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 16 OF 27 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTOther2022Finger dexterity in well-functioning cohort of office workers in Macau.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTNormative data for the O'Connor Finger Dexterity Test in Macau office workers showed no significant differences by age, sex, or typing hours. However, the sample size was too small to generate reliable norms, so these values should be used with caution.
• OTSurvey2022Influences of COVID-19 pandemic and the states of emergency on occupational therapy for physical disorders: A questionnaire survey in Hokkaido, Japan.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTFacilities serving physical disorders reported that emergency declarations restricted patient participation and outpatient services, with no significant increase in total discontinuation of therapy. Staff adapted by moving sessions to wards or bedside and limiting group work. However, more than half of assessment and treatment responses indicated no change from the pre-declaration period.
• OTPilot2023Feasibility of force myography for the direct control of an assistive robotic hand orthosis in non-impaired individuals.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 10 healthy men, a forearm force sensor band classified intended open or close commands while a robotic hand orthosis was worn, reaching 92.9% correct offline. Only 6 reached 90% for both commands, and no impaired users were tested.
• PTOTCohort2023Functional characteristics and subjective disease perception in patients with COVID-19 two months after hospital discharge.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTwo months after discharge, post-COVID patients given only general activity materials did not clearly recover physically or mentally. Some frailty, sarcopenia and cognitive scores improved, but walking, strength and breathing did not.
• PTOTRCT2023Robotic arm training in neurorehabilitation enhanced by augmented reality - a usability and feasibility study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA prototype robot arm plus HoloLens game was safe and usable in patients with upper limb weakness, but patients rated reliability lower than established arm robots.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2023Anodal Contralesional tDCS Enhances CST Excitability Bilaterally in an Adolescent with Hemiparetic Cerebral Palsy: A Brief Report.Developmental neurorehabilitationIn one adolescent with cerebral palsy, anodal tDCS to the contralesional hemisphere increased corticospinal tract excitability bilaterally for 30 minutes. This neurophysiologic change was not seen with sham stimulation. Clinical motor outcomes were not measured.
• PTOTRCT2023sEMG-controlled forearm bracelet and serious game-based rehabilitation for training manual dexterity in people with multiple sclerosis: a randomised controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFor people with MS, adding MYO Armband games to conventional physical therapy did not improve the main gross manual dexterity outcome. Some wrist motion and grip strength differences appeared, but the Armband's separate effect cannot be separated.
• OTCohort2023Examining Usability, Acceptability, and Adoption of a Self-Directed, Technology-Based Intervention for Upper Limb Rehabilitation After Stroke: Cohort Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesMost stroke survivors could use a self-directed gaming device, averaging 26 minutes of daily arm training. However, those with more severe strokes found it less acceptable. Usability and ease of use predicted actual daily use, while intent to use did not.
• PTOTOther2023Reliability Analysis of In-person and Virtual Goniometric Measurements of the Upper Extremity.International journal of sports physical therapyGoniometric measurements taken from static screenshots during a virtual visit are as reliable as in-person assessments. For shoulder, elbow and wrist flexion and extension, clinicians can use a standard goniometer on a captured image to obtain objective range of motion data.
• PTOTCase-Control2023Functional capacity of individuals with brachial plexus injury.Work (Reading, Mass.)Individuals with brachial plexus injury had lower two-handed functional capacity than healthy controls but similar one-handed capacity on their unaffected side. They exerted the same heart rate and perceived effort, meaning they are not working less hard, just with less capacity.
• PTOTCohort2022Validity and feasibility of using a seated push-up test among community-dwelling older adults.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoA seated push-up test successfully identified lower body strength and mobility in older adults. Passing the test required lifting 85% of bodyweight. The 1-minute version detected further differences in strength and endurance among those who passed the initial test.
• OTSLPQualitative2023Exploring the Experiences of Autistic Transgender and Non-Binary Adults in Seeking Gender Identity Health Care.Autism in adulthoodAutistic transgender and non-binary adults reported being denied or delayed gender healthcare due to providers misinterpreting autism as mental illness or incompetence. Participants described hiding their autistic identity to avoid gatekeeping and highlighted the need for sensory-friendly environments and clear, written communication.
