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 632 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Autistic Burnout on Reddit: A Sisyphean Struggle with Daily Tasks.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults on Reddit describe burnout as a chronic state of exhaustion, sensory overload, and skill loss, often lasting years. They prioritise reducing external stimuli and masking over causal analysis. Community validation was a key theme, with 13% of posts expressing shared experience.
• OTSLPQualitative2026Theory of Change of Caregiver Coaching for an Early Parent-Mediated Autism Intervention.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCoaches described how joint goal setting, modeling, and feedback build caregiver confidence and skill. Embedding strategies in daily routines helped families maintain them. Caregivers valued improved connection and reduced stress over specific developmental milestones.
• SLPSystematic Review2026Harmonizing Identities: A Scoping Review on Voice and Communication Supports and Challenges for Autistic Trans and Gender Diverse Individuals.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic trans and gender diverse people face communication barriers that delay care and harm wellbeing, yet most existing supports focus on general communication rather than voice. Speech pathologists lack specific guidance to address these unique needs, creating a significant gap in effective, affirming clinical practice.
• PTOTCohort2025Perceived quality of life, fatigue and the metabolic cost of walking in generalized hypermobility spectrum disorder and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with hypermobility spectrum disorders and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome reported significantly worse quality of life and higher fatigue at baseline. After walking, they experienced substantially more leg pain and fatigue than healthy controls. Pain did not correlate with metabolic cost.
• Pilot2025The effects of unilateral nostril breathing on brain functional network activity: a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationDevice-controlled one-nostril breathing changed brain network activity in 30 healthy adults, but only when comparing left to right breathing against each other. There was no significant difference between either side and their own natural breathing baseline.
• Pilot2025NeuraLoop: a high bandwidth closed-loop human-machine interface.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTen healthy adults controlled a virtual cursor using subtle thumb swipes while receiving tactile feedback on their forearm. The device correctly identified movements 82% of the time on the first attempt, rising to 94% after two. Participants navigated the grid without visual cues with high accuracy.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Community participation, physical activity, and quality of life for children born very preterm.Developmental medicine and child neurologyHelpful environments and active participation linked to more movement and better quality of life. Adapting physical or social demands of community activities may support children, especially those born very preterm, more than targeting child impairment alone.
• PTOTOther2025Assessment of gait patterns in breast cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineBreast cancer survivors walked slower with shorter steps and a wider base than healthy women. These gait changes appeared within 12 months of surgery, suggesting early rehabilitation could help prevent mobility decline.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2025The effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on immediate and long-term cognitive functions in Alzheimer's dementia and mild cognitive impairment: a meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationCompared with sham, rTMS improved cognitive test scores right after treatment and at follow-up. The follow-up estimate came from fewer studies, and effects varied widely across stimulation protocols.
• PTOTCohort2025Overground robotic walker use in the home and community: a six-month prospective cohort study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationOver six months, family-directed use of a robotic walker in the home was associated with modest improvements in walking ability, physical activity, and sleep. Most participants remained wheelchair users, and gains rarely crossed the threshold for clinical importance.
• SLPCase Report2025Case Report: fNIRS-guided rehabilitation in refractory post-traumatic dysphagia.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn a teenager with severe swallowing problems after traumatic brain injury, changing therapy after a brain-activity scan was followed by removal of feeding tube and tracheostomy by day 77. This is a single case, not proof the scan caused recovery.
• PTOTCase-Control2025Inter-segmental coordination patterns in Parkinson's disease are particularly disturbed during preferred walking speed: a data-driven network approach.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeople with Parkinson's disease show severely disturbed whole-body coordination during their preferred walking speed, but much less so when walking fast or slow. The overall movement structure remains intact, but variability is higher, suggesting the automatic nature of normal-speed walking is the main challenge.
