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 558 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPOther2025Development and content validity of the cognition in daily life scale (CDL).Neuropsychological rehabilitationExperts confirmed the new Cognition in Daily Life scale accurately covers six key areas like attention and memory. The 65-item tool is validated for content, but clinicians must wait for reliability testing before using it to diagnose or track progress.
• PTOTOther2025The feasibility, acceptability, safety, and effects of early weight bearing in humeral fractures - a scoping review.Disability and rehabilitationEarly weight bearing after humeral fracture surgery may be feasible and safe, but the review found no standard protocol, no patient perspective, and no firm evidence of effect.
• PTOther2025Generalizability of a Musculoskeletal Therapist Electronic Health Record for Modelling Outcomes to Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders.Journal of occupational rehabilitationA large Australian workplace injury record set was similar to national workforce data on age, employment length and birthplace, but was heavily manufacturing and had more upper limb and body stressing injuries than workers' compensation claims.
• Systematic Review2025Use of General Practitioner Services Among Workers with Work-Related Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationGP service use for work-related low back pain varies wildly from 11% to 99.3%, driven by how long the study followed patients and which country's compensation rules applied. This variation means a single prevalence figure is meaningless for planning allied health referrals.
• PTRCT2025Videoconference-Supervised Group Exercise Reduces Low Back Pain in Eldercare Workers: Results from the ReViEEW Randomised Controlled Trial.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAdding 12 weeks of videoconference-supervised group exercise to routine workplace prevention programs reduced average low back pain in eldercare workers. The pain scale was 0 to 10, and the experimental group fell from 3.4 to 2.4, while controls stayed near 3.1.
• SLPNarrative Review2025A targeted review of prosodic production in agrammatic aphasia.Neuropsychological rehabilitationPeople with agrammatic aphasia show disrupted speech timing, with longer and more frequent pauses and less predictable lengthening at phrase ends. Pitch variation often remains usable and can signal turn taking and meaning.
• OTQualitative2025Music Upper Limb Therapy - Integrated (MULT-I) supports a positive transformation in sense of self post stroke: a thematic analysis.Disability and rehabilitationStroke survivors described a three-stage shift in self-perception during group music therapy. Enjoyment and autonomy in playing instruments engaged them, peer support helped process distress, and a sense of belonging fostered acceptance of their changed abilities and strengths.
• OTOther2025Sustainable Employability of People with Limited Capability for Work: The Participatory Development and Validation of a Questionnaire.Journal of occupational rehabilitationA participatory process adapted an employability questionnaire for people with limited work capacity. Cognitive interviews with six men and analysis of 248 employees yielded a valid instrument. The original Utrecht Work Engagement scale showed the weakest fit.
• Cohort2024Long-Term Impact of Psychological Rehabilitation on Isolated Hospitalization Patients With COVID-19: A Longitudinal Study.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationA hospital-based psychological rehabilitation program for COVID-19 patients did not maintain anxiety reduction at six months. While depression scores remained lower than controls, anxiety worsened significantly after discharge in the treatment group, suggesting short-term inpatient interventions alone may not prevent long-term psychological distress.
• Other2024Effects of mTBI with loss of consciousness on neurobehavioral symptoms, depression, and insomnia in former collegiate and NFL football athletes.Brain injuryIn former football players, more concussions with loss of consciousness were linked to more current symptoms such as poor concentration and slowed thinking. Depression and insomnia also tracked with these symptoms, but the data were collected at a single time and cannot show cause.
• PTCohort2024Construct validity, responsiveness and minimal important difference of the cumulated ambulation score in older adults with hip fracture in sub-acute rehabilitation facility.Clinical rehabilitationAfter hip fracture rehabilitation, a two-point rise on the six-point mobility score meant patients improved enough to be considered clinically important. The score tracked other mobility and independence measures, but at discharge 32.2% reached the top score.
• Other2024Cost-Effectiveness of Sleep Apnea Diagnosis and Treatment in Hospitalized Persons With Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationFor hospitalized people with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, phased screening, testing, and treatment for sleep apnea was more cost effective than usual care or treating everyone. This was a cost model, not a patient outcome trial.
