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 30 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPOther2022Changes in cerebral blood flow before, during, and after forward and backward walking in stroke patients trained using virtual reality walking videos with deliberately induced inaccuracies in walking speed estimations.Journal of physical therapy scienceWatching backward-walking VR videos increased brain activity in the right prefrontal cortex during the video and during subsequent backward walking. Forward walking showed no significant change. This suggests backward walking may engage more cognitive control, but clinical functional gains were not measured.
• PTOTCohort2022Daily-Living Freezing of Gait as Quantified Using Wearables in People With Parkinson Disease: Comparison With Self-Report and Provocation Tests.Physical therapyWearable monitoring of freezing of gait in daily life did not correlate with self-reported scores, but matched off-medication provoking tests. This suggests questionnaires miss real-world frequency, while wearables capture objective data that clinics may not.
• PTOTSLPRCT2022A Novel Balloon Catheter-based Dilation Intervention for Patients with Cricopharyngeus Achalasia After Stroke: A Randomized Study.DysphagiaA novel balloon catheter shortened dilation duration to 9 days versus 14 days for standard catheters. It improved swallowing function scores and reduced pain without increasing complications. Both groups also received routine swallowing training and electrical stimulation.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2023Patient experiences receiving rehabilitation care via telehealth: Identifying opportunities for remote care.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPatients at a rehabilitation hospital reported high satisfaction with telehealth, rating visits as easy, safe, and effective. This positive experience was consistent across neurological, pain, and musculoskeletal conditions, including multidisciplinary team visits.
• PTOTCase Report2023Improving functional outcomes and quality of life in an elderly woman with sarcopenia and spinal Tuberculosis: A case report.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAn elderly woman with spinal tuberculosis and sarcopenia improved her independence and quality of life after a three-month multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme. Her ability to perform daily activities increased, but this single case cannot prove the treatment works for others.
• PTOTOther2023Mobile Robotic Balance Assistant (MRBA): a gait assistive and fall intervention robot for daily living.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA prototype robot slowed walking speed and step length in users but detected 94% of simulated falls in healthy adults with no false alarms. It has not been tested on patients with balance impairments, so its real-world safety and effectiveness remain unknown.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Urgent computed tomography angiography in paediatric stroke.Developmental medicine and child neurologyUrgent CT angiography quickly identified large vessel strokes, enabling timely endovascular therapy. Children with atypical symptoms like seizures or vomiting were diagnosed much slower, missing treatment windows. CT angiography is a useful first step when MRI is not immediately available.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Prioritizing risk factors and identifying target areas to address with interventions to improve sustainable employment of persons with a brain injury or a spinal cord injury - A multi-stakeholder consensus process.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStakeholders prioritized a lifelong contact person for work issues as the top intervention for brain and spinal cord injuries, with 73% agreement. However, they rated the feasibility of implementing this and other proposed changes very low.
• PTOTQualitative2023Development of a tailored intervention targeting sedentary behavior and physical activity in people with stroke and diabetes: A qualitative study using a co-creation framework.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStroke survivors with diabetes rejected generic home exercises as overwhelming. They wanted movement woven into daily tasks, not added on top. Fatigue was the main barrier to activity. They asked for early, tailored plans that respect their energy limits and help them stay independent.
• PTOTCase Report2023Practical approaches of PULSE Racing in training their athlete for the Cybathlon Global Edition Functional Electrical Stimulation bike race: a case report.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFor one spinal cord injury athlete, a year-long plan mixing FES cycling with strength work and rest weeks led to a gold medal. Skin irritation and illness forced constant adjustments, showing that flexible monitoring is more critical than sticking to a rigid schedule.
• PTOTPilot2023Telerehabilitation Initiated Early in Post-Stroke Recovery: A Feasibility Study.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairEarly telerehabilitation added to usual post-stroke care was feasible: 16 patients completed the 6-week program, with 100% session compliance. Arm scores improved, but no control group means natural recovery cannot be ruled out.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Needs of an uninsured equity-deserving minority patient cohort with physical disabilities during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesUninsured patients with physical disabilities reported unmet medical needs, broken equipment, and isolation most frequently. Rent and job worries peaked early in the pandemic, while equipment problems persisted longer. These findings highlight gaps in care for vulnerable populations during crises.
