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 663 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTMeta-Analysis2026Efficacy of vibration therapy on physical function, activity and participation in people with stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationVibration therapy improved motor function, spasticity, balance, gait and daily activity in stroke survivors. Benefits were larger with longer sessions and in chronic stroke. Participation outcomes showed no change. Evidence quality was moderate, so results need cautious interpretation.
• PTOTRCT2026Application of continuing care based on an information platform in discharged patients with first-ever stroke.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStroke patients who used a WeChat mini-program for continuing care after discharge had better neurological function and daily living scores at three months than those receiving routine care. The group also had fewer falls and readmissions. The intervention combined online education with offline home nursing.
• PTOTCohort2026Home-based exercise training in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: A 12-month intervention study.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineA one-year home exercise program was safe for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but did not significantly improve activity levels compared to standard care. Upper limb function declined, while lung function and endurance remained stable.
• PTPilot2026An integrated multi-variable optimization approach to tailor ankle-foot orthosis stiffness to end-user needs.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThe best ankle-foot orthosis stiffness differed across ten children with cerebral palsy and across gait domains, so tuning by a single measure alone may miss the whole picture. Child and physiotherapist priorities changed the choice only for CP04.
• OTCohort2026The relationship between age of autism diagnosis and life satisfaction in adulthood.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults diagnosed between ages 3 and 5 reported higher life satisfaction, autonomy, and social activity than those diagnosed in adulthood. Autism traits were the strongest predictor of lower satisfaction across all domains, outweighing the impact of diagnosis age.
• PTOTOther2026Validity and Reliability of the Track-UL Algorithm Compared With Kinovea Software for Measuring Upper-Limb Functional Range of Motion in People After Stroke: Cross-Sectional Observational Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesA free video algorithm matched expert software closely for measuring arm movement in stroke survivors in the lab. At home, only 13 of 27 could record usable video. Use it for clinic assessments, but expect technical failures with remote patient recording.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Transitioning to a Flexible, Tiered, Developmentally Informed Same-Day Screening Model for Preschoolers in Low-Resource Settings.Child: care, health and developmentSeparate visits, long English-only tests and age-based screening were reported to make preschool health checks hard to complete in South African ECD centres. The team proposed same-day visits, shorter sessions and readiness-based tools, but did not test whether this improves screening accuracy.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Role of Technology Acceptance in the Telerehabilitation of Patients With Metabolic Syndrome: Longitudinal Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPatients care more about whether home rehab tools work and are supported than whether they are easy to use. High trust in the system actually lowered the intention to use it before treatment began. Family encouragement and clear benefits drive adoption.
• PTOther2026Isokinetic dynamometry assessment of the transition period between eccentric and concentric hamstring contractions in athletes with a history of hamstring injury.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThe pause between slow lengthening and fast shortening hamstring contractions did not differ between athletes with prior hamstring injury and healthy controls. Injured athletes had higher fast shortening strength and a higher ratio of fast shortening to slow lengthening strength.
• SLPSurvey2026Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Intellectual Disability and Substance Use Disorder: A Quantitative Study Among Health Professionals.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDHealth professionals in addiction care held more positive attitudes towards working with patients with co-occurring intellectual disability and substance use disorder than those in intellectual disability care. Professionals in disability care reported more negative attitudes towards this group compared to patients with intellectual disability alone.
• OTSystematic Review2026Multimodal colour modulation for cognitive enhancement in intelligent rehabilitation: a systematic review and translational guidance.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMaking screen text and backgrounds clearly distinguishable was the most consistent finding. Hue and saturation effects varied by task and display, and lasting rehabilitation benefit in patients was not shown.
• PTOTOther2026Exploring factors shaping employment outcomes of people with disabilities through the PEOP model: a scoping review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesEmployment for people with disabilities depends on a mix of personal skills, workplace support, and job design. Vocational programs, accommodations, and assistive tech help, but stigma, transport gaps, and heavy workloads remain major barriers.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Sleep and activity patterns in autism.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults spent more time sedentary and had less consistent sleep schedules than their non-autistic relatives. Each hour of sedentary time linked to 23.5 minutes less sleep in autistic adults, compared to 17.1 minutes in relatives. Day-to-day variability mattered more than average sleep duration.
