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 24 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTRCT2022Ankle-foot orthosis with an oil damper versus nonarticulated ankle-foot orthosis in the gait of patients with subacute stroke: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPatients walking with an ankle-foot orthosis that allows free upward movement (oil damper) showed greater ankle dorsiflexion during stance and swing compared to those with a rigid orthosis. This suggests the oil damper AFO may better preserve natural ankle mechanics in subacute stroke.
• PTOTOther2022Assessing Impairments in Visuomotor Adaptation After Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairStroke survivors adapt less to visual errors and need more practice than controls. Those with dominant-arm damage struggle most. Adaptation scores correlate with Fugl-Meyer and FIM, but clinical scales miss half the deficits, so motor learning issues may exist despite normal functional scores.
• PTOTPilot2022Surrogates for rigidity and PIGD MDS-UPDRS subscores using wearable sensors.Gait & postureIn 31 people with mild to moderate Parkinson's, wearable sensor data predicted clinical rigidity and postural instability scores. Rigidity was best estimated by the number of walking bouts, while postural instability required combining walking bouts, gait speed, and standing sway.
• PTOTCohort2022Baseline Predictors of Response to Repetitive Task Practice in Chronic Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairBaseline factors including non-dominant stroke side, longer time since stroke, better proprioception, faster movement times, lower grip strength, and specific genetics predicted improvement in chronic stroke patients undergoing robot-assisted therapy.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022A systematic review opens the black box of "usual care" in stroke rehabilitation control groups and finds a black hole.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineStroke lower-limb trials rarely defined usual care. Only three of 155 studies said their control program followed specific guidelines, and 39 articles did not specify usual care. Check what the control group actually received before trusting a new treatment's benefit.
• PTOTCohort2022Cumulative Risk And Associated Factors For Fall-Related Fractures In Stroke Survivors After Discharge From Rehabilitation Wards: A Retrospective Study With A 6-Year Follow-Up.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAfter discharge from convalescent stroke rehabilitation, 13.7% had a fall-related fracture within 5 years. Female sex and moderate leg weakness at discharge were linked to higher fracture risk, especially in the first year.
• PTOTOther2022Wrist-based accelerometer cut-points for quantifying moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity in Parkinson's disease.Gait & posturePeople with Parkinson's need a wrist accelerometer cut-point of 2,883 counts per minute to flag moderate-to-vigorous activity, versus 4,389 for healthy adults. Using the standard higher threshold undercounts their activity because their movement is less efficient.
• PTOTOther2021Correlation between community balance and mobility scale (CB&M) with a battery of outcome measures to assess balance in Parkinson's disease - a cross-sectional study.Archives of physiotherapyIn Parkinson's, the CB&M correlated strongly with standard balance tests but exposed deficits they missed. The Berg Scale hit a ceiling, masking risk in early stages. Use CB&M to catch subtle, community-level balance problems before falls occur.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2022New technologies promoting active upper limb rehabilitation after stroke: an overview and network meta-analysis.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineVirtual reality and robot-assisted therapy improved upper-limb motor function more than conventional therapy in both subacute and chronic stroke. Telerehabilitation matched conventional therapy. Choose robots for severe impairment early on, and virtual reality for milder cases or later stages.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022Machine learning methods for functional recovery prediction and prognosis in post-stroke rehabilitation: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMost stroke prediction models rely on internal validation, not new data, so their real-world accuracy is unproven. High risk of bias and small sample sizes limit current tools. Clinicians cannot yet use these algorithms to confidently predict patient recovery.
• OTCase Report2022Design-development of an at-home modular brain-computer interface (BCI) platform in a case study of cervical spinal cord injury.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn a person with cervical spinal cord injury, an implanted brain-to-glove system worked at home, with hand-grasp commands classified correctly 87.53% of the time over a year without recalibration. This is feasibility, not proof of benefit.
• PTOTSLPCase Series2021Physique, range of motion, and gross muscle strength in hemiplegic para swimmers: a cross-sectional case series.Journal of physical therapy scienceHemiplegic swimmers showed significantly smaller arm circumference and restricted shoulder and ankle range of motion on their affected side compared to swimmers with vision impairment. They also had reduced lower-limb strength on their unaffected side and poor streamlined posture.
• PTOTSLPProtocol2022Redefining a minimal rehabilitation assessment protocol for severe acquired brain injuries.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineThe updated severe acquired brain injury rehabilitation assessment protocol organizes history, clinical tools, and outcome measures by problem areas. It supports shared data but does not show that using it improves patient recovery.