• PTOTOther2024Pittsburgh Impairment Testing Tool for Spina Bifida Can Predict Ambulation and Transfer Ability in Adults With Spina Bifida.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationThe Pittsburgh Impairment Testing Tool predicted ambulation and transfer ability with over 80% accuracy in adults with spina bifida. It outperformed other neurological scales for ambulation. Anatomic level and sensory level were less useful predictors than motor level.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024The relationship between patient-specific factors and functional progression of COVID-19 survivors admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation facility.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPatients recovering from severe COVID-19 in inpatient rehab made significant gains in mobility, self-care, and cognition. Older age predicted smaller gains in mobility and self-care, while those with more severe acute illness or lower starting function showed greater improvement.
• PTCohort2024The Association of Interlimb Coordination and Temporal Symmetry With Walking Function and Motor Impairment After Stroke.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationWorse interlimb coordination was associated with slower walking and greater motor impairment in people with chronic stroke. These associations were stronger than those for temporal symmetry, suggesting coordination is a more relevant target for gait rehabilitation than symmetry.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Life expectancy and long-term survival after traumatic spinal cord injury: a systematic review.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicinePeople with traumatic spinal cord injury live significantly shorter lives than the general population. Survival depends heavily on injury level and severity, with tetraplegia and high-level lesions carrying the greatest mortality risk.
• PTNarrative Review2024Quantitative Musculoskeletal Imaging of the Pediatric Shoulder.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationQuantitative imaging of children's shoulders is mostly used for brachial plexus birth palsy, but adult norms do not fit growing shoulders. Anatomically reformatted imaging can change reported glenoid version and humeral head position, so standard readings may misclassify.
• OTRCT2024Community Participation Transition After Stroke (COMPASS) Randomized Controlled Trial: Effect on Adverse Health Events.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationStroke survivors who received home modifications and self-management training from an OT had fewer deaths and nursing home admissions. Falls and 30-day readmissions were not significantly reduced. This safety benefit was a secondary finding, not the trial's primary aim.
• PTOTPilot2024The feasibility and acceptability of integrating dogs into inpatient rehabilitation therapy with children with acquired brain injury.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationDogs were feasible to add to inpatient PT/OT for 16 children with acquired brain injury: dogs attended 56 of 59 PT and 55 of 59 OT dog sessions, with no adverse events and high satisfaction from families and therapists.
• SLPCohort2024Sports-Related Concussion in Collegiate Athletes: The Potential Benefits of Using Graded Neuropsychological Tests With High Ceilings.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAcutely concussed college athletes performed worse than peers on difficult cognitive tests but matched them on easy ones. Average scores showed no significant differences, suggesting standard tests may miss subtle deficits that only appear under high cognitive load.
• PTOTSurvey2024Discovering Provider Awareness of Mobility Assistive Technologies and Clinical Guidelines-A Comparative Analysis With Consumer Responses.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationProviders generally knew more about new mobility devices and assessment tools than consumers, but this varied by product. Providers favored specialized websites and journals, while consumers relied on general internet searches and friends for information.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2024"They Just Love Me"-An Examination of Social Support Experiences and Values Among People With TBI.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationPeople with TBI described good support as reliable, loving relationships, not just help with tasks. They valued doing things together, contributing to others, and feeling genuinely cared for. Tangible help was often available, but emotional closeness and dependable inclusion were harder to find.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Elements of Return-to-Work Interventions for Workers on Long-Term Sick Leave: A Systematic Literature Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationVocational rehabilitation can help people on long-term sick leave return to work, but no specific intervention elements explain why some programs succeed while others fail. Effective interventions varied widely in duration and intensity, meaning there is no single recipe for success.
• OTCohort2025Inability to Work Fulltime and the Association with Paid Employment One Year After the Work Disability Assessment: A Longitudinal Register-Based Cohort Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationBeing assessed as unable to work fulltime was not associated with paid employment one year later after adjustment. The chance was higher for working musculoskeletal applicants and lower for some cancer and respiratory applicants.
• SLPSurvey2025Older adults with communication disabilities and their use of communication support at doctor's visits: a nationally representative study.Disability and rehabilitationOlder adults with communication disabilities used a communication support person at doctor visits more often than peers without disabilities (40.1% vs 16.8%), but over half did not. Black older adults and women with communication disabilities were less likely to use it.
• SLPQualitative2025Clinician perspectives on characteristics and care of traumatic brain injury among asylum seekers and refugees.Disability and rehabilitationClinicians described traumatic brain injury in refugees as often mild, remote, and caused by violence or strangulation. Symptoms overlap with PTSD, leading to underdiagnosis. They reported relying on voluntary disclosure rather than standardized screening, noting that stigma and resource limits hinder care.
