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 679 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTRCT2025Functioning and activity outcomes of the Akwenda Intervention Program for children and young adults with cerebral palsy in Uganda: A cluster-randomized trial.Developmental medicine and child neurologyTraining and supporting caregivers improved self-care, social function and, to a smaller degree, gross motor skills in children and young adults with cerebral palsy in rural Uganda. Children who waited a year for the program also improved, which the authors could not fully explain.
• OTRCT2025Understanding Repetitive Behaviours: A clinical and cost-effectiveness, multi-site randomised controlled trial of a group for parents and carers of young autistic children.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceChildren's overall functioning improved no more after a parent programme on repetitive behaviours than after general autism psychoeducation. Children in the repetitive-behaviour arm were more likely to improve on the behaviour parents had targeted, but it cost more.
• PTSystematic Review2024Vestibular Rehabilitation: Improving Symptomatic and Functional Outcomes of Persons With Vestibular Schwannoma: A Systematic Review.Physical therapyVestibular rehabilitation may improve dizziness, balance and vestibular function after treatment for a vestibular schwannoma, but the 23 studies were mostly small, non-randomised or at high risk of bias, so the evidence is very weak. Multimodal programmes looked more consistent than single exercises.
• OTRCT2024Orthosis vs. exercise for the treatment of adult idiopathic trigger fingers: A randomized clinical trial.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalA PIP-blocking orthosis worn day and night for six weeks plus hand therapy completely resolved trigger finger in 16 participants (53.6%); hand therapy alone resolved none. Pain and hand function improved only with the orthosis, though about a quarter of those relapsed by three months.
• PTSystematic Review2024Effects of two non-drug interventions on pain and anxiety in the nursing process of burn patients: a literature review with meta-analysis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesMusic therapy and virtual reality both beat usual care for pain and anxiety in burn patients, mainly during dressing changes, across 17 small trials. Music ranked best for pain, virtual reality for anxiety, but that VR result was borderline.
• PTSystematic Review2024Hypertrophy Training Following A Total Hip Replacement: A Literature Review.International journal of sports physical therapyThirteen of the sixteen studies reported that post-surgical strengthening improved strength, function or both, but the programmes varied so widely that none can be called best practice. Only one hip replacement study looked at return to sport.
• PTSystematic Review2024An Evaluation of the Design of Multimedia Patient Education Materials in Musculoskeletal Health Care: Systematic Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesAcross 160 trials of multimedia patient education in musculoskeletal care, 118 never shared the materials patients saw, so the teaching cannot be copied or checked. Only 5 measured patient learning. The design faults seen most often: text repeating the picture, no recap activity.
• PTSystematic Review2024Risk Factors Associated with First Time and Recurrent Shoulder Instability: A Systematic Review.International journal of sports physical therapyBeing male, playing sports like skiing, snowboarding, wrestling or football, being hypermobile, and having a taller, narrower shoulder socket were linked to a first shoulder dislocation. Repeat dislocations were linked to being male, under 30, or prior instability with another injury. Study quality was mixed.
• PTRCT2024Individualized orthotic alignment and footwear for balance and mobility in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy: A randomized trial.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy improved more in balance over three months when their rigid ankle-foot orthoses were individually aligned and their shoes modified than when the same braces stayed at 90 degrees. Parents also reported better community mobility; pain and satisfaction did not differ.
• PTRCT2024Short-term intervention effect analysis of neuromuscular joint facilitation in patients who experienced stroke with shoulder subluxation: a clinical randomized controlled trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn recent stroke with a dropped shoulder, adding neuromuscular joint facilitation to usual rehabilitation narrowed the gap between shoulder blade and arm bone and thickened the supraspinatus in 18 patients. The control group did not change, but the groups were never directly compared.
• PTMeta-Analysis2024Rehabilitation interventions for neuropathic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Journal of rehabilitation medicineRehabilitation reduced short-term neuropathic pain and pain-related disability and improved work participation, but the evidence was graded low to very low and nobody looked beyond the end of treatment. Psychological approaches helped pain and disability; other approaches helped pain only.
• OTRCT2023Depressive Symptoms in Autistic Youth with Anxiety Disorders.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP42.7% of autistic 7-13 year-olds with anxiety reported clinically elevated depressive symptoms, while only 20.2% of parents reported the same. Depression did not predict how well anxiety-focused CBT worked in this secondary analysis of a trial.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2023Telehealth Interventions to Promote Health and Behavior-Related Outcomes in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersJob-interview skills improved in all three studies that targeted them, but across 11 studies results for anxiety, depression, social skills and quality of life were inconsistent. Samples were small and most studies were at high risk of bias.
