TOPIC

Geriatrics research

Everything we have read on geriatrics. 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.

1,154 PAPERS · PAGE 19 OF 24 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTQualitative2024Participant and caregiver experiences of an activities of daily living-focused cognitive stimulation program for individuals with mild-to-moderate dementia (CS-ADL).The British journal of occupational therapyPeople with mild-to-moderate dementia and their caregivers found the CS-ADL group enjoyable and socially connecting. They reported improved mood and purpose in daily life, but no observable memory improvement. The program's effect on actual daily living skills was not clearly captured.
• PTOTPilot2025Healthcare Awareness Profile Interview: Development of a new evidence-based brief clinical tool to assess awareness in people with dementia.Neuropsychological rehabilitationA brief awareness interview for people with mild-to-moderate dementia was feasible by phone or video, lasted about 11 min, and was generally acceptable. It gives a profile of awareness across memory, daily tasks, social and emotional functioning and mobility, and is not yet validated.
• OTRCT2024Community Participation Transition After Stroke (COMPASS) Randomized Controlled Trial: Effect on Adverse Health Events.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationStroke survivors who received home modifications and self-management training from an OT had fewer deaths and nursing home admissions. Falls and 30-day readmissions were not significantly reduced. This safety benefit was a secondary finding, not the trial's primary aim.
• PTOTQualitative2024The perceptions of nurses and physicians in primary care of rehabilitation for frail older adults.Clinical rehabilitationNurses and physicians knew what PTs and OTs offer but were unsure who to call or how to refer. They wanted PTs and OTs on-site and regular team meetings. Better communication routes, not more education, are the missing link for frail older adults.
• PTOTOther2025Falls in people with mobility limitations: a cross-sectional analysis of a US registry of assistive device users.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyHalf of adults seeking mobility devices reported a fall in the past three months. Those with progressive conditions like Parkinson's or osteoarthritis fell most often, while many still used only canes or no device.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Employing the International Classifications of Functioning, Disability, and Health to identify relevant categories for disability evaluation in older adults from the research perspective: a systematic review.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineResearch on older adults' disability focuses almost entirely on self-care, mobility, and housework. Mental functions appear frequently, but environmental factors are largely missing from existing measures. This gap suggests current evaluations overlook how physical and social surroundings act as barriers or facilitators to daily life.
• OTCohort2025Transitioning vision rehabilitation patients from over-the-counter magnifiers to prescribed aids.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyMost patients who bought their own magnifiers found them unhelpful, yet clinicians successfully prescribed better aids to them. Trying an over-the-counter magnifier predicted a higher chance of receiving and keeping a prescribed optical or electronic device, rather than blocking further care.
• PTOTCohort2024Associations Between Rehabilitation Utilization and Out-of-Pocket Costs Among Older Adults With Breast Cancer in the United States.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOlder breast cancer survivors who used rehab in the first year had higher average out-of-pocket costs than those who did not. However, they had lower median costs and less spending on hospital stays and equipment. The overall difference was too small to be clinically meaningful.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025A Role for Health Literacy in Protecting People With Limited English Proficiency Against Falling: A Retrospective, Cohort Study.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationLimited English proficiency nearly tripled fall odds in rehab. Inadequate health literacy raised that risk fourfold, while adequate literacy kept risk comparable to English speakers. Language barriers and reading difficulty, not cognition alone, drove falls.
• PTOTOther2024Simulated real-world feasibility and feedback session for a lift assistance device, Raymex™: a mixed-method descriptive study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesParticipants found the Raymex lift useful for getting up from the floor and as a walker. They also raised design concerns, including confusing brake buttons, seat comfort, noise, weight, and price. This was feedback on this device version, not proof it prevents falls.
• OTCohort2024Neighborhood Deprivation and Recovery Following Traumatic Brain Injury Among Older Adults.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationOlder adults hospitalized for traumatic brain injury who lived in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods spent fewer days at home over the next year than those in the least disadvantaged neighborhoods, even after adjustment.
• PTOTCase-Control2025Delayed Cortical Responses During Reactive Balance After Stroke Associated With Slower Kinetics and Clinical Balance Dysfunction.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairStroke survivors showed delayed brain responses to balance loss, linked to poorer clinical balance. When forced to rely on the paretic leg, these delays correlated with slower corrective body movements. Loading the nonparetic leg masked these deficits, allowing normal-speed reactions.
