TOPIC

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 18 OF 22 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTQualitative2025Perspectives of Rehabilitation Professionals on Long COVID Interventions to Facilitate Return-to-Work.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieTherapists treating long COVID prioritize managing daily home tasks before work. Return-to-work plans often extend to 16 weeks, double the usual 8 weeks. Progress relies on trial-and-error pacing, waiting days after activity increases to avoid post-exertional crashes.
• OTSystematic Review2025A systematic review of psychometric properties of questionnaires assessing activities of daily living among older adults with neurocognitive disorders.Australian occupational therapy journalThree informant-based questionnaires (Amsterdam IADLs, DAD, Bayer ADL) have the strongest evidence for assessing daily activities in older adults with dementia. The Amsterdam IADLs is best for early detection of complex task difficulties, while the DAD covers the full disease continuum.
• PTOTOther2025Interdisciplinary expert agreement on group and definitions for compensatory protective step strategies to prevent falls: A e-Delphi method study.Brazilian journal of physical therapyFourteen experts agreed on precise definitions for 14 compensatory step strategies used to recover balance. The group clarified ambiguous terms and distinguished between true strategies and unintended limb collisions, creating a standard language for fall prevention research and practice.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Upper limb robotic rehabilitation following stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating efficacy and the influence of device features and program parameters.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationDose-matched robotic therapy gave a tiny, short-lived boost to arm capacity that patients did not feel in daily life. It did not beat conventional therapy for activities. Games and feedback added nothing when a therapist supervised the session.
• OTQualitative2025Occupational Performance in the Discipline of Occupational Therapy During COVID-19 at a Public University in KwaZulu-Natal.Occupational therapy internationalOccupational therapy educators and students described pandemic online learning as stressful, isolating and inequitable. Poor home connectivity, inadequate support, and management decisions without student input harmed learning. Clinical training gaps were feared, while digital skills and open-book assessments were adapted.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Clinical relevance of the effects of robotic rehabilitation for upper limb recovery after stroke in randomized studies: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Archives of physiotherapyRobot-assisted upper limb training after stroke did not produce benefits large enough for patients to consider clinically important, despite gains in daily activities, dexterity, arm function, and strength over control therapy.
• PTOTCohort2025Investigating Balance Perception and Balance Performance in Neurological Disorders for Targeted Rehabilitation Strategies.Physical therapyFor people with Parkinson disease and stroke, confidence in daily activities linked strongly to dynamic balance tasks like stairs and turning. For multiple sclerosis, links were weak. Prioritize dynamic gait and sensory challenges for PD and stroke; results for MS are less clear.
• PTOTQualitative2025Content validity of the Demand and Ability Protocol - A dialogue tool involving stakeholders in exploring demands and abilities at work.Work (Reading, Mass.)The revised Demand and Ability Protocol now has seven domains and begins with basic skills. Experts and experienced users found its items mostly clear and relevant for workplace dialogue about demands and abilities.
• PTOTCohort2025Safety and Effectiveness of Early Rehabilitation in Patients With Stroke and Concomitant Kidney Disease: A Cohort Study With Claims Data.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationStarting rehabilitation 24 to 48 hours after admission did not increase death rates or shorten hospital stays compared to starting later. The primary outcome was null for both chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease groups.
• OTOther2025Preliminary Study of the Utility of the Menu Task in an Acute Care Setting.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationThe Menu Task flagged 79.8% of 104 acute inpatients as impaired, versus 64.4% on the Mini-Cog. Its scores rose as Mini-Cog scores rose, and it took a median 7 minutes, so it may catch functional cognition problems that screening misses.
• PTOTCase Series2025Effects of Lee Silverman Voice Treatment-BIG on Motor, Cognition, Mental Health, Occupational Performance, and Occupational Balance in Patients With Schizophrenia: A Single-Subject Experimental Study.Occupational therapy internationalThree men with chronic schizophrenia improved their walking speed, balance, and cognitive scores after four weeks of LSVT-BIG. They also reported better performance in daily tasks and higher occupational balance. This pilot suggests the therapy may help motor and mental symptoms, but evidence is limited to three people.
• PTOTCase Report2025Case Report: Rehabilitation assessment and exercise using cardiopulmonary exercise test after coronavirus-disease pneumonia.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTwo men with persistent respiratory distress after severe COVID-19 improved their exercise tolerance and oxygen needs after rehabilitation guided by cardiopulmonary exercise testing. They completed a multi-component programme including respiratory training and prone positioning, so the specific contribution of the testing protocol cannot be isolated.