• PTRCT2023No evidence for stratified exercise therapy being cost-effective compared to usual exercise therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis: Economic evaluation alongside cluster randomized controlled trial.Brazilian journal of physical therapyAdding a stratified, subgroup-matched exercise programme gave no better knee pain, function or quality of life than usual physiotherapy, and its cost savings were too uncertain to call. The trial stopped early, with fewer patients than planned.
• SLPSystematic Review2023Neurodevelopmental impairments in children with septo-optic dysplasia spectrum conditions: a systematic review.Molecular autismRoughly half of children with septo-optic dysplasia spectrum conditions have cognitive or developmental impairment (175 of 336) and 35% (65 of 187) have autism-level symptoms. In visually impaired children those autism scores may reflect adaptations to sight loss.
• OTRCT2022Remind Me To Remember: A pilot study of a novel smartphone reminder application for older adults with dementia and mild cognitive impairment.Neuropsychological rehabilitationTen older adults with memory problems completed more of the four timed water-fetching tasks with a smartphone reminder app than without it (median 100 vs 62.5 percent), and checked the clock far less. Small lab pilot, not home use.
• PTRCT2022Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of longstanding exercise therapy versus usual care in patients with axial spondyloarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis and severe limitations: The protocols of two parallel randomized controlled trials.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyThis is a study protocol, not a result. It sets out how two trials will test a year or more of supervised exercise therapy against usual care in people with axial spondyloarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis and severe functional limitations. No outcomes are reported yet.
• PTSLPMeta-Analysis2022The Prognostic Utility of Electroencephalography in Stroke Recovery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairAcross 75 studies, EEG recorded after stroke predicted later independence and stroke severity, and in most studies added prognostic information beyond the initial clinical score. Evidence for upper limb, speech, balance and cognition was mixed, and no single best EEG measure has been agreed.
• OTRCT2022VR-based cognitive rehabilitation for children with traumatic brain injuries: Feasibility and safety.Rehabilitation psychologyA VR cognitive training game was safe and doable for children with TBI. Twenty-six children stuck with their assigned game, over 80% completed all measures, and the two who stopped for eye strain or headache recovered. Thinking-skill scores did not improve significantly.
• RCT2025Testing an Advocacy Program to Improve Service Access Among Latino Families of Autistic Youth: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchA 12-week Spanish-language advocacy course improved what Latino parents of autistic youth knew about adult services and how often they advocated; their children received about one more service by six months. Unmet needs did not change, and only 30 of 48 parents were analysed.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2025Post-diagnostic support for adults diagnosed with autism in adulthood in the UK: A systematic review with narrative synthesis.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceMost adults diagnosed with autism in adulthood who were surveyed said post-diagnostic support did not meet their needs, and no included study measured whether any of it works. Adults valued psychoeducation, peer contact and one-to-one help; follow-up and signposting alone were not enough.
• PTMeta-Analysis2025Functional Recovery of Adults Following Acute COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Physical therapyMore than three months after COVID-19, adults still walk shorter distances, have weaker grip and lower exercise capacity than healthy people their age, and walking was still below average at 11 months. Function improves with longer follow-up.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Effects of electrical and magnetic stimulation on upper extremity function after stroke: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationCombining repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation with electrical stimulation ranked highest for upper limb recovery after stroke, ahead of electrical stimulation alone, but confidence is very low and spasticity did not improve with any of these treatments.
• Systematic Review2025Repetitive Behaviors in Autism and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Systematic Review.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic people and people with OCD show very similar repetitive behaviours on standard questionnaires, so a high total score cannot tell the two apart. Checking behaviours were more frequent and more severe in OCD.
• PTRCT2024Embedded motivational interviewing combined with a smartphone application to increase physical activity in people with sub-acute low back pain: a cluster randomised controlled trial.Brazilian journal of physical therapyEmbedding motivational interviewing into usual physiotherapy, alongside a self-directed patient app, did not increase daily physical activity more than usual physiotherapy alone. Pain, disability and confidence improved more in the usual care group. The trial was underpowered.
