TOPIC

Hand therapy research

Everything we have read on hand therapy. 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.

1,303 PAPERS · PAGE 14 OF 27 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTOther2022Limb accelerations during sleep are related to measures of strength, sensation, and spasticity among individuals with spinal cord injury.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSleep movement data from ankle accelerometers predicted strength and sensation scores with high accuracy. This suggests passive overnight monitoring could offer a new, unobtrusive way to assess impairment in spinal cord injury without requiring active patient participation.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022A review of user needs to drive the development of lower limb prostheses.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationUsers prioritize safety, comfort, and social integration over pure function. They need to walk without constant visual attention, manage pain and heat, and feel the leg is part of their body. Current prostheses often fail these needs, driving dissatisfaction and rejection.
• PTOTCase-Control2022Reach-to-grasp kinematics and kinetics with and without visual feedback in early-stage Alzheimer's disease.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeople with early-stage Alzheimer's disease reached and grasped objects more slowly and less accurately than healthy adults. These differences were most pronounced when they could not see their own hands, suggesting they rely heavily on visual feedback to compensate for motor control deficits.
• OTQualitative2022Understanding the Technology Acceptance and Usability of a New Device for Hand Therapy: Qualitative Descriptive Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesHand therapists described six factors affecting FEPSim acceptance: usefulness, ease, access, encouragement, looks, and use. They liked measurement and group fit. Pain, cognition, functional goals, and poor access limited use.
• PTOTOther2022A comparative study of the efficacy and functionality of 10 commercially available wrist-hand orthoses in healthy females during activities of daily living.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTen commercially available prefabricated wrist-hand orthoses failed to consistently block wrist flexion or radial deviation during five common daily tasks. All orthoses increased the time required to complete activities like pouring water or turning a key, with longer devices causing the greatest delays.
• PTOTRCT2022Beneficial effects of walking-based home program for improving cardio-respiratory performance and physical activity in sarcopenic older people: a randomized controlled trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineSarcopenic older adults who walked 7,500 steps daily for five days a week and did resistance bands twice weekly for 12 weeks improved grip strength, gait speed, and walking distance. Muscle mass did not change. The intervention combined walking with resistance exercise, so the effect of either alone is unknown.
• OTSLPOther2022Monochannel Preference in Autism Spectrum Conditions Revealed by a Non-Visual Variant of Rubber Hand Illusion.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism showed reduced susceptibility to the classic rubber hand illusion. However, when the illusion relied only on touch rather than sight and touch, their proprioceptive drift matched that of typically developing peers, suggesting a preference for monochannel sensory processing.
• OTOther2022Touch Hand 4.5: low-cost additive manufacturing prosthetic hand participated in Cybathlon 2020 ARM discipline.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThe Touch Hand 4.5 was the only team to complete the Haptic Box task in all races, but it was the slowest to finish the Breakfast task. The pilot reported less skin irritation due to a breathable 3D-printed socket, though this was based on single-user feedback.
• PTOTRCT2022Performing a shortened version of the Action Research Arm Test in immersive virtual reality to assess post-stroke upper limb activity.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA shortened immersive VR ARAT tracked traditional paretic-hand scores in people after stroke, but omitted six items and needed headset setup.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2023Healthcare professionals' perceived barriers and facilitators of implementing clinical practice guidelines for stroke rehabilitation: A systematic review.Clinical rehabilitationTime and resources were the most consistent issue in stroke guideline implementation. Competing tasks, poor protocols and low confidence blocked use. Protected time, local routines, training, audit and champions helped.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022Technology-assisted assessment of spasticity: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationNo technology-assisted spasticity measure is fully validated for clinical use yet. However, manual stretching with EMG shows promise as a quick, low-cost alternative to the Modified Ashworth Scale.
• PTOTPilot2022Feedback control of upright seating with functional neuromuscular stimulation during a reaching task after spinal cord injury: a feasibility study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFeedback-controlled electrical stimulation helped four of five people with spinal cord injury return to an upright seated position faster after reaching for a weighted jar. Effects on trunk sway and reach distance varied widely between individuals, and one person with a lower-level injury saw no benefit.
