TOPIC

Neurological research

Everything we have read on neurological. 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.

2,792 PAPERS · PAGE 19 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTCase Report2021Long-term effects of combined botulinum toxin treatment and rehabilitation on upper limb muscle spasms: a case report.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn one man with cervical spinal cord injury, years of botulinum toxin type A plus physical and occupational therapy and splints were followed by improved upper-limb motion, less finger spasm, and faster left-hand tasks. It is one person, not proof the treatment works.
• PTOTSLPOther2021An Exercise Mimetic Approach to Reduce Poststroke Deconditioning and Enhance Stroke Recovery.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn rats, resveratrol improved early balance and reduced compensatory gait, while delayed exercise restored cardiovascular fitness. Neither intervention improved long-term balance more than the other, and the combination showed no additive benefit. These findings do not yet apply to human stroke recovery.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Early Stage Longitudinal Subcortical Volumetric Changes following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.Brain injuryPatients with persistent post-concussive symptoms showed early volume loss in the thalamus and hippocampus within one month of mild traumatic brain injury. This thalamic shrinkage persisted at six months and correlated with worse self-reported symptoms and lower quality of life, unlike objective cognitive test scores which recovered.
• PTOTQualitative2021'I forget to do pressure relief': Personal factors influencing the prevention of secondary health conditions in people with spinal cord injury, South Africa.The South African journal of physiotherapyPeople with spinal cord injury described money, mood, knowledge, habits, and equipment as shaping pressure sore and infection prevention. Forgetfulness, shame, beliefs, and late help-seeking made prevention harder.
• PTOTRCT2021The use of game modes to promote engagement and social involvement in multi-user serious games: a within-person randomized trial with stroke survivors.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationCollaborative game modes drove significantly higher behavioral involvement than competitive or co-active modes. Competitive modes generated more flow and challenge, particularly for participants with better motor skills and higher cognitive function. Co-active modes produced the lowest engagement metrics.
• PTOTRCT2021Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a combined virtual reality, robotics and electrical stimulation intervention in upper extremity stroke rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationChronic stroke patients improved arm function after 12 sessions combining robotics, virtual reality, and electrical stimulation. However, hand strength and dexterity showed no gains, and without a control group, these improvements cannot be separated from usual care or time.
• PTOTRCT2021Comparison of neuromuscular and cardiovascular exercise intensity and enjoyment between standard of care, off-the-shelf and custom active video games for promotion of physical activity of persons post-stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationCustom active video games matched the exercise intensity of off-the-shelf games and standard care but produced more accurate stepping. Participants found the custom games more enjoyable and less effortful, suggesting they are a viable tool for balancing fitness with movement quality in stroke rehab.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021The Relationship Between Walking Speed and the Energetic Cost of Walking in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis and Healthy Controls: A Systematic Review.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairPeople with multiple sclerosis walk with a higher energetic cost than healthy controls, but their most efficient speed is similar. Most patients in studies walked slower than this optimal speed, meaning they were working harder than necessary. Training to increase walking speed may reduce this cost.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Factors associated with met and unmet rehabilitation needs after stroke: A multicentre cohort study in Denmark and Norway.Journal of rehabilitation medicineThree months after stroke, 67% reported needing training and 69% needed help, with similar rates in Norway and Denmark despite different rehabilitation pathways. Unmet needs for training were linked to lower function and anxiety, while unmet needs for help were linked to living alone and depression.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Societal burden of stroke rehabilitation: Costs and health outcomes after admission to stroke rehabilitation.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStroke rehabilitation costs one year post-admission averaged US$70,601 for inpatients and US$27,473 for outpatients. Inpatient utility scores improved significantly over 12 months, while outpatient scores remained stable. Lower baseline health predicted higher total costs.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Influence of socioeconomic status on cognitive outcome after childhood arterial ischemic stroke.Developmental medicine and child neurologySocioeconomic status predicted cognitive outcomes better than stroke severity in 18 children. Each point increase in SES raised perceptual reasoning scores by 15.64 percentile points. Clinical factors like lesion size had weaker effects. Low sample size limits generalizability.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Getting into a "Flow" state: a systematic review of flow experience in neurological diseases.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFlow questionnaires are used in neurorehabilitation, often during serious games, but none has been validated in neurological patients. Patients sometimes reported higher flow during game-based sessions, but the review did not show better function.