• SLPOther2025Establishment of a novel brainstem ischemic dysphagia model: single-cell sequencing reveals the molecular mechanisms underlying mPES intervention.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn rats with brainstem strokes, modified pharyngeal electrical stimulation improved swallowing speed and bolus size. It did not fix anxiety or walking problems. This suggests the treatment targets the throat's sensory nerves, not general motor recovery.
• SLPOther2025A familial modeling framework for advancing precision medicine for children with neuropsychiatric disorders.Developmental medicine and child neurologyParent IQ and behavioral traits significantly predicted cognitive and behavioral outcomes in children with Noonan syndrome. This suggests assessing parents may help clinicians estimate expected child outcomes more precisely than genetic testing alone.
• Survey2025Characterizing adult rehabilitation programs for solid organ transplant candidates and recipients across Canada.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesHybrid delivery is now most common among responding Canadian adult solid organ transplant rehabilitation programs, but funding and staff shortages remain top barriers. This describes practice variation, not evidence that any model improves outcomes.
• PTOTCase-Control2025Distinct patterns in neuromuscular adaptation to repeated perturbations in chronic ankle instability.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeople with chronic ankle instability did not lower their ankle muscle stiffness during repeated balance perturbations, unlike healthy controls. However, they did improve balance by shifting control to the hip. This suggests rehab should target whole-body coordination rather than just ankle stiffness.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Upper extremity pain after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis on primary prevention.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineMost common prevention methods like slings, taping, and exercises did not significantly reduce upper limb pain after stroke. Only intramuscular injections showed potential benefit, but evidence was very weak. Current guidelines lack strong data to support specific preventive strategies.
• PTOTPilot2025Noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation and static balance in parkinson's disease: a multimodal resting‑state fMRI feasibility study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 41 patients with Parkinson's, one session of noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation improved Berg Balance scores immediately and at one week. Functional reach and discomfort also improved, but Timed Up and Go did not change significantly at first. No sham group was used.
• OTSLPCohort2025Deep developmental phenotyping in children with tuberous sclerosis complex, with and without autism.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn children with tuberous sclerosis, autism was common, and autistic children had more intellectual disability, language deficits, executive dysfunction and externalizing behaviour. ADHD symptoms were frequent in both groups. Formal language screening is warranted even without autism or intellectual disability.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Understanding and Assessing Health-Related Quality of Life in Caregivers of Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury and Comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationCare partners of people with both traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder report significantly worse quality of life than those caring for brain injury alone. These caregivers face unique strain beyond physical disability or hours spent caregiving, marking them for targeted support.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026The Meaning of Autism Friendly in Hospital Settings: A Scoping Review of the Autism Community's Perspectives.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic patients and families identified three key areas for hospital care: people, place, and time. Staff communication and autism-specific training were critical. Flexible environments that reduce sensory overload and shorter wait times helped. Rigid systems and lack of preparation created barriers.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2026Minimal Differences in Auditory and Visual Oddball Tasks in Autism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAuditory and visual oddball tasks showed minimal group differences between autistic and non-autistic people. The pooled differences were small and not consistent. These tasks alone are unlikely to reveal sensory prediction differences.
• SLPCase Series2026Effects of I-Connect to Increase Communication Initiations of Elementary Students on the Autism Spectrum.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThree non-verbal or minimally verbal students with autism increased unprompted communication initiations when using the I-Connect app for self-monitoring. The effect held in the classroom but decreased in other school settings. This pilot suggests a possible role for tablet-based self-monitoring.
• SLPSurvey2026Resilience Within Families of Young Children with ASD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn families with young children with ASD, both parents often reported high parenting stress; satisfaction with social relationships was the factor most consistently associated with lower family stress.
• SLPPilot2026Modulating Phonological Short-Term Memory in Stroke Survivors With Aphasia Using Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn-phase brain stimulation improved short-term memory for sounds in people with aphasia, but only while the current was running. The effect vanished immediately after stimulation stopped, and the size of the improvement was small.