• OTCohort2023Effect of combining motivational interviewing with cognitive remediation on personal recovery in patients with schizophrenia.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTAdding monthly motivational interviews to cognitive remediation did not significantly improve programme completion rates, though more patients finished. Among those who completed, the interview group showed greater gains in global functioning and hope than the group without interviews.
• OTCase Report2024Comparison of brain activation and functional outcomes between physical and virtual reality box and block test: a case study.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyIn one person with chronic stroke, no difference was found between a VR box-and-block test and the real test for blocks moved or brain activity. This is one case, not proof VR works.
• PTOTQualitative2023Developing a community-engaged wheelchair exercise program for persons with MS: community advisory board formation and feedback.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyWheelchair users with MS advised that exercise programs must offer flexible aerobic bouts, alternative resistance options like wrist weights, and clear guidance on handling setbacks. They emphasized independence in equipment setup and requested coaching by clinicians or peers to support adherence.
• PTOTOther2023Corpus Callosal Microstructure Predicts Bimanual Motor Performance in Chronic Stroke Survivors: a Preliminary Cross-Sectional Study.Topics in stroke rehabilitationIn chronic stroke survivors, poorer corpus callosum fiber organization was linked to slower bimanual task performance among those who used both hands, not among those who used one hand.
• OTSurvey2023Economic evaluation of upper limb prostheses in the Netherlands including the cost-effectiveness of multi-grip versus standard myoelectric hand prostheses.Disability and rehabilitationMulti-grip myoelectric hands cost much more than mono-grip hands, but users did not report better health-related quality of life or user experience. The extra cost was not matched by better outcomes.
• PTOTCohort2023Does Spasticity Correlate With Motor Impairment in the Upper and Lower Limbs in Ambulatory Chronic Stroke Survivors?American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationIn ambulatory chronic stroke survivors, upper limb spasticity correlated with greater motor impairment and weaker grip strength. Lower limb spasticity did not correlate with motor impairment or gait speed. Clinicians may need to prioritize weakness over spasticity when addressing lower limb walking function.
• OTPilot2023An evaluation of 3D printable elastics for post stroke dynamic hand bracing: a pilot study.Assistive technology : the official journal of RESNAFive stroke survivors rated a 3D-printed dynamic hand brace similarly to a commercial brace. However, some prototype braces reduced pinch force, and prototype and commercial braces reduced block transfers.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Dose, Content, and Context of Usual Care in Stroke Upper Limb Motor Interventions: A Systematic Review.Clinical rehabilitationUsual care dose for stroke upper limb recovery is highly variable. Time on task ranged from 8 to 44 minutes per day, and repetitions from 15 to 282 per day. Patients with severe upper limb impairment or cognitive issues received less active practice time.
• PTOTRCT2023Efficacy of supervised home-based, real time, videoconferencing telerehabilitation in patients with type 2 diabetes: a single-blind randomized controlled trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineSix weeks of supervised video-call exercise lowered blood sugar markers and improved walking distance, strength, and waist size in people with type 2 diabetes. The control group, which received only general advice, showed no such changes.
• PTOTRCT2023Effectiveness of the home-based training program Tele-UPCAT (Tele-monitored UPper Limb Children Action Observation Training) in unilateral cerebral palsy: a randomized controlled trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineChildren with unilateral cerebral palsy who did a 3-week home action observation program had greater improvement in hand use than children receiving usual care, and the improvement was retained at later follow-up.
• PTOTPilot2024Effect of crutch and walking-boot use on whole-body angular momentum during gait.Assistive technology : the official journal of RESNAHealthy adults walking with a hands-free crutch showed significantly lower whole-body angular momentum than with standard axillary crutches, suggesting better dynamic balance control. Most participants preferred the hands-free device, though it did not reduce pain or increase comfort compared to standard crutches.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024The use of home-based digital technology to support post-stroke upper limb rehabilitation: A scoping review.Clinical rehabilitationHome digital tools like VR and robots are widely used for post-stroke arm rehab, with studies mainly reporting feasibility and user satisfaction rather than proven effectiveness. Evidence on whether these tools match clinic-based therapy remains inconsistent and limited.
• PTOTOther2023Validating the measurement of upper limb sensorimotor behavior utilizing a tablet in neurologically intact controls and individuals with chronic stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA tablet reaching test produced largely similar movement scores to a robot test in controls and chronic stroke, and some tablet scores related to Fugl-Meyer scores. It is a measurement tool, not a treatment.
