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 550 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Leisure Engagement Among People Living With Acquired Brain Injury: A Scoping Review.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthPeople with acquired brain injury engage less in leisure than before, shifting toward sedentary, solitary, home-based activities. Transport, fatigue, and cognitive limits block community participation. Assess these specific barriers and environmental factors, not just physical recovery, to support meaningful re-engagement.
• PTCohort2024Postural Control During Single-Leg Landing in Female Athletes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.International journal of sports physical therapyFemale athletes over a year post-ACL reconstruction showed similar muscle timing and joint angles to healthy controls during single-leg landing. However, they generated significantly higher hip external rotation moments in the compensatory phase, suggesting a specific postural strategy.
• PTOTNarrative Review2024Heat therapy for different knee diseases: expert opinion.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesHeat therapy may help knee pain in chronic or subacute phases but is contraindicated when joints are swollen or inflamed. The paper relies on expert opinion rather than new clinical trials to guide when to use heat versus cold for specific knee conditions.
• SLPCase Series2024Beyond Sounds: Decoding Speech Errors and Phonological Awareness in Preschoolers.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsThree preschoolers with speech sound disorders all had weak phonological awareness despite different speech error patterns and average language skills. Severity and error types did not clearly predict phonological awareness deficits. Direct assessment is required to identify literacy risk.
• PTOTCase Report2024Effects of Low-Load Blood Flow Restriction Training on Rotator Cuff Strength and Hypertrophy: Case Series.International journal of sports physical therapyLow-load blood flow restriction training increased rotator cuff muscle size on the treated arm, but strength gains were similar on both arms. The study cannot show that the cuff added benefit over exercise alone.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Factors influencing employers' support for employees with acquired brain injuries or mental illness to return to- and stay in work: A qualitative systematic review.Work (Reading, Mass.)Employers struggle to support staff returning from brain injury or mental illness because they lack knowledge, fear burdening colleagues, and face poor communication from health services. Disclosure of the condition and clear advice from clinicians were key to making support work.
• Survey2024Factors Associated With Service Referrals and Uptake in Early Head Start: The Importance of Care Setting.Infants and young childrenFamilies in home-based Early Head Start programs were far more likely to receive behavioral health referrals than those in center-based care. Families with identified risk events were actually less likely to receive these referrals, though they were more likely to receive entitlement services.
• OTSLPCohort2024Early executive functioning predicts externalizing problems in neurodiverse preschoolers.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchPoor emotional control at age 3 predicted externalizing problems at age 5 in neurodiverse preschoolers. This link was strongest in children with lower autism symptom severity. Screening for executive functioning difficulties may help identify children who would benefit from early behavioral interventions.
• Cohort2024Resonant breathing improves self-reported symptoms and wellbeing in people with Long COVID.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with Long COVID who completed at least four weeks of online resonant breathing reported improvements in stress control, focus, breathing, wellness, and sleep. Because the study had no control group and relied on self-reported outcomes, these changes cannot be separated from natural recovery or other treatments.
• PTOTQualitative2024First Step to empowering change: enhancing self-efficacy, energy management, and physical activity in patients with sleep apnea.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPatients with sleep apnea valued a program combining energy management and physical activity. They found tailoring goals to meaningful daily activities helpful. However, transportation and session timing were barriers to attendance. The study reports experiences, not proven efficacy.
• OTSystematic Review2024Participatory Research with Persons who Experience Mental Illness in Occupational Therapy: A Scoping Review.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieMost occupational therapy studies involving people with mental illness skip key research stages like co-designing tools or deciding future directions. Only 12% involved participants in planning next steps. This gap means services may still miss what patients actually value, despite claims of collaboration.
• OTSurvey2024Mercury air, urine monitoring and health effects on occupationally exposed dental healthcare workers in Delhi, India.Work (Reading, Mass.)Exposed Delhi dental workers had urine mercury of 0.51 micrograms per litre versus 0.29 micrograms per litre in controls, and reported confusion, forgetfulness, constipation, fatigue, joint pain, insomnia, irritability, food intolerance, and chest pain. Most air and urine levels were below reference limits.