• SLPCase Report2025Approach to obtaining a swallow study in a five-year-old with a disability and significant procedural anxiety: A case report.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineA five-year-old with cerebral palsy and severe x-ray anxiety completed a swallow study after desensitization visits, gradual exposure to equipment and staff protective gear, and buspirone. The study allowed his diet to include moderately thickened liquids.
• PTOTCohort2025How Much Physiotherapy, Chiropractic, and Osteopathy Care Do Compensated Australian Workers with Low Back Pain Receive? A Retrospective Cohort Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationMost compensated Australian workers with low back pain attend physical therapy, with 82% seeing a physiotherapist, chiropractor or osteopath. Median attendances were 13 for physiotherapy only, 8 for chiropractic only, 10 for osteopathy only, and 31 for multiple professions. Jurisdiction strongly influenced care patterns.
• OTQualitative2025Struggling with Fitting in: Clients Mixed Experiences of Receiving Job Support and Getting a Job When Participating in Individual Placement and Support in Norway.Journal of occupational rehabilitationTen people with severe mental illness described mixed experiences of job support. They valued accessible specialists but felt let down by poor job matches and insufficient on-site guidance. Many struggled with workplace triggers and called for more flexible, hands-on support to sustain employment.
• PTOTPilot2025Examining patient reported outcome measures for phantom limb pain: measurement use in a sample of Veterans with amputation.Disability and rehabilitationPhantom limb pain ratings did not line up strongly with pain interference in this pilot of 50 Veterans. General pain ratings did, so phantom limb pain scores may miss how much pain affects daily life.
• PTOTOther2025Therapeutic Approaches for the Prevention of Upper Limb Repetitive Strain Injuries in Work-Related Computer Use: A Scoping Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationErgonomic equipment was the most common prevention strategy found, but evidence for its effectiveness was mixed. Multi-component approaches combining equipment, training, and policy showed more promise than single interventions alone.
• PTSystematic Review2025Prognostic Factors and Models for Predicting Work Absence in Adults with Musculoskeletal Conditions Consulting a Healthcare Practitioner: A Systematic Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationOlder age and positive recovery expectations were the most consistent predictors of shorter sickness absence in adults with musculoskeletal pain. However, evidence was weak for all factors and prediction models due to inconsistent measurement and reporting.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Resilience and coping: a qualitative analysis of cognitive and behavioral factors in adults with osteogenesis Imperfecta.Disability and rehabilitationAdults with Osteogenesis Imperfecta described building resilience by separating their identity from their diagnosis and reframing physical limitations as opportunities for growth. They relied heavily on social support, planning ahead, and acceptance of pain rather than trying to control what they could not change.
• PTCohort2025The Association of Physiotherapy Continuity of Care with Duration of Time Loss Among Compensated Australian Workers with Low Back Pain.Journal of occupational rehabilitationCompensated Australian workers with low back pain who saw the same physiotherapist for all visits were more likely to have shorter time off work. Median income support was 11.1 weeks with complete care and 62.2 weeks with low care.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Temporal Profile of Serum Neurofilament Light (NF-L) and Heavy (pNF-H) Level Associations With 6-Month Cognitive Performance in Patients With Moderate-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationElevated serum pNF-H levels measured 16 to 90 days after moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury predict worse cognitive performance at six months. This association held even after adjusting for age and education. Acute levels and NF-L were not predictive.
• PTOTQualitative2024The perceptions of nurses and physicians in primary care of rehabilitation for frail older adults.Clinical rehabilitationNurses and physicians knew what PTs and OTs offer but were unsure who to call or how to refer. They wanted PTs and OTs on-site and regular team meetings. Better communication routes, not more education, are the missing link for frail older adults.
• OTMeta-Analysis2024The effectiveness of social prescribing in the management of long-term conditions in community-based adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical rehabilitationSocial prescribing did not significantly improve HbA1c levels in the pooled analysis. However, some studies reported benefits for quality of life, physical activity, and diabetes-related distress. Most included trials had a high risk of bias and used varying outcome measures, limiting confidence in these positive findings.
