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 638 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTPilot2026Efficacy and biomechanical effects of the powered lower-limbs exoskeletons Keeogo in adults with neuromuscular diseases.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThe Keeogo exoskeleton significantly reduced walking distance and speed in adults with neuromuscular diseases. While it did not affect static balance or increase fall risk, the added weight and biomechanical changes hindered gait performance, making it currently unsuitable for improving mobility in this population.
• OTSystematic Review2026Efficacy of non-invasive neuromodulation technologies in improving cognitive function and activities of daily living in patients with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and stroke: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationNon-invasive brain stimulation improved MoCA and MMSE scores versus sham or conventional intervention in adults with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, or stroke. Theta burst ranked best for cognition, tDCS for instrumental daily tasks, but effects were short-term and heterogeneous.
• PTQualitative2026Physiotherapy practice with mechanically ventilated spinal cord injury patients in the intensive care unit (ICU): A qualitative study of physiotherapists' experiences and perspectives.Clinical rehabilitationOntario ICU physiotherapists said co-treating, nurse and occupational therapist collaboration, and mentorship helped care for ventilated spinal cord injury patients. They named time, equipment, training, and autonomy as barriers.
• OTPilot2026Restoring hand grasping for patients with a complete tetraplegia with selective epineural stimulation: a parsimonious thus relevant clinical approach.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn four men with complete tetraplegia, implanted nerve cuff electrodes and external stimulation let them complete bottle and fork tasks in under 40 seconds during a one-month trial.
• PTOTCohort2026Evolution of bowel function and quality of life after spinal cord injury: a longitudinal registry and survey study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineBowel dysfunction remains a major burden for spinal cord injury survivors, affecting over 70% at discharge and 51% years later. While quality of life generally improved over time, persistent bowel issues kept scores lower. Completeness of injury predicted bowel recovery, not treatment changes.
• OTCohort2026Patient satisfaction with hospital-based outpatient rehabilitation after stroke in Sweden and its association with life satisfaction and health-related quality of life: a longitudinal national register study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineMost stroke survivors rated hospital outpatient rehabilitation positively, and higher satisfaction with the rehabilitation process was linked to better life satisfaction and health-related quality of life at discharge and one year.
• PTOther2026Adaptation of motor unit synergies in the synergetic ankle plantarflexors in ambulatory persons with incomplete spinal cord injury.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAt low ankle force, people with incomplete SCI showed less shared muscle unit activity than controls. At higher force, they showed stronger low-frequency synchronization. This suggests altered neural drive, but does not yet change clinical practice.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Benign External Hydrocephalus in a Subgroup of Autistic Children Prior to Autism Diagnosis.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchA subgroup of autistic children under two years old had benign external hydrocephalus and enlarged extra-axial cerebrospinal fluid. This pattern was rare in controls and resolved by age four. These findings suggest a specific early brain development issue in some autistic children.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Swallowing Evaluation in Post-COVID-19 Patients with Oropharyngeal Dysphagia.DysphagiaPost-COVID patients who failed swallowing screening early after discharge had high rates of aspiration and silent aspiration. Those screened weeks later had far fewer abnormalities. Higher EAT-10 scores and respiratory rates predicted aspiration risk.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Conductive Education for Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review of Outcomes, Practice Time and Motor Performance Assessment.Child: care, health and developmentConductive education studies reported mixed motor outcomes in children with cerebral palsy: some showed gains, others did not, and the review could not combine the results.
• SLPOther2025Predictors of sentence recall performance in children with and without DLD: Complexity matters.Journal of child languageIn children with DLD, exact sentence repetition depended on working memory, morphology and phonological short-term memory, and harder sentences taxed these resources earlier than in typical peers. Morphology predicted ungrammatical recalls and tense errors in both groups.
• SLPCohort2025Consonant articulation accuracy in paediatric cochlear implant recipients.Clinical linguistics & phoneticsChildren with cochlear implants show variable speech accuracy. While most sounds improved over historical norms, the nasal /m/ was unexpectedly inaccurate, often substituted with an alveolar /n/. This specific error pattern suggests clinicians should not assume all early-acquired sounds are mastered in this population.
