordersNo clear difference in autism classification or symptom severity between males and females with Down syndrome. In females, verbal and nonverbal cognitive scores were related to autism severity; in males, they were not.
• Other2024Higher Sensory Sensitivity is Linked to Greater Expansion Amongst Functional Connectivity Gradients.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn young adults, higher sensory sensitivity linked to greater brain network separation between visual and default mode regions. General autistic traits showed no such link. This suggests sensory issues relate to distinct connectivity patterns, but does not prove causation or apply to clinical diagnoses.
• Other2023The Efficacy of Disability Employment Service (DES) Providers Working with Autistic Clients.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic jobseekers and families rated Australian disability employment staff poorly on autism understanding and ability to help, while staff rated themselves much higher. Participants wanted better training, individual fit, and policy change.
• OTQualitative2023Using the COM-B Model and Theoretical Domains Framework to Understand Workplace Disclosure Experiences, Influencers, and Needs Among Autistic Young Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic young adults mostly described workplace environment and fear of stigma as driving disclosure decisions. Many needed accommodations but stayed silent due to discrimination concerns. Most preferred selective disclosure to managers after hiring, often lacking knowledge on how to navigate the process.
• SLPQualitative2023"They Were Saying That I Was a Typical Chinese Mum" : Chinese Parents' Experiences of Parent-Teacher Partnerships for Their Autistic Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChinese parents of autistic children in Australia described teachers as caring but hard to trust. They wanted frank updates, honest negative information, and ways to see how their child was doing at school.
• SLPOther2023Investigating the Influence of Autism Spectrum Traits on Face Processing Mechanisms in Developmental Prosopagnosia.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdults with developmental prosopagnosia and high autism traits show the same face recognition and perception deficits as those with low traits. The high-trait group had worse emotion recognition from eyes and different brain activity in social processing regions, but their core face blindness profile was not distinct.
• Other2023Advances in prosthetic technology: a perspective on ethical considerations for development and clinical translation.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThis perspective article outlines ethical considerations for developing and translating advanced prosthetic technology, focusing on user-centered design, health equity, and reimbursement barriers. It reports no new clinical data or outcomes, so it does not provide evidence to change practice.
• SLPCohort2023Associations Between Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Audiometric Hearing: Findings From the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.Ear and hearingHigher blood pressure and overall cardiovascular risk were linked to faster hearing-test decline over follow-up in both sexes. Diabetes, current smoking, and more risk factors were linked to worse baseline hearing. These are associations, not proof that treating risk factors prevents hearing loss.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2023Telehealth Delivery in Part C Early Intervention: Provider and Caregiver Perspectives.Journal of autism and developmental disordersEarly intervention telehealth shifted sessions toward coaching caregivers and away from direct child work. Providers and caregivers reported lost session time, fewer goals, technology burdens, and child disengagement, alongside convenience and safety. These are experiences, not outcome evidence.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Social-Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Emotion Perception in Daily Life and in a Formal Assessment Context.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with ASD, ADHD, and DLD showed similar delays in emotion discrimination and high rates of behavioural problems. Poor voice tone discrimination was linked to having no friends, affecting 32% of the clinical group. These difficulties appeared regardless of specific diagnosis.
• SLPCase-Control2023Individual Differences in Multisensory Attention Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Predict Language and Symptom Severity: Evidence from the Multisensory Attention Assessment Protocol (MAAP).Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 21 children with autism and 21 matched controls, shorter looking at faces and slower shifting from distractions were linked to poorer language and more severe symptoms. These are associations, not evidence that attention training helps.
• SLPCohort2023Aided Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials in Infants With Frequency-Specific Synthetic Speech Stimuli: Sensitivity, Repeatability, and Feasibility.Ear and hearingAided cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) are feasible and acceptable for infants aged 3 to 7 months. A single test session misses many audible responses, but repeating the test significantly improves detection rates. Consistent non-detection across repeated tests indicates true lack of audibility.
• SLPCohort2023Race and Gender Influences the Presentation of Eosinophilic Esophagitis.DysphagiaAfrican American patients with eosinophilic esophagitis were diagnosed younger and had fewer esophageal furrows than White patients. Males were diagnosed earlier than females and showed more abnormal endoscopic findings. These differences persisted after adjusting for confounders.
• OTOther2024Brief Report: Characterization of Sensory Over-Responsivity in a Broad Neurodevelopmental Concern Cohort Using the Sensory Processing Three Dimensions (SP3D) Assessment.Journal of autism and developmental disorders44 of 82 children with neurodevelopmental concerns had auditory or tactile over-responsivity. Auditory over-responsivity was more common than tactile over-responsivity, and rates did not differ by ASD status.