• PTOTOther2022Naturalistic visualization of reaching movements using head-mounted displays improves movement quality compared to conventional computer screens and proves high usability.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHead-mounted displays improved 3D reaching quality and reduced movement onset time compared to 2D screens in healthy elderly and pilot brain-injured patients. Usability was high across all technologies, with no significant differences in motivation or self-reported cognitive load.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022Dyspnea: a map of Cochrane evidence relevant to rehabilitation for people with post COVID-19 condition.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicinePulmonary rehabilitation and exercise training may improve dyspnea in chronic respiratory conditions, but evidence is low to moderate quality. No direct evidence exists for post-COVID dyspnea. Clinicians must check for post-exertional symptom exacerbation before applying these protocols.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Interaction of network and rehabilitation therapy parameters in defining recovery after stroke in a Bilateral Neural Network.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn a computer model of stroke, exploratory movements across a full workspace improved reaching accuracy more than repetitive stereotypic movements. This benefit occurred regardless of whether the healthy arm was restrained or used. The model suggests movement variety, not hand selection, drives recovery.
• PTOTOther2023Psychometric Properties of a New Measure of Upper Limb Performance in Post-Stroke Individuals: Trunk-Based Index of Performance.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairA new measure called IPt combines speed, accuracy, and trunk compensation in stroke reaching. It showed excellent stability over time and could distinguish mild from moderate-to-severe impairment, offering a way to track motor skill changes beyond standard clinical scores.
• PTOTCohort2022Longitudinal Median Nerve Ultrasound Changes in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury and an Age- and Sex-Matched Nondisabled Cohort.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationOne year after spinal cord injury, patients reported more carpal tunnel symptoms than age-matched controls. Ultrasound changes in the median nerve were subtle and mostly appeared in the nondominant hand, suggesting monitoring for symptoms rather than relying on imaging alone.
• PTOTOther2022The Influence of Age at Pediatric-Onset Spinal Cord Injury and Years of Wheelchair Use on Shoulder Complex Joint Dynamics During Manual Wheelchair Propulsion.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationShoulder movement during wheelchair propulsion changes based on age at injury and years of use. Those injured younger showed specific motion patterns linked to impingement risk as they aged, but pain was not measured.
• PTOTRCT2023Cerebral Adaptation Associated with Peripheral Nerve Recovery in Neuralgic Amyotrophy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairMultidisciplinary rehabilitation improved shoulder function and pain more than usual care, but did not produce greater changes in brain activity. Patients in both groups showed increased visuomotor brain activity and better motor imagery performance, suggesting natural recovery or non-specific training effects.
• PTOTOther2022Acceptability of wearable inertial sensors, completeness of data, and day-to-day variability of everyday life motor activities in children and adolescents with neuromotor impairments.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesMost children with neuromotor impairments accepted wearing movement sensors for a week, though charging, showering, and slipping sensors caused missing days. A full week is needed for dependable estimates.
• PTOTOther2023Interpreting the CPASS Trial: Do Not Shift Motor Therapy to the Subacute Phase.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairDo not shift standard stroke rehabilitation to the subacute phase. The trial compared added therapy at different times, not moving care. Standard therapy was already concentrated early. Participants received an average of 27.9 hours of standard therapy in the first two months.
• PTOTQualitative2022Wrist-Worn devices to encourage affected upper limb movement in unilateral cerebral palsy: Participatory design workshops.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesChildren with unilateral cerebral palsy and their therapists told researchers that wrist-worn devices must look like standard fitness trackers and be easy to fasten with one hand. School policies on phones and trackers were the biggest practical barrier to using them daily.
• PTOTRCT2023The effect of myofascial release in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema: a cross-over randomized controlled trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineAdding myofascial release to standard decongestive therapy reduced arm pain and improved shoulder movement more than placebo touch, but it did not shrink arm volume any more than placebo. Since both groups received decongestive therapy, the volume reduction cannot be credited to the release alone.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2022Loneliness in autistic adults: A systematic review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults described wanting connection but finding social interaction exhausting and isolating. Loneliness was not the same as being alone, so clinicians should not assume an autistic adult does not want contact.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Wrist speed feedback improves elbow compensation and reaching accuracy for myoelectric transradial prosthesis users in hybrid virtual reaching task.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAudio feedback indicating wrist speed reduced reaching errors for six transradial amputees using a virtual myoelectric arm. It also decreased compensatory elbow bias. However, it did not improve adaptation to sudden control changes, and results come from a small lab study, not daily use.
