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 21 OF 22 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTPilot2025Acceptability and feasibility of online occupational performance coaching for parents of children with disabilities in the UK.The British journal of occupational therapyParents and therapists found the online coaching acceptable, and parents scored their children's occupational performance and their own satisfaction higher afterwards. With no control group and only eight families, this does not show the coaching caused the change.
• OTSurvey2025Factors Influencing Return to Work Among Women With Acquired Brain Injury.Occupational therapy international61.2% of these women with acquired brain injury had returned to work. Each extra year of age made return less likely, while support from managers at work made it about five times more likely. Education, marital status and impairment did not predict return.
• OTQualitative2026Qualitative Analysis of User Experiences of a mHealth Self-Care Intervention for Care Partners of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationIn interviews, care partners of people with traumatic brain injury said the app's self-care prompts raised their awareness but often arrived at times they could not act, and its dashboard scores confused them. Technical glitches lost data and notifications.
• OTQualitative2025Menstruation among autistic adults: An occupational perspective.The British journal of occupational therapySix autistic adults described periods disrupting self-care, work and leisure through sensory overload, unpredictable cycles and anxiety about bathroom access and leaking. None had been offered professional support for the autism-specific side of managing menstruation.
• OTQualitative2025'Ask someone, what is their Dreaming?': Exploring occupational performance coaching with service providers supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.Australian occupational therapy journalStaff said the word 'goal' in occupational performance coaching did not fit the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families they work with. They suggested framing plans around a family's Dreaming instead, which is ongoing, not something that ends. Building relationships over time came first.
• PTOTSLPPilot2026Exploring Treatment Expectations and Clinical Meaningfulness in Spinal Muscular Atrophy Using the Goal Attainment Scale.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationPeople with SMA asked to set their own goals most often chose independence in movement, upper limb strength and daily activities. Most of those goals matched items on the motor scales already in use.
• OTSystematic Review2025Physical Activity Interventions Within Occupational Therapy for Persons With Substance Use Disorder: A Systematic Review.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthAll ten yoga studies and all seven tai chi studies reported benefits for people with substance use disorder: fewer cravings, better mood, sleep and quality of life. High-intensity training results were mixed, and dance and music did not reduce substance use.
• OTSystematic Review2026Occupational resilience: Scoping review of conceptualisations and applications in contexts of adversity.Australian occupational therapy journalOccupational resilience is mostly studied as workers' capacity to withstand job stress, not as people using meaningful everyday activity to rebuild life after trauma. The authors argue for the broader second reading.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Effectiveness of psychoeducational intervention in promoting post-stroke self-care: a systematic literature review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesHalf of the eight trials found no improvement in their main outcome after psychoeducation was added to stroke rehabilitation; the other half reported better self-care, self-efficacy, quality of life or caregiver burden. No trial tested education alone, and results could not be pooled.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Effect of virtual reality-based upper limb training on activity of daily living and quality of life among stroke survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding game-based virtual reality to stroke upper limb rehabilitation, or using it on its own, improved daily activity scores more than conventional therapy alone, and immersive headsets did better than screens. Quality-of-life results look bigger but rest on only eight trials.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022Systematic Review of Functional Outcomes in Cancer Rehabilitation.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMost studies in this review found rehabilitation improved function for people with cancer, across daily activities, fatigue, walking, thinking and quality of life. But 102 of 362 (28%) found no significant benefit on their main outcome, and results could not be pooled.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• OTRCT2022An app-based just-in-time-adaptive self-management intervention for care partners: The CareQOL feasibility pilot study.Rehabilitation psychologyPeople caring for someone with spinal cord injury, Huntington disease or a stem cell transplant stuck with a 90-day app and Fitbit: 69 of 70 finished. The app group scored better on 3 of 10 measures, but the trial was too small to confirm benefit.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2024The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Helping People on Sick Leave to Return to Work: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of occupational rehabilitationCBT-based programmes cut sick leave by 3.649 days and got more people back to work, but anxiety and work ability did not improve. Sixteen of the 34 treatment groups combined CBT with other treatments, so the effect cannot be pinned on CBT alone.
