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 651 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTSLPSurvey2026Exploring Alexithymia, Uncertainty, Anxious Arousal, and Social Anxiety as Mediators of the Relationship Between Sensory Processing Differences and Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Autistic Adults.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn autistic adults, sensory differences link to repetitive motor behaviors through anxious arousal and to insistence on sameness through intolerance of uncertainty. Social anxiety was not a mediator. Clinicians should assess these specific anxiety facets rather than assuming general social anxiety drives repetitive behaviors.
• SLPQualitative2026Experiences of loneliness among older deaf adults who use sign language.Journal of deaf studies and deaf educationOlder deaf sign language users described loneliness as being ignored even within their own community and excluded by hearing people. They struggled to find signs for loneliness, often expressing it through facial cues. Digital tools helped access information but failed to replace the nuance of face-to-face signing.
• OTRCT2026Effect of a Video-Guided Swallowing Exercise Program on Adherence in Stroke Patients with Dysphagia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.DysphagiaStroke patients given a video-guided swallowing exercise program showed significantly better adherence than those using a printed handbook, but swallowing function improved similarly in both groups. The video helped people stick with the exercises without producing greater functional gains.
• PTOTRCT2026Extending reach: hybrid robotic-functional electrical stimulation training for post-stroke upper extremity rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding multi-muscle electrical stimulation to robot-assisted reaching training improved how far people with chronic stroke could reach and reduced arm stiffness more than robot training alone. The study was small, non-blinded, and tested only six weeks of therapy.
• PTPilot2026Safety and neuromodulation effect of transcranial focused ultrasound for motor recovery in patients with subacute stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTen patients with subacute stroke received transcranial focused ultrasound and showed no serious adverse events. Motor scores improved significantly, and a comparison with rTMS patients showed larger gains, but the study lacked a control group and cannot prove the ultrasound caused the recovery.
• PTOTPilot2026Can neurologic music therapy make the difference when using immersive virtual reality in Parkinson disease motor training? Promising findings from a secondary analysis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAdding music therapy to virtual reality treadmill training for Parkinson's did not improve overall balance or walking scores more than VR alone. However, the music group showed better turning speed and trunk control, suggesting music helps with timing rather than general mobility.
• PTOTSurvey2026International health professional perspectives of using the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance approach in routine practice.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesMost clinicians trained in CO-OP used it, mainly with children with DCD, autism or ADHD. Time, service constraints and difficulty setting client-led goals limited full, confident delivery.
• SLPSystematic Review2026Experiences who are d/Deaf and queer individuals: a systematic review and meta-synthesis.Journal of deaf studies and deaf educationd/Deaf queer people described double exclusion from hearing and Deaf worlds, plus pride from sign language and Deaf queer community. Many masked an identity to survive. These are lived experiences, not evidence that any treatment works.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Utilization of Neurology and Allied Health Services by People With Parkinson's Disease in Israel: A Retrospective Observational Study.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTPeople with Parkinson's in Israel rarely used therapy services. Only about one in five used physical therapy, and speech therapy use was under 4%. Women and Arab patients were less likely to access care. Physical therapy use in early disease linked to more hospitalizations, possibly reflecting sicker patients.
• PTRCT2025Dry needling of the gluteus-medius muscle, combined with standard care, for chronic low back pain - a pilot randomized sham-controlled trial.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapyAdding dry needling to the gluteus medius to standard exercise and sham needling reduced pain more than sham in chronic low back pain. Pain dropped by 4.6 points versus 2.0 on a 0-10 scale. This pilot suggests benefit but needs larger trials.
• SLPOther2025Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: comparison with older people with dysphagia and relationship with time since diagnosis.CoDASIn dysphagic patients, those with ALS had more thin-liquid leakage, residue, penetration and aspiration than older dysphagic adults without neurological disease. Diagnosis for more than 3 years was linked to response starting in the pyriform sinuses, moderate residues and need for an alternative feeding route.
• OTSystematic Review2025Barriers and Enablers of Delivering Asthma Self-Management to Those With Intellectual Disabilities: A Scoping Review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDAsthma self-management for people with intellectual disabilities relies heavily on carers and support workers, who often lack adequate training. Standard action plans are frequently unusable, requiring easy-read formats, visual cues, and direct education for caregivers rather than just patients.
• OTSLPCohort2025Exclusion and Truancy of Autistic Adolescents in a UK Population Representative Sample.Child: care, health and developmentIn this UK sample, 25% of autistic 14-year-olds had been excluded from school and 15% reported truanting. Higher externalising behaviour scores were strongly linked to both exclusion and truancy, while other factors showed weaker or unexpected associations.