• SLPOther2025The complexity of opportunities to respond used by mothers and fathers of children with Down syndrome: A preliminary investigation.Journal of child languageChildren with Down syndrome received fewer opportunities to respond during naturalistic family routines than during structured one-on-one play. This drop occurred regardless of whether the mother or father was interacting, suggesting the setting matters more than the parent's gender for language exposure.
• OTSLPCohort2025Characterizing the Relationship Among the Social Competence Elements in Autistic Adolescents.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn 243 autistic adolescents, face memory processing linked to social behavior and functioning primarily through theory of mind skills. This suggests that social difficulties may stem less from basic perceptual deficits and more from a lack of active cognitive engagement with social cues.
• SLPSurvey2025Feeding Problems Among Typically Developing Children From India Aged 1 to 5: A Cross-sectional Study.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPNearly one-third of typically developing Indian children aged 1 to 5 showed clinically significant feeding difficulties on parent report. However, most parents did not view these behaviors as problematic. Only 18% considered their child's mealtime behaviors a concern, despite 29% scoring above the clinical threshold.
• SLPOther2025Prosodic Cues for Broad, Narrow, and Corrective Focus in Persian.Language and speechTypical Persian speakers lengthened the first syllable from broad to narrow to corrective focus. The second syllable showed a wider pitch range in narrow and corrective focus than in broad focus. The study tested typical speakers, not patients.
• PTOTCohort2025Ten-Year Outcomes of Anticholinergic Use Among Older Adults With Intellectual Disability: Findings From the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA).Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRHigh anticholinergic burden was associated with more falls and mental health problems after 10 years in older adults with intellectual disability. It did not predict ADL dependency, constipation or laxative use. Medication review is warranted.
• Survey2025Comparing Levels of Positive Mental Well-Being and Life Satisfaction Between Mothers and Fathers of Children With an Intellectual Disability.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRMothers and fathers of children with intellectual disability reported similar mental well-being. However, mothers reported significantly higher life satisfaction than fathers. Parents who were happier in their relationship reported better well-being and life satisfaction, regardless of gender.
• OTSurvey2025"Being Integrated Does Not Mean Being Included": What Factors Contribute to School Exclusion for Autistic Children?Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research42.3% of autistic children in Ontario had experienced school exclusion. Parents reporting lower satisfaction with their child's Individual Education Plan were significantly more likely to report exclusion. Qualitative data highlighted bullying and inadequate staff training as primary drivers.
• PTOther2026Rehabilitation and return to activity after platelet-rich plasma injections in chronic tendinopathies: Consensus from international experts.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationExperts agreed to avoid NSAIDs for two weeks and start loading exercises within 5 to 10 days after PRP injections for tendinopathy. They found no consensus on using ice or immobilization immediately after the procedure.
• PTOTOther2026Analysis of balance in adults with chronic axial spinal pain receiving medial branch block or radiofrequency ablation procedures.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPeople with chronic spinal pain had worse balance than healthy controls, especially with eyes closed. Medial branch blocks did not improve this. However, procedures at the C2/3 level significantly increased sway. This suggests specific cervical levels affect balance, while others do not.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Cross-modal synchronization of EEG and ECG reveals hidden signatures of recovery in traumatic brain injury.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 11 comatose patients, heart-brain signal synchronization differed between outcomes. A new metric separated good from poor recovery with high statistical significance. This is a proof-of-concept algorithm, not a validated clinical tool, and cannot yet guide patient care.
• PTOTSLPRCT2026Novel lower limb robot-assisted gait phase stimulation enhances walking and balance in stroke patients: a pilot trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke patients walking with assistance who received robot gait training with electrical stimulation timed to each gait phase walked faster and balanced better than those with conventional or sham stimulation. Improvements persisted five weeks after the three-week course ended.
• SLPPilot2026Assessing the Role of Medical Caption Technology to Support Physician-Patient Communication for Patients With Hearing Loss: Mixed Methods Pilot Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesTen adults with hearing loss rated live captions during masked mock doctor visits as easy, trustworthy and satisfying, and said they felt less stressed; accuracy for complex medical terms was not proven.
• PTCohort2026Orthopedic surgery after selective dorsal rhizotomy in children with cerebral palsy: A matched cohort study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyAmong matched limbs in children with spastic cerebral palsy, selective dorsal rhizotomy was followed by fewer rectus femoris transfers and more bony foot and femoral derotation surgeries. It did not meaningfully reduce later muscle contracture or crouch gait surgeries.