• PTOTOther2023Exploring high-density corticomuscular networks after stroke to enable a hybrid Brain-Computer Interface for hand motor rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke patients showed weaker brain-muscle coupling and more abnormal muscle recruitment during hand movement attempts than healthy controls. These network features correlated with clinical impairment scores, offering a way to measure motor deficits for guiding future hybrid brain-computer interface therapy design.
• PTOTOther2023The Berlin Bimanual Test for Tetraplegia (BeBiTT): development, psychometric properties, and sensitivity to change in assistive hand exoskeleton application.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA 9-item bimanual hand test for tetraplegia was feasible, safe, and scored consistently by raters. Scores lined up with self-care and function questionnaires. With a one-hand exoskeleton, average total scores improved in the 10 participants tested, but manipulation did not.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Overview of Cochrane Systematic Reviews of rehabilitation interventions for persons with rheumatoid arthritis: a mapping synthesis.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineExercise programs improve muscle strength and fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis but do not consistently reduce pain or improve physical function. Hand exercises help hand function without worsening disease activity. Balneotherapy and Tai Chi evidence is too weak to guide practice.
• PTOTCase Report2023Training of isometric force tracking to improve motor control of the wrist after incomplete spinal cord injury: a case study.Physiotherapy theory and practiceOne man with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury improved his ability to track a visual force target with his wrist, reaching error levels similar to healthy adults. He gained wrist control without increasing maximum force, and reported better daily wrist stability.
• PTOTOther2023Loaded and unloaded timed stair tests as tools for assessing advanced functional mobility in people with stroke.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineThe Timed Stair Test reliably measures advanced mobility in stroke survivors. Walking with a 5% body-weight vest took 45 seconds on average, compared to 17 seconds for healthy adults. A completion time over 26 seconds strongly indicates stroke-related mobility limitations.
• OTOther2023The SoftHand Pro platform: a flexible prosthesis with a user-centered approach.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTwo pilots using a soft prosthetic hand preferred myoelectric control over body-powered control, despite similar functional performance. The hand adapted to object shapes, but grasp repeatability and wrist movement limited competition tasks.
• OTSLPCohort2023Longitudinal development of language and fine motor skills is correlated, but not coupled, in a childhood atypical cohort.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceEarly skill level in one domain did not predict rate of change in the other. Language and fine motor growth rates were strongly correlated, but that did not show a driving effect.
• PTOTCohort2023Improvement in the Capacity for Activity Versus Improvement in Performance of Activity in Daily Life During Outpatient Rehabilitation.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTIn outpatient neurorehabilitation, 59% of patients improved their clinical test scores but showed no improvement in daily life activity. This gap existed for both stroke and Parkinson disease, and was larger for walking than for upper limb function.
• PTOTOther2022Validation of the North Star Assessment for Limb-Girdle Type Muscular Dystrophies.Physical therapyThe North Star Assessment for Limb-Girdle Type Muscular Dystrophies reliably measures motor function across 14 different LGMD subtypes. It works for both ambulatory and non-ambulatory patients, with high agreement between different therapists scoring the same video.
• PTOTOther2023The multi-grip and standard myoelectric hand prosthesis compared: does the multi-grip hand live up to its promise?Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThe multi-grip hand did not improve dexterity or reduce compensatory movements compared to the standard hand. It was slower for some tasks, and users reported more pain, noise, and fragility. The standard hand performed better on most measures.
• PTOTCohort2023Stroke Lesion Volume and Injury to Motor Cortex Output Determines Extent of Contralesional Motor Cortex Reorganization.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn 35 people with subacute stroke, no single corticospinal tract measure was related to contralesional motor cortex reorganization overall. In participants with no measurable motor output, larger stroke volume was linked to more reorganization, and hand function was worse with more damage.
• PTOTCohort2023Predicting later categories of upper limb activity from earlier clinical assessments following stroke: an exploratory analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationEarly arm strength and function scores best predicted later daily arm use categories in people with stroke. However, models were poor at accurately predicting these categories for new patients, with high error rates suggesting many other factors are involved.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Literature review of stroke assessment for upper-extremity physical function via EEG, EMG, kinematic, and kinetic measurements and their reliability.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRobotic sensors can measure upper-limb movement more precisely than clinical scales, but they are not yet ready for routine use. Biomechanical data is reliable, while brain and muscle signals lack consistent reliability data for stroke patients.