• PTOTQualitative2024Translation, extension, and evaluation of usability, usefulness, and safety of a fall prevention and management program for people living with spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis who use wheelchairs or scooters full time.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesParticipants reported no technical barriers to the online program and valued peer interaction. They described increased awareness of fall risks and modified tasks, but did not report improved participation in daily activities.
• OTCohort2025Self-reported Prospective and Retrospective Memory Among Middle Aged and Older Autistic and Non-autistic People.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMiddle-aged and older autistic adults reported more memory difficulties than matched non-autistic peers. However, older autistic adults reported fewer problems than younger autistic adults, while age showed no such association in the non-autistic group.
• PTOTSLPOther2024The standard posture is a myth: a scoping review.Journal of rehabilitation medicineThe "ideal" upright posture taught in clinical manuals is a myth. It was designed based on incorrect 19th-century anatomy and assumes standing is effortless. Healthy adults do not naturally stand this way. Using it as a standard labels normal people as abnormal and ignores individual variation.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Risk-taking behaviour and executive functions, a major component of the risk of fall factors after recent stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePost-stroke patients with anosognosia, impulsivity, inattention, or perseveration had significantly higher odds of falling in rehab, even after adjusting for physical severity. Language disorders were not associated with falls. These cognitive signs should guide decisions on supervised walking.
• PTOTOther2024Screening cutoff values to identify the risk of falls after stroke: A scoping review.Journal of rehabilitation medicineFor people with chronic stroke living at home, a Berg Balance Scale score between 46.5 and 50.5 points best identifies fall risk. Other common tests like the Timed Up and Go and Falls Efficacy Scale have lower accuracy, so do not rely on them alone.
• OTOther2024Navigation Training for Persons With Visual Disability Through Multisensory Assistive Technology: Mixed Methods Experimental Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesIn virtual reality with simulated vision loss, a haptic belt reduced collisions but increased task time and path length. Audio beeps improved path smoothness. Combined cues were the most preferred, yet did not improve every navigation measure.
• PTOTOther2025Discordance Between Balance Ability and Perception Is Associated With Falls in Parkinson's Disease: A Coordinated Analysis.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairPeople with Parkinson's who were under-confident in their balance, despite their actual ability, were more likely to be fallers. This discordance predicted falls better than balance tests or severity scores alone.
• PTOTPilot2024The Effect of the Mediterranean Diet-Integrated Gamified Home-Based Cognitive-Nutritional (GAHOCON) Training Programme for Older People With Cognitive Frailty: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesOlder adults with cognitive frailty who used a gamified home training app improved their diet adherence, cognitive scores, and walking speed over 12 weeks. A control group doing only self-revision saw their diet knowledge drop significantly.
• PTOTSLPRCT2024Therapeutic singing and expiratory muscle strength training in Parkinson's disease: a mixed methods comparison.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesExpiratory muscle strength training and therapeutic singing produced no significant differences in quality of life, depression, or anxiety in people with Parkinson's disease. Both interventions were highly adhered to, but quality of life scores worsened over time regardless of treatment.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Disparities in Mortality Outcomes Among Older Adults With Communication Disabilities Using the National Health and Aging Trends Study.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOlder adults with communication disabilities had a 46% higher risk of death over ten years than those without, even after accounting for health and other disabilities. This risk remained significant for expressive, cognitive, and multiple difficulties, but not for hearing loss alone.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2024Postoperative cognitive dysfunction in elderly postcardiac surgery patients: progress in rehabilitation application research.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThis review outlines how to assess and manage cognitive decline after cardiac surgery. It highlights that while cognitive training and exercise show some promise, evidence for long-term benefits in post-cardiac surgery patients is still emerging and often mixed.
• PTOTCohort2024Associations between autistic and comorbid somatic problems of gastrointestinal disorders, food allergy, pain, and fatigue in adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceHigher autistic symptom scores were linked to more IBS, likely food allergy, pain, and fatigue in 35,048 adults. Pain and fatigue links were stronger in women, and likely food allergy and fatigue links were stronger in younger adults.