• PTOTCase Series2023A bidirectional fabric-based soft robotic glove for hand function assistance in patients with chronic stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn eight chronic stroke patients, hand task scores were higher with the soft robotic glove module and thumb splint than unassisted in one session. Grip strength did not change.
• OTCase Report2023Effect of bihemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation on distal upper limb function and corticospinal tract excitability in a patient with subacute stroke: a case study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesOne subacute stroke patient showed larger wrist and finger function gains and lower forearm co-contraction during bihemispheric tDCS than during anodal tDCS. With no control period, this cannot show the stimulation caused the change.
• PTOTCohort2024Multi-joint Assessment of Proprioception Impairments Poststroke.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationStroke survivors showed significantly worse proprioception at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist compared to healthy controls. Wrist sensation was the most impaired, often accompanied by errors in identifying which joint moved or its direction. Four participants could not detect movement at all.
• PTOTCase-Control2023Children With Bilateral Cerebral Palsy Exhibit Bimanual Asymmetric Motor Deficits and EEG Evidence of Dominant Sensorimotor Hemisphere Overreliance During Reaching.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairChildren with bilateral cerebral palsy showed slower, curved reaches and poor hand dexterity with both hands, worse on the non-dominant side. EEG revealed the dominant brain hemisphere worked harder than normal during these movements.
• OTNarrative Review2023Integration of proprioception in upper limb prostheses through non-invasive strategies: a review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationNon-invasive feedback for upper-limb prostheses can improve position and force tasks in lab studies, but results are mixed and mostly able-bodied. It is not proven to change everyday prosthesis use.
• PTOTOther2023The BE-UJI hand function activity set: a reduced set of activities for the evaluation of the healthy and pathological hand.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA 10-task hand assessment set was found to capture similar hand movement patterns as the full 20-task Sollerman test. It could potentially halve testing time for clinicians monitoring hand kinematics in healthy people and those with hand arthritis.
• OTOther2023A Digital Box and Block Test for Hand Dexterity Measurement: Instrument Validation Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesA digital hand dexterity box scored lower than the standard Box and Block Test and did not track it closely in healthy adults. It may help automate timing and counting, but it is not yet tested in patients.
• PTOTOther2023Going beyond PA: Assessing sensorimotor capacity with wearables in multiple sclerosis-a cross-sectional study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSmartwatch data from 90 people with MS linked movement patterns to clinical severity, but not reliably to specific upper-limb skills. One metric tracked grip strength independently of disability scores, while others mixed activity volume with ability.
• PTOTOther2023A robot-based interception task to quantify upper limb impairments in proprioceptive and visual feedback after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA robot-based task revealed that most stroke survivors have impaired rapid motor corrections, even in their unaffected arm. The task detected deficits that standard clinical scales missed, suggesting therapists should assess feedback processing separately from basic strength or movement range.
• PTOTCohort2023Myoelectric Arm Orthosis Assists Functional Activities: A 3-Month Home Use Outcome Report.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationFirst-time MyoPro users with chronic stroke completed grasp and transfer tasks faster and more successfully with the device than without it over three months. Task improvement was not linear, and the study did not control for the amount of therapy each participant received.
• OTOther2023The assisting hand assessment for children and youth with brachial plexus birth injury: a study of validity and item hierarchy of AHA-Plex.Journal of rehabilitation medicineA 15-item version of the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA-Plex) reliably measures bimanual hand use in children with brachial plexus birth injury. It correlates almost perfectly with the original 20-item test but scores faster and provides a difficulty hierarchy to guide therapy planning.
• PTOTPilot2023Restoring natural upper limb movement through a wrist prosthetic module for partial hand amputees.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFor one partial hand amputee, total Jebsen-Taylor time was lower with the Re-fill prosthetic hand and wrist rotation module, 331.46 seconds, than without the module, 516.37 seconds, but still longer than the intact hand, 73.33 seconds.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Clinical presentation of patients with lower limb spasticity undergoing routine treatment with botulinum toxin: baseline findings from an international observational study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAmbulatory patients with lower limb spasticity face widespread difficulties with dressing, walking, and daily activities, alongside high rates of sensory, cognitive, and communication impairments. Most prioritize locomotion goals, but complex comorbidities require comprehensive assessment before treatment.