• SLPCase Series2024The Merits of Bilateral Application of Middle Ear Implants in Patients With Bilateral Conductive and/or Mixed Hearing Loss.Trends in hearingFour of six adults with bilateral conductive hearing loss localized sounds accurately when using two middle ear implants. Their error rates were similar to normal hearing. Two patients only lateralized sounds, possibly due to implant differences or short usage time.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2024"I'm dealing with a health care system that doesn't get it": Barriers and facilitators to inclusive healthcare for autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults described healthcare as a demanding social environment where short appointments, phone-based scheduling, and sensory-heavy settings blocked care. They relied on online booking and support people to navigate systems. Providers often lacked training in adult autism, leading to misunderstandings of communication styles.
• PTCohort2024Changes in isometric mid-thigh pull peak force and symmetry across anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction rehabilitation phases.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThe isometric mid-thigh pull test failed to reliably distinguish injured from uninjured limbs during ACL reconstruction rehabilitation. While peak force improved over time, the injured limb was not consistently weaker than the healthy one, limiting the test's usefulness as a standalone clearance criterion.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Specific ICF training is needed in clinical practice: ICF framework education is not enough.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesRehabilitation professionals reported that formal ICF education from universities was insufficient for clinical practice. They requested specific workplace training with practical examples and tools to better integrate the ICF framework into patient care and interprofessional collaboration.
• PTCase Report2024Rehabilitation Following ACL Repair with Internal Brace Ligament Augmentation in Female Gymnast: A Resident's Case Report.International journal of sports physical therapyA 16-year-old gymnast returned to competition six months after ACL repair with internal bracing and a multi-component staged physical therapy program. Her knee function score rose from 60.92 to 96.6 on a 0 to 100 scale. One case cannot prove this works.
• OTOther2024Role of child demographic, executive functions, and behavioral challenges on feelings about parenting among parents of youth with Down syndrome.Research in developmental disabilitiesIn 113 families, caregiver feelings about parenting were linked to child executive function and behavior challenges. The link between executive function challenges and caregiver feelings was carried through behavior problems. ADHD and obesity were also linked to more negative feelings.
• SLPQualitative2024What do parents of nonverbal and minimally verbal autistic children think about genomic autism research?Autism : the international journal of research and practiceParents of nonverbal or minimally verbal autistic children were open to genomic autism research if it supported their children and did not seek a cure. Many worried about blood samples, trust, and whether prediction would bring useful help.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Wearable sensor and smartphone assisted vestibular physical therapy for multiple sclerosis: usability and outcomes.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with MS found a home-based vestibular therapy app with a head sensor easy to use and helpful. They improved balance and reported less dizziness, though adherence averaged 60%. This is a usability study, not proof the tech works better than standard care.
• OTOther2024A classification of human resource management bundles for the inclusion of vulnerable workers.Work (Reading, Mass.)Inclusive employers use six distinct HRM bundles. Extensive bundles help larger firms hire diverse vulnerable groups. Smaller firms with focused or passive approaches still successfully hire specific groups, including those with cognitive disabilities or migration backgrounds. No single approach is necessary for inclusion.
• PTOther2024Effects of a 12-week telehealth exercise intervention on gait speed and gait deviations in adults with Down syndrome.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRIn 18 adults with Down syndrome, comfortable walking speed increased and observed gait deviations decreased after a 12-week telehealth exercise programme. Without a control group, the programme alone may not explain the changes.
• PTOther2024Customized passive-dynamic ankle-foot orthoses can improve walking economy and speed for many individuals post-stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationCustomized ankle-foot braces reduced walking effort and increased speed on average, but many people post-stroke did not benefit individually. Usual braces did not consistently improve gait mechanics, although satisfaction was higher with the customized brace.
• PTOTCohort2024Functional capacity using sit-to-stand tests in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its relationship with disease severity-a cross-sectional study with matched controls.Brazilian journal of physical therapySit-to-stand tests reveal functional capacity impairment in 23% to 33% of people with COPD, even when lung function looks mild. The 1-minute test catches more problems than the 5-repetition test and should be preferred for assessing endurance and symptomatic burden in stable patients.
