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 678 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTRCT2024AppReminders - a pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial of a memory aid app for people with acquired brain injury.Neuropsychological rehabilitationRecruitment, retention and app use all fell short of the trial's own targets, and overall memory scores did not change. On the daily memory log alone, scores in the ApplTree group rose 13% while the Google Calendar group's did not change.
• PTMeta-Analysis2024Comparing the Scores of The Functional Movement Screen™ in Individuals with Low Back Pain versus Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of sports physical therapyAdults with low back pain score lower on the Functional Movement Screen than adults without it, 1.81 lower on the 21-point total score in a pooled analysis of three studies. The authors call some single-test differences too small to matter clinically.
• PTSystematic Review2023Systematic Review to Inform a World Health Organization (WHO) Clinical Practice Guideline: Benefits and Harms of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) for Chronic Primary Low Back Pain in Adults.Journal of occupational rehabilitationTENS made little or no difference to pain, function or quality of life for 1027 adults with chronic low back pain across 17 trials. The evidence was very low certainty and any pain relief was brief and below the study's own threshold for clinical importance.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2023A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Effect of Active Video Games on Postural Balance.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationActive video games improved balance more than no treatment, and also more than conventional therapy, across 129 studies and 6407 participants. The average effect was modest, the included studies were mostly small and unblinded, and the authors found signs of publication bias.
• OTSystematic Review2023Use of Assistive Technology for Persons with Psychosocial Disability: Systematic Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesEvidence for user-controlled devices in psychosocial disability rests on five studies, one a single case. PDAs, phone alarms, pill-cap monitors and weighted blankets were each reported to help with social function, daily tasks, medication adherence and sleep.
• PTSystematic Review2023The Effects of Intradialytic Exercise on Key Indices of Sarcopenia in Patients With End-stage Renal Disease: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationResistance exercise done during the dialysis session has the strongest backing for improving muscle mass, strength and everyday physical function in people with end-stage kidney disease. Aerobic exercise helped walking distance only, and most included trials were at high risk of bias.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Recommendations from the ISPO lower-limb COMPASS: Patient-reported and performance-based outcome measures.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalAn international panel of 46 clinicians, researchers and prosthesis users agreed on six measures for people with lower-limb absence, taken before and after each rehabilitation episode: three physical performance tests and three questionnaires, about 45 minutes in total.
• PTRCT2023Interpersonal counseling versus active listening in the treatment of mild depression: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceThree sessions of interpersonal counseling lowered depression scores more than active listening only at four weeks after the sessions ended. Immediately afterwards, and at 8 and 12 weeks, the two groups did not differ.
• PTRCT2023Extrinsic feedback facilitates mental chronometry abilities in stroke patients.NeuroRehabilitationTelling stroke patients how far their imagined movement time was from their actual time made their mental timing more accurate, and it stayed better the next day. Mental practice without that feedback changed nothing; hand speed improved in all groups.
• PTRCT2023Home-based respiratory muscle training on quality of life and exercise tolerance in long-term post-COVID-19: Randomized controlled trial.Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicineEight weeks of home breathing-muscle training improved quality of life only in the group training both inspiratory and expiratory muscles, not in the group training inspiratory muscles alone, and did not improve exercise tolerance. Inspiratory strength, endurance and leg strength improved in both real-training groups.
• PTOTRCT2023Effects of hypnosis, mindfulness meditation, and education for chronic pain on substance use in veterans: A supplementary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.Rehabilitation psychologyMindfulness meditation and hypnosis for chronic pain did not change tobacco or alcohol use in veterans. Both were linked to a lower risk of daily cannabis use than the education group. The comparison was not planned in advance and the cannabis numbers are small.
• PTRCT2023Effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on the infrapatellar fat pad in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial.Journal of physical therapy sciencePulsed ultrasound aimed at the fat pad under the kneecap, added to exercise, lowered the patellar tendon/tibia angle at all knee positions tested and improved walking pain, knee extension and Kujala scores more than exercise alone. Fat pad gliding, thickness and echo intensity did not change.
• PTMeta-Analysis2023The effectiveness of Schroth method in Cobb angle, quality of life and trunk rotation angle in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineSchroth exercises on their own improved the spinal curve, trunk rotation and quality of life in teenagers with scoliosis more than no treatment or other exercise, but the average curve change of 3.18 degrees fell short of the 5 degrees therapists treat as clinically meaningful.