• PTOTCohort2022Investigating the underlying biomechanical mechanisms leading to falls in long-term ankle-foot orthosis and functional electrical stimulator users with chronic stroke.Gait & postureLong-term AFO and FES users with chronic stroke fell significantly more often than non-users during simulated trips. Wearing or removing the device made no difference to fall rates. The users' high fall risk stems from impaired trunk control and an inability to take a second step with the paretic leg.
• PTOTSurvey2022Physical Health Conditions in Persons with Spinal Cord Injury Across 21 Countries Worldwide.Journal of rehabilitation medicineSecondary health problems are near-universal after spinal cord injury, affecting 95.8% of people. Pain, spasticity, sexual dysfunction, and bowel issues were most common. Sexual dysfunction was rated as the most severe problem but had the lowest treatment rate, with only 16.2% of those reporting extreme problems receiving care.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2022Autoimmune Neurogenic Dysphagia.DysphagiaDysphagia can be the first sign of an autoimmune neurological disease like myasthenia gravis or inflammatory myopathy. Early identification allows for immunotherapy, which often resolves swallowing issues. Clinicians should maintain a high suspicion for autoimmune causes when dysphagia presents without a clear neurological history.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Relationship of Recovery of Contralesional Ankle Weakness With the Corticospinal and Corticoreticular Tracts in Stroke Patients.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationIn stroke patients with severe initial ankle weakness, good recovery was strongly linked to a higher number of nerve fibers in the contralesional corticoreticular tract. This suggests the undamaged side's reticular pathway supports ankle function when the primary motor pathway is completely injured.
• PTOTRCT2022Wearable airbag technology and machine learned models to mitigate falls after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA fall detection algorithm trained on stroke survivors' movements detected more falls than one trained on healthy controls. This suggests commercial airbag devices, which often use general population data, may miss falls in stroke patients because their movement patterns are different.
• PTOTPilot2022Rehabilitation of Upper Extremity by Telerehabilitation Combined With Exergames in Survivors of Chronic Stroke: Preliminary Findings From a Feasibility Clinical Trial.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesHome-based VR games with clinician video supervision were feasible for 9 chronic stroke survivors. Two of four in the VR group improved motor function enough to be clinically meaningful, matching the conventional hand exercise group. Use requires basic computer skills or caregiver support.
• PTOTRCT2022Bilateral Movement-based Computer Games Improve Sensorimotor Functions in Subacute Stroke Survivors.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAdding 30 minutes of bilateral computer gaming to standard therapy improved arm movement and daily function in subacute stroke survivors more than video exercises alone. The gaming group showed greater gains in upper limb impairment and activity scores, with benefits lasting one month after treatment ended.
• PTOTOther2022Physical rehabilitation interventions in children with acquired brain injury: a scoping review.Developmental medicine and child neurologyNine studies mapped physical rehab for children with acquired brain injury, but none reported intervention intensity. While all showed positive body-function gains, the evidence is too heterogeneous to prove which treatments work best or how much practice is needed.
• PTOTOther2022Association Between Temporal Asymmetry and Muscle Synergy During Walking With Rhythmic Auditory Cueing in Survivors of Stroke Living With Impairments.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationListening to a metronome while walking immediately increased stance time on the weaker leg and improved step symmetry in stroke survivors. The change in stance time was the main factor linked to more complex muscle coordination, not changes in joint angles.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022Use of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Measures in Clinical Research in Patients With Stroke: A Systematic Literature Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationPROMIS measures are widely used in stroke research but rarely follow international guidelines for timing or reporting. Most data comes from US outpatient clinics with high-functioning patients, and inconsistent scoring directions make comparing results across studies impossible.
• PTOTSurvey2022Risk Factors Associated With Falls and Fall-Related Injuries Among Wheelchair Users With Spinal Cord Injury.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationWheelchair users with spinal cord injury were more likely to report falls if their injury was more recent or if they had better mobility scores. Better physical quality of life was linked to fewer fall injuries.
• PTOTOther2021Development of an exercise programme for balance abilities in people with multiple sclerosis: a development of concept study using Rasch analysis.Archives of physiotherapyBalance exercises for multiple sclerosis are not one single skill. They split into three distinct types: standing still, shifting weight, and stepping or walking. Each type has its own difficulty scale, so you must pick exercises from the specific area your patient struggles with.