• OTSLPOther2025Consensus on high-priority outcomes to be used in the evaluation of services for autistic adults: Results from a "CBPR-Nested Delphi Process".Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults, service providers, and researchers agreed on 15 self-reported outcomes for evaluating adult autism services. They also found most existing questionnaires were too hard, too vague, or unable to capture access to communication.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Estimates of the global workforce required for providing assistive technology: a modeling study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA modeling study estimates that meeting global assistive technology needs requires 4.4 million full-time equivalent workers. This calculation assumes every country achieves the high access levels and workforce productivity currently seen in Sweden. Actual requirements will vary significantly based on local resources and service organization.
• PTOTCohort2025Association Between Muscle Activity of Upper Limbs and Respiratory Parameters During Functional Performance in People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.Occupational therapy internationalPeople with mild to moderate COPD used their chest muscles more than healthy peers when reaching up, but did not always breathe less efficiently. Only one specific muscle group showed significantly higher activity during hair washing and shelf tasks.
• OTSurvey2025A global profile of occupational therapy and primary care: Results from the World Federation of Occupational Therapists survey.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTMost countries report occupational therapy in primary care, but access is uneven. High-income nations provide more assistive technology and adolescent services. Funding relies heavily on government, yet shortages and lack of role recognition persist globally, limiting consistent service delivery.
• OTQualitative2025'I couldn't change his nappy': New mothers' experiences of De Quervain's tendinosis and its impact on occupational performance.Australian occupational therapy journalPain and reduced strength from De Quervain's tendinosis made lifting, feeding, changing nappies, chores, and self-care hard for 15 new mothers. They asked for earlier education on safe handling and splint plans that fit caregiving.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025The proportion and clinical characteristics of patients with stroke who returned to work six months after discharge from a convalescent rehabilitation ward: a descriptive study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTwo-thirds of working-age stroke patients returned to work six months after discharge. Those who did not return had higher rates of aphasia and lower cognitive scores, even when motor function and daily living skills were similar to those who returned.
• OTQualitative2025Analyzing Occupational Performance of Children With Handwriting Difficulties: Parent and Teacher Experiences and Perspectives.Occupational therapy internationalParents and teachers described children's handwriting as tied to mood, motivation, confidence, memory, attention, grip and hand use. They also pointed to learning styles, parent-teacher collaboration, and sibling or peer influence as supports or barriers.
• OTOther2025Changes in lifespace and participation in community-based occupations of people with acquired brain injury: A mixed methods exploration 6 months following occupational therapy driving assessment.Australian occupational therapy journalAfter the driving assessment for acquired brain injury, people who returned to driving travelled farther and joined more community occupations. Those who did not return to driving left home less, mainly for errands and health care, and felt stuck.
• OTQualitative2025The false promise of return to work for migrant workers injured on the job in Canada: When public policies intersect to create exclusion.Work (Reading, Mass.)Injured migrant workers described return to work as blocked by closed work permits, fear of employer reprisal, and inadequate compensation. Some did not file claims, abandoned jobs, or returned to unsafe duties. Reorientation was rarely accessible.
• OTQualitative2025The challenges that individuals with MDRTB and TB experience when returning to work after completing TB treatment in the Western Cape, South Africa.Work (Reading, Mass.)TB survivors described losing belief in their own potential after diagnosis, while stigma and poor local job markets blocked return to work. They valued occupational therapy activities that built confidence and offered practical work skills, not just crafts.
• PTOTSurvey2025An Investigation Into Gross Motor Skill Intervention Provisions for Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder in the Republic of Ireland: Cross Sectional Study.Child: care, health and developmentMost children waited over six months for motor skill help. When treatment arrived, it focused on daily living tasks rather than gross motor skills. Few parents were actively involved, despite high willingness to help at home.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025The influence of HIV on return to work in stroke survivors amongst a population of the eThekwini district, Kwazulu Natal: A qualitative study.Work (Reading, Mass.)Stroke survivors living with HIV described fear of workplace discrimination and job loss as major barriers to returning to work. They emphasized that employer accommodation for medication appointments and a collaborative return-to-work process were essential for maintaining employment and health.
• PTOTOther2025Evidence for return to work following complex orthopaedic injury - a scoping review.Work (Reading, Mass.)Return to work after complex orthopaedic injury has limited, inconsistent evidence. Studies mostly examined open tibia fractures, not upper limb fractures, and predictors varied by injury type and time after injury. No consistent predictors emerged.