• Cohort2025Impact of Premature Birth and Delayed Cuddling on Maternal Support Needs and Satisfaction With Postnatal Care and Changes in Support Over Time.Child: care, health and developmentMothers of preterm infants and those who experienced delayed first physical contact reported higher needs for administrative, social, and medical support. While satisfaction with physician care was higher in preterm groups, delayed contact was linked to lower satisfaction with midwifery care.
• SLPCohort2025Dysphonia coping strategies, vocal handicap and anxiety/depression symptoms in pre and post-thyroidectomy patients.CoDASTwenty thyroidectomy patients reported mild vocal handicap and used emotion-focused coping more than problem-focused, but the scores did not change significantly across preoperative, one-week, and three-month visits. Anxiety and depression were lower at one week, then rose slightly by three months.
• OTSLPRCT2025Effects of Metformin on children with Fragile X Syndrome: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.Molecular autismMetformin did not significantly improve overall behavior compared to placebo, which was the main goal. However, it did significantly reduce hyperactivity and improve sleep problems in boys with Fragile X Syndrome. Safety was similar to placebo, with no serious side effects reported over six months.
• SLPSystematic Review2025A Scoping Review on Conversational Memory and Characteristics of Conversations in Alzheimer's Disease.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRThis review found no studies examining how people with Alzheimer's remember natural conversations. Existing research shows patients retain some conversation content but struggle with source memory. Clinicians should not assume patients forget everything said, but must verify understanding of specific instructions.
• PTRCT2025Does online clinical mentoring for physical therapists enhance clinical practice and patient outcomes? A randomized controlled trial.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapySix hours of online clinical mentoring did not improve patient outcomes or PT confidence more than online lectures. The mentoring program was too brief to change practice, and patients in both groups showed similar functional recovery.
• SLPOther2025The Behaviour Support Plan Content Appraisal Tool (BSP-CAT): A New Tool for Assessing and Improving the Quality of Behavioural Support Plans.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDThe new Behaviour Support Plan Content Appraisal Tool shows moderate to good consistency when experienced staff score the same plan twice or when two staff score it together. It is not yet validated, so use it only for supervision or self-audit by trained practitioners.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Non-epileptic paroxysmal events in Rett syndrome: A systematic review of case-based and observational evidence.Developmental medicine and child neurologyMany paroxysmal events in Rett syndrome are non-epileptic. Misclassification is frequent. Clinicians should use video EEG or detailed phenomenological descriptions to distinguish these from seizures, avoiding inappropriate antiepileptic treatment.
• PTOTQualitative2026Mothers' Perspectives on Physical Activity Co-Participation With Young Children: Examining Thoughts and Racial Differences.Child: care, health and developmentMothers described being tired before playing with their children but energized and happy afterward. They identified compromising with the child's mood and managing transitions as unique barriers. Planning ahead and involving other family members helped them engage in physical activity together.
• OTSLPQualitative2026The voice within: an online ethnography on the experiences of Deaf students in a public high school in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic.Journal of deaf studies and deaf educationDeaf students in the Philippines relied on visual communication and peer support to navigate online classes, but faced isolation and learning barriers when teachers prioritized hearing students' pacing and lacked accessible materials like captions.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Does more rehabilitation lead to better upper limb outcomes after stroke? A systematic review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIncreasing upper-limb therapy dose showed a positive effect on Fugl-Meyer scores but not on Action Research Arm Test scores overall. Significant gains on the arm test only appeared when therapy time was more than doubled, suggesting a high dose is needed for functional change.
• PTOther2026Different approach to bone mineral density in non-traumatic spinal cord injury: a comparison with traumatic spinal cord injury.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn spinal cord injury at age 50 or older, non-traumatic injury had lower lumbar spine bone density than traumatic injury and more often made the lumbar spine the osteoporosis site. Hip sites did not differ.
• OTCase-Control2026Anomalous Pattern of Left Hemisphere Visual Connectivity in Children With Autism: Association With Impaired Praxis.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchChildren with autism showed a left-hemisphere visual-motor connectivity pattern: weaker links between visual and motor cortex, stronger links to prefrontal cortex. Weaker visual-motor links were linked to more skilled movement errors in autism, but not in typically developing children.