• PTOTSLPPilot2023Feasibility, safety, and efficacy of task-oriented mirrored robotic training on upper-limb functions and activities of daily living in subacute poststroke patients: a pilot study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineAdding 30 minutes of mirrored robotic training to usual care improved arm function and daily living scores more than usual care alone in 32 subacute stroke patients. The study was a small pilot with no randomisation, so treat these gains as preliminary rather than proven.
• PTOTOther2023Testing spasticity mechanisms in chronic stroke before and after intervention with contralesional motor cortex 1 Hz rTMS and physiotherapy.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAfter rTMS plus physiotherapy, chronic stroke patients had less reflex-mediated wrist stiffness and better arm scores. Passive tissue stiffness did not change. Because both treatments were given together, rTMS alone cannot be credited.
• PTOTOther2023Post-stroke deficits in the anticipatory control and bimanual coordination during naturalistic cooperative bimanual action.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeople with right-hemisphere stroke showed the poorest anticipatory force scaling when lifting a weighted box. Both stroke groups had impaired coordination in the paretic hand, but adding weight improved how well the two hands worked together, suggesting some capacity was masked by low demand.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Essential training variables of arm-hand training in people with cervical spinal cord injury: a systematic review.Journal of rehabilitation medicineArm-hand training programmes for cervical spinal cord injury showed better before-after gains in programmes that used skill practice, real-life tasks, both hands and lasted at least 8 weeks.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Understanding stroke survivors' preferences regarding wearable sensor feedback on functional movement: a mixed-methods study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke survivors found wearable sensor reports easy to understand and motivating, but no single metric was preferred. They wanted real-time feedback tied to personal goals and emphasized that clinicians are still needed to interpret data and maintain accountability.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2023Applications of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Improve Upper Limb Motor Performance After Stroke: A Systematic Review.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairMost stroke rTMS trials still suppress the unaffected hemisphere, but this often fails to improve motor function. Evidence suggests matching the stimulation to the patient's specific nerve damage is critical, as suppressing the unaffected side can worsen outcomes in severely impaired patients.
• PTOTPilot2024Neurophysiological underpinnings of an intensive protocol for upper limb motor recovery in subacute and chronic stroke patients.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineTwo weeks of robotic arm training improved clinical scores in both subacute and chronic stroke patients. Subacute patients also showed smoother, faster movement and specific brain-wave changes, suggesting true motor recovery. Chronic patients improved clinically but without these kinematic or neural markers.
• PTOTCohort2023The Evolution of Hand Proprioceptive and Motor Impairments in the Sub-Acute Phase After Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairHand proprioception and motor function often recover independently after stroke. Only 42% of patients showed matched changes in both. Patients with poor hand use at baseline had less proprioceptive recovery. Assess and treat these systems separately rather than assuming one drives the other.
• PTOTCase-Control2023In-depth quantification of bimanual coordination using the Kinarm exoskeleton robot in children with unilateral cerebral palsy.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationChildren with unilateral cerebral palsy showed impaired bimanual coordination compared to typically developing peers. The ball-on-bar task best distinguished coordination deficits and related them to manual ability, while the object-hit task primarily reflected differences between the hands.
• PTOTPilot2023Movement Component Analysis of Reaching Strategies in Individuals With Stroke: Preliminary Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPeople with mild-to-moderate stroke rely heavily on trunk flexion and shoulder elevation to reach, rather than using their arm joints. This method visualizes these compensatory strategies, helping therapists set specific goals to reduce inefficient movement patterns.
• PTOTOther2023Muscle redundancy is greatly reduced by the spatiotemporal nature of neuromuscular control.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesComputer modeling shows that because muscles cannot change force instantly, the brain has far fewer coordination options than previously thought. This explains why minor strength changes can force patients to adopt entirely new movement patterns.
• PTOTPilot2023Mixed methods usability evaluation of an assistive wearable robotic hand orthosis for people with spinal cord injury.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFive people with spinal cord injury tried a wearable robotic hand for grasping. Four improved their hand function scores, but one got worse because the device blocked their existing tenodesis grasp. Donning took almost five minutes and required assistance, which users disliked.