• PTOTOther2022TWIICE One powered exoskeleton: effect of design improvements on usability in daily life as measured by the performance in the CYBATHLON race.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationOne experienced pilot with spinal cord injury completed a daily-life obstacle course 40% faster with the updated TWIICE One exoskeleton. Design changes to the foot and control modes improved performance, but data from a single athlete cannot predict outcomes for typical patients.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2022Short and long-term effects of robot-assisted therapy on upper limb motor function and activity of daily living in patients post-stroke: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn adults after stroke, robot-assisted upper-limb training improved motor control and daily activity right after treatment compared with non-robotic therapy, but the advantage was not still present at follow-up.
• PTOTNarrative Review2022Soft robotics and functional electrical stimulation advances for restoring hand function in people with SCI: a narrative review, clinical guidelines and future directions.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSoft robotic gloves and functional electrical stimulation show promise for hand recovery in spinal cord injury, but most devices remain experimental prototypes with limited clinical validation. Clinicians should view these technologies as emerging aids rather than established treatments.
• PTOTRCT2022Myoelectric interface training enables targeted reduction in abnormal muscle co-activation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMyoelectric training reduced abnormal muscle co-activation in responders, but only for the most severely coupled muscle pair. The overall number and composition of arm muscle synergies did not change, suggesting the brain adjusts specific muscle weights rather than rebuilding entire movement patterns.
• PTOTOther2022Application of a virtual reality tracker-based system to measure seated postural stability in stroke patients.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA virtual reality tracker gave fair to excellent repeat results for most seated sway measures, but quiet sitting was unreliable. It separated stroke patients from controls mainly on unstable surfaces and tracked clinical balance through trunk speed.
• PTOTCase-Control2022Increased foot strike variability during turning in Parkinson's disease patients with freezing of gait.Gait & posturePeople with Parkinson's who freeze take shorter, wider turns with less foot contact and more variability. Freezing happens most often in the middle of a turn, where the body must change direction fastest, suggesting this phase is a key target for therapy.
• PTOTRCT2022Intermittent theta burst stimulation modulates biceps brachii corticomotor excitability in individuals with tetraplegia.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIntermittent theta burst stimulation increased biceps excitability in people with tetraplegia but not in healthy controls. The response varied based on individual motor threshold ratios, suggesting this stimulation could prime the nervous system before therapy for some patients.
• PTOTPilot2022Development of a single device to quantify motor impairments of the elbow: proof of concept.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA robotic device measured elbow weakness, synergy, elasticity, and spasticity in ten stroke patients within one hour. Every patient showed at least one impairment outside the healthy range. The device is feasible for quantifying these deficits, but it is not yet proven reliable or valid.
• PTOTRCT2022Comparative Effectiveness of Robot-Assisted Training Versus Enhanced Upper Extremity Therapy on Upper and Lower Extremity for Stroke Survivors: A Multicentre Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineRobot-assisted training was not better than enhanced occupational therapy for arm movement, but it did produce a small, likely non-clinical improvement in leg movement scores. Both groups improved equally in daily independence. The arm benefit was non-inferior, not superior, so robots are a substitute, not an upgrade.
• PTOTCohort2022Relationships Among Environmental Variables, Physical Capacity, Balance Self-Efficacy, and Real-World Walking Activity Post-Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairLiving in a more deprived neighborhood was linked to fewer daily steps after stroke. This link was partly explained by lower balance confidence. Physical capacity did not change this relationship, and living situation showed no association.
• PTOTPilot2022Acceptability and deliverability of an auditory rhythmical cueing (ARC) training programme for use at home and outdoors to improve gait and physical activity post-stroke.Archives of physiotherapyStroke survivors safely completed a home and outdoor gait training programme using a low-cost metronome. They found the exercises easy to follow, felt safe, and all would recommend the programme, though it did not measure actual walking improvements.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022Pathway of care for visual and vestibular rehabilitation after mild traumatic brain injury: a critical review.Brain injuryOnly eight low-quality studies describe care pathways for visual and vestibular symptoms after mild brain injury. Sequential referral is common, but evidence for combined treatment is limited to case reports. Standardized protocols and timing for referral remain undefined.
• PTOTPilot2022Feasibility and Potential Effects of Robot-Assisted Passive Range of Motion Training in Combination with Conventional Rehabilitation on Hand Function in Patients with Chronic Stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineTwelve chronic stroke patients who received robot-assisted passive finger movement before conventional hand therapy showed improved hand strength and function. However, the study had no control group and a very small sample, so it is impossible to tell if the robot caused the improvement or if standard therapy alone would have achieved the same result.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022Does time spent in rehabilitation make a difference on activity limitation and impairment in people with stroke? - A Cochrane Review summary with commentary.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIncreasing rehabilitation time did not consistently improve outcomes. While some subgroup analyses suggested benefits for daily activities and upper limb function when time differences were large, the overall certainty was very low. There is no evidence to recommend a specific minimum daily dose of rehabilitation for stroke patients.
