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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 15 OF 27 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTOther2023The systematic and participatory development of a patient decision aid about terminal devices for people with upper limb absence: The PDA-TULA.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalA decision aid for upper limb terminal devices was built into prescribing software after stakeholder feedback. It is designed to help patients compare preferences with device categories, but its effect on choices or acceptance is untested.
• PTOTRCT2022The effectiveness of the median nerve neurodynamic mobilisation techniques in women with mild or moderate bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome: A single-blind clinical randomised trial.The South African journal of physiotherapyMedian nerve gliding combined with carpal bone mobilisation reduced pain and improved hand function more than placebo joint mobilisation in women with mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome. Both groups improved, but the neurodynamic approach showed greater gains in pain and function.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Effect of Postoperative Oral Intake Status on Sarcopenia Six Months After Esophageal Cancer Surgery.DysphagiaEsophageal cancer patients who needed tube feeding at discharge were more likely to develop sarcopenia six months after surgery. Low preoperative BMI and weak handgrip strength also predicted muscle loss. Clinicians should prioritize nutritional support and strength monitoring for these high-risk groups.
• PTOTCohort2023Longitudinal development of hand use in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy from 18 months to 18 years.Developmental medicine and child neurologyHand function in unilateral CP stabilizes around age 7 and remains steady through adolescence. Higher-functioning children reach their plateau earlier, but all groups maintain their bimanual ability. Regular follow-ups are essential because individual variation remains large.
• PTOTRCT2022Effectiveness of ultrasound and median nerve gliding with and without shock-wave therapy in patients with moderate carpal tunnel syndrome.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding shock-wave therapy to ultrasound and nerve gliding exercises did not improve pain, grip strength, pinch strength, or function more than ultrasound and gliding alone in patients with moderate carpal tunnel syndrome.
• PTOTOther2022Relevant factors for arm choice in reaching movement: a scoping review.Journal of physical therapy scienceArm choice in reaching tasks was associated with lower effort, higher success, hand dominance, and brain activity. The included studies were mostly healthy adults, so this suggests rehabilitation targets to test, not proven treatments.
• PTOTOther2023Development of a Remote Version of the Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensation, and Prehension (GRASSP): Validity and Reliability.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairRemote hand testing after chronic spinal cord injury gave scores similar to the in-person test and to scores from another examiner. It needs a home helper for some parts, and sensation had wider disagreement.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Neuro-imaging characteristics of sensory impairment in cerebral palsy; a systematic review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesChildren with cerebral palsy and cortical brain lesions have significantly worse touch and object recognition than those with white matter lesions. Sensory reorganization to the other brain hemisphere does not improve function. Lesion location and extent, not just motor damage, predict sensory deficits.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Effects of Trigger Point Dry Needling on Strength Measurements and Activation Levels of the Gluteus Medius: A Quasi-Experimental Randomized Control Study.International journal of sports physical therapyNeedling latent trigger points in the gluteus medius of healthy adults increased strength immediately. The muscle required less electrical activation to produce this greater force. However, soreness from the needling reduced strength in the untreated leg during the first test.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2023Simultaneous assessment and training of an upper-limb amputee using incremental machine-learning-based myocontrol: a single-case experimental design.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationOne transradial amputee learned to control a multi-articulated prosthetic hand using an incremental machine-learning myocontroller. He achieved reliable performance in daily tasks comparable to his standard prosthesis after 31 sessions, but this single case cannot prove the method works for others.
• PTOTRCT2023Can specific virtual reality combined with conventional rehabilitation improve poststroke hand motor function? A randomized clinical trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding specific hand-focused virtual reality to conventional therapy improved hand movement, reduced stiffness, and boosted daily task scores more than conventional therapy alone. The virtual reality glove allowed intensive, repetitive practice of finger and wrist movements that standard sessions often miss.
• PTOTSurvey2023The relationship between frailty and motor function among living in the community elderly females.Journal of physical therapy scienceAmong 67 older women in community exercise salons, frailty was common, and women with frailty had weaker grip, slower walking and longer chair-to-walk-to-chair times. Depression, physical function and oral function were most strongly related to frailty.