• OTCohort2026Towards an understanding of disturbed sleep phenotypes after traumatic spinal cord injury.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn Veterans with traumatic spinal cord injury, sleep problems were common but often not recorded. Sleep apnoea clustered with heart and metabolic conditions; insomnia clustered with anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Building Your Best Day: Disseminating the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth via an Interactive Website.Child: care, health and developmentYouth reported better understanding of the 24-hour movement guidelines after using the website, but parents did not. Both groups liked the guidelines but felt they were hard to follow daily due to time constraints. The site helped clarify goals but did not change intention to adopt.
• PTSystematic Review2026Biomarkers of stroke recovery using EEG-based resting-state functional connectivity: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationEEG resting-state connectivity shows inconsistent links to stroke recovery. Studies were heterogeneous and mostly descriptive, so no single measure is a validated clinical biomarker.
• PTCase Series2026Feasibility of AI-driven multichannel FES-assisted gait and cycling training in chronic neurological disorders: a case series.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeople with chronic neurological gait impairments completed an AI-driven multichannel FES-assisted cycling and walking program. All completed it, with a reversible swelling event; every participant had faster 10-meter walking and higher speed. The combined program's effect cannot be separated.
• PTCohort2025Quadriceps femoris strength deficits early in rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction identify risk of future contralateral ACL injury following return to sport in young athletes: A Preliminary analysis.Physical therapy in sport : official journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports MedicineYoung athletes who failed to reach 80% quadriceps strength symmetry about 14 weeks after ACL reconstruction had 4.4 times higher odds of injuring their opposite knee within 3 years of returning to sport. However, they had 90% lower odds of re-injuring the operated knee.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Effects of Exercise on Gait and Functional Performance in Individuals With Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: A Scoping Review.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)Exercise improves gait and balance in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus, but results vary by program. Dynamic gait training reduced falls from 73% to 10%, while adding high-intensity exercise to usual care showed no overall benefit over control groups.
• PTCohort2025Diaphragm Morphology and Function in Neurocritical Care Patients: Uncovering Key Correlations With Respiratory Muscle Strength Under Mechanical Ventilation.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyDiaphragm thickness correlated with inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength in neurocritical patients on assisted ventilation. However, thickness did not correlate with ICU length of stay or ventilation duration. The small sample size limits conclusions about clinical outcomes.
• OTSurvey2025Self-harm and suicidality experiences of autistic and non-autistic adults in midlife and old age.Molecular autismMiddle-aged and older autistic adults self-reported far higher rates of suicidal thoughts and self-harm than non-autistic peers. Autistic women and those aged 65+ reported the highest risks, even after accounting for depression symptoms.
• SLPQualitative2025Speech-Language Pathologists' Perspectives on Barriers to Recognizing Depression in People with Aphasia: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis.AphasiologySLPs struggle to spot depression in aphasia because withdrawal can be comprehension failure or emotional distress. Current tests are too language-heavy. Family members often speak for patients, hiding true feelings. SLPs adapt tools on their own due to a lack of validated options.
• SLPOther2025An Evaluation of the Temporal Integrator Processing Strategy for Cochlear Implants in Comparison to the Clinical Strategy and in Multi-Talker Noise.Ear and hearingCochlear implant recipients heard speech in noise just as well with a new strategy that removes half the electrical pulses. The main result was no improvement over standard settings, but the method cut estimated power use by up to 42%, which could extend battery life.
• PTCohort2025Assessment of hip joint mechanics during walking in people with Marfan syndrome.Gait & posturePeople with Marfan syndrome reported worse hip pain and walked with different hip, pelvis and leg mechanics than controls. Higher hip rotation loading was linked to worse hip pain, but the study did not show cause.
• PTQualitative2025Beyond the lungs: patients' experiences of musculoskeletal symptoms and manual therapy in cystic fibrosis care - A qualitative interview study.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapyTen adults with cystic fibrosis described daily muscle and joint pain and stiffness around the chest, neck and head. They reported less pain, easier breathing and more attention to body care during manual therapy, but this was experience, not evidence manual therapy works.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Effects of meeting exercise guidelines on depression and anxiety in multiple sclerosis - a systematic review and meta-analysis.Physiotherapy theory and practiceExercise meeting MS guidelines reduced depression scores by 4.46 points, exceeding the threshold for noticeable improvement. However, the effect on anxiety was not significant. The evidence is weak due to high risk of bias in most included trials.