• Other2026ToM2 : Parental Perception of Theory of Mind Abilities in Autistic Children.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchParents of autistic preschoolers who accommodated their child's repetitive behaviours more often were less accurate at predicting their child's theory of mind abilities. This cross-sectional association does not prove that accommodation causes misperception.
• Cohort2026Behavioral Phenotype Associations With Resting State EEG Signal Complexity and Power Spectral Density in Fragile X Syndrome.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn Fragile X syndrome, higher brain signal complexity linked to better cognition, and more alpha power linked to less social avoidance. More high gamma power linked to less hyperactivity, but only in those not taking stimulants. These are brain markers, not treatments.
• PTOTOther2026Technology Utilisation and Engagement in Physical Activity of Adolescents With Intellectual Disabilities: A Scoping Review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDMost studies used technology to measure activity, not change it. Some small programmes in adolescents with intellectual disabilities added exergaming, video sessions, reminders, incentives, or parent support, and some reported more movement or enjoyment, but components were bundled.
• SLPOther2026Associations Between Autistic Adolescents' Biological and Behavioral Characteristics and Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Functioning.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 110 autistic adolescents, higher BMI was linked to lower resting heart-rate variability, and higher autism symptoms and adaptive skills were linked to lower sweat-gland responses during a stress task; many other links were not found.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Urban-Rural Differences and Sex-Specific Cognitive Effects on Autism Symptom Trajectories: A Longitudinal Study of Autistic Children in Taiwan.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchRural autistic children showed steeper increases in social communication difficulties over time than urban peers, despite similar starting points. Higher verbal IQ was linked to fewer social symptoms in girls but not boys. Restricted behaviors remained stable across all groups.
• PTCohort2025Cardiopulmonary Reactivity in Bulgarian National Taekwon-Do Team Athletes.International journal of sports physical therapyResting heart rate and a recovery index did not change after the camp. After the step test, blood pressure fell and load tolerance improved, so cardiopulmonary reactivity showed mixed adaptation.
• OTQualitative2026Redefining Professionalism in Disability Services: Digital Transformation, Boundary Work, and Professional Capital in Frontline Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDStaff at Swedish day centres said sudden closures made calls, video greetings and recordings the main way to sustain relationships with adults with intellectual disabilities. They described learning digital skills and more collaboration, but felt excluded from decisions and worried digital work could dilute care.
• SLPOther2026Sex-specific metrics for success: Gaps in social word use are bigger for autistic girls than boys.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceNon-autistic girls used more social words than any other group in the study. Autistic girls also used more social words than autistic boys. This suggests that the high social language expectations for girls are a general population trait, not unique to autism.
• PTOther2026Validity and Reliability of an Immersive Virtual Reality System for Multidimensional Assessment of Cervical Sensorimotor Control: Cross-Sectional Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesA custom VR headset gave stable neck motion, repositioning, tracing and sway measurements in 30 healthy young adults, matching motion capture and clinical tests. Tilt perception was stable but not checked against a reference. It is not yet proven for people with neck pain.
• PTPilot2026Exploration of rehabilitation psychology in multidisciplinary care of upper extremity peripheral nerve injuries: patient and provider perspectives.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPatients with upper extremity nerve injuries rated a rehabilitation psychology visit more useful afterward, median 4 to 8 on 0-10. 74% improved or stayed at 10. This reports perceived value, not proven recovery outcomes.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Can GPT-5 Support Licensing Examination Preparation? Analysis of Accuracy, Reasoning, and Semantic Similarity Across Rehabilitation Disciplines.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesGPT-5 answered 91.0% of PT, 79.0% of OT, and 83.0% of SLP board-preparation questions correctly, but its explanations were less similar to expert rationales for inferential and evaluative reasoning. Use it as a supervised study aid, not a replacement for expert reasoning.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Consensus-based follow-up and treatment registry for GNAO1-associated disorder.Developmental medicine and child neurologyExperts and parents agreed on 17 domains and 26 tools to track GNAO1 disorder, prioritizing communication, mobility, and social-emotional function. This consensus framework guides future registries but does not test treatments or prove any specific tool works.