• PTOTOther2024Relative aerobic load of walking in people with multiple sclerosis.Journal of rehabilitation medicineWalking at a comfortable pace demands 60% of peak aerobic capacity for people with MS, a level considered high. Almost one-third exceed their ventilatory threshold, meaning daily walking causes physiological exhaustion. This suggests patients may be walking too fast for their fitness.
• SLPNarrative Review2024Sources of Misinterpretation in the Input and Their Implications for Language Intervention With English-Speaking Children.American journal of speech-language pathologyPreschoolers with DLD may interpret subject plus nonfinite verb sequences and frequent bare verb stems as acceptable forms. The review suggests pairing statements with questions and using many different verbs, but these are not tested fixes.
• SLPSystematic Review2024Speech changes in old age: Methodological considerations for speech-based discrimination of healthy ageing and Alzheimer's disease.International journal of language & communication disordersSpeech timing and pausing distinguish Alzheimer's from healthy ageing better than other speech features. Tasks with higher cognitive load, like recalling memories, reveal these differences more clearly. Automated analysis shows promise for screening, but it cannot diagnose Alzheimer's on its own.
• PTOTOther2024The Delphi of ORACLE: An Expert Consensus Survey for the Development of the Observational Risk Assessment of Contractures (Longitudinal Evaluation).Clinical rehabilitationExperts agreed on ten clinical factors for assessing contracture risk in care homes, including muscle weakness and pain. They excluded spasticity and passive exercises from the tool because care assistants cannot reliably identify spasticity and evidence for passive exercises is weak.
• Other2024NSF DARE-transforming modeling in neurorehabilitation: perspectives and opportunities from US funding agencies.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationNo clinical finding is reported; this is a funding-agency commentary.
• SLPOther2024A Preliminary Study Characterizing Subcortical and Cortical Auditory Processing and Their Relation to Autistic Traits and Sensory Features.Journal of autism and developmental disordersBrainstem responses to repeated speech sounds did not differ between autistic and typically developing children matched on age and non-verbal reasoning. Autistic children had larger early brain responses to speech sounds and faster responses to a change between sounds.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024Social support needs of caregivers rearing children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities at home in Japan.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesCaregivers of children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities most urgently need more places to leave their children for care. They also asked for help with medical tasks at home, support for siblings, and plans for when the caregivers themselves grow old.
• Case-Control2024The Lack of Alterations in Metabolites in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Amygdala, but Their Associations with Autistic Traits, Empathy, and Personality Traits in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Preliminary Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdults with autism showed no differences in brain metabolite levels compared to controls. However, metabolite levels in specific brain regions correlated with autistic traits, empathy, and personality scores in both groups, though most correlations did not survive statistical correction.
• SLPCohort2024Dynamic suprahyoid muscle ultrasound in assessing oropharyngeal dysphagia in neurological disorders.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineDynamic ultrasound of the suprahyoid muscles distinguished patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia from healthy controls. Combining muscle displacement and total duration achieved 93.3% sensitivity and a 95.6% negative predictive value, suggesting potential as a bedside screening tool.
• PTOTQualitative2024Patient experiences of physical activity and inactivity in the stroke unit: an interview study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStroke patients described wanting to move and be independent, but staying in bed often felt invisible. They said staff who explained exercises, prioritized patients over routines, and encouraged movement helped them get up and feel respected.
• OTSLPCohort2024Exploring the Symptom Profiles of Intolerance of Uncertainty in Autistic Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents reported that autistic children struggled more with the emotional distress of uncertainty than with the thoughts or behaviors. This pattern held even when anxiety was absent. Screening for feelings of stress, inability to relax, and sleep problems may identify children needing emotion regulation support.
• SLPCohort2024The association between longitudinal declines in speech sound accuracy and speech intelligibility in speakers with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Clinical linguistics & phoneticsIn 21 speakers with ALS, intelligibility dropped sharply when phoneme accuracy fell below 75%. Consonant errors hurt intelligibility more than vowel errors, especially for fricatives and affricates. For those already below 75% accuracy, improving phoneme scores may not help intelligibility.
• SLPQualitative2024Exploring the valued outcomes of school-based speech-language therapy services: a sequential iterative design.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesFamilies valued coordinated care and access to services for all students, while therapists prioritized building teacher capacity and supporting literacy. Educators focused on practical strategies for individual students. These groups rarely agreed on which outcomes mattered most, highlighting a gap between clinical goals and family needs.