• PTOTCohort2022The five times sit-to-stand test: safety, validity and reliability with critical care survivors's at ICU discharge.Archives of physiotherapyThe Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test is safe and highly reliable for high-functioning ICU survivors, but only 30% could perform it. A time over 23.5 seconds predicted ICU readmission with 99% sensitivity, identifying patients at risk for longer stays and poorer function.
• PTOTOther2023Quantitative assessments of finger individuation with an instrumented glove.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA data glove produced repeatable scores for finger movement in 20 healthy adults. The test is consistent across visits, but because only healthy right-handed young adults were studied, these scores cannot yet diagnose hand problems in patients.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023A scoping review of eye tracking metrics used to assess visuomotor behaviours of upper limb prosthesis users.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationUpper limb prosthesis users consistently look at their prosthetic hand more and the target less than people with intact arms. This visual dependency reflects a lack of sensory feedback. Gaze training and targeted reinnervation can reduce this reliance, improving efficiency.
• PTOTCohort2023Postural control exercise without using the upper limbs improves activities of daily living in patients with stroke.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStroke patients who practiced postural control without using their arms showed greater gains in daily living tasks and walking recovery than those who relied on arm support. This suggests training balance in more unstable conditions may improve functional independence.
• PTOTCohort2023Comparison of wrist actimetry variables of paretic upper limb use in post stroke patients for ecological monitoring.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWrist sensors worn at home for seven days showed that stroke patients with mild to moderate arm weakness made about 800 functional movements per day with their paretic arm versus 4,000 with the other. A ratio of these movements tracked arm impairment better than simple activity counts did.
• PTOTOther2023Effects of a seated upper-extremity exercise program designed to improve cognitive and upper-extremity functions in older females.Journal of physical therapy scienceThe seated hand and memory exercise did not improve hand dexterity or grip between groups, but cognitive scores improved compared with controls.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Wearable accelerometers for measuring and monitoring the motor behaviour of infants with brain damage during CareToy-Revised training.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWearable arm and trunk sensors recorded movement in 17 infants with brain damage during a home training programme. Sensor readings tracked AIMS and IMP total scores, but not IMP fluency. The sample was too small to validate any clinical tool.
• PTOTSLPPilot2023Hybrid brain/neural interface and autonomous vision-guided whole-arm exoskeleton control to perform activities of daily living (ADLs).Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTen people with severe motor impairments controlled two assistive robots using brain and eye signals. The wearable arm exoskeleton allowed faster, more reliable task completion than the table-mounted robot arm, but users found the exoskeleton physically demanding and less comfortable.
• OTOther2023Construct validity of the Danish version of the Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire (WORQ)-sensitivity and specificity of the objectively tested physical capacity items.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn 40 job center clients, the WORQ questionnaire matched SF-36 scores well. But its physical capacity items correlated weakly to actual strength and endurance tests. The tool reliably identifies who does not have a problem, but is less certain about who does.
• PTOTRCT2023Motor Activated Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Potential Neuromodulation Approach for Post-Stroke Motor Rehabilitation: A Pilot Study.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairPairing ear stimulation with movement did not beat unpaired stimulation for stroke arm recovery. Both groups improved similarly. The trial was too small to prove which method works better, so do not change your practice based on this pilot alone.
• PTOTOther2023Novel evaluation of upper-limb motor performance after stroke based on normal reaching movement model.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new method estimates a stroke patient's normal reaching ability using their stronger arm, then maps the weaker arm's performance against this personal baseline. It identifies specific directions and distances where movement is most impaired, offering a visual guide for targeted robotic training.
• PTOTCohort2023Impairments of the arm and hand are highly correlated during subacute stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineArm and hand impairments in subacute stroke are highly correlated, with most patients scoring within one point of each other on clinical scales. Clinicians should not assume the hand is worse than the arm; assessing one segment often provides sufficient information about the other.
• PTOTCase Report2023Case report: training neck and head control in children with chronic paralysis due to acute flaccid myelitis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThree children with chronic paralysis from acute flaccid myelitis gained head control through intensive activity-based therapy. They progressed from needing passive head support to holding their heads upright for one to two minutes. This shows recovery is possible, but does not prove the treatment works for others.