• SLPCohort2026Quality of Life and Societal Cost in Autistic Children: An Exploratory Comparative Study Pre- and Post-Diagnosis.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children's total annual health-related costs and quality-of-life scores did not change significantly after diagnosis, although usual-activity problems, behavioural scores, general practitioner, physiotherapy and hospital outpatient costs fell.
• Other2026Rationale and description of Tied by Tiredness: A blended care intervention for fatigue after acquired brain injury.Clinical rehabilitationNo results are reported for the Tied by Tiredness intervention for fatigue after brain injury, so it does not show whether the programme works.
• PTOTSLPRCT2026Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder as a moderator of the efficacy of family-based problem solving after pediatric traumatic brain injury.Rehabilitation psychologyFamily-based problem solving improved daily functioning in teens without ADHD, but not those with pre-injury ADHD. Teens who developed ADHD after injury showed delayed gains at 18 months. Identify ADHD history before prescribing this intervention.
• PTOTRCT2025REAsmash-ET: a methodological framework for combined cognitive and motor assessment through eye-tracking and kinematic metrics in immersive VR search-and-reach task.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn healthy adults, a VR search-and-reach task showed harder visual search slowed responses and increased looking at distractors, especially with age. It is a research framework, not yet tested in stroke.
• PTOTCohort2025Dystrophin isoform deficiency and upper-limb and respiratory function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyParticipants with Duchenne muscular dystrophy predicted to lack Dp140 had lower grip strength, pinch strength and respiratory function than participants predicted to retain Dp140. Hand-tapping scores did not differ. This is an association, not proof that one cause explains the difference.
• PTOTOther2025Towards AI-based precision rehabilitation via contextual model-based reinforcement learning.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA proposed AI dose-scheduler outperformed fixed upper-limb therapy schedules in synthetic stroke simulations, but it was not tested in people, so it cannot change clinic practice yet.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Artificial intelligence in rehabilitation: a living systematic mapping review - first release.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineMost AI research in rehabilitation is small, internal, and focused on stroke or gait, with very few trials testing real clinical benefit. Half the studies had no comparison group, and external validation was rare, so these tools are not yet proven to improve patient outcomes.
• SLPCohort2025Sleep Disorders and Constipation in Autistic Children and Youth: Who Receives Standard of Care Drug Treatments?Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic girls with sleep disorders were more likely to receive treatment than boys, but no sex difference appeared for constipation. Older age predicted treatment for both. Claims data cannot distinguish if girls had more severe symptoms or if care was unequal.
• PTOTOther2025Interpretable machine learning for differentiating SCA3 and MSA-C using gait and postural features from wearable sensors.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWearable insoles distinguished SCA3 from MSA-C with 95.91% accuracy. Cadence variability and eyes-closed sway were key markers. SCA3 patients showed more side-to-side instability, while MSA-C patients had more irregular walking rhythm. This supports using gait data to help differentiate these overlapping ataxias.
• PTQualitative2025AI-Based Gait Analysis System for Rehabilitation: Usability Evaluation of Human-Technology Interaction.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesFive experienced physical therapists tested a prototype AI gait analysis system. They valued the objective data but rated usability below average due to cumbersome setup, manual calibration, and poor hardware design. The system needs refinement before clinical use.
• SLPOther2025Social robots in cognitive and speech rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy: a scoping review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSocial robots were feasible and engaging for speech, language, cognitive and play therapy in children with cerebral palsy, but the reviewed studies were small, short and mixed in design, so they do not prove clinical effectiveness.
• PTOTRCT2025Motor imagery training promotes motor learning and brain plasticity without fatigability in people with progressive multiple sclerosis.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicinePhysical finger training caused fatigue and failed to improve speed in people with progressive MS. Imagining the same movements improved speed and brain excitability without causing fatigue, though gains did not last an hour.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Biopsychosocial factors and participation in adults with developmental coordination disorder: A structural equation modelling analysis.Developmental medicine and child neurologyParticipation challenges in adults with DCD are not just about motor skills. Low self-esteem, poor social support, and executive function deficits strongly predict needing more assistance and enjoying activities less. Screen these psychosocial factors to understand why participation fails.