• PTOTRCT2024Efficacy of focused shockwave therapy in patients with moderate-to-severe carpal tunnel syndrome: a preliminary study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAdding focused shockwave therapy to education, night splinting and exercises improved hand symptoms and function more than conservative care alone over 6 weeks in 24 participants with moderate-to-severe carpal tunnel syndrome.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Surface Electromyography for Evaluating the Effect of Aging on the Coordination of Swallowing Muscles.DysphagiaIn healthy older adults, swallowing muscles coordinate less tightly as age increases, but only when swallowing a large 30 ml gulp. Small sips showed no age-related change. This suggests stress testing with larger volumes is needed to detect early aging effects on swallowing coordination.
• Other2023A Fusion-Based Machine Learning Approach for Autism Detection in Young Children Using Magnetoencephalography Signals.Journal of autism and developmental disordersResting MEG brain signals from 60 children aged 4 to 7 years could separate autistic from typically developing children, with the best model reaching 98% correct among the study children. It was a small research study.
• SLPOther2023The Influence of Caregiver Language on the Association Between Child Temperament and Spoken Language in Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.Ear and hearingIn 59 deaf and hard-of-hearing children, caregiver word variety was linked to better comprehension. When caregivers used fewer different words, children with better self-control scored higher; when they used many different words, self-control mattered less.
• SLPCohort2023Impact of Quantitative Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Measures on Clinical Interpretation and Recommendations by Speech-Language Pathologists.DysphagiaMeasured timings and distances on swallowing videos helped speech-language pathologists identify more impairments and recommend more exercises than usual subjective viewing. Agreement between different ways of reading the videos remained low.
• SLPOther2023Postoperative Impedance-Based Estimation of Cochlear Implant Electrode Insertion Depth.Ear and hearingAn impedance-based model estimated cochlear implant electrode depth without CT, with an average error of 0.88 mm, about half the 2.1 mm electrode spacing, in 47 fully inserted cases. With one, two, or three electrodes outside the cochlea, average errors were 2.7 mm, 4.6 mm, and 5.2 mm.
• PTOTSLPRCT2023Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined with Conventional Swallowing Rehabilitation Training on Post-stroke Dysphagia.DysphagiaAdding 1 mA tDCS to standard swallowing therapy improved swallowing scores more than standard therapy alone at 3 months. However, both groups received extensive concurrent treatments, so the specific benefit of tDCS cannot be isolated from the rest of the care.
• SLPQualitative2023Capability of Children with Hearing Devices: A Mixed Methods Study.Journal of deaf studies and deaf educationIn interviews, 34 children with hearing devices described doing many of the same things as 30 typical hearing peers, but needed devices, family support, school settings, and acceptance to keep doing them.
• Narrative Review2023Benefits Trafficking: human trafficking of older adults and adults with disabilities.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThis paper describes a crime called Benefits Trafficking, where vulnerable adults are housed in unlicensed homes so their government benefits can be stolen. It reports legal definitions and arrest statistics but contains no clinical findings or treatment results for therapists to act on.
• SLPCase-Control2023Typewriter Tinnitus: Value of ABR as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Indicator.Ear and hearingIn patients with typewriter tinnitus, auditory brainstem response tests showed delayed wave conduction. This pattern helped distinguish the condition from ordinary tinnitus. Patients with a specific delay over 2.4 milliseconds were more likely to have symptoms return after stopping medication.
• SLPCohort2023Neural Correlates of Individual Differences in Speech-in-Noise Performance in a Large Cohort of Cochlear Implant Users.Ear and hearingIn cochlear implant users, a larger brain response to the target word predicted better single-word recognition in noise, even after accounting for age and residual hearing. However, this neural measure did not predict sentence recognition in noise, which was instead explained by device duration and hearing preservation.
• PTOTOther2024Freezing of gait assessment with inertial measurement units and deep learning: effect of tasks, medication states, and stops.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA deep learning model using leg sensors matched expert ratings of freezing of gait severity in Parkinson's disease. It worked well for standard walking and turning tests, but only if trained on the specific task being tested. It also distinguished freezing from voluntary stops if stops were included in training.
• OTCohort2024Influence of Perceptual Load on Attentional Orienting in Post-Stroke Fatigue: A Study of Auditory Evoked Potentials.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairStroke survivors with high fatigue showed reduced brain responses to unexpected sounds only when background noise was present. This suggests high perceptual load impairs attentional orienting in fatigue, even when physical performance and early sensory processing remain normal.