• PTOTOther2023System identification: a feasible, reliable and valid way to quantify upper limb motor impairments.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRobotic elbow perturbations took about 25 min and were tolerable, but stiffness measures were inconsistent and only weakly matched the impairment tests.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2023Proportional Recovery After Stroke: Addressing Concerns Regarding Mathematical Coupling and Ceiling Effects.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairStroke recovery is not just a measurement problem, according to this review. Baseline upper limb impairment still predicts how much function returns, but the Fugl-Meyer scale cannot measure recovery above its top score.
• OTCohort2023Grasp Analysis in the Home Environment as a Measure of Hand Function After Cervical Spinal Cord Injury.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairHome video showed people with cervical spinal cord injury used different grasp types at different rates. More non-prehensile grasp use went with lower hand strength and self-care scores, while more power grasp went with higher scores.
• PTOTCohort2023Spatiotemporal Parameters of Gait Among Adolescent Athletes with Concussion When Performing a Visuospatial Cognitive Task.International journal of sports physical therapyAdolescent athletes with concussion showed varied gait deficits during a dual-task test. Females in the acute phase had high rates of abnormal dual-task cost, while males showed fewer. Chronic cases still displayed deficits in some individuals, suggesting symptom resolution alone may not ensure safe return to play.
• PTOTOther2022Participation and Functional Independence in Adults With Recessive Spastic Ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieAdults with ARSACS had disrupted daily and social activities, especially housing, mobility, community life and leisure. Mobility level tracked worse independence, and motor performance related to daily activity participation.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2023A follow up survey on the impact of COVID-19 on hand therapy practice.Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand TherapistsHand therapists reported a slow return to normal practice with increased in-person visits and decreased telehealth use. However, most still experienced high stress levels related to safety measures, childcare, eldercare, job security, and the political climate.
• PTOTOther2023Quantitative measurement of finger usage in stroke hemiplegia using ring-shaped wearable devices.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA ring device objectively measured finger use in 20 stroke patients, showing affected hands were used less. However, this objective data did not match patients' self-reported use on the Motor Activity Log, suggesting subjective interviews may not accurately reflect real-world finger movement.
• PTOTSurvey2022The impact of COVID-19 on hand therapy practice.Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand TherapistsHand therapists reported more stress, smaller caseloads, and sudden telehealth use during the early pandemic period. They described PPE, reduced in-person care, and uncertainty about future. This is a self-report survey, not patient outcome evidence.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Changes in physical function of frail elderly females in the one-year long-term care prevention program.Journal of physical therapy scienceFrail women attending a one-year community care prevention program maintained walking speed, balance, and overall function, but grip strength significantly decreased. The program focused on lower limb exercise, leaving upper limb strength unaddressed.
• OTPilot2023Measuring Arm and Hand Joint Kinematics to Estimate Impairment During a Functional Reach and Grasp Task after Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairStroke participants with similar arm function scores showed very different joint movement patterns on a sensor glove. The glove can map arm and hand joint movement patterns, but this small pilot did not test whether it improves therapy.
• PTOTQualitative2023Perspectives of users for a future interactive wearable system for upper extremity rehabilitation following stroke: a qualitative study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTherapists and stroke survivors want wearable systems that adapt to each person's specific impairment level and goals. They prioritized devices that track both the quality and quantity of movement, capturing compensatory trunk motions during functional tasks like dressing or cooking.
• OTOther2023Activity and Participation, Bimanual Function, and Prosthesis Satisfaction are Strong Predictors of General Well-Being Among Upper Limb Prosthesis Users.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationFor upper limb prosthesis users, feeling able to take part in social roles, doing two-handed tasks, being satisfied with the prosthesis, and having less pain interference were linked to better well-being. Daily wear time was not linked to well-being.
• PTOTOther2023Characteristics of corticomuscular coupling during wheelchair Tai Chi in patients with spinal cord injury.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWheelchair Tai Chi produced stronger brain-to-muscle coupling in several pathways than aerobic exercise, but no difference in overall cortical activity. Patients showed higher muscle activation than healthy controls, suggesting they compensate for reduced connectivity by working harder.