• PTOTRCT2021Immersive virtual reality during gait rehabilitation increases walking speed and motivation: a usability evaluation with healthy participants and patients with multiple sclerosis and stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPatients walked faster on a treadmill wearing a VR headset than with a screen or no VR. The headset was highly usable and caused little nausea. This was a short usability test, not proof that VR improves long-term walking.
• PTOTSLPRCT2021Feasibility and effect of interactive telerehabilitation on balance in individuals with chronic stroke: a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFor chronic stroke, Kinect-based telerehabilitation improved balance similarly to conventional physiotherapy. However, the study was conducted in a hospital room rather than a home, and the small sample size limits confidence in these findings.
• PTOTCohort2021Arm impairment and walking speed explain real-life activity of the affected arm and leg after stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineArm motor impairment and walking speed explained about two-thirds of the real-life activity of the affected arm in people with subacute stroke. Walking speed alone explained 60% of the affected leg's activity. Clinical assessments can help estimate these activity levels.
• PTOTRCT2021Validity, reliability, and sensitivity to motor impairment severity of a multi-touch app designed to assess hand mobility, coordination, and function after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTapping and finger extension exercises on a tablet app correlated well with standard hand tests and distinguished mild from moderate stroke impairment. Other exercises, like pincer grasps and writing, showed weaker validity or reliability. The app is not yet a standalone assessment tool.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Utilization of wearable technology to assess gait and mobility post-stroke: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWearable devices often captured gait speed and step count after stroke, but most studies were hospital or lab based. Few reported device accuracy, and one step-count algorithm failed at slow walking speeds, so do not rely on them to diagnose community mobility yet.
• OTSLPCohort2021Temporal evolution and predictors of subjective cognitive complaints up to 4 years after stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn 121 patients with data at all time points, cognitive complaints rose up to 4 years. At 4 years, 89.3% reported at least one complaint, and the average number was 4.1 on a 0-13 scale. Early complaints and psychological factors were linked to later complaints.
• PTOTCohort2021Movement compensations during a step ascent task are associated with stair climbing performance in people with multiple sclerosis.Gait & posturePeople with MS who sway their pelvis more during a single step climb take longer to ascend a full flight of stairs. This links movement compensation directly to functional performance, suggesting balance and proximal control training may be key targets.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2021Comprehensive Clinical Assessment of Vestibular Function in Multiple Sclerosis.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTPeople with MS showed impaired central vestibular integration on VOR cancellation and SVV variance tests, correlating with disease severity. Peripheral reflex tests like vHIT and VEMPs were normal. This suggests central processing deficits, not peripheral damage, drive balance issues in mild-to-moderate MS.
• PTOTOther2021Sound psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure Self-Report.Journal of rehabilitation medicineThe Swedish Spinal Cord Independence Measure Self-Report reliably scores overall physical independence in community settings. It fails to group breathing, bladder, and bowel items into a single consistent score, so clinicians should interpret these subscale results with caution.
• PTOTSLPPilot2021Identifying bidirectional total and non-linear information flow in functional corticomuscular coupling during a dorsiflexion task: a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new method measured brain-to-muscle signals in ten stroke survivors and ten healthy controls. It found that stroke patients had significantly weaker two-way communication between the brain and ankle muscles in both beta and gamma frequency bands.
• PTOTRCT2021Evidence of neuroplasticity with robotic hand exoskeleton for post-stroke rehabilitation: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRobotic exoskeleton therapy improved wrist spasticity, movement range, and hand function more than conventional physiotherapy in stroke patients. Brain scans showed increased excitability in the injured hemisphere, suggesting neuroplasticity. This is a small pilot, so confirm with larger trials before changing practice.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Distance-limited walk tests post-stroke: A systematic review of measurement properties.NeuroRehabilitationThe 10-metre comfortable walk test is the only measure with strong evidence across all stroke recovery phases. For acute and subacute patients, the 5-metre comfortable test is a reliable alternative. Standardized protocols are highly reliable, but you must match the specific testing conditions to the study supporting them.
• PTOTQualitative2021Experiences of secondary health conditions amongst people with spinal cord injury in South Africa: A qualitative study.The South African journal of physiotherapyPeople with spinal cord injury described secondary health conditions such as pain, bowel and bladder problems, pressure sores and spasms as limiting movement, daily care, work and social life. They also reported fear, shame, sadness and some new coping skills.