• SLPOther2026Reimagining AAC designs for children during dynamic social situations by leveraging smart device design.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)This is a design forum about future AAC play features, not a study. It does not show that any approach works.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2026Effectiveness of mirror and robot-assisted therapy for upper extremity rehabilitation in post-stroke patients: a meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationCombining robot-assisted and mirror therapy improved arm movement and daily independence in stroke survivors. The gains were large enough to be clinically meaningful. However, the evidence is moderate, mostly from Chinese trials, and long-term effects are unknown.
• Other2026Baseline EMG alters muscle synergy activations while preserving spatial structure in healthy and post-stroke subjects.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding baseline EMG kept healthy synergy count similar, but stroke subjects had fewer synergies without baseline, and longer padding changed activation timing.
• PTOTRCT2026A bilateral upper limb interactive game-based virtual reality rehabilitation system for stroke patients: a usability and clinical study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn a small pilot trial, a Kinect-based bilateral game system outperformed conventional therapy on arm function and coordination. Scores on the 66-point Fugl-Meyer scale rose from 30.18 to 39.27. The sample was tiny, so treat this as feasibility data, not proof.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Online Health Literacy Resources for People With Intellectual Disability: A Grey Literature Scoping Review.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDROnline health resources for people with intellectual disability mostly cover tests and physical health but lack content for young people's mental health, sexual health, and men's health. While most use accessible language, very few help users evaluate or apply the information.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Comparing inpatient stroke rehabilitation care and outcomes for people with and without aphasia in Australia.Clinical rehabilitationPatients with aphasia were more likely to have goals and care plans made without them, less likely to be assessed by a psychologist despite more mood impairment when assessed, and less likely to be independent or discharged home.
• PTOTOther2026A Streamlined 4-item Wolf Motor Function Test for Efficient Assessment of Upper Extremity Motor Function in Chronic Stroke Survivors.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairA 4-item version of the Wolf Motor Function Test matches the full 15-item score almost exactly. It takes far less time and equipment, making it a practical choice for tracking arm recovery in chronic stroke patients with mild-to-moderate impairment.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Brain lesion extent, growth, and body composition in children with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyGreater brain lesion extent in children with cerebral palsy predicted shorter stature and lower weight, but not differences in body composition. Gross motor function level, not lesion size, drove fat and muscle changes. Children with high GMFCS levels gained excessive fat mass despite similar weight to peers.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Effectiveness and safety of abobotulinumtoxinA in pediatric lower limb spasticity: A phase IV, prospective, observational, multicenter study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn children with lower limb spasticity, abobotulinumtoxinA helped most patients reach their specific functional goals. Goal achievement remained high through eight injection cycles, with ambulatory patients doing better than non-ambulatory ones.
• OTQualitative2025Parents of Children and Young People With Long-Term Physical Health Conditions-Experiences of Navigating School.Child: care, health and developmentParents of children with long-term physical health conditions reported schools often failed to manage health, support missed learning, listen to children or include them safely. Parents compensated, advocated, advised and fought for equality. Their advocacy strained home-school relationships and their own well-being.
• SLPOther2025What Makes Iconic Pitch Associations "Natural": The Effect of Age on Affective Meanings of Uptalk and Creak.Language and speechListeners rated young women using uptalk as less confident and competent than those using creak or neutral speech. However, older listeners judged creaky speech as more annoying and less educated than neutral speech, while younger listeners did not.
• Qualitative2025The Psychological Experience of Caregivers of Children With Neuroblastoma Undergoing Naxitamab Treatment: A Qualitative Study in China.Child: care, health and developmentCaregivers of children with neuroblastoma described shock and financial ruin after diagnosis, followed by anxiety about new treatments. Over time, they shifted focus from academic achievement to simply having a healthy child, finding hope in access to novel therapies.
• SLPOther2025Performance-Based Executive Functions Predict Internalising but Not Externalising Maladaptive Behaviour in Students With ID.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRIn students with intellectual disability, better working memory predicted more internalising symptoms like anxiety and depression, but executive functions did not predict externalising behaviours such as aggression or hyperactivity.
