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 625 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPOther2025Reliability of a novel in vivo optical strain assessment of carbon fiber custom dynamic orthoses.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalA non-contact camera system reliably measured strain on carbon fiber ankle braces in healthy adults. Strain was highest at the distal strut and increased with ankle dorsiflexion. Reliability was lower at the proximal strut, so clinicians should expect more measurement noise in that region.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025A comprehensive evidence-based intervention programme significantly reduces intensive care unit-acquired weakness and improves functional recovery: a retrospective analysis.Journal of rehabilitation medicineA bundled ICU programme combining early rehab, nutrition and psychology was linked to less ICU-acquired weakness (32.5% vs 57.3%), shorter stays and better self-care than standard care. Because all parts were delivered together, no single component can be credited.
• PTOTSLPPilot2025A cup half full: exploring the kinematic consequences of variations in the drinking task protocol.Journal of rehabilitation medicineSmall changes in how the drinking task is set up significantly altered movement time and trunk displacement in 6 healthy adults, but not the smoothness of the movement. The study suggests that standardizing the protocol is crucial for accurate assessment.
• PTOTSurvey2025Perception of ankle foot orthoses by individuals with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalPatients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease report that ankle-foot orthoses help them walk, but often cause discomfort, difficulty with donning, and limitations on uneven ground. They prioritize better fit, easier use, and improved energy return over appearance or durability.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Measuring Developmental Delays: Comparison of Parent Report and Direct Testing.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParent-reported developmental scores matched direct testing results closely in toddlers evaluated for autism. Misclassification rates were low, meaning most children flagged for speech or motor delays by direct testing were also flagged by parent report, supporting telehealth assessment.
• PTRCT2025Effect of lower limb mirror visual feedback on cortical activation in healthy subjects: a self-controlled randomized trail.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationLower-limb mirror feedback produced more cortical activation than sham in healthy adults, including motor planning, prefrontal, sensory and frontal pole regions. This is a lab measure, not proof it improves walking or function in patients.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Perspectives From Multidisciplinary Professionals in France on Shared Patient Portals for Integrated Pediatric Rehabilitation: Qualitative Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesProfessionals see shared portals bridging health, school, and leisure gaps but fear confidentiality breaches. They want sector-specific access, progressive child involvement, and interoperability to avoid double data entry. Adoption depends on beliefs about coordination value, not just digital skills.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Mapping the role of vagus nerve stimulation in post-stroke arm motor recovery.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn chronic stroke survivors, included studies reported implanted vagus nerve stimulation paired with arm therapy had larger upper-limb function gains than control therapy, with mild voice or cough effects. Ear stimulation had weaker motor effects.
• Case Series2025Symptoms of Catatonia Observed in Down Syndrome Regressive Disorder: A Retrospective Analysis.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAll nine patients with Down Syndrome Regressive Disorder showed catatonia. Staring was universal. Mutism, grimacing, and rigidity appeared in most. Combativeness and excitement were common, suggesting externalizing signs may be more prominent than previously recognized.
• OTOther2025Disruption of low-frequency narrowband EEG microstate networks in Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationLow-frequency brain-network patterns differed in people with Parkinson's and mild cognitive impairment, and these differences were associated with MoCA scores. The all-frequency EEG signal did not show the same microstate parameter differences.
• PTOTCohort2025Generalizability of neuromuscular coordination in the human upper extremity after stroke and its implications in neurorehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMuscle synergy patterns are shared between static and dynamic arm tasks after stroke, but how they are recruited differs. Dynamic reaching reveals abnormal coordination patterns missed by static tasks, while static tasks are more accessible for severely impaired patients.
• PTOTPilot2025Barriers to physical activity and patient profiling in the lifelong maintenance phase of coronary artery disease: a territorial mixed-methods pilot study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPatients prioritized environmental factors and motivation over physical limitations. Three distinct profiles emerged: those limited by fatigue, those by environment, and those by work demands. No single barrier fits all, suggesting tailored follow-up is needed.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Operationalizing systems thinking approach to sustain public health rehabilitation programs: a rapid review and strategic synthesis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesSustaining rehabilitation programs relies on three practical strategies: using real-time data to spot problems, engaging stakeholders to fix referral gaps, and making small, low-cost changes like adjusting protocols. These approaches improved coordination and efficiency in diverse settings, but the evidence is descriptive rather than causal.