• PTOTNarrative Review2025Essential Requirements and Relevant Technologies for Load-Bearing 3D-Printed Transtibial Prosthetic Sockets and Their Components: State-of-the-Art Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies3D-printed transtibial sockets show promise but lack long-term durability data. Current evidence covers only 2-6 weeks of use, and testing methods vary widely. Powder bed fusion and Multi Jet Fusion offer strength comparable to traditional sockets, but regulatory gaps and inconsistent testing remain.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Haptic interaction with a human partner for ankle training in chronic stroke: a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFor ankle training in stroke, partnering with a therapist via robots felt similar to robotic guidance but didn't improve movement accuracy more. The partner method did increase dorsiflexor muscle activation after training, suggesting it may encourage more active effort.
• PTOTRCT2025Effects of mirror therapy preceding augmented reality in stroke rehabilitation: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding mirror therapy before augmented reality games improved upper limb motor function and sensation more than AR games alone or conventional therapy in stroke survivors. Both AR groups improved balance better than conventional therapy, with gains maintained at three months.
• PTPilot2025Development and assessment of vibrotactile feedback from the embedded sensors of a microprocessor-controlled knee prosthesis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWaist belt feedback was easier to feel and more comfortable than socket placement. In one transfemoral amputation participant, force feedback from an insole felt most useful, but gait changes were modest.
• PTOTRCT2025Efficacy of bilateral soft exoskeleton training for people with subacute stroke: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding bilateral soft exoskeleton assistance to standard treadmill training improved walking speed, gait symmetry, and independence more than conventional training alone in people with subacute stroke. The exoskeleton group gained 0.17 m/s in speed, exceeding the threshold for meaningful change.
• PTOther2025Decoding preparatory movement state-based motor imagery with multi layer energy decoder.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new EEG method correctly separated left from right elbow imagery 86.56% of the time in 14 healthy volunteers when preparation and imagery features were scored separately.
• OTQualitative2026Experiencing Independence: Perspectives from Autistic Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults described independence as multi-dimensional, involving emotional and psychological factors, not just daily tasks. Barriers included lack of accommodations and societal stigma. Strategies like masking helped short-term but caused exhaustion. Support was seen as essential, not a failure.
• SLPOther2026How Educators' Self-Construal Shapes Teacher Training: Navigating from Autism Awareness to Stigma.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutism awareness alone did not reduce stigma in Turkish pre-service teachers. Instead, their cultural self-view mediated this link: higher awareness increased individualism, which lowered stigma, but also increased collectivism, which raised it.
• PTRCT2026Higher Intensity Walking Training in Individuals With Chronic Motor Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairFastest overground walking speed did not show a clear advantage for higher-intensity training, but peak treadmill speed and 6-minute walk distance were greater with higher intensity in chronic motor incomplete spinal cord injury.
• OTSLPCohort2026Developmental Profiles of Young Children Referred for Concern for Autism Spectrum Disorder: DBPNet Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCognitive function did not differ between children referred for autism concern who were later diagnosed with autism and those not diagnosed, but language and adaptive skills were lower in the diagnosed group.
• SLPOther2026Intact but Protracted Facial and Prosodic Emotion Recognition Among Autistic Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults recognized emotions as accurately as non-autistic adults but took significantly longer to respond. This delay appeared in facial and voice tasks, suggesting the issue is processing speed rather than an inability to identify emotions.
• SLPOther2026Empathy and Interest Towards an Autistic Person and the Effect of Disclosing the Diagnosis.Journal of autism and developmental disordersWhen an autistic person disclosed their diagnosis, non-autistic listeners understood their emotions more accurately and reported more empathy. This effect held across students and working adults, though interest in meeting them varied by background.