• PTRCT2022Effectiveness of face-to-face physiotherapy training and education for women who are undergoing elective caesarean section: a randomized controlled trial.Archives of physiotherapyWomen taught physiotherapy exercises and incision care before their elective caesarean reported far less pain 48 hours afterwards than women given standard care alone: 1.7 out of 10 against 4.2 out of 10. They needed fewer extra painkillers and went home sooner.
• PTPilot202212 weeks high intensity interval training versus moderate intensity continuous training in chronic low back pain subjects: a randomised single-blinded feasibility study.Archives of physiotherapyPeople with chronic low back pain attended about the same share of their cycling sessions whether they were assigned to hard intervals (94%) or steady moderate training (96%) over 12 weeks, with no serious harm in either group. Both groups' pain improved equally.
• OTRCT2022Spatial exploration strategy training for spatial neglect: A pilot study.Neuropsychological rehabilitationA single 20-to-30-minute session of guided practice helped people with left-sided neglect after right-brain stroke search more evenly on both sides, and judge their own performance better. It did not increase the total number of objects they found.
• PTSystematic Review2022Feasibility and Safety of Physical Exercise to Preserve Bone Health in Men With Prostate Cancer Receiving Androgen Deprivation Therapy: A Systematic Review.Physical therapyExercise looks feasible and safe for men having androgen deprivation therapy, though adherence varied from 43% to 96.3% and most trials recruited fewer men than planned. Thirty adverse events were attributed to exercise; three were severe, all during football training.
• PTMeta-Analysis2022Effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Clinical rehabilitationLow-intensity pulsed ultrasound was linked to less pain and better knee function in osteoarthritis across 13 small trials, but in most of them it was added to exercise, drugs or TENS, so the ultrasound's own contribution is unclear.
• PTSLPSystematic Review2022Non-pharmacological Management of Non-productive Chronic Cough in Adults: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesSome non-drug treatments improved cough-related quality of life for long-standing dry cough, including speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and CPAP for sleep apnoea. But cough severity, anxiety and depression did not change, and a three-month follow-up of the physiotherapy and speech-language programme found no difference.
• PTSystematic Review2025Efficacy of conservative intervention for kinesiophobia in individuals with a history of ankle sprain: A systematic review.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationTwo things helped fear of movement after ankle sprain: visual biofeedback during walking, and low-friction patches on the outside of shoes. Strength work, balance work, joint mobilisation and brain stimulation did not. Each positive result came from one study, and every study could be biased.
• PTMeta-Analysis2025Measurement Properties of the BESTest Scale in People With Neurological Conditions: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis.Physical therapyThe BESTest gives consistent balance scores whether the same assessor repeats it or a different one does, and scores change after balance training. It is unclear whether it measures one ability or several, and translated versions are unchecked.
• SLPRCT2025Infant Achievements Intervention Improves Caregiver Implementation Fidelity and Infant Social Communication Outcomes: A Preliminary Randomized Clinical Trial.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchCoaching parents about twice a week for around eight weeks in responsive play techniques improved how consistently they used them, and improved their infants' joint attention and engagement with them, compared with developmental information alone.
• PTSystematic Review2025Return to Sport Criteria and Outcomes in Javelin Athletes Following Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction: a Systematic Review.International journal of sports physical therapyReturn to sport after elbow ligament reconstruction in javelin throwers was judged almost entirely by whether they finished a rehab and throwing programme on time. None of the four studies, covering 34 athletes, used strength, range of motion or throwing tests to clear anyone.
• PTRCT2024Effects of small community walking intervention on physical activity, well-being, and social capital among older patients with cardiovascular disease in the maintenance phase: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder adults with heart disease increased their daily steps over three months, but walking in groups of three added nothing over walking alone. Only group walkers got happier. Everyone had a step tracker and monthly coaching.
• PTMeta-Analysis2024Implications of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on gait ability, balance and kinematic parameters after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWalking speed results were split: the larger ten-metre walk test found no difference with electrical stimulation, while instrumented gait analysis did. Cadence, step length, ankle dorsiflexion, walking endurance and balance improved with stimulation.