• Cohort2026Violence Against Women, Mother-Infant Bond and Child Behaviour: An Exploratory Path Analysis at IVAPSA Cohort.Child: care, health and developmentMothers experiencing violence had higher stress and depression, which weakened the mother-child bond. This weakened bond was linked to externalizing behavior problems in their preschool children. Breastfeeding did not act as a protective factor in this chain.
• PTOTCohort2026Upper limb replantation: functional disability and quality of life challenges.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPatients who needed a second surgery after upper limb replantation reported worse function in work and recreational tasks, despite similar overall disability scores. Those who did not return to work had significantly higher overall disability. Reintervention was linked to lower perceived hand use in daily activities.
• Other2026Strengthening rehabilitation to reduce burn contractures and disability in sub Saharan Africa.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesBurn survivors in Sub-Saharan Africa face a 'discharge gap' where lack of structured follow-up leads to preventable contractures. Task-shifting to nurses and integrating rehab into universal health coverage are proposed to bridge this divide and restore function.
• PTOTOther2026Reinforcement-Based Head Scan Training for Drivers With Homonymous Visual Field Loss: Improves Blind-Side Detection.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationDrivers with homonymous visual field loss learned to scan their blind side at intersections after three hours of simulator training with auditory cues. Blind-side hazard detection improved from 55.6% to 85.6% one week later, and gains persisted at one month.
• SLPSystematic Review2026Easy Read Health Information for People With Intellectual Disabilities: A Systematic Review of the Evidence.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDEasy Read health information is widely used but rarely meets accessibility standards. No study proved it improves knowledge or health outcomes on its own. Support people were often more important than the document, and their effect could not be separated from the resource.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Describing the communication of autistic people during experiences of distress: A scoping review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic people often lose verbal capacity or withdraw when distressed, relying on behaviour or non-verbal cues instead. Proxy reports frequently miss these communicative attempts, interpreting them as aggression rather than distress signals. First-person accounts reveal a bidirectional cycle where communication failure worsens distress.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026Clinician Perceptions Around Management of Sleep Problems in Children With Neurodisability.Child: care, health and developmentNon-sleep clinicians rarely use validated screening tools for sleep problems in children with neurodisability, relying instead on informal questions. Over half reported inadequate training to manage these issues. Families typically raise sleep concerns themselves, but clinicians struggle to identify causes or navigate referral pathways.
• PTRCT2026Non-invasive spinal cord neuromodulation enables volitional anti-gravity leg movements after motor-complete spinal cord injury: responders vs. non-responders.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHalf of ten people with motor-complete spinal cord injury regained volitional knee extension and ankle dorsiflexion against gravity while receiving transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation. Movements occurred only during active stimulation. No standard neurophysiological test reliably predicted who would respond.
• PTOther2026Characteristics of plantar pressure during walking in stroke patients with hemiplegia of different brunnstrom stages: a study based on five-region smart insoles.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke patients had abnormal plantar pressure on both sides, most pronounced at Brunnstrom stage III. Pressure patterns gradually resembled healthy walking as stage increased, but stage VI still showed persistent lateral metatarsal pressure.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Comparative effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation-based combination interventions for post-stroke lower limb rehabilitation: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationGait training plus electrical stimulation improved balance and leg function more than standard care. No combination significantly beat others for walking ability, though cycling plus stimulation ranked highest. Rankings are exploratory because most comparisons relied on indirect evidence rather than head-to-head trials.
• OTOther2026A review of assistive product prices in 12 countries.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAcross 12 countries, assistive products were least affordable relative to national income in low-income countries, and self care and continence products were the most expensive domain.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2026Feasibility of transcranial magnetic stimulation adjuvant therapy for chronic respiratory diseases: a narrative review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTMS is a safe, non-invasive tool for assessing diaphragm nerve pathways and is being explored as an add-on therapy for breathlessness in chronic lung disease. Current evidence is mechanistic and preclinical, with no large clinical trials yet proving it improves respiratory outcomes in these patients.
• PTOTRCT2026Efficacy of ultrasound-guided intra-articular hyaluronic acid injection in the management of adhesive capsulitis: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineUltrasound-guided hyaluronic acid injections worked as well as supervised physical therapy for frozen shoulder stiffness. Both groups saw similar, meaningful drops in pain and disability scores by 26 weeks, with no significant difference between the two treatments.