• PTOTOther2021Relative independence of upper limb position sense and reaching in children with hemiparetic perinatal stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationChildren with hemiparetic perinatal stroke varied in upper limb position sense and reaching. Robot tests showed no significant link between the two, so a child can have impaired position sense but normal reaching, or the reverse.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Neurodevelopmental profiles of children with unilateral cerebral palsy associated with middle cerebral artery and periventricular venous infarctions.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with unilateral cerebral palsy caused by middle cerebral artery infarction had significantly worse hand function, sensation, and cognition than those with periventricular venous infarction. Therapists should screen for sensory and cognitive barriers in this group before starting upper limb training.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2021Motor Dysfunction in REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Rehabilitation Framework for Prodromal Synucleinopathy.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairPeople with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder often show subtle motor signs years before a Parkinson's diagnosis. The authors propose a framework for early exercise and rehabilitation, but note there are no trials proving these interventions prevent or slow the disease.
• PTOTCohort2021Effect of post-stroke spasticity on voluntary movement of the upper limb.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSpasticity, measured by the threshold at which muscle resistance begins, strongly predicts the quality of voluntary reaching movements in stroke survivors. This effect is distinct from overall motor impairment scores, suggesting that treating spasticity may improve movement quality beyond what general rehabilitation achieves.
• PTOTSLPRCT2021Domains of Health-Related Quality of Life Are Associated With Specific Deficits and Lesion Locations in Chronic Aphasia.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairDepression symptoms and arm weakness predicted lower overall quality of life. Language production deficits predicted lower communication quality. Specific brain lesions in the basal ganglia and inferior frontal areas were linked to poorer physical and psychosocial outcomes.
• PTOTRCT2021Effects of a Tailored Physical Activity Intervention on Cardiovascular Structure and Function in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairAn 8-week community-based physical activity coaching program improved fitness in people with spinal cord injury but did not change resting heart or blood vessel structure. Only those with lower-level injuries showed minor heart shape changes, suggesting higher-level injuries may need more intense or specific loading.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2021Narrative review of clinical practice guidelines for treating people with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury.NeuroRehabilitationOnly 17 clinical practice guidelines for moderate-to-severe TBI rehabilitation met rigorous vetting standards since 2010. Most guidelines focus on symptom control rather than functional recovery, and many published documents labeled as guidelines lack the necessary systematic review process to be trustworthy.
• PTOTCohort2021The utility of upper limb loading device in determining optimal walking ability in ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoMost participants could progress to a cane or no device, walking faster and further than walker users. Upper limb loading correlated with walking ability, suggesting the device may help therapists identify who can safely reduce support.
• PTOTCohort2021Clinical validation of kinematic assessments of post-stroke upper limb movements with a multi-joint arm exoskeleton.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationExoskeleton-based kinematic assessment accurately predicted motor impairment in severely impaired stroke patients. Shoulder internal/external rotation and grip pressure were the strongest predictors. This method took 6 minutes, compared to 30 minutes for the clinical Fugl-Meyer Assessment.
• PTOTRCT2021Augmented efficacy of intermittent theta burst stimulation on the virtual reality-based cycling training for upper limb function in patients with stroke: a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding brain stimulation to virtual reality cycling reduced spasticity and improved participation in stroke patients. However, it did not improve upper limb motor function compared to sham stimulation plus the same exercise. The benefit was specific to tone and daily life involvement, not movement quality.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Using Biofeedback to Reduce Step Length Asymmetry Impairs Dynamic Balance in People Poststroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairUsing visual feedback to reduce step length asymmetry in people post-stroke increased forward body rotation during walking, suggesting impaired dynamic balance rather than improvement. The strategy used to achieve symmetry matters, as participants varied in how they compensated.
• PTOTQualitative2021Motivation for Rehabilitation in Patients With Subacute Stroke: A Qualitative Study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesSubacute stroke patients are driven by extrinsic factors like returning home, work, or family roles, not by enjoyment of therapy itself. Older patients often conserve energy by skipping self-training despite high motivation, so staff should assess motivation through conversation rather than just observing activity levels.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Generalizing the predictive relationship between 1-month motor skill retention and Rey-Osterrieth Delayed Recall scores from nondemented older adults to individuals with chronic stroke: a short report.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding visuospatial memory test scores to prediction models modestly improved accuracy for 1-month motor skill retention in older adults and people with stroke. The benefit was small and based on very few stroke patients, so it is not yet a clinical tool.