• PTOther2024Utilization and Potential Disparities in Access to Physical Therapy for Spine Pain in the Long-Term Care Population.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation49.7% of long-term care residents with spine pain histories received physical therapy, but only 12.1% received it for spine pain. Physical therapy was less likely for non-white groups except North American Native, socioeconomically deprived areas, dementia, and higher medical complexity.
• PTOTCase-Control2024Elevated blood pressure in children with cerebral palsy and its relationship with adiposity and physical activity.Disability and health journalChildren with cerebral palsy had higher diastolic blood pressure than matched typically developing peers. This elevation was linked to visceral fat, not body mass index or physical activity levels. Standard BMI screening may miss this risk, suggesting blood pressure checks are vital for this group.
• SLPOther2024Summary of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Self-reported Traumatic Brain Injury Survey Efforts.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationSelf-reported concussion prevalence is far higher than hospital data, but estimates swing wildly based on survey wording. Asking about 'concussion' yields much higher rates than 'mild traumatic brain injury', and listing symptoms individually raises reported prevalence compared to single questions.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024Psychological distress and mental health diagnoses in adults by disability and functional difficulty status: Findings from the 2021 national health interview survey.Disability and health journalAdults with functional difficulty had 3.63 times greater odds of anxiety and 3.82 times greater odds of depression than those without. Psychological distress remained significantly higher in disabled adults even after controlling for these diagnoses, suggesting unmet mental health needs beyond current treatment.
• PTRCT2024Impact of eccentric cycling in coronary rehabilitation program: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial versus conventional rehabilitation.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineAdding eccentric cycling to standard cardiac rehabilitation did not improve functional capacity more than concentric cycling. Both groups improved similarly in walking distance and strength. The eccentric group reported lower perceived effort and pain, but this did not translate to better clinical outcomes.
• PTOTRCT2024Distal Versus Proximal Arm Improvement After Paired Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy After Chronic Stroke.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationPaired vagus nerve stimulation improved distal arm function (hand/wrist) significantly more than sham stimulation in chronic stroke patients. Proximal arm function (shoulder/elbow) improved similarly in both groups. This suggests VNS specifically targets fine motor recovery when paired with intensive therapy.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024Silent Struggles: Traumatic Brain Injuries and Mental Health in Law Enforcement.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationMost officers in one county reported head injuries, but screening for PTSD showed no difference between those with and without them. Depression scores were higher in officers with head injuries, yet the cross-sectional design cannot prove the injuries caused this.
• SLPSurvey2024Cesarean birth and adverse birth outcomes among sub-populations of deaf and hard-of-hearing people.Disability and health journalDeaf and hard-of-hearing women who reported poor communication during pregnancy had more preterm births and NICU admissions. No other hearing-related factors, like language or severity, were linked to adverse outcomes in this survey of 583 women.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024Remotely Assessing Motor Function and Activity of the Upper Extremity After Stroke: A Systematic Review of Validity and Clinical Utility of Tele-Assessments.Clinical rehabilitationNo remote upper-limb assessment for stroke met the threshold for clinical utility. While some tools showed good reliability or validity, all required special equipment or training, and none scored high enough to be recommended for routine use.
• SLPCohort2024Sleep Disruption Persists and Relates to Memory Disability After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Cross-Sectional Study of Adults in the Chronic Phase of Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAdults with chronic traumatic brain injury reported significantly poorer sleep quality and more nighttime disturbances than matched non-injured peers. This sleep disruption persisted years after injury and correlated strongly with self-reported memory failures in daily life.
• PTOTOther2025A Mixed-Methods Process Evaluation of the Maastricht Work-Related Support Intervention for Healthcare Professionals in Clinical Care.Journal of occupational rehabilitationWork-related support was poorly adopted by clinicians. Only 47% of potentially working patients had work status discussed, and clinicians cited time constraints despite positive patient reports when support was provided.
• PTOTOther2025Falls in people with mobility limitations: a cross-sectional analysis of a US registry of assistive device users.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyHalf of adults seeking mobility devices reported a fall in the past three months. Those with progressive conditions like Parkinson's or osteoarthritis fell most often, while many still used only canes or no device.
• Narrative Review2025Narrative review and call to action on reporting and representation in orthobiologics research for knee osteoarthritis.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationExisting research on knee injections for osteoarthritis rarely reports patient race, ethnicity, or income. This gap means we cannot tell if these treatments work equally well for all populations. The authors call for better demographic reporting in future studies.