• PTMeta-Analysis2024Non-invasive brain stimulation enhances motor and cognitive performances during dual tasks in patients with Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStimulation over the front of the brain gave small improvements in walking and in thinking while walking for people with Parkinson's, but stimulating the motor cortex did nothing. Every positive result came from tDCS, not rTMS.
• PTRCT2024Impact of the simultaneous distribution of e-learning and exercise videos on the health literacy and lifestyle of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceExercise videos sent to college students, with or without e-learning, did not increase their physical activity over four weeks. Those who also got e-learning scored higher on health literacy and health habit questionnaires than the other groups.
• PTMeta-Analysis2024Aerobic fitness in children with cerebral palsy compared to typically developing peers: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Brazilian journal of physical therapyChildren with cerebral palsy average 32.84 mL/kg/min of peak oxygen uptake at maximal exercise, against 45.02 in typically developing peers. Values were lowest in the children with the most limited mobility.
• PTOther2024Impact of tailored message notifications for frailty prevention in older adults: a quasi-randomized controlled study using a regression discontinuity design.Journal of physical therapy scienceOne tailored letter a year to older adults flagged as pre-frail or frail did not clearly improve frailty scores a year later. Small gains appeared only when missing answers were ignored, and disappeared when they were filled in.
• SLPRCT2024Use of athletic tape in the speech-language-hearing treatment of post-stroke facial paralysis in the acute phase.CoDASThree of four facial measurements showed no added benefit from taping over facial exercises alone after a stroke. The tape group did better on the one taken nearest the tape, and all three groups improved, including those given no therapy.
• PTMeta-Analysis2024Exploratory Analysis of Unstable Surface Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for Chronic Ankle Instability.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationBalance training on wobble boards, BAPS boards and similar unstable surfaces improved reach distance on most directions of the Star Excursion Balance Test and two single-leg balance tests in people with chronic ankle instability. Hopping tests did not improve. The authors call the results preliminary.
• SLPSystematic Review2024Low language capacity in childhood: A systematic review of prevalence estimates.International journal of language & communication disordersPublished estimates of how many children have low language range from 0.4% to 25.2%. Where researchers applied explicit diagnostic criteria and standardised tests, figures clustered at 3.3% to 7.6%; parent or teacher report gave 9.5% to 25.2%.
• SLPRCT2024Development of mobile compatible software for cognitive-communication disorder in individuals with Alzheimer's disease.International journal of language & communication disordersA tablet app used at home alongside usual Alzheimer's medication for seven weeks raised cognitive test scores from 15.38 to 19.56 while the control group's fell from 16.13 to 15.19. The groups' language test totals did not differ.
• PTMeta-Analysis2024Effectiveness of exercise intervention on physical and health outcomes in patients admitted to an acute medical ward: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical rehabilitationExercise on an acute medical ward improved patients' walking fitness and muscle strength, but it did not change balance, length of stay, falls, readmissions or deaths. Evidence certainty was low, so results are promising rather than settled.
• SLPSystematic Review2023Association Between Adult-Onset Hearing Loss and Income: A Systematic Review.Ear and hearingAcross 46 studies, lower income went with hearing loss in 41; five found no link. All were single snapshots in time, so none can say which came first, and all income data came from what people reported about themselves.
• SLPRCT2023Increasing Adherence to Prophylactic Swallowing Exercises During Head and Neck Radiotherapy: The Multicenter, Randomized Controlled PRESTO-Trial.DysphagiaPatients doing swallowing exercises during radiotherapy stuck with them best when a speech therapist supervised every session. Adherence fell in all three groups over four weeks, and was lowest when the exercises were done with an app.
• Narrative Review2023Improving Rehabilitation Research to Optimize Care and Outcomes for People with Chronic Primary Low Back Pain: Methodological and Reporting Recommendations from a WHO Systematic Review Series.Journal of occupational rehabilitationA set of recommendations for how future trials and reviews of chronic low back pain rehabilitation should be run and written up. It reports no patients and no treatment outcomes, so nothing here changes what you do on Monday.
• SLPRCT2023The Effect of Sensory Level Versus Motor Level Electrical Stimulation of Pharyngeal Muscles in Acute Stroke Patients with Dysphagia: A Randomized Trial.DysphagiaSensory and motor electrical stimulation made no difference to swallowing recovery when compared directly in 31 acute stroke patients. The sensory group's own scores improved on three measures while the motor group's did not, but both groups also had standard dysphagia therapy.