• OTOther2026Impact of transradial amputation and brachial plexus injury on vibrotactile sensation capacity of the upper extremity.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFive people with transradial amputation felt vibration on the residual limb and shoulder similarly to able-bodied controls. Three of six people with brachial plexus injury could not feel lower-arm vibration at maximum intensity, while shoulder ability to tell vibration strength was similar to benchmark.
• OTSLPCohort2026Does Depressed Mood Affect Accuracy of Perceptions of Cognitive Function in Multiple Sclerosis? The Role of Momentary Depressive Symptoms in the Correspondence Between Subjective and Objective Cognition in Multiple Sclerosis.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationPeople with MS could judge their thinking speed moment to moment, but not their working memory. Depressed mood was linked to more cognitive complaints overall, yet did not weaken how closely complaints tracked objective speed.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs) in etiologically diverse developmental conditions: A systematic review.Research in developmental disabilitiesCDIs reliably flag delayed expressive vocabulary in autism and Down syndrome, but standard scores often underestimate ability when children use signs or have low intelligibility. Use longitudinal tracking for progress, not single-timepoint screening, and adapt forms to include gesture.
• Other2026Changes in Intrinsic Activity of the Primary Somatosensory Cortex Causally Explain Differences in Emotion Perception in Autism.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchReduced brain activity in the somatosensory cortex during emotion perception in autism is driven by local neural adaptation, not top-down control. Alexithymia traits, not autism diagnosis alone, correlate with this reduced activity.
• PTCohort2026Robot-assisted gait training on functional ambulation in patients with stroke: a retrospective real-world analysis across five robotic devices.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRobot-assisted gait training did not improve walking outcomes overall compared to conventional therapy. However, specific devices matched to patient function, particularly Exowalk and Morning Walk, were associated with better ambulation gains in this retrospective analysis.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Long-term neurological and psychiatric outcomes after paediatric arterial ischaemic stroke and cerebral sinovenous thrombosis.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with first-time stroke face much higher long-term risks of paralysis, epilepsy, vision problems, and mental disorders than peers. Most survivors had at least one neurological or psychiatric diagnosis. This requires sustained multidisciplinary follow-up.
• SLPCase-Control2026Reduced inter-subject functional connectivity during movies in autism: replicability across cross-national fMRI datasets.Molecular autismAutistic adults showed less similar brain responses to silent movie scenes in visual and attention areas. With sound, temporal-region connections were stronger. Only 16% of these differences replicated across countries.
• Cohort2026Heart rate monitoring using wrist photoplethysmography in Parkinson disease: feasibility and relation with autonomic dysfunction.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWrist sensors in Parkinson's disease captured reliable pulse rates mostly at night, with only 29.2% of daytime signals usable. Tremor and dyskinesia did not worsen this data availability. Higher self-reported autonomic symptoms linked to lower maximum daytime pulse rates, but objective orthostatic hypotension showed no significant association.
• PTCohort2026Gross motor performance of infants with an at-home wearable measurement and the Alberta Infant Motor Scale: A concurrent validity study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyAn at-home wearable suit tracked infant motor development with results closely matching a physiotherapist's Alberta Infant Motor Scale scores. It accurately identified infants below clinical cut-offs, offering a reliable, objective alternative to clinic-based observation for monitoring gross motor progress.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2026Does the Extreme Male Brain Hypothesis of Autism Apply More to Females Than Males? A Systematic and Meta-Analytic Approach.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchSelf-report empathy and systemizing scores differed more between autistic and non-autistic females than between autistic and non-autistic males. Typical sex differences were smaller among autistic people.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Cognitive Predictors of Adaptive Behaviour in Children With Down Syndrome: A Systematic Review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDExecutive functions, especially working memory and inhibitory control, strongly predict adaptive behaviour in children with Down syndrome. Targeting these cognitive skills, not just teaching daily tasks, may better support autonomy. Visual and IQ measures also contribute.
• PTOTCase Series2026Integration of virtual reality and eye-tracking-based feedback system improves rehabilitation observation skills.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesFour novice occupational therapists broadened their visual scanning to include lower body landmarks after receiving VR feedback comparing their eye movements to an expert average. Self-efficacy scores increased. This was a small pilot with no control group.