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Adult rehabilitation research

Everything we have read on adult rehabilitation. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

1,091 PAPERS · PAGE 11 OF 22 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTOther2022Using Machine Learning to Develop a Short-Form Measure Assessing 5 Functions in Patients With Stroke.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationA new 15-item stroke assessment tracks five functions in about 10 minutes. It scores nearly identical to full batteries and detects recovery changes as well. Therapists can use it for quick discharge checks without losing the clinical detail of longer tests.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022A process evaluation of patient care needs using the Post-Stroke Checklist: A prospective study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineUsing a 13-item checklist in stroke rehab helped clinicians spot persistent issues like pain and incontinence. Most participants improved functionally by discharge, but many still reported problems three months later, highlighting the need for continued community follow-up.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2022Effect of COVID-19 stress on physical function performance and socioenvironmental factors of people with disabilities in Korea.International journal of rehabilitation research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Rehabilitationsforschung. Revue internationale de recherches de readaptationHigher stress during the pandemic was linked to more depression, greater dependence on others for daily tasks, and lower social participation. Better social attitudes, family support, and accessible services were associated with improved independence and participation, regardless of stress levels.
• PTOTCohort2022Assessment of changes in muscle mass, strength, and quality and activities of daily living in elderly stroke patients.International journal of rehabilitation research. Internationale Zeitschrift fur Rehabilitationsforschung. Revue internationale de recherches de readaptationStroke patients improved activities of daily living over four weeks when muscle strength and muscle quality improved. Muscle mass did not track recovery and even tended to fall, so mass is a poor marker of rehabilitation progress.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2022"It's Not Just in My Head, and It's Not Just Irrelevant": Autistic Negotiations of Menopausal Transitions.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults described menopause as confusing due to difficulty interpreting bodily sensations and a lack of prior information. They valued clinicians who validated their experiences rather than dismissing symptoms as psychological, and found peer support helpful but insufficient compared to evidence-based guidance.
• PTOTRCT2022The Effectiveness of Case-management Rehabilitation Intervention in Facilitating Return to Work and Maintenance of Employment After Myocardial Infarction: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial.Clinical rehabilitationCase management by a social worker significantly improved return-to-work and job retention after heart attack. Patients receiving this coordinated care were more likely to keep their same job and remain employed two years later compared to standard cardiac rehabilitation alone.
• PTOTOther2021What Are the Most Important Problems in Functioning Among Patients With Shoulder Pain? An Analysis of the Patient-Specific Functional Scale.Physical therapyPatients with shoulder pain reported problems mostly in activities and participation, not just body function. Secondary care patients reported significantly more issues with self-care and housework than those in primary care.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Ecological Momentary Assessment of Real-World Functional Behaviors in Individuals With Stroke: A Longitudinal Observational Study.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationStroke survivors spent a median 78% of sampled waking time at home and 27% in passive leisure, with only 4% in physical activities. EMA surveys tracked these real-world patterns reliably, showing higher adherence than prior stroke studies and strong agreement with standard symptom measures.
• PTOTCase-Control2021Dual goals of trunk restriction and stability are prioritized by individuals with chronic low back pain during a volitional movement.Gait & posturePeople with active low back pain stood up by restricting trunk movement and using more knee and ankle motion. Despite this 'knee strategy', they maintained stability similar to healthy controls by generating greater braking forces with their leg muscles.
• PTOTRCT2022Bimanual motor skill learning with robotics in chronic stroke: comparison between minimally impaired and moderately impaired patients, and healthy individuals.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationChronic stroke patients learned a complex bimanual robotic task over three days, but moderate-impairment patients improved less than healthy controls. Minimal-impairment patients showed an intermediate progression and generalized less to a new path.
• PTOTOther2021Determination of the conceptual structures of the disturbed activities of daily living due to Katakori by evaluating patients' values or perceptions using a patient-elicitation technique.Journal of physical therapy sciencePeople with Katakori, a Japanese term for neck and shoulder stiffness, identified 24 distinct ways it disturbs daily life. The most common issues were using computers and phones, while caring for children was rated the most burdensome. Existing questionnaires missed these specific problems.
• PTOTSLPPilot2022Perceptions of function and recovery among persons with stroke and care partners.Rehabilitation psychologyMost stroke survivors rated their recovery higher than their partners did, and partners often viewed daily tasks as harder for them. These gaps were linked to higher caregiver strain and depression. Screening both partners' perceptions helps identify couples at risk.