• OTRCT2022Effects of Task-Based LSVT-BIG Intervention on Hand Function, Activity of Daily Living, Psychological Function, and Quality of Life in Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Control Trial.Occupational therapy internationalIn 14 people with Parkinson's, adding task-based LSVT-BIG to occupational therapy improved everyday activity scores and anxiety more than occupational therapy plus relaxation, and improved hand dexterity in both hands. Depression and quality of life did not differ between the groups.
• OTRCT2025Effects of Client-Centered Occupational Therapy Intervention in Older Adults With Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Occupational therapy internationalIn 30 older adults with long-standing depression, 16 sessions of client-centred occupational therapy at home reduced depression and stress more than case management plus seated gymnastics, and improved social integration. Daily-living skills did not change in either group, and anxiety did not differ between groups.
• OTSystematic Review2025Occupational therapy interventions in facilitating return to work in patients with traumatic brain injury: A systematic review.Work (Reading, Mass.)The reviewers conclude that return-to-work rates were highest when vocational and cognitive rehabilitation were combined with a multidisciplinary team, and clients said OT advocacy with employers helped most. But the evidence is thin: the highest-quality trial found no difference at 12 months.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Association Between Patient and Facility Characteristics and Rehabilitation Outcomes After Joint Replacement Surgery in Different Rehabilitation Settings for Older Adults: A Systematic Review.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)After hip or knee replacement, older adults rehabilitating in inpatient rehabilitation facilities tended to have better function, fewer complications and shorter stays than those in skilled nursing facilities, which cost less. One study found no difference in motor scores.
• OTPilot2023Telehealth Lifestyle Redesign Occupational Therapy for Diabetes: Preliminary Effectiveness, Satisfaction, and Engagement.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthTelehealth Lifestyle Redesign OT was followed by large improvements in occupational performance and diabetes management in young adults with type 1 diabetes, and satisfaction was high. Without a control comparison, the improvements cannot be credited to the therapy alone.
• PTOTRCT2026Effect of core stability exercise training on activities of daily living, fatigue level and balance in haemodialysis patients: A randomised controlled study.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoCore stability exercises added to a breathing programme improved daily living independence, fatigue, balance and thinking and memory more than breathing alone, in 60 haemodialysis patients over 12 weeks. Both groups improved; the added exercises gave the extra gain.
• PTOTCohort2026Real-world participation after spinal cord injury: longitudinal associations with return to work and long-term social integration.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineIn this US spinal cord injury registry, better mobility, more education and greater life satisfaction went with both working and better social integration, while non-private housing and greater care needs went with worse. Depressive symptoms tracked with social integration, not employment.
• OTSurvey2026Impact of Caregiver Burden and Care Recipients' Activities of Daily Living Abilities on Caregivers' Occupational Dysfunction.Occupational therapy internationalNearly half the family caregivers of older adults in daycare rehabilitation were struggling with their own daily activities: 45.3% scored as occupationally dysfunctional, and the worse that was, the heavier their caregiver burden. A path model also linked lower care recipient ADL to more burden. Cross-sectional, so no cause is shown.
• OTOther2026Reshaping daily life: An observational study on the impact of rheumatoid arthritis on occupational repertoire.The British journal of occupational therapyBrazilian adults with rheumatoid arthritis had stopped about 13% of the activities they used to do before diagnosis, with the biggest losses in physically demanding leisure, household and work tasks, while health appointments and medication management increased.
• OTSystematic Review2026Occupational therapists, self-regulation, and primary schools: A scoping review.Australian occupational therapy journalNone of the seven primary-school papers this review found measured self-regulation directly. Occupational therapists targeted related constructs such as executive function or sensory processing, or ran whole-school programmes like Alert Program® and Zones of Regulation®, and no agreed occupational tool exists for measuring it.