• PTOTCohort2024Relationship between functional independence and community integration of people with spinal cord injury in Bangladesh.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesFor 200 adults with spinal cord injury, independence at discharge did not track with home or social community integration one month later. Injury level and completeness mattered more, so therapists should not assume discharge independence guarantees reintegration.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024Efficacy of different spinal orthoses for pain management, functional improvement, and quality of life in osteoporotic vertebral fractures: a mini review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesEvidence for spinal braces in osteoporotic fractures is inconsistent. Dynamic braces like Spinomed show promise for pain and strength, but rigid and soft braces perform similarly to no brace. High risk of bias in included studies means no specific orthosis is proven superior.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025A scoping review and synthesis of the literature on the relation between mobility impairment and cognitive impairment.Disability and rehabilitationIn adults over 50, lower mobility and lower cognitive function consistently occur together. Longitudinal evidence suggests each can predict decline in the other, though only a few studies directly tested this bidirectional link. Screening for one impairment should prompt assessment of the other.
• PTOTQualitative2025"I was angry that I fell" all the way to "if I fall, I fall": a qualitative study of the spectrum of behavioral fall risk factors for veterans with dysvascular lower-limb amputation.Disability and rehabilitationVeterans with leg amputations described fall risks as a spectrum of behaviors. Key factors included trust in the prosthesis, awareness of dual-tasking, and emotional regulation. Low trust led to device abandonment, while high trust encouraged risky activities. Self-imposed activity restriction after a fall was identified as a maladaptive behavior that increases future risk.
• PTOTCase Report2024Cryoneurolysis and Quadriplegia: A Case Report on Pain and Severe Spasticity Management.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationA man with long-standing quadriplegia and severe spasticity had cryoneurolysis to hip and hand muscles. His hip and knee range of motion and hand function improved for months, and he regained some daily independence. This is one person's story, not proof the treatment works for others.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024Overview of Effects of Motor Learning Strategies in Neurologic and Geriatric Populations: A Systematic Mapping Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationMost trials on motor learning strategies in older adults had weak methods. Only 5 studies were reliable enough to interpret. Results were mixed: dual-task and observational learning showed some promise in specific groups, but firm conclusions on effectiveness cannot be drawn.
• PTOTCohort2025Plantar sensation associates with gait instability in older adults.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationOlder adults with poorer plantar sensation showed greater gait instability during normal walking and when pulled sideways. No link was found for slip-like or visual disturbances. This suggests foot sensation matters most for lateral balance, but does not prove treating it prevents falls.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Functional independence trajectories over 5 years in older veterans with traumatic brain injury: A model systems study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationFunctional independence declined over five years in older veterans with TBI. Those with longer posttraumatic amnesia or preinjury substance use had lower scores and steeper drops. Clinicians should monitor these high-risk groups closely, as their recovery trajectory is worse than average.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Efficacy of non-invasive brain stimulation interventions on cognitive impairment: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationrTMS improved language and executive function scores in people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment, but evidence quality was low and effects varied widely between patients. tDCS showed no consistent benefit for global cognition, attention, or mood symptoms.
• PTOTCohort2025Etiological factors and clinical outcomes in extracapsular and intracapsular hip fractures among older adults: A gender-specific analysis.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationOlder women with extracapsular hip fractures are significantly less likely to return home and more likely to need rehabilitation or readmission than those with intracapsular fractures. Men with the same fracture types showed no difference in discharge outcomes. Risk factors for severe fractures differed by gender.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025Characterizing the attitudes, proficiency, and usage patterns for daily technology among older adults with a cognitive impairment.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyOlder adults with mild cognitive impairment, traumatic brain injury, or post-stroke cognitive impairment reported positive attitudes and proficiency with technology. They used social and domestic tools most often, but transportation and leisure technologies least. Age was a barrier, while interest and comfort predicted usage.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Neuroimaging and cognitive correlates of postural control in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPoorer cognition, especially executive function, is linked to worse balance in Parkinson's. Brain scans show patients rely more on conscious cortical control for posture. However, protocols varied widely, so no single test or intervention is proven.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024A Scoping Review of the Predictive Qualities of Walking Speed in Older Adults.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)Self-selected walking speed below about 1.0 m/s in older adults was repeatedly linked to higher risk of mortality, falls, hospitalization, disability, cognitive decline, and low physical activity. It can flag patients needing further assessment or referrals.