• PTOTSLPRCT2022Effectiveness of Cognitive Orientation to Occupational Performance intervention in improving motor skills of children with developmental coordination disorder: A randomized waitlist-control trial.Clinical rehabilitationChildren with developmental coordination disorder improved their self-rated motor performance and satisfaction, and these gains lasted three months. However, they did not show immediate improvement in general motor skills on standardized testing. Children with co-occurring ADHD did not show this delayed general transfer.
• PTOTCase Series2022Implanted Peroneal Nerve Stimulator Treatment for Drop Foot Caused by Central Nervous System Lesion: A Twelve-Month Follow-up of 21 Patients.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePatients with drop foot from central nervous system lesions reported high satisfaction and perceived performance gains after implanted peroneal nerve stimulation. Walking speed and endurance improved slightly. This was an uncontrolled study of 21 patients, so it shows what happened, not that the device caused the change.
• PTOTCase Report2021Physical therapy for multiple myeloma patients with severely hindered daily living activities due to bone lesions: a report of two cases.Journal of physical therapy scienceTwo patients with multiple myeloma and severe bone lesions moved from bedridden to independent walking without adverse events. Therapists used Borg scale 13 and mild pain limits to guide safe, long-term physical therapy that helped them qualify for stem cell transplants.
• PTOTSLPRCT2022Changes in Perceived Impact of Stroke on Everyday Life over Five Years in a Rehabilitation Sample that Received an Activity of Daily Living Intervention: A Follow-Up Study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineFive years after stroke, patients reported better participation in daily life than at three months, regardless of whether they received client-centred or usual ADL training. However, perceived impact on communication, mobility, and hand function worsened over time in the client-centred group.
• PTOTNarrative Review2022Inertial Measurement Units and Application for Remote Health Care in Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis: Narrative Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesInertial sensors can track movement and recovery in hip and knee osteoarthritis, but most studies are small, lab-based, and use different methods. These devices show promise for remote care but are not yet ready for routine clinical use without further validation.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022The neglected puzzle of dementia in people with severe/profound intellectual disabilities: A systematic literature review of observable symptoms.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDDiagnosing dementia in severe intellectual disability requires watching for behaviour changes, not cognitive tests. Key signs include withdrawal, aggression, sleep issues, and loss of self-care skills. Standard cognitive assessments are often impossible due to low baseline function, so caregiver observation of these behavioural shifts is essential.
• PTOTOther2022Characterization of neuropathic component of back pain in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures.NeuroRehabilitationIn patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures, neuropathic pain features were present in 23.6% of cases. This prevalence was linked to fracture location rather than number. Therapists should screen for neuropathic symptoms in patients with thoracic or lumbar fractures.
• PTOTRCT2022Wearable airbag technology and machine learned models to mitigate falls after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA fall detection algorithm trained on stroke survivors' movements detected more falls than one trained on healthy controls. This suggests commercial airbag devices, which often use general population data, may miss falls in stroke patients because their movement patterns are different.
• OTOther2021Linking Free Text Documentation of Functioning and Disability to the ICF With Natural Language Processing.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesNatural language processing models mapped free-text disability claim notes to ICF Mobility, Self-Care, and Domestic Life codes for many common activities, but the ICF category for looking after one's health was too broad.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022Vestibular Rehabilitation for Peripheral Vestibular Hypofunction: An Updated Clinical Practice Guideline From the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTVestibular physical therapy is strongly recommended for adults with unilateral or bilateral vestibular hypofunction to improve balance, gaze stability, and quality of life. Supervised therapy and specific gaze stabilization exercises with head movement are effective, while eye movement exercises alone are not.
• PTOTNarrative Review2022Soft robotics and functional electrical stimulation advances for restoring hand function in people with SCI: a narrative review, clinical guidelines and future directions.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSoft robotic gloves and functional electrical stimulation show promise for hand recovery in spinal cord injury, but most devices remain experimental prototypes with limited clinical validation. Clinicians should view these technologies as emerging aids rather than established treatments.
• PTOTCohort2022Longer Daily Duration of Supervised Rehabilitation after Laparoscopic Surgery for Colorectal Cancer Improves Activities of Daily Living.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePatients receiving over 40 minutes of daily supervised rehabilitation after colorectal cancer surgery showed greater improvement in activities of daily living at 14 days than those receiving less. This observational data suggests longer daily therapy time correlates with better functional recovery.