• PTOTPilot2021Assessing Physical Function and Mobility following Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury with the NIH Toolbox Motor Battery: A Feasibility Study.Physical & occupational therapy in pediatricsThe NIH Toolbox Motor Battery is feasible for children with traumatic brain injury, taking about 23 minutes. It detects endurance and balance problems that parents may not report, but it fails in children under 5 due to distraction and difficulty following instructions.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2021Homes of Stroke Survivors Are a Challenging Environment for Rehabilitation Technologies.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesStroke survivors' homes are often emotionally charged and socially complex, making technology placement difficult. Partners may enforce exercise schedules that conflict with the survivor's desire for leisure, causing distress. Successful deployment requires negotiating space and usage with the whole household, not just the patient.
• OTOther2021How many trials are needed in kinematic analysis of reach-to-grasp?-A study of the drinking task in persons with stroke and non-disabled controls.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn people with chronic stroke and without disability, most drinking task movement measures became stable after 2 to 3 trials. Returning time, reaching time and time to peak velocity needed more trials.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2021Serious games for upper limb rehabilitation after stroke: a meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSerious games designed for rehabilitation improved upper limb function, activity, and participation after stroke compared to conventional therapy. Games that followed at least 8 of 11 neurorehabilitation principles showed significantly better results than those that followed fewer.
• OTQualitative2020Experience of Filipinos with Spinal Cord Injury in the Use of Assistive Technology: An Occupational Justice Perspective.Occupational therapy internationalFilipinos with spinal cord injury found wheelchairs essential for work, travel, and advocacy, yet faced steep ramps, inaccessible transport, and stigma. Social support and charity, often viewed negatively in Western models, were reported as necessary adjuncts to assistive technology use.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Study Paradigms and Principles Investigated in Motor Learning Research After Stroke: A Scoping Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationExplicit instructions about movement sequences hindered motor learning in people with stroke, while providing feedback and using mental practice or action observation improved it. Increasing task difficulty helped, but neurostimulation results were inconsistent and hard to apply clinically.
• PTOTCohort2021Clinical value of assessing motor performance in postacute stroke patients.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 15 postacute stroke patients, wearable sensors showed daily walking and arm use varied widely and did not match clinical capacity scores. A patient with good walking capacity could still be mostly sedentary, or a slow walker could cover long distances at home.
• PTOTPilot2021Biomechanical analysis of an unpowered hip flexion orthosis on individuals with and without multiple sclerosis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFive people with MS who wore a simple, passive hip orthosis showed significant increases in peak hip flexion angle and net hip work. The device was well-tolerated, but muscle activity responses were highly variable, suggesting individualized fitting is required.
• PTOTOther2020Psychological Effects of Hands-On Training Using Public Transportation among Inpatients with Physical Disabilities: Analysis of the Self-Efficacy and Perception of Occupational Enablement Using a Multimethod Design.Occupational therapy internationalHands-on public transport training increased patients' confidence but did not change their view of their own ability. Patients who used transport after discharge had better balance and walking scores than those who did not.
• OTCohort2021Microstructural changes in the spinal cord of adults with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyAdults with cerebral palsy showed smaller spinal cord cross-sectional areas and reduced gray matter compared to controls. These structural differences correlated with poorer hand dexterity scores, suggesting spinal cord microstructure plays a role in upper limb function.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2021Verification of spatial recognition ability of stroke patients required to resume automobile driving.Journal of physical therapy scienceStroke patients made larger errors judging car width than healthy drivers in a chair-and-panel simulation. This suggests paper-based cognitive tests may miss spatial recognition problems needed for safe driving. Use physical 3D assessments before clearing patients to drive.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Identification of Classes of Functioning Trajectories and Their Predictors in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury Attending Initial Rehabilitation in Switzerland.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationMost people with new spinal cord injury in Switzerland fell into one of four recovery patterns. Higher age, tetraplegia, complete injury, and needing ventilation predicted a slower or lower-functioning trajectory. This helps clinicians identify who may need more support early.