• PTOTOther2022Visual oscillation effects on dynamic balance control in people with multiple sclerosis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationVirtual trees swaying in a VR scene disrupted balance in people with MS but not in healthy controls. This suggests patients may mistake moving objects for their own motion, which could explain falls in busy environments like grocery stores.
• PTOTSLPOther2022The reliability and effectiveness of shoulder joint evaluation by ultrasonography in stroke patients: deltoid muscle thickness, acromion-humeral distance, acromion-lesser tuberosity distance.Journal of physical therapy scienceUltrasound reliably measures deltoid thickness, acromion-humeral distance, and acromion-lesser tuberosity distance in stroke patients. Hemiplegic deltoid thickness was significantly lower than the non-hemiplegic side at 0, 30, and 60 degrees of abduction. This supports using ultrasound to objectively assess shoulder subluxation risk.
• PTOTSLPPilot2022Regional cerebral blood perfusion changes in chronic stroke survivors as potential brain correlates of the functional outcome following gamified home-based rehabilitation (IntelliRehab)-a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn eight chronic stroke survivors, three months of gamified home rehabilitation improved arm function scores. Brain blood flow changed in specific regions, but these changes did not correlate with the functional gains. The study cannot prove the software caused the improvement, as all participants also received conventional rehabilitation.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022"Hidden gains"? Measuring the impact of mindfulness-based interventions for people with mild traumatic brain injury: a scoping review.Brain injuryMindfulness-based interventions for mild traumatic brain injury show significant improvements in coping, somatic symptoms, and emotional health. However, studies rarely measure physical function, sleep, or pain catastrophizing. Qualitative reports suggest benefits in daily life and sleep that quantitative tests missed.
• PTOTCase Series2022Multisite Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation for Walking and Autonomic Recovery in Motor-Incomplete Tetraplegia: A Single-Subject Design.Physical therapyTwo men with incomplete cervical spinal cord injury walked three times farther when transcutaneous spinal stimulation was added to locomotor training. Improvements in walking, balance, and bowel function lasted for months after the stimulation stopped.
• PTOTOther2021Validity and Acceptability of Wearable Devices for Monitoring Step-Count and Activity Minutes Among People With Multiple Sclerosis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesCommercially available activity monitors performed poorly for people with multiple sclerosis. They gave inaccurate step counts and failed to measure activity time. Participants distrusted devices that seemed wrong, which reduced their motivation to use them. Do not rely on these specific consumer devices for clinical monitoring in this population.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2021A Socially Assistive Robot for Stroke Patients: Acceptance, Needs, and Concerns of Patients and Informal Caregivers.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPatients and caregivers saw value in a robot for home exercise but worried it lacked human empathy and physical support. Caregivers were willing to drive up to 45 minutes for sessions. Both groups insisted the robot must supplement, not replace, human therapists.
• PTOTPilot2021Changes in Cortical Activity in Stroke Survivors Undergoing Botulinum Neurotoxin Therapy for Treatment of Focal Spasticity.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesNine stroke survivors showed increased brain activity in motor areas after botulinum toxin injections. However, the average improvement in arm function was smaller than the threshold considered clinically meaningful. This suggests the brain changes may not translate to noticeable functional gains for most patients.
• PTOTSLPOther2021The Nottwil Standard-Development and Implementation of an International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health-Based Clinical Standard Assessment for Post-acute Rehabilitation After Newly Acquired Spinal Cord Injury.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA new ICF-based assessment standard for spinal cord injury rehab saw high compliance for physical tests like muscle strength and mobility. However, assessments for autonomic function, pain, and mental health were performed in only 35-41% of cases. The standard is feasible but requires stronger enforcement for these often-missed domains.
• PTOTPilot2021The Impact of Sub-maximal Exercise on Neuropathic Pain, Inflammation, and Affect Among Adults With Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA single bout of arm-cranking exercise reduced neuropathic pain and improved mood in adults with spinal cord injury. Pain relief was larger and more consistent in those with tetraplegia. Those with paraplegia reported higher exertion, and their pain changes were less clear immediately after exercise.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Sociodemographic and Biomedical Correlates of Developmental Delay in 2- and 4-Year-Olds with Sickle Cell Disease.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPIn children with sickle cell disease, risk factors for developmental delay shift with age. Private insurance and professional daycare were protective in two-year-olds, while severe disease and abnormal stroke screening were linked to delay in four-year-olds.