• SLPOther2025Psychometric Properties of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for Ages 6-18 to Identify Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in a Turkish Parent Sample.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn Turkish parents rating children with ASD, the CBCL/6-18 gave usable behavior-problem scores after a few items were dropped. Guilt and suicidality were hardest for parents to report, so low scores there may reflect recognition, not absence.
• Pilot2025AI-based patient monitoring for fall prevention in stroke patients: a pilot study at a Malaysian acute stroke unit.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAn AI monitoring system detected all bed exits in 30 stroke patients, triggering alerts in 1,439 events. Staff responded to half. One fall occurred, compared to six in the same ward the previous year. No control group was used.
• PTOTOther2025Can machine learning improve on the early prediction of upper limb recovery after stroke?Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAn XGBoost model predicted six-month arm recovery from stroke more accurately than a mixed-effects model, with a median error of 4.3 points on the 57-point ARAT scale when applied in the first week. This error was below the 6-point threshold considered clinically meaningful.
• Other2025Functional motor mapping of domestic pig lumbar spinal cord using penetrating microelectrodes.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThis animal study mapped pig spinal cords to guide future neuroprosthetic device design. It provides no evidence of treatment efficacy for human patients and does not change clinical practice for therapists.
• OTOther2025A Technology-Aided Program to Help People With Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities Access Leisure Stimuli and Engage in Cognitive and Physical Activity: Development and Usability Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesSeven adults with moderate to severe intellectual disability and poor dexterity used a modified touch screen to choose songs, cartoons or sketches, complete matching tasks and copy movements independently. The setup worked in sessions, but proof of lasting benefit is not shown.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2025Superior efficacy of 100-Hz transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in reducing post-stroke spasticity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHigh-frequency TENS (100 Hz) significantly reduced post-stroke spasticity, while lower frequencies showed no benefit. The effect was consistent across acute, subacute, and chronic stroke phases. Motor function and daily living activities also improved, but these results were less stable.
• PTOTRCT2026Toward personalizing prosthesis prescription: A take-home study of three microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knees: A randomized crossover study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationTen experienced users tested three microprocessor knees for a week each. C-Leg and Rheo were faster than Power Knee on level ground and ramps, and rated higher for satisfaction. However, no single knee was best for everyone; individual performance varied significantly across outcomes.
• SLPPilot2026Brief Report: Quantifying Speech Production Coordination from Non- and Minimally-Speaking Individuals.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregiver-labelled vocalizations from seven non- or minimally-speaking people showed distinct movement patterns: dysregulated sounds had more variable pitch than frustrated, while request, delight, and self-talk used more mouth movement and more tightly coupled pitch and breathing.
• SLPOther2026Supporting the Conversational Behavior of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders with Self-Monitoring and a Video-Based Supplement.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThree adolescents with autism increased appropriate conversation during self-monitoring with a video model. Gains appeared quickly but faded when the support was withdrawn, and were measured only in a clinic room with an adult partner.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Investigating Parental Observations of Early Autism Development in Simplex and Multiplex Families.Journal of autism and developmental disordersHaving an older autistic sibling did not increase parents' reports of early developmental concerns in younger children. Only the younger child's own later autism diagnosis predicted these reports. Parents' recall was not skewed by hypervigilance toward siblings.
• PTCohort2025Re-examining the association between region-specific pain recurrence and muscle force strategies in patients with patellofemoral pain via OpenSim and artificial intelligence: a prospective cohort study toward targeted rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn young male participants with a history of patellofemoral pain, anterior or posterior patellar pain was linked to weaker gracilis and tibialis anterior; lateral pain was linked to weaker rectus femoris and tensor fascia latae during walking.
• Qualitative2025'Building our own house' as an insider-only Community-Partnered Participatory Research Council: Co-creating a safe space for Autistic knowledge production.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceThis paper is not a clinical trial or a study of patient outcomes. It is a self-reflective report by an Autistic research team describing how they created an accessible, insider-only community council for a health study. It contains no evidence about treatment effects or patient care.
• PTOTRCT2025From gains to decline: effects of structured pre-dialytic exercise training and detraining on physical fitness, quality of life, and inflammation in haemodialysis patients.Journal of rehabilitation medicineHaemodialysis patients who completed 72 pre-dialysis exercise sessions gained clinically meaningful fitness and quality of life. These gains vanished within 3 months of stopping. The study had no control group, so it shows what happened during the programme, not that it caused the change.