• OTQualitative2026Facilitating return to work after major traumatic injuries through early vocational rehabilitation: Therapists' activities and perspectives.Australian occupational therapy journalTherapists delivering early vocational rehabilitation after major trauma spent most of their time coordinating with others, giving emotional support and doing individualised work tasks, in 12 sessions of 33 minutes on average. They said early employer contact kept work goals alive.
• OTSystematic Review2023Effectiveness of CO-OP Approach for Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationCO-OP improved children's daily activities and participation in all 19 studies that measured it, but effects on underlying motor skills were mixed. Only 6 of 20 studies reported a quantified benefit, and most used low-quality designs.
• OTRCT2025Comparison of CO-OP and goal-directed training on occupational performance and functional status in children with cerebral palsy: Three-armed randomised trial.Australian occupational therapy journalCO-OP added to standard occupational therapy outperformed both goal-directed training plus standard therapy and standard therapy alone on occupational performance and functional status in children with cerebral palsy. Goal-directed training beat standard therapy alone on performance and satisfaction but not on functional status.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Assessing Participation Among Stroke Survivors: A Systematic Review of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures.Occupational therapy internationalTen patient-reported scales assess stroke participation. SIS 3.0 has the most translations and broadest domain coverage. MAPA is the only one designed specifically for participation. Pick the tool that matches what you need to measure.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Improves Activities of Daily Living Post Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationNMES produced a moderate improvement in daily living scores for 428 post-stroke patients across 10 trials, but did not improve motor ability. The benefit was strongest in the subacute stage and for the upper limb. No adverse effects were reported.
• OTRCT2025A Metacognitive Strategy Intervention for People With Parkinson's Disease: Pilot and Feasibility Trial.The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy AssociationIn a pilot trial of 50 people with Parkinson's, a metacognitive strategy approach produced larger gains in self-rated daily cognitive goals than a task-practice control, though both groups improved. The trial was feasible, safe, and well received.
• OTMeta-Analysis2022The Effect of Occupational Engagement on Lifestyle in Adults Living with Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Occupational therapy internationalAdding occupational engagement to chronic pain treatment increased physical activity in the short term but not at 3-12 month follow-up. Sleep quality showed no short-term difference. Evidence quality is low, so treat these as tentative.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025Effects of mirror therapy on motor and functional recovery of the upper extremity in subacute stroke: Systematic review and meta-analysis.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationMirror therapy improved arm movement, hand function, and daily living tasks in people within 6 months of stroke. The benefit appeared with both arms moving together, not with the unaffected arm alone. Quality of life did not change.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2023Efficacy of virtual reality training on motor performance, activity of daily living, and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease: an umbrella review comprising meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationVR training improved balance, stride length, and daily living in Parkinson's patients, but not walking speed or motor function. Evidence quality is low to very low, and all trials ran 3 to 12 weeks.
• PTOTRCT2025Task Practice With and Without Aerobic Exercise Improves Health-related Quality of Life and Social Participation Post-stroke: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairAdding aerobic cycling to upper-extremity task practice did not improve quality of life, mood, or participation more than task practice alone in 60 people with chronic stroke. Both groups improved and kept those gains at 12 months.
• PTOTRCT2024Effect of task-oriented training assisted by force feedback hand rehabilitation robot on finger grasping function in stroke patients with hemiplegia: a randomised controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationBoth groups improved hand function after 4 weeks of task-oriented training. The robot-assisted group gained more grip strength and finger range of motion, but showed no advantage on daily living scores or muscle tone.
• OTSystematic Review2023Virtual reality applications based on instrumental activities of daily living (iADLs) for cognitive intervention in older adults: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationVirtual reality versions of shopping, cooking and housework lifted cognitive test scores in older adults, including those with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Everyday independence mostly did not change on scales such as Lawton. Treat this as cognitive training, not function training.