• PTSystematic Review2024Effects of Pilates on Body Posture: A Systematic Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationPilates improved posture in some small studies of sedentary women, adolescents with hyperkyphosis and preschoolers, but not in children, women with temporomandibular dysfunction or adolescents with scoliosis. Most studies scored 4 to 7 out of 10 on quality, so the overall picture is uncertain.
• PTRCT2024Effect of Pilates exercises on symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in women: a randomized controlled trial.Archives of physiotherapyEight weeks of supervised Pilates added to dietary advice reduced IBS symptom severity more than dietary advice alone (66.75% versus 38.28% drop in total symptom score). Dietary advice on its own also helped substantially, and nobody in the trial was blinded.
• PTSystematic Review2024Genetic Variants and Persistent Impairment Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationIn people with mild traumatic brain injury, the APOE ε4 gene variant was linked to worse memory, thinking and symptoms in 17 of 24 studies, though two found better outcomes and five found none. Evidence for other genes is unclear.
• SLPRCT2024Characterizing mechanisms of caregiver-mediated naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for autistic toddlers: A randomized clinical trial.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceMothers taught to prompt their autistic toddler to communicate had children who communicated more, and used more different words, three months later than mothers taught to follow the child's lead. Responsive strategies produced longer stretches of shared attention. Neither group was a control.
• PTPilot2024The effects of resistance exercise and leucine-enriched essential amino acid supplementation on muscle mass and physical function in post-gastrectomy patients: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceMuscle mass fell by 5.46% with exercise plus a leucine supplement and 6.56% without, over three weeks after stomach cancer surgery. No difference between the groups. Leg strength improved only in the exercise group. Two quality-of-life scores rose there too.
• PTMeta-Analysis2024Minimal Clinically Important Difference of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) and the Shortened Version of the DASH (QuickDASH) in People With Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Physical therapyA change of about 12 to 14 points on the DASH, and about 12 to 15 on the QuickDASH, is the range the authors say patients notice. Pooled measurement error was 9.04 DASH points and 9.03 QuickDASH points.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024A systematic review on visual scanning behaviour in hemianopia considering task specificity, performance improvement, spontaneous and training-induced adaptations.Disability and rehabilitationFor people with hemianopia, what helps depends on the task: fewer fixations and repeats go with better search and reading performance, and in reading, longer eye movements into the blind side help too. Not everyone adopts these on their own, but training can produce them.
• PTSystematic Review2023Systematic Review to Inform a World Health Organization (WHO) Clinical Practice Guideline: Benefits and Harms of Structured Exercise Programs for Chronic Primary Low Back Pain in Adults.Journal of occupational rehabilitationNo single exercise type clearly beat the comparison on its own. Pooled across all types, exercise probably eases pain and improves function in the weeks after the programme ends, but the average benefit is small and most individual type comparisons were uncertain.
• PTMeta-Analysis2023Headaches treatment with EMG biofeedback: a focused systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicinePooling four trials, EMG biofeedback did not reduce headache frequency, intensity or attack duration more than control treatments. The review's 29 studies are mostly pre-2000 with quality problems, so the evidence that it eases headache pain remains unproven.
• OTRCT2023A Randomized Clinical Trial Targeting Daily Living Skills in Autistic Adolescents Without an Intellectual Disability Before the Transition to Adulthood.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPAutistic teens in their last two years of high school gained more daily living skills from a 14-session programme than from a social skills group, on the overall score and on domestic skills. Personal care and community skills improved equally in both groups.
• PTCohort2023Pulp-to-palm distance after plate fixation of a distal radius fracture corresponds to functional outcome.Archives of physiotherapyPatients who could not get their fingertips to their palm four weeks after plate surgery for a wrist fracture had worse wrist movement, grip strength and self-rated hand function at 3 and 6 months. Most differences had disappeared by 12 months.
• PTMeta-Analysis2023The influence of seated exercises on balance, mobility, and cardiometabolic health outcomes in individuals living with a stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical rehabilitationSeated exercise improved balance and mobility after stroke, with Berg Balance Scale scores rising 9.84 points. It did not lower blood pressure in the one trial that measured it. The trials were small and most raised concerns about bias.
• PTRCT2022Effects of 24-week basketball programme on body composition and functional fitness on adults with Down syndrome.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRA 24-week basketball programme improved body composition and fitness in adults with Down syndrome, with lower body mass, BMI and waist size and better balance, flexibility, aerobic capacity and basketball skills than the control group, whose scores did not change.