• OTSLPRCT2025Brief Report: Virtual Reality to Raise Awareness About Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersA 6-minute virtual reality simulation improved knowledge, openness, and attitudes toward autistic people compared to questionnaires alone. The effect persisted after adjusting for prior contact with autistic individuals. No long-term follow-up was conducted.
• PTOTCohort2025Muscle strength and stiffness of elbow muscles: correlation with upper limb motor functions in people with chronic stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineElbow muscle strength, but not stiffness, correlated with upper limb motor function in people with chronic stroke. Strength explained variance in impairment and activity scores, while resting stiffness showed inconsistent or no significant links to functional outcomes.
• SLPCohort2025Continuous Electroencephalogram (cEEG) Findings and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Neonates with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) at 12-24 Months of Age.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 34 infants with congenital heart disease, 24-hour post-operative EEG severity and longer cross-clamp time were associated with lower language scores at 12-24 months. Motor and cognitive outcomes were not linked to these EEG findings.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Action Observation Combined With Motor Imagery Training to Improve Motor Function in People With Stroke: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesAdding action observation with motor imagery to routine rehab improved upper limb function scores, but did not improve daily self-care. The evidence is low quality from small trials, so treat this as a potential add-on rather than a proven replacement for standard therapy.
• PTOther2025Estimating the contribution of musculoskeletal impairments to altered gait kinematics in children with cerebral palsy using predictive simulations.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationComputer models of eight children with cerebral palsy showed that muscle contractures, weakness, and bone deformities explained only up to 39% of their gait deviations. For those with mild walking issues, the models could not account for the differences from typical gait.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Cognitive performance and stroke-specific quality of life four years after stroke.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesFour years post-stroke, quality of life linked only to reaction time, verbal memory, and fine-motor coordination. Language, executive function, and attention showed no significant association with reported well-being in this small cohort.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Do you feel me? Autism, empathic accuracy and the double empathy problem.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceGeneral population participants were less accurate at tracking emotions of autistic narrators, especially for sadness and happiness. However, they felt anger and fear from autistic narrators more intensely in their own bodies. This supports the double empathy problem: non-autistic people struggle to interpret autistic emotional expressions.
• PTOTSLPPilot2025Dry-printed electrodes for transcutaneous electrical stimulation of innervated muscles: Towards wearable and closed-loop stimulation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationDry printed electrodes delivered muscle stimulation in healthy necks with similar comfort and activation thresholds to conventional gel electrodes. A one-person facial trial showed these electrodes can trigger real-time mirrored movement, though the half-second delay and lack of patient testing limit current clinical use.
• PTOTRCT2025Heel-Elevation Effects on Sit-to-Stand Movement in Patients with Parkinson's Disease-A Randomized Crossover Study.NeuroRehabilitationRaising heels on a tilted plate reduced sit-to-stand time in people with Parkinson's by a median of 2.3 seconds. The benefit was greatest in those with slower baseline movement and worse standing balance. The specific tilt angle did not change the outcome.
• SLPProtocol2025Applying a User-Centered Design Framework to Develop a Remote Research Assessment Protocol for a Randomized Clinical Trial for Toddlers with Early Autism Characteristics.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe redesigned remote assessment was rated as usable by 88% of staff assessors. Families showed high retention, with 89.2% completing the 4-month follow-up and 83.8% completing the 9-month follow-up. Staff maintained high fidelity to the protocol.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025'We have so much to offer': Community members' perspectives on autism research.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic participants and allies rejected deficit-focused research narratives that frame autism as a disorder to be fixed. They prioritized co-production, demanding that Autistic people lead research design and interpretation. They argued that support services often worsen problems by ignoring environmental fit and relational context.
• PTCohort2025Physical activity, sedentary time, and associated factors in post-COVID-19 condition: a cross-sectional study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAt a post-COVID clinic, 29% of adults had both low activity, under 5,000 steps and under 22 brisk walking minutes daily, and over 8 hours sitting or lying. POTS was associated with this pattern, but the study did not prove cause.