• PTOTCohort2024How older adults maintain lateral balance while walking on narrowing paths.Gait & postureOlder adults maintain lateral balance on narrowing paths by taking wider steps and slowing their center of mass. This compensates for higher variability, keeping their risk of instability comparable to younger adults despite poorer clinical balance scores.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025'It's designed for someone who is not me': A reflexive thematic analysis of the unmet healthcare support needs in UK autistic adults aged 65 years and over.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic older adults describe healthcare as 'designed for someone who is not me.' They report high anxiety, sensory overload, and a lack of trust due to past misunderstandings. Key needs include continuity of care, text/email contact options, and staff who offer explicit reassurance and extra processing time.
• PTOTOther2025Functional electrical stimulation for walking in adults with cerebral palsy: a service evaluation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdults with cerebral palsy using functional electrical stimulation for foot drop walked slightly faster and reported much higher satisfaction with their walking after three months. Most continued using the device for years, though the small number of participants and lack of a control group limit confidence in these results.
• PTOTPilot2024A Falls Prevention Program for People After Stroke in Guyana: An International Collaboration.Physical therapyIn Guyana, 19 people post-stroke who joined an 8-week home and clinic falls prevention program showed improved walking speed and sit-to-stand time. Most reported less fear of falling and continued the exercises at home. This is a small pilot study, so it shows feasibility and preliminary benefit, not proven efficacy.
• PTOTCohort2024The Importance of Racially and Ethnically Inclusive Gait Speed Reference Values in Individuals 90 Years and Older: LifeAfter90.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)Gait speeds in people over 90 were substantially slower than in those under 90, with a mean of 0.54 m/s. Using standard cut points like 1 m/s to flag risk is not useful in this group, as almost no one walks that fast.
• PTOTCohort2025Malnutrition and sarcopenia in inpatient rehabilitation: prevalence and associations with changes in bodyweight, muscle strength, and functional independence.Journal of rehabilitation medicineOver a third of inpatient rehab patients had malnutrition or sarcopenia. Strength and function improved during rehab, but malnourished patients were still weaker and less independent at discharge. Many at-risk patients lost weight, suggesting follow-up is needed.
• OTCohort2025Using a Functional Upper Limb Motor Task to Predict Cognitive and Functional Decline in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn adults who were cognitively intact, had mild cognitive impairment, or had Alzheimer's disease, variability on a brief non-dominant hand spoon task predicted one-year change in function and a cognitive test. Average task time did not predict cognitive change.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Elevated parkinsonism symptoms in autism during middle and older adulthood are linked with psychosocial, physical health, and mental health outcomes.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic adults aged 40-83 who screened positive for parkinsonism reported lower physical, environmental, and autism-specific quality of life, plus more memory, sleep, and depression issues. These links persisted when excluding those on antipsychotics, but daily living skills findings did not.
• PTOTCohort2024Analysis of fall risk factors and environmental hazards for older adults in Japan: assessing fall situations and locations.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn Japanese day-care homes, falls clustered in bedrooms, hallways, and entrances. Not using an assistive device predicted hallway and entrance falls, while Parkinson’s disease, orthopedic conditions, and cane use predicted bedroom falls.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Impact of Frailty on Post-Treatment Dysphagia in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer.DysphagiaPatients with head and neck cancer who were frail before treatment had worse swallowing quality of life and higher toxicity-related dysphagia scores at every check up to 24 months after treatment. Frailty status was associated with worse outcomes, but both frail and non-frail patients deteriorated significantly.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025To Identify and Compare ActivPAL Objectively Measured Activity Levels With Self-Reported Activity From the International Physical Activity Questionnaire in Older Adults With Intellectual Disability.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDSelf-reported activity questionnaires badly misrepresent real movement in older adults with intellectual disability. They overestimate vigorous activity by 93% and underestimate mild activity by 57% compared to wearable sensors. Use objective measures, not patient recall, to assess baseline fitness.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Submovements in manual tracking: people with Parkinson's disease produce more submovements than age-matched controls.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeople with Parkinson's made more small corrective movements and had larger timing and position errors than controls during manual tracking. This held true across all tested speeds. Older adults without Parkinson's showed similar error patterns to younger adults regarding movement smoothness.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Contextual Determinants of Health Disparities in Utilization of Community-Based Rehabilitation Services Among Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries With Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationWhere older TBI patients live shapes whether they get home or clinic rehab. High unemployment and rural living linked to less home care and less outpatient care respectively. Severe housing problems linked to more outpatient care. Context matters for access.