• PTOTCohort2023Patients With and Without COVID-19 in the Intensive Care Unit: Physical Status Outcome Comparisons 3 Months After Discharge.Physical therapyThree months after leaving the intensive care unit, patients with and without COVID-19 had similar handgrip strength, physical functioning, and health status. Both groups scored below healthy people. Men with COVID-19 reported better physical function than women.
• PTOTCase-Control2023Children With Cerebral Palsy Show Higher Static-But Not Higher Dynamic-Motor Fatigability in Grip and Pinch Tasks Than Children With Typical Development Do.Physical therapyChildren with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy lost more strength while holding a grip or pinch as hard as possible, especially in the nonpreferred hand. They did not show more fatigue during repeated squeeze tasks than typical children.
• PTOTCohort2023Relationship between toe grip strength and dynamic balance in older adult patients with femoral neck fracture.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 15 older adults recovering from hip fracture, stronger toe grip was linked to better balance scores and a larger forward-backward sway range. There was no difference in toe strength between the operated and non-operated legs.
• PTOTPilot2023Association between upper limb movements during drumming and cognition in older adults with cognitive impairment and dementia at a nursing home: a pilot study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn 16 older adults with dementia, the height their arm reached while drumming correlated with both handgrip strength and MMSE scores. This suggests arm elevation during drumming may help assess motor function and cognitive status when standard tests are difficult.
• OTSurvey2023Exploring the patient experience of telehealth hand therapy services during the COVID-19 pandemic.Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand TherapistsHand therapy patients who had video telehealth appointments mostly said the model was convenient and worth continuing. They valued fitting therapy around commitments and avoiding travel, but some missed hands-on care.
• PTOTRCT2023Efficacy of interactive manual dexterity training after stroke: a pilot single-blinded randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationDextrain training did not improve gross hand dexterity more than conventional therapy immediately after treatment. However, Dextrain showed greater gains in specific finger control tasks and a non-significant trend for better dexterity at 3-month follow-up.
• PTOTCase Report2023Effects of continuous rehabilitation on intensive care unit-acquired weakness after open-heart surgery: a case report.Journal of physical therapy scienceA 78-year-old woman with ICU-acquired weakness after open-heart surgery received ADL training, Theraband resistance, and bicycle ergometer exercise in hospital and after discharge. In this single case, over 240 days her strength, walking distance, and ADL scores improved.
• OTCohort2022Linking Prioritized Occupational Performance in Patients Undergoing Spasticity-Correcting Upper Limb Surgery to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health.Occupational therapy internationalPatients undergoing spasticity surgery prioritized self-care, domestic life, and mobility goals. Their perceived performance and satisfaction improved significantly at 12 months. However, these subjective gains did not correlate with objective improvements in grip strength or grasp ability.
• OTQualitative2023Social inclusion of persons with disability in employment: what would it take to socially support employed persons with disability in the labor market?Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesEmployers in Nairobi informal settlements described supporting workers with disabilities by listening to their concerns, identifying strengths, and gradually withdrawing help as confidence grew. They also noted that rigid, one-size-fits-all support and workplace conflicts often caused these efforts to fail.
• PTOTSLPPilot2023An Intensive Exercise Program Using a Technology-Enriched Rehabilitation Gym for the Recovery of Function in People With Chronic Stroke: Usability Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPeople with chronic stroke found a tech-heavy gym program feasible, attending 82% of planned sessions. They valued equipment feedback but needed professional supervision for safety. While physical scores improved, the study did not test whether the intervention caused these changes.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Preliminary assessment of the reliability and validity of infrared skin temperature measurements in Rett syndrome.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRInfrared skin temperature measurements showed acceptable stability for hands but lower reliability for feet in females with Rett syndrome. Hand temperatures correlated moderately with parent-reported autonomic symptoms, while foot temperatures showed stronger associations with symptom severity.
• PTOTRCT2023Efficacy of integrating a semi-immersive virtual device in the HABIT-ILE intervention for children with unilateral cerebral palsy: a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationReplacing half the hands-on therapy time in a HABIT-ILE camp with a virtual screen device improved hand function and daily life skills just as well as usual therapy. It did not improve walking, so keep lower-limb practice physical.