• PTOTSLPRCT2022Effects of ATLAS 2030 gait exoskeleton on strength and range of motion in children with spinal muscular atrophy II: a case series.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThree non-ambulatory children with SMA type II showed increased lower limb strength and range of motion after ten sessions with the ATLAS 2030 exoskeleton. Hip extension and knee flexion improved most. Without a control group, these gains cannot be separated from natural variation or concurrent stretching.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022Active Conservative Management of Primary Spinal Syringomyelia: A Scoping Review and Perspectives for an Activity-based Clinical Approach.Journal of rehabilitation medicineEvidence for active conservative management of primary spinal syringomyelia is extremely limited and low quality. Seven heterogeneous studies, mostly case reports, suggested physiotherapy may improve pain and function, but intervention details were often missing and no causal link was proven.
• PTOTSLPPilot2022The Utility and Acceptability of a New Noninvasive Ventilatory Assist Device, Rest-Activity Cycler-Positive Airways Pressure, During Exercise in a Population of Healthy Adults: Cohort Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesHealthy adults walked the same distance with or without a new portable breathing device, but reported feeling more breathless while using it. No adverse events occurred, and participants did not ask to stop. The device is feasible for testing in people with COPD but not yet proven beneficial.
• PTOTCohort2022Effect of life-space mobility on subjective well-being in aged home-based rehabilitation users with different levels of independence in activities of daily living.Journal of physical therapy scienceFor home-based rehab users who are mostly independent, greater life-space mobility strongly correlated with better subjective well-being. This link was absent in those with moderate or severe disabilities. Expanding community access may support well-being in higher-functioning patients.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Differences in preoperative function and outcome of patients with versus without sarcopenia after total hip arthroplasty.Journal of physical therapy scienceSarcopenia was found in 2 of 25 hip arthroplasty patients. These two patients had lower muscle mass and grip strength, and both needed transfer to a convalescent hospital rather than going home. No statistical comparison was possible.
• PTOTCohort2022Analysis of factors influencing patient satisfaction after total hip arthroplasty in a Japanese cohort: the significant effect of postoperative physical activity.Journal of physical therapy sciencePostoperative physical activity levels, not mental health scores, were the strongest factors linked to patient satisfaction after hip replacement. Patients who reported higher activity levels and demonstrated greater hip abductor strength were significantly more likely to be very satisfied.
• PTOTNarrative Review2021Klotho: An Emerging Factor With Ergogenic Potential.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThis review links low Klotho protein levels to muscle weakness and poor physical function in aging and kidney disease. It suggests exercise may raise Klotho levels, but human evidence is observational. No therapy is proven to improve patient outcomes yet.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022ICF Core Sets for the assessment of functioning of adults with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyExperts created a checklist of 33 essential categories to assess functioning in adults with cerebral palsy. This brief set highlights mobility, self-care, pain, and environmental factors like support services, aiming to standardise care for this growing population.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Comparison of respiratory function, physical function, and activities of daily living among community-dwelling patients with respiratory and non-respiratory disease.Journal of physical therapy sciencePatients with respiratory disease had significantly shorter maximum phonation times than those without, averaging 8.9 seconds versus 13.5 seconds. However, there were no differences in grip strength, chair stand performance, or daily living independence between the groups.
• OTQualitative2021Providing Verbal Assistance When Assessing Individuals Living with a Traumatic Brain Injury.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieExpert OTs described verbal assistance during dynamic TBI assessments as flexible, not a fixed sequence. They first encourage doing more alone, then adjust cues based on safety, progress, requests, and context.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Systematic Review of Biopsychosocial Prognostic Factors for Return to Work After Acute Orthopedic Trauma: A 2020 Update.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesInjury severity was the clearest early factor and a late barrier to return to work after acute orthopedic trauma. In the late phase, older age, high pain, low self-efficacy, lower education, blue-collar work, and compensation status were linked to delayed return.
• OTSurvey2021Factors Associated with Quality of Life among Caregivers of People with Spinal Cord Injury.Occupational therapy internationalCaregivers of people with spinal cord injury reported lower quality of life when depression and caregiving burden were higher. Injury level also mattered. This helps occupational therapists target caregiver training and support, but it cannot show training improves outcomes.
• OTSurvey2022Exploring Metro and Non-metro Differences in Satisfaction With Services and Community Participation Among Low-Income Personal Assistance Service Users.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesSatisfaction with personal assistance services did not differ between rural and urban users. However, rural users reported significantly more difficulty running errands independently. Number of disabilities and health status predicted satisfaction with community participation, but rurality itself did not.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Effect of short-duration, limited rehabilitation on maintenance of the activities of daily living in patients with acute phase of COVID-19.Journal of physical therapy scienceInpatients who received about 20 minutes of bedside rehabilitation daily during isolation maintained their daily living scores, while those transferred to acute care without rehabilitation declined significantly. Baseline nutrition and doing self-training at home were the strongest factors linked to better function.