• SLPRCT2023Metformin Versus Insulin for Gestational Diabetes: Cognitive and Neuropsychological Profiles of Children Aged 9 years.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPChildren whose mothers took metformin for gestational diabetes scored much the same at age 9 as children whose mothers had insulin, on IQ, memory, attention, reading and everyday organisation. No difference between the groups was significant.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2023Comparison of Different Rehabilitation Techniques of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in the Treatment of Motor Dysfunction After Stroke Based on Frequency Method: A Network Meta-analysis.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationAdded to routine stroke rehabilitation, biofeedback, acupuncture and virtual reality beat routine therapy alone on movement, balance and hand function scores. Most comparisons between therapies showed no significant difference and the authors say the rankings are only for reference.
• PTOTRCT2022Usage Patterns of an mHealth Symptom Monitoring App Among Adolescents With Acute Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationTeens who used the concussion app logged their symptoms about nine times each but mostly stopped before the learning modules, so most got feedback without the education meant to help them act on it. Total app time averaged just over an hour.
• SLPRCT2022Community Health Workers as Patient-Site Facilitators in Adult Hearing Aid Services via Synchronous Teleaudiology: Feasibility Results from the Conexiones Randomized Controlled Trial.Ear and hearingRemote hearing aid services with a local helper improved communication confidence in both groups. Whether the helper was a community health worker or a university student made no difference; the community health worker group wore their aids longer at the first follow-up only.
• OTRCT2022Working memory training in children with borderline intellectual functioning and neuropsychiatric disorders: a triple-blind randomised controlled trial.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRAdaptive working memory training was no better than a placebo version of the same computer programme. Both groups improved on working memory, attention and parent-rated behaviour, but children with a low IQ and ADHD or ASD got no extra benefit.
• PTMeta-Analysis2021Effectiveness of Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Interstitial Lung Disease, Including Coronavirus Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationPulmonary rehabilitation improved how far people with interstitial lung disease or post-COVID lung damage could walk, by 44.55 m more than usual care, and improved their quality of life. Breathlessness did not improve significantly. Most trials had some risk of bias.
• SLPRCT2025Exploring the nature of stuttering through a behavioral-neuro-modulation intervention program in bilinguals with stuttering.CoDASTreating bilingual adults who stutter in their dominant or non-dominant language made no difference to how much they stuttered. Stuttered syllables fell in both Kannada and English, but everyone also got brain stimulation and fluency tasks and there was no untreated control group.
• PTOTRCT2025Hand Functions Following Prone-weight Bearing on Upper Limb with Active Elbow Extension Versus Modified Constraint Induced Movement Therapy in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy - A Randomised Clinical Trial.NeuroRehabilitationIn 38 children with unilateral cerebral palsy aged 2 to 5, two weeks of prone weight-bearing on the arms improved hand-function scores more than modified constraint therapy did, though both improved. The weight-bearing group started lower and no one was followed up.
• OTSystematic Review2025Quality-of-life measurement in randomised controlled trials of mental health interventions for autistic adults: A systematic review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceOnly 5 of 19 trials of mental health treatments for autistic adults measured quality of life at all, and just one of the measures they used had been validated with autistic people. Most trials also excluded autistic adults with intellectual disability.
• PTMeta-Analysis2025Relationship Between Fear of Movement and Physical Activity in Patients With Cardiac, Rheumatologic, Neurologic, Pulmonary, or Pain Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Physical therapyThe more people feared movement, the less physically active they were, but the link was weak and varied a lot between studies. It held for people with lung, neurological, heart or arthritic conditions and older adults, but not for chronic pain.
• PTSystematic Review2025The Reliability of Using a Handheld Device to Measure 2D Kinematics: A Systematic Review.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyPhone and tablet video measured some lower-limb angles reliably, but agreement ranged from poor to excellent depending on the joint and movement. Frontal plane knee angle in single-leg tasks held up best; hip angle in running was worst.
• PTOTRCT2025Lamotrigine for cognitive deficits associated with neurofibromatosis type 1: A phase II randomized placebo-controlled trial.Developmental medicine and child neurologyLamotrigine 200 mg a day for 26 weeks did not improve performance IQ or any other cognitive or behavioural measure in adolescents with NF1. The trial stopped early at 31 of a planned 60 participants, but the groups' scores barely differed.