• SLPCohort2025Brief Report: Convergence and Discrepancy Between Self- and Informant-Reported Depressive Symptoms in Young Autistic Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults and their informants agreed on depression levels more closely than non-autistic adults did. However, autistic participants reported fewer symptoms than their informants, while non-autistic participants reported more. This suggests informants may detect depression that autistic individuals underreport.
• PTRCT2025Influence of gait-synchronized functional electrical stimulation during exoskeleton-assisted ambulation on cardiorespiratory outcomes in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAdding gait-synchronized functional electrical stimulation to exoskeleton walking raised oxygen consumption per kilogram body mass in 11 adults with incomplete spinal cord injury. The increase was found in 10 of 11 participants, but this was one session and did not show training benefit.
• PTOTOther2025Uncovering attempted movements of the paralyzed upper limb after stroke through EEG and EMG.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationCombining brain and muscle signals detected attempted hand movements in 79% of chronic stroke patients, compared to 50% with brain signals and 53% with muscle signals alone. This hybrid approach offers a more reliable way to identify who can use neural interfaces.
• SLPOther2025Autism Detection in Early Childhood (ADEC) in a Low-Income Spanish-Speaking Population in Guayaquil (Ecuador).Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe adapted ADEC flagged 19 autism cases in 613 low-income Guayaquil toddlers, and all 19 were confirmed. It missed 4 of 23 diagnosed children, so it may need to complement parent questionnaires.
• PTOTOther2025Predicting normative walking biomechanics across the lifespan using seven simple features.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSeven simple clinical measures can predict normal walking biomechanics across the lifespan, but accuracy varies by variable. Sagittal plane joint angles and ground reaction forces were predicted well, while transverse plane angles were poor. Use these reference models with caution for non-sagittal movements.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025Defining the key elements of the Affolter Model® in a multiprofessional Delphi study: a first step toward evidence-based Tactual Interaction Therapy.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesExperienced Affolter Model practitioners agreed on 32 statements describing its concept, principles, methods and techniques. They did not test whether Tactual Interaction Therapy works; the result is a consensus map for future research and teaching.
• PTSystematic Review2026Utilisation of cardiopulmonary exercise testing for tailored pulmonary rehabilitation in people with interstitial lung diseases: A systematic review.Clinical rehabilitationIn studies with before-and-after data, tailored pulmonary rehabilitation based on exercise test results improved peak work rate and oxygen uptake, with no adverse events reported. Evidence is mixed, four studies had no control group, and this is not proof of benefit.
• PTOTSLPPilot2026Promoting community and social participation in chronic stroke: A pilot study of the ENGAGE intervention.Disability and health journalHalf the participants showed meaningful improvement in social participation, but the study lacked a control group. The intervention was feasible and safe, with no injuries reported. Therapists should view this as a promising tool for goal-setting, not proven efficacy.
• SLPSurvey2025It is More Anxiousness than Role-playing: Social Camouflaging Conceptualization Among Adults on the Autism Spectrum Compared to Persons with Social Anxiety Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdults with autism and those with social anxiety reported similar overall levels of camouflaging. Compensation was higher in autism, while masking and assimilation were higher in social anxiety. Burnout and stigma predicted camouflaging more strongly than autistic traits did.
• PTOTRCT2025Botulinum toxin A combining with robot-assisted bimanual therapy integrating mirror therapy versus botulinum toxin A combining with robot-assisted bimanual therapy in patients with post-stroke spastic fingers: a randomized controlled pilot trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding mirror therapy to robot-assisted hand training after Botox injections improved finger movement more than robot training alone. Both groups gained function, but the mirror group saw larger gains in distal hand control, suggesting a stronger sensory feedback loop helps recovery.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Utilising Behavioural and Sensory Profiles and Associated Perinatal Factors to Identify Meaningful Subgroups in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAnalysis of 1168 autistic children identified four distinct subgroups based on behavioural, sensory, and perinatal profiles. One group had the most adaptive skill concerns with natal complications, while another showed the highest sensory impairment linked to maternal health factors, suggesting different support needs.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Autism - A Systematic Review.Journal of autism and developmental disordersEvidence for biologically based CAM in autism is inconsistent. Gluten-free and casein-free diets showed no benefit, while vitamin and mineral supplements helped only when deficiencies existed. Some nutraceuticals like probiotics and omega-3s showed mixed or positive effects on specific symptoms.