• PTOTCase Report2025Effect of repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation for patients with chronic stroke: a case report using an AB design.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn one man with chronic stroke, repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation applied to forearm extensors improved wrist spasticity, motor scores, and self-reported daily task confidence. Because he also received routine therapy, it is unclear whether the stimulation itself caused the gains.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Predictors of return to work among mine workers following on-duty injury: A scoping review.The South African journal of physiotherapyOnly 3 studies met criteria. Among injured mine workers, slower return to work was linked to pain, longer rehabilitation, PTSD, job stress, and unsupportive supervisors; faster return to work was linked to income, sleep, job satisfaction, and workplace support.
• PTOTRCT2025Individual and combined applied robotic hand rehabilitation and conventional rehabilitation for post-stroke hemiplegia: a prospective three-arm randomized study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineConventional occupational therapy improved upper limb function after stroke. Adding robotic hand therapy did not significantly beat conventional alone. Robotic hand therapy plus home-based Bobath exercises did not improve upper limb function.
• OTPilot2024Assessing occupational participation among justice-involved people 'with a personality disorder': Quantitative assessments and their properties.The British journal of occupational therapyAssessments identified communication and relationship difficulties in justice-involved people with personality disorder traits. However, the OPHI-II tool failed to fit expected patterns because these patients often lack a history of stable, prosocial occupational identity, challenging the tool's assumptions.
• PTOTOther2025Impact of work and environmental factors on quality of life in community-dwelling spinal cord injury individuals in South Korea using latent profile analysis.Journal of rehabilitation medicineSpinal cord injury patients with fewer bowel and spasticity problems, who worked, and who faced less stigma and financial strain were more likely to report high quality of life. Physical accessibility barriers did not significantly affect these outcomes in this Korean sample.
• OTProtocol2024Using intervention mapping to develop an occupational therapy informed intervention for adolescents experiencing mental health difficulties.The British journal of occupational therapyThis paper outlines how a new occupational therapy intervention for adolescent mental health was designed using Intervention Mapping and MOHO theory. It describes the programme structure but reports no patient outcomes because the intervention has not yet been tested.
• OTCohort2025Access to Outpatient Occupational Therapy Services After Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitalization in the Veterans Health Administration.The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy AssociationOnly 13% of Veterans received outpatient occupational therapy after psychiatric discharge. Having daily living limitations did not predict access. Instead, Black and Hispanic Veterans, and those at lower-quality facilities, were less likely to receive services, suggesting access is driven by nonclinical factors.
• PTOTOther2025Efficacy of Hand Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy in Improving Real-World Bimanual Performance and Identifying Predictors for Therapy Success in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy.Physical & occupational therapy in pediatricsIn children with unilateral cerebral palsy, 30 hours of bimanual therapy increased real-world affected-hand use and self-reported performance, but one movement measure did not change. No control group.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Relationship Between Visual Functions and Independence in ADLs and IADLs Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults.The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy AssociationContrast sensitivity predicted independence in dressing, toileting, bathing, laundry, shopping, cooking, and medication management. Near vision predicted independence in eating and most other IADLs. Distance vision predicted independence only in shopping and money management. Screen contrast sensitivity, not just acuity.
• OTPilot2025Feasibility and acceptability of a self-management intervention supporting return to work for women with breast cancer.The British journal of occupational therapyAll ten women who joined this six-week online return-to-work programme finished it, and every one said the format was acceptable. The study tested whether the intervention could be delivered, not whether it improved work outcomes.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Effects of telerehabilitation on physical function and activities of daily living in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a scoping review.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn ALS telerehabilitation studies, respiratory muscle training reported improved breathing pressure and ALS function, while aerobic exercise, stretching, and comprehensive physical therapy did not show significant improvement. Adherence and satisfaction were high, but evidence was low.
• OTSurvey2025Current Practice of Occupational Therapy for Common Disorders Seen in Rehabilitation Clinics in Saudi Arabia.Occupational therapy internationalNeurological conditions were the most commonly reported conditions among Saudi occupational therapists surveyed, including stroke, cerebral palsy and traumatic brain injury; therapeutic exercise was the most commonly reported intervention, and mental health was not reported.