• PTOTCohort2022Relationship among trunk control, activities of daily living, and upper extremity function during the first week after stroke in patients with acute cerebral infarction.Journal of physical therapy scienceTrunk control strongly correlated with daily living ability and arm function within 7 days of stroke. Trunk control and age predicted daily living ability, with trunk control being the stronger factor. Early trunk assessment is critical for planning acute stroke rehabilitation.
• OTSurvey2022Occupational therapy service provision in adult intensive care units in Australia: A survey of workload practices, interventions and barriers.Australian occupational therapy journalMost Australian ICU therapists work ad hoc with no formal service arrangement. Staffing shortages are the main barrier. Common daily tasks include bed-based self-care retraining and movement, but structured outcome measures and mental health interventions are rarely used.
• OTSLPOther2022Daily Living Skills in Adolescent and Young Adult Males With Fragile X Syndrome.American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilitiesMales with fragile X syndrome aged 15 to 23 often did personal self-care independently but needed more help with chores, cooking, errands, and finances. Stronger nonverbal thinking and understanding sentences were linked to greater independence; anxiety was not.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Assessment of Manual Abilities Using the Box and Block Test in Children with Bilateral Cerebral Palsy.Occupational therapy internationalIn children with bilateral cerebral palsy, Box and Block Test scores strongly predicted daily living performance. Scores of 28 to 40 blocks indicated a high probability of managing independent wiping. Low scores suggest looking for environmental barriers or cognitive factors rather than just motor limits.
• OTProtocol2022Managing Fatigue in Parkinson's Disease: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieThis paper is a protocol for a planned pilot trial. It describes how researchers will test a six-week videoconference fatigue management program for people with Parkinson's disease. No patients have been enrolled or assessed yet, so there are no results to report.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2022Ankle dorsiflexion training with a newly developed Hybrid Assistive Limb for a patient with foot drop caused by common peroneal nerve palsy: a case report.Journal of physical therapy scienceOne man with foot drop from nerve damage showed stronger ankle movement and a normal gait after seven sessions with an ankle exoskeleton. However, he also received standard rehab, so the device's specific benefit cannot be separated from natural recovery or other therapy.
• OTQualitative2022Canadian Occupational Performance Measure: Benefits and Limitations Highlighted Using the Delphi Method and Principal Component Analysis.Occupational therapy internationalFrench occupational therapists trained in the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure agreed it supports client-centered care and team decision-making. They identified barriers including patient cognitive difficulties, lack of institutional knowledge, and time constraints. This reflects expert opinion on usability, not evidence of clinical outcomes.
• PTOTOther2022Relationship between the independence level of individual motor-related functional independence measure items and its total score in patients after hip fracture: an ordinal logistic modelling study.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter hip fracture surgery, walking and stair climbing remain the hardest tasks to recover. If a patient still needs help eating or grooming, look for another cause, as these are rarely affected by the hip injury itself.
• OTQualitative2022Understanding the occupational identity of care-givers for people with mental health problems.The British journal of occupational therapySix UK carers for adults with mental illness described losing jobs, hobbies and social ties due to stigma and poor service support. They regained some identity by carving out time for independent activities, though many felt trapped by obligation and lack of community care.
• PTOTSLPOther2022The Effects of Occupation-Based Community Rehabilitation for Improving Activities of Daily Living and Health-Related Quality of Life of People with Disabilities after Stroke Living at Home: A Single Subject Design.Occupational therapy internationalThree people with severe disabilities after stroke living at home improved daily life independence and quality of life after a community-based occupational therapy programme. The programme combined task training, home changes, education and resource linking, so the effect of any single part cannot be separated.
• OTCase Series2022Exploring the Ability to Perform Activities of Daily Living and Cognitive Status after Hospitalization with COVID-19: A Multiple Case Study.Occupational therapy internationalEleven COVID-19 survivors had reduced ADL ability at discharge and three months later. Motor skills improved in 75% of those followed up, but process skills and cognition often stayed impaired. OT should assess ADL performance, not rely on cognitive screens alone.
• OTOther2022Daily living skills of autistic adolescents and young adults: A scoping review.Australian occupational therapy journalMost research on daily living skills for autistic adolescents and young adults focuses on short-term gains in school settings. This leaves therapists without evidence that skills generalise to home or community, or that they last beyond six months.