• PTSystematic Review2022Quality of Care Indicators for Hospital Physical Therapy Units: A Systematic Review.Physical therapy178 clinical quality indicators exist for hospital physical therapy units, mostly measuring whether care was delivered as evidence says it should be. Effectiveness covers 82.6%, while efficiency, equity and accessibility are barely covered, and few were tested for reliability.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2022A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis on the Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Swallowing Function of Poststroke Patients.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationAdding brain stimulation (tDCS) to rehabilitation improved swallowing after stroke across 10 small trials, with the largest gains when the current went to the uninjured side of the brain. Evidence quality is low: most trials did not describe how patients were assigned to groups.
• PTMeta-Analysis2022Neurophysiological and clinical outcome measures of the impact of electrical stimulation on spasticity in spinal cord injury: Systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesNon-invasive electrical stimulation reduced lower-limb spasticity measured by the Ashworth scale in people with spinal cord injury, but that pooled result rests on three small randomised crossover trials and the pendulum test trials disagreed, one of them favouring control.
• PTRCT2022Reliability and validity of 3D limb scanning for ankle-foot orthosis fitting.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalA low-cost 3D scanner measured foot, ankle and calf dimensions within a few millimetres of calipers, and two raters measuring the same scans got closely matching numbers. Tested on 30 healthy adults, not people who need an AFO.
• PTSystematic Review2021A Systematic Review of Center of Mass as a Measure of Dynamic Postural Control Following Concussion.International journal of sports physical therapyAdding a mental task to walking exposed balance-control differences between concussed athletes and controls that walking alone missed, and those differences were still present after players were cleared to return. Measuring this needs lab equipment most clinics lack, and all six included studies were small.
• PTMeta-Analysis2021Effects of Preoperative Breathing Exercise on Postoperative Outcomes for Patients With Lung Cancer Undergoing Curative Intent Lung Resection: A Meta-analysis.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationBreathing exercises before lung cancer surgery shortened hospital stay by about 3.4 days and cut postoperative lung complications and pneumonia. Adding aerobic exercise helped more. Mortality, lung function and quality of life were unchanged.
• OTMeta-Analysis2026Self-Compassion and Psychological Health of Parents: A Meta-Analysis Focused on Some Neurodevelopmental Disorders.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAcross 15 studies, parents of children with autism or intellectual disability who were kinder to themselves reported less anxiety, less depression, less parenting stress and better well-being. All 15 studies measured parents once, so this shows a link, not cause and effect.
• PTSystematic Review2025Properties of Measurements of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Physical Activity Assessment in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyNo physical activity questionnaire has been properly validated for chronic kidney disease. The CKD-PAQ looks most promising but has only one study, testing only its validity. The widely used LoPAQ performed poorly, and no study checked whether any questionnaire detects change.
• PTPilot2025Comparisons of the effects of psychologically-informed and usual physiotherapy on pain sensitivity in chronic low back pain: an exploratory randomized controlled trial.Archives of physiotherapyBoth approaches made people with chronic low back pain less sensitive to pressure after six weeks; adding psychological strategies to usual physiotherapy made no difference. Pain and disability improved in both groups. Without an untreated comparison it is unclear how much came from treatment.
• OTRCT2025Secondary effects of dialectical behaviour therapy on social functioning, quality of life, and autism traits in autistic adults with suicidality.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceDialectical behaviour therapy added to usual care modestly improved social functioning and quality of life in autistic adults with suicidal thoughts and behaviour, at six months and a year. Autism traits did not change, and the authors call the functional gains small.
• SLPRCT2025The Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) System in Toddlers With Early Indicators of Autism: Test-Retest Reliability and Convergent Validity With Clinical Language Assessments.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchConversational turn counts from an in-home wearable recorder lined up with autistic toddlers' language scores, even after accounting for how much the child vocalized. Plain adult-word and child-vocalization counts did not. Repeat recordings of the same child agreed moderately well.
• PTOther2025Mim-pong: a serious game for assessment and treatment of the lower limb in hemiparetic stroke patients.Archives of physiotherapyAfter ten weeks, a game-based leg programme did not beat conventional therapy on strength, walking or motor impairment; only motor control differed between the groups. The game's score matched measured leg strength well, and the 16 patients using it improved on nearly every measure.