• OTSurvey2024Working dilemmas in care for breastfed newborns: An exploratory study in a single center in Taiwan.Work (Reading, Mass.)Nurses in the NICU reported higher dilemmas when families refused formula, fearing hospitalization for jaundice or weight loss. Nursery nurses reported dilemmas from time and staffing shortages when teaching breastfeeding. These are staff experiences, not patient outcomes.
• OTSLPOther2024Social competence in autism: A structural equation modeling approach.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn autistic youth, social thinking and social behavior act as separate skills. Improving one does not automatically fix the other. Therapists should target both explicitly if the goal is genuine social understanding, rather than assuming behavioral training builds cognitive insight.
• SLPNarrative Review2024A Clinical Focus on Shared Decision Making in Clinical Practice When Providing Dysarthria and Dysphagia Services to Individuals With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsThis paper outlines a step-by-step framework for shared decision making in ALS care, illustrated by a fictional case. It describes how to present options for voice banking and feeding tubes but reports no data on whether this approach improves patient outcomes or satisfaction.
• OTOther2024An occupational therapy delirium pathway reduces hospital re-presentations in older adults with delirium: A before and after observational study.The British journal of occupational therapyAn occupational therapy pathway linking hospital care to home visits reduced hospital re-presentations in older adults with delirium. It did not shorten hospital stays. Patients still had significant functional decline compared to their pre-admission baseline when they finished the service.
• PTCohort2024Periscapular Strength Profile Changes in Collegiate Baseball Pitchers Over the Course of a Season.International journal of sports physical therapyShoulder flexion strength dropped significantly over the season, while other muscles showed non-significant declines. Middle trapezius strength fell most sharply early in the season. These changes suggest pitchers lose strength as the season progresses, though the small sample size limits certainty.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024Guidelines for chronic pain in adult spinal cord injury population: Scoping review.The South African journal of physiotherapyMost pain guidelines for spinal cord injury focus only on nerve pain, ignoring musculoskeletal pain. Only one high-quality guideline covered both types and recommended specific screening tools. Clinicians should check if their current protocols address nociceptive pain or rely on guidelines that miss it.
• PTOTQualitative2024What are participant beliefs regarding physical therapy led treatment? A qualitative study of people living with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome.Brazilian journal of physical therapyPeople with hip pain often believe exercise damages their joint, a view reinforced by how clinicians discuss imaging. They struggle with access due to cost and time, but prefer telehealth and clear education on the poor link between structure and pain.
• PTOTPilot2024Para table tennis improves psychological/mental and cardiovascular health in individuals with spinal cord injury.NeuroRehabilitationFour weeks of twice-weekly para table tennis improved self-efficacy and arterial elasticity in adults with spinal cord injury. The study was a small pilot with a control group doing static activities, so the specific contribution of the sport versus general activity remains unclear.
• SLPOther2024Evaluating the feasibility of a tele-diagnostic auditory brainstem response service in a rural context.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsMobile hearing tests from a van gave results similar to in-person infant ABR tests across 80 ears. A trained community worker set up infants while the audiologist ran tests remotely.
• Survey2024Perceived discrimination and multiple indicators of positive development among second-generation Chinese-American youth: The moderating role of ethnic identity.Child: care, health and developmentSecond-generation Chinese-American youth with stronger ethnic identity reported higher competence, confidence, connection, and cultural pride. Perceived discrimination was linked to lower scores in most of these areas. Ethnic identity also buffered the negative impact of discrimination on family connection.
• SLPOther2024Audiological profile of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsHearing loss was found in 22 ears among 35 adults with type 2 diabetes, mostly sensorineural and slight. Hypertension was related to hearing loss, but diabetes control and duration were not. Nine of 35 reported difficulty. Do not rely on self-report alone.
• Other2024A Quality Improvement Initiative for Detection of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in an Urban, Academic Safety Net Hospital.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPIn children with positive attention screens, clinicians more often acknowledged the result and sent Vanderbilt forms. But families did not return more forms, so the initiative did not clearly improve completed evaluations.
• PTSurvey2024Sociodemographic factors, health behavior, parental or workplace smoking, and adult asthma risk in the United States.Work (Reading, Mass.)Asthma was reported by 11% of smokers and 8.1% of nonsmokers, with no significant difference. Parental or workplace smoking history and several factors were associated with higher reported asthma.