• PTPilot2025Effects of carbon fiber custom dynamic orthosis stiffness on lower limb motion and loading during gait: A pilot study.Gait & postureWearing any carbon fiber orthosis reduced ankle motion and foot loading compared to walking without one. Stiffness level made little difference for most outcomes, suggesting compliant devices may be sufficient for offloading.
• PTSurvey2025Roles and Tasks of Physiotherapists in Nursing Homes: A Survey.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)Nursing home physiotherapists agreed they should handle falls, mobility, and transfers, but lacked time for pain and sarcopenia. They disagreed on their role in incontinence and malnutrition. This reflects professional opinion, not patient outcomes, so it cannot confirm if this work improves resident health.
• PTOTSLPOther2025UBE3A stabilization of β-catenin preserves synaptic proteins essential for motor and cognitive functions in Angelman Syndrome.Molecular autismIn mice modeling Angelman syndrome, a lithium diet improved motor coordination and memory by stabilizing beta-catenin. However, lithium worsened memory in healthy control mice. This is preclinical evidence for a new drug target, not a treatment recommendation for humans.
• SLPSystematic Review2025Orofacial and cervical myofunctional intervention programs for adults undergoing orthognathic surgery: a scoping reviewEstablishment of a new rehabilitation program using masticatory training food for jaw deformity patients.CoDASFive small Brazilian studies suggest that orofacial myofunctional therapy after orthognathic surgery improves breathing, chewing, swallowing, and speech. The evidence is limited by tiny samples, varying protocols, and a lack of standardized assessment tools.
• SLPOther2025Interplay Between Pulse Phase Duration and Inter-Phase Gap in the Assessment of Neural Health With Electrically Evoked Compound Action Potentials.Ear and hearingIn guinea pigs, lengthening the pulse duration boosted nerve responses but weakened the link between inter-phase gap effects and spiral ganglion cell survival. Short pulse durations yielded the strongest correlations with neural health.
• Other2025Comparative Analysis of Cannabidiol and Risperidone on Behavioral and Neurochemical Outcomes, and Neurodevelopment Markers in a Zebrafish Model of Embryonic Exposure to Sodium Valproate.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn zebrafish larvae with valproate-induced ASD-like hyperactivity and aggression, cannabidiol reduced these behaviors at a lower concentration than risperidone. This is animal drug screening, not evidence for treating human autism.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Meta-synthesis of qualitative studies on home-based exercise rehabilitation experiences among stroke patients: a continuity of care perspective.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStroke survivors described home exercise as failing when discharge guidance stopped and succeeding when nurses, family, or peers provided ongoing feedback. Clinicians should treat the first weeks post-discharge as a high-risk gap requiring active follow-up, not just education.
• OTPilot2026Feasibility study of the assessment of upper limb function in children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy using an end-effector robotic device.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA robotic upper limb assessment was feasible in 28 children with unilateral cerebral palsy: all completed it, and children and clinicians rated it acceptable. The robot gave movement data linked to hand function, but it is not yet a clinical measure.
• PTOTSLPPilot2026Body-weight supported treadmill or total body recumbent stepper for mobility-adapted cardiopulmonary exercise testing in multiple sclerosis patients with varying disability.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with multiple sclerosis achieved similar peak oxygen uptake on both a recumbent stepper and a supported treadmill, but more met criteria for a maximal test on the stepper. Half could not finish the treadmill due to leg symptoms. The stepper may be more reliable for assessing fitness in those with mobility disability.
• SLPOther2026Graded Sensitivity to Vowel Mispronunciations in Newly Learned Words.Language and speechAdults hearing new words judged small vowel errors as mispronunciations but large vowel errors in well-learned words as entirely new words. This suggests listeners flexibly accommodate minor speech variations but reject larger deviations when they know the target word well.
• PTOther2026Assessment of Quadriceps Muscle Characteristics in Female Division I Athletes: A Validation Study of Wireless Probes Against Standard Ultrasound Units.Journal of sport rehabilitationWireless ultrasound muscle thickness matched standard panoramic cross-sectional area well in female athletes, so it is a valid field substitute for muscle size. Echo intensity agreement was moderate, meaning brightness scores may not transfer between devices.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Swallowing and QoL Outcomes, Patient Experience and Treatment Related Priorities in Recurrent Oropharyngeal Cancer (rOPC)- a Mixed Method Study.DysphagiaSwallowing function deteriorated over six months despite patient-reported scores appearing stable. Patients prioritised survival over function, but shifted focus to quality of life when cure became unlikely. Treatment decisions must account for this dynamic, ensuring patients understand the functional trade-offs before choosing curative paths.