• OTRCT2023Telehealth-Guided Virtual Reality for Recovery of Upper Extremity Function Following Stroke.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthStroke survivors using a virtual reality home exercise program with telehealth OT support improved their arm function by 8.6 points on a 66-point scale over 8 weeks, more than the usual-care group. They also reported using their weaker arm more in daily tasks.
• PTOTRCT2022Efficacy of sitting balance training with delayed visual feedback among patients with stroke: a randomized crossover clinical trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceDelayed visual feedback (500 ms) improved sitting balance, center-of-pressure excursion, and ADL scores in 20 stroke patients. Real-time visual feedback did not. The pattern held whether the delay came first or second.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2022Examining the effectiveness of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VAMR) therapy for upper limb recovery and activities of daily living in stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationVirtual, augmented and mixed reality training beat conventional therapy on arm movement quality and day to day independence after stroke. On hand dexterity and timed arm tasks it showed no clear advantage. The gains were clearest in people more than 6 months after stroke.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Effectiveness of Robot-Assisted Upper Extremity Function Training (Gloreha) on Upper Extremities Function After Stroke: Systematic Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesGloreha, a robotic finger glove, improved upper extremity motor scores in stroke survivors. Grip strength results were mixed across trials. It did not outperform conventional therapy on daily living tasks. Evidence comes from 3 small trials with 83 people.
• OTSystematic Review2023Motor imagery as an intervention to improve activities of daily living post-stroke: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.The British journal of occupational therapyAudio-guided motor imagery added to other treatments improved daily living independence in all four studies that tested it. Therapist-delivered imagery showed mixed results, and visual-guided imagery showed no benefit over controls.
• OTSystematic Review2026Vocational rehabilitation and return to work after spinal cord injury: a scoping review of policies in the U.S. and Canada.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesSupported employment (IPS) outperformed traditional vocational counseling for SCI return to work, with a 43.2% competitive employment rate. The biggest barrier in both the U.S. and Canada is fear of losing disability benefits and healthcare coverage.
• PTOTOther2026Association between sociodemographic and injury factors in community reintegration following spinal cord injury: An analysis of two datasets.The South African journal of physiotherapyBeing younger and employed was linked to fuller community reintegration in 182 people with spinal cord injury in South Africa. Injury level, severity, and type were not associated with reintegration.
• OTSurvey2026Parenting and Occupational Therapy: An Exploration of Global Practice.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthMost OTs working with adults collect parental status but rarely use formal tools to assess parenting. Intervention is mostly emotional support and problem-solving. Adaptive equipment for parenting tasks is the least used, so a parent needing equipment-based help may not get it.
• OTCohort2026Flourishing, social participation and reintegration difficulties: a 2-year cohort study of US military veterans with invisible injuries.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesReintegration difficulties stayed flat over two years in 75 veterans with invisible injuries, while community participation improved. Better participation and fewer reintegration problems went hand in hand with greater well-being and more social support.
• OTSystematic Review2025Measurement Tools in Occupational Therapy Practice Primary School Setting: A Scoping Review.Occupational therapy internationalMost measurement tools used by school-based OTs focus on handwriting and cognitive skills. Only four of 52 tools address the classroom environment, such as teacher support or attitudes.
• OTCase-Control2026Occupational balance, quality of life, occupational performance, and disease-related factors in people with multiple sclerosis: A case-control study.Australian occupational therapy journalOverall occupational balance was similar between people with MS and controls, but MS participants scored lower on balancing obligatory versus voluntary activities and on energy management. Their functional independence and quality of life were lower than controls.
• OTOther2026Interprofessional Collaboration Between Nurses and Occupational Therapists Enhances Independence and Reduces Disposable Absorbent Product Use in Older Patients.Occupational therapy internationalOlder hospital patients who received a one-time nurse-OT collaboration meeting showed significantly greater ADL improvement and lower absorbent product use at discharge than matched controls. Physical restraint use fell in both groups with no between-group difference.