• SLPOther2025Towards improved measurements of bone conduction auditory brainstem responses in infants and adults: mitigation of stimulus artefact.International journal of audiologyAdding electromagnetic shielding and a foam pad to bone conduction transducers reduced stimulus artefact by approximately 50% in adults and 33–78% in infants. This allows clearer recording of early brainstem responses without altering the hearing threshold estimates.
• SLPCohort2025Early Intervention Influences 9-Year Speech, Language, Cognitive, and Quality-of-Life Outcomes in Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Children.Ear and hearingAt age 9, children who received cochlear implants earlier showed stronger verbal short-term memory, which linked to better language and quality of life. Hearing aid fitting age had little effect. This supports fast-tracking cochlear implant referrals for children who need them.
• SLPCohort2025Electrocochleography Latency: Correlation With Electrode Position During Cochlear Implantation.Ear and hearingCochlear microphonic latency reliably tracks electrode depth during implantation, rising as the array moves toward the apex. However, it does not correlate with a patient's residual hearing. This makes latency a useful positional marker, but not a direct indicator of preserved hearing sensitivity.
• SLPSurvey2025Psychometric Properties of Dysphagia Handicap Index Scale for Older Adults with Oropharyngeal Dysphagia in China.DysphagiaThe Chinese swallowing handicap questionnaire produced consistent scores and was rated relevant by experts, so it can help SLPs capture older adults' own physical, functional, and emotional problems with eating and drinking.
• SLPPilot2025Effect of Elevation Training Mask on Swallowing Function in Individuals with Parkinson's Disease.DysphagiaFour weeks of wearing an elevation training mask reduced vallecular residue for solid and semi-solid foods in men with Parkinson's disease. Peak expiratory flow, aspiration scores, and patient-reported swallowing difficulty did not change significantly.
• PTOTSLPPilot2025Motor Imagery Practice to Improve Respiratory and Cough Function.DysphagiaFive weeks of imagining cough or expiratory exercises improved peak cough flow in healthy adults, but did not change expiratory pressure. High adherence suggests this mental practice is feasible, though evidence of effectiveness is preliminary.
• PTOTOther2026A retrospective analysis of post-stroke rehabilitation with real world use of brain-computer interface.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMost chronic stroke survivors with severe upper limb weakness improved enough on a motor scale to be considered clinically meaningful after using a brain-computer interface hand device. Improvement often happened within 12 weeks, though some needed longer. This was uncontrolled real-world data, so it does not prove the device caused the gains.
• PTOTOther2026Mirror Neuron System and Upper-Limb EMG Activity During Reaching Imitation in Stroke Survivors: Comparing Outcomes After Observing Normal vs. Aberrant Movements.NeuroRehabilitationStroke survivors showed stronger brain activation and increased supraspinatus muscle activity when imitating a reaching task after watching normal movements compared to aberrant ones. Therapists should prioritize showing correct movement patterns during action observation training.
• PTOTCase Report2026Lower limb functional electrical stimulation improves stair stepping in an individual with stroke: a case report.International journal of rehabilitation research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Rehabilitationsforschung. Revue internationale de recherches de readaptationOne stroke survivor with an implanted leg stimulator climbed stairs faster and with more foot clearance when the device was active. He felt more stable and found the task less difficult. This single case suggests the technology can assist stair negotiation, but does not prove it works for others.
• PTOTCase Series2026Effects of a tailored rehabilitation treatment in lower limb Soft Tissue Sarcomas reconstruction: a case series.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThree men with thigh sarcomas reconstructed with free muscle flaps improved walking speed and daily function after a 3-month tailored rehab program. Pain scores varied, but all reported better quality of life. Gains persisted at one-year follow-up, though results rely on crutch-assisted gait.
• PTOther2026Selective Control Assessment of the Lower Extremity for Infants and Toddlers (Mini-SCALE): Development and validation of a clinical assessment.Developmental medicine and child neurologyMini-SCALE scores matched gross motor skill levels and separated typical development from CP or CP risk. The hip item is unreliable under 9 months, so cap total scores at 8 points for that age group.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Establishing levels of arm-hand activities in stroke patients: the arm-hand-activities-scale (AHAS).Journal of rehabilitation medicineThe Arm-Hand-Activities-Scale (AHAS) is a quick, 5-category observational tool that reliably classifies arm function in stroke patients. It correlates strongly with standard measures, is easy for clinicians and patients to understand, and captures what patients actually do in daily life rather than just their maximum capacity.