• OTOther2025Transfer of skills acquired through Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach in children with executive functions deficits following acquired brain injury.Australian occupational therapy journalAfter CO-OP therapy during multidisciplinary rehabilitation and specialised schooling, 11 children with brain injury improved on 22 of 32 new goals they had not trained. Children with involved parents made goal progress; children with poor or no involvement made little or no progress.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Mental Health as a Key Mediator for Outcomes in Postsecondary Education, Employment, and Everyday Living in Autistic Adults.Autism in adulthoodIn 140 autistic adults, higher anxiety and depression scores predicted better employment and education outcomes. This contradicts general population trends where better mental health predicts success. The authors suggest that maintaining this level of functioning requires intense masking, which exhausts the individual and worsens mental health.
• PTOTCohort2025Dynamometric measurement of hand grip and pinch strength as functional independency outcome in neuromuscular diseases.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineIn 96 patients with neuromuscular disease, hand grip and pinch strength did not differ significantly between diagnostic groups, yet correlated positively with self-reported hand function and daily living independence scores.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025A qualitative follow-up on perceptions of energy management education and daily life by individuals with fatigue undergoing hemodialysis treatment.The British journal of occupational therapyPeople on dialysis described fatigue as making daily life unpredictable and guilt-inducing. They valued energy management strategies that allowed them to break tasks into smaller steps, prioritize valued activities, and accept support, helping them move from merely coping to actively rebuilding their lives.
• OTQualitative2025Return to work with fatigue after stroke: A complex occupational adaptation process.Scandinavian journal of occupational therapyPeople with post-stroke fatigue described a paradox: structure and routines are essential to sustain work, but the fatigue itself makes them impossible to maintain. Invisible task limitations were dismissed by supervisors, while noise sensitivities were accommodated.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Return to Work Trajectories of Swedish Employees on Sick-Leave Due to Common Mental Disorders.Journal of occupational rehabilitationEmployees on sick-leave for mental disorders followed five distinct return-to-work paths over 12 months. Baseline factors like previous sick-leave length, exhaustion disorder, and work environment support predicted which path a person took, suggesting interventions should be tailored to these specific risk profiles.
• OTRCT2025Associations between Psychosocial Working Conditions and Work-Specific Self-Efficacy Beliefs Among Employees Receiving Psychotherapeutic Consultation at Work.Journal of occupational rehabilitationEmployees with mental health symptoms reported lower confidence in their work abilities when facing high quantitative job demands. Conversely, having more development opportunities was associated with higher confidence. These links were cross-sectional, so they show association rather than causation.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Satisfaction, user experiences, and initial efficacy of a technology-supported self-management intervention (iSMART) to improve post-stroke functioning: a remoted randomized controlled trial.Topics in stroke rehabilitationStroke survivors found this remote self-management program satisfying and helpful, especially the coaching and goal-setting. They improved on hand function and participation measures, but the small sample meant no significant differences versus controls. Text messages were often rated as too frequent.
• OTOther2026Work Ability during the Return to Work Process: Results from a Mixed Methods Follow-Up Study Among Employees with Common Mental Disorders.Journal of occupational rehabilitationWork ability scores rose from 5.33 to 6.73 on a 10-point scale during return to work. Employees with moderate scores reported fragile stability dependent on daily form, while those with high scores described regained self-efficacy and effective work-life balance.
• PTOTCohort2025Interpersonal Processes in the Duration of Sick Leave of Workers with Chronic Diseases: A Dyadic Analysis.Journal of occupational rehabilitationWorkers whose partners doubted they would return within six months had longer sick leave. The partner's expectation predicted duration better than the worker's own. Involving significant others in return-to-work discussions may identify risk and align expectations.
• OTCohort2026Effect of Cognitive Behavioural Stress Management on Return-to-Work Amongst Sick-Listed Employees.Journal of occupational rehabilitationSick-listed employees offered group CBT stress management had significantly fewer weeks of registered sick leave over three years compared to a historical control group. The benefit appeared after the first six months, with faster sustainable return to work for the intervention group.
• PTOTQualitative2026Project ECHO Occupational and Environmental Medicine: A Qualitative Study of HealthCare Providers Supporting Workers with Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses.Journal of occupational rehabilitationProviders said WSIB delays, unclear forms and hard-to-reach adjudicators erode worker trust and slow return to work. In ECHO sessions, they described new tools and communication strategies, while still wanting clearer guidelines and faster approvals.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Effectiveness and Characteristics of Work Participation Interventions for Adults with Musculoskeletal Upper Limb Conditions: A Systematic Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationExercise interventions showed positive effects on return to work and productivity, unlike multidisciplinary or ergonomic approaches which had mixed or null results. However, evidence quality was low, with few high-quality trials, so these findings should guide cautious trial rather than definitive protocol changes.