• PTOTCohort2022Changes in physical function in older females over a 5 year period.Journal of physical therapy scienceOver five years, physical function did not significantly decline in either age group. However, the 65–74 year olds showed improved walking speed, balance, and functional reach, while those aged 75 and over showed declines across all measures. The older group started with lower baseline balance.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Bimanual movements in children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review of instrumented assessments.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMotion capture tools distinguish children with CP from typically developing peers during bimanual tasks, but their reliability and ability to track therapy change remain unproven. Lab protocols fail to capture real-world movement, limiting their use as standalone clinical measures.
• PTOTOther2022Comparison of the effective intensity of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation contralateral to a pain site for analgesia.Journal of physical therapy scienceApplying strong TENS to the opposite wrist eased experimental heat pain more than doing nothing, but it was no better than a comfortable intensity. No change in heart-rate variability was seen. This is a small lab study in healthy women.
• PTOTOther2022Evaluation of autonomic nervous system responses during isometric handgrip exercise using nonlinear analysis of heart rate variability.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 15 healthy young adults, autonomic responses to handgrip exercise did not differ between 30% and 50% of maximum strength. Pulse rate rose and heart rhythm regularity increased during gripping regardless of intensity, with no interaction effect.
• PTOTCohort2023Dystonia in individuals with spastic cerebral palsy and isolated periventricular leukomalacia.Developmental medicine and child neurologyDystonia was found on expert video review in 50 of 85 ambulatory children and adults with spastic cerebral palsy and isolated periventricular leukomalacia. It was more common with higher gross motor impairment, and often affected the fingers or hips.
• PTOTPilot2023Gamified Physical Rehabilitation for Older Adults With Musculoskeletal Issues: Pilot Noninferiority Randomized Clinical Trial.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesAdding a gamified exercise machine to standard physiotherapy did not change functional outcomes compared to standard care alone. The study was too small to prove the device is as effective as usual therapy, and no significant differences were found in strength, mobility, or daily living skills.
• PTOTCohort2023People with mild Parkinson's disease have impaired force production in upper limb muscles: A cross-sectional study.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyPeople with mild Parkinson's disease have significantly weaker upper limb muscles than healthy age-matched adults, averaging 78% of normal force. Extensor muscles were the weakest. This deficit persists even when patients are physically active and on medication.
• PTOTOther2022Measurement of hand grip strength: A cross-sectional study of two dynamometry devices.The South African journal of physiotherapyThe inexpensive Camry dynamometer matched the gold-standard Jamar in hospitalized patients, with excellent agreement. It is a valid alternative for resource-limited settings. However, measurements differed more in left-handed participants, so caution is needed when assessing this group.
• PTOTOther2023Validity of Novel Outcome Measures for Hand Function Performance After Stroke Using Egocentric Video.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairHand use ratios from head-mounted cameras correlated strongly with self-reported hand function in stroke survivors. However, hand role ratios did not correlate with any clinical measures. The camera method validates how much the hand is used, but not how it is used.
• PTOTSLPOther2023An immersive virtual reality system for ecological assessment of peripersonal and extrapersonal unilateral spatial neglect.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHealthy adults completed an immersive virtual reality test of spatial attention. They found it comfortable and enjoyable, with the far-space version preferred. However, they showed a natural bias to look left. This tool is not yet validated for detecting neglect in patients.
• PTOTPilot2023Technology Assisted Rehabilitation Patient Perception Questionnaire (TARPP-Q): development and implementation of an instrument to evaluate patients' perception during training.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA 29-item questionnaire captured how 44 inpatients experienced technology-assisted rehabilitation with exergames. It grouped perceptions into positive attitude, usability, hindrance and distress; distress did not change after training.
• OTSLPOther2023Low-Cost Technology-Aided Programs for Supporting People With Motor, Visual, and Intellectual Disabilities in Functional Forms of Occupation and Communication: Proof-of-Concept Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesFour adults with severe motor, visual, and intellectual disabilities independently used low-cost smartphone and tablet systems to choose music, send voice messages or video calls, and answer questions about brief stories. Baseline support was withdrawn after practice, and all participants managed these tasks without help.