• PTOther2024Pain Neuroscience Education for Acute Pain.International journal of sports physical therapyNo outcomes are reported. This invited commentary describes how pain neuroscience education could be used for acute pain in athletes, including an illustrative case.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Autistic preschoolers display reduced attention orientation for competition but intact facilitation from a parallel competitor: Eye-tracking and behavioral data.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic preschoolers looked less at competitive games than peers, yet performed motor and sorting tasks just as fast when competing alongside an adult. Parallel play offers immediate social facilitation benefits even when visual attention to competition is reduced.
• OTSLPOther2024Smiling synchronization predicts interaction enjoyment in peer dyads of autistic and neurotypical youth.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic-neurotypical pairs synchronized smiles less than neurotypical pairs. This lower synchrony predicted less enjoyment and less desire to interact again. However, autistic-autistic pairs showed no significant difference in synchrony or enjoyment compared to other groups, suggesting shared neurotype may buffer interaction quality.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024The impact of raising a child with a developmental or physical health condition in Ethiopia.Research in developmental disabilitiesFamilies of children with developmental disabilities in Ethiopia reported significantly lower quality of life than those with physical health conditions. Caregivers of children with greater health loss also reported poorer family well-being, highlighting the need for scaled-up support.
• SLPSurvey2024Caregivers' perspectives of early developmental tele-assessments in challenging circumstances.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsMost caregivers found remote developmental assessment safe, convenient and as natural as in-person. But over half still preferred face-to-face checks. A hybrid model using video and caregiver questionnaires may bridge this gap.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2024Contribution of the serotonergic system to developmental brain abnormalities in autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchThis review links autism's behavioral and sensory challenges to early disruptions in the brain's serotonin system, but it does not test any therapy. It explains why serotonin-targeting drugs like SSRIs yield mixed results: the underlying brain defects vary widely between patients.
• SLPQualitative2024IsiZulu-speaking caregivers' perceptions of child language stimulation.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsIsiZulu caregivers valued talking but often saw it as helping children ask for needs, not as a path to school or work. They wanted practical language stimulation training from health professionals, mainly through videos and group learning.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2024Experiences of caregivers of children with autism during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsCaregivers of children with autism faced intensified stress, isolation and disrupted routines during the pandemic. Teletherapy was often unhelpful due to access barriers and engagement difficulties. Structured home routines and positive outlooks emerged as key coping strategies.
• OTSurvey2024Transformational leadership and employability among support staff workers with long tenure.Work (Reading, Mass.)Transformational leadership showed no significant link to most employability skills in long-tenured support staff. It was associated only with better work-life balance. This suggests such leadership does not actively boost external job readiness for employees with secure, permanent roles.
• Cohort2024Insights into the spectrum of transtibial prosthetic socket design from expert clinicians and their digital records.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesExpert prosthetists do not design sockets as purely Patella Tendon Bearing or Total Surface Bearing types. They create hybrid designs on a spectrum, where choices like volume reduction and distal elongation are linked to manage soft tissue displacement.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Linking the impact of aspiration to host variables using the BOLUS framework: support from a rapid review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPoor oral health and the presence of feeding or tracheostomy tubes strongly increase the risk of pulmonary complications in patients with aspiration. However, there is insufficient evidence to link aspiration of thick liquids to pneumonia or to predict mortality, so decisions on diet texture and NPO status remain complex.
• OTSystematic Review2024Attitudes to and perceptions of workplace health promotion amongst employees from ethnic minorities in the UK: A scoping review.Work (Reading, Mass.)Very little UK evidence exists on ethnic minority workers' views of workplace wellbeing. Only three included studies met criteria, and only one was UK based. That study found Chinese employers were reactive and employees raised wages and conditions.
• OTPilot2024The Effect of Leisure Intervention on Occupational Performance and Occupational Balance in Individuals with Substance Use Disorder: A Pilot Study.Occupational therapy internationalIn nine men with substance use disorder, group leisure education, planning, and chosen activities were feasible and the authors report favourable changes in occupational performance, balance, leisure participation, quality of life, and craving. No control group, so this cannot show the programme caused these changes.