• PTOTRCT2023Assessment of muscle fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients in electromyographic examinations.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineDuring wrist fatigue tests, healthy people increased muscle signal amplitude to maintain force, but people with MS decreased it. This suggests their muscles cannot recruit new units effectively. Therapists should not assume standard EMG fatigue patterns apply to MS patients.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2023Standardized tools for assessing balance and mobility in stroke clinical practice guidelines worldwide: A scoping review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStroke guidelines worldwide rarely agree on which balance tests to use. When they do, they mostly list the Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go, and walk tests. These common tools miss reactive balance and cognitive challenges, and half the guidelines don't explain how they chose them.
• PTOTSLPCohortIntersectionality of Systemic Disadvantage on Mortality and Care Following TBI.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationOlder adults with TBI had significantly lower survival and less access to inpatient rehabilitation than younger White English speakers. Racial disparities in survival and opioid prescribing narrowed or disappeared after adjusting for injury severity, suggesting these gaps were driven by more severe injuries rather than bias.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure Dynamics as a Bedside Test in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury to Assess Surgical Spinal Cord Decompression: Safety, Feasibility, and Proof-of-Concept.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairBedside cerebrospinal fluid pressure measurements were safe in 11 spinal cord injury patients. The test identified restricted fluid circulation in some cases, matching imaging findings. This small pilot suggests the method is feasible, but does not yet prove it improves clinical decisions or patient outcomes.
• 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.
• PTOTCohort2023Principles into Practice: An Observational Study of Physiotherapists use of Motor Learning Principles in Stroke Rehabilitation.PhysiotherapyRoutine stroke physiotherapy sessions were short but mostly active. Therapists spoke constantly, averaging a new statement every ten seconds, and rarely used external focus or specific feedback. High repetition was uncommon except during walking, leaving little quiet time for learning.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2023Patient Reported Outcome Measures in Dysphagia Research Following Stroke: A Scoping Review and Qualitative Analysis.DysphagiaMost stroke dysphagia trials ignore patient experience. The two common tools miss environmental barriers like support and attitudes. Use them with caution, knowing they do not capture the social impact of swallowing problems.
• PTOTCohort2023Validating stroke-induced bilateral ankle coordination deficits using bilateral ankle measure relationship with motor functions in lower limbs.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeople with chronic stroke showed unstable bilateral ankle coordination on a novel sensor task. Poorer coordination correlated with slower walking and worse balance, suggesting that assessing and training coordination in both paretic and non-paretic ankles may be relevant to lower-limb function.
• 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.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2023Clinical Predictors of Dysphagia Recovery After Stroke: A Systematic Review.DysphagiaPenetration or aspiration on instrumental assessment, older age, bilateral lesions, high NIHSS stroke severity, and initial low Functional Oral Intake Scale scores consistently predict persistent dysphagia after stroke. Intubation and tracheostomy also predict poor recovery. The evidence is limited by heterogeneous definitions of recovery and mostly retrospective designs.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Functional connectivity of proximal and distal lower limb muscles and impact on gait variability in stroke.Gait & postureStroke survivors with stronger brain-to-muscle signals to the thigh compared to the shin showed more inconsistent step lengths. These brain signals did not predict variability in step timing. This links specific neural patterns to spatial gait instability.
• 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.
• PTOTCohort2023Stroke and activity limitation in Chinese adults 65 Years or older.Disability and health journalOlder Chinese adults with stroke had markedly higher rates of needing help with daily tasks than those with other conditions. They were four times more likely to have severe activity limitations than healthy peers. IADL issues were common across all groups.
• PTOTOther2023Test-Retest and Inter-Rater Reliability of the 20-Meter Ambulation Test in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.Journal of rehabilitation medicineManual timing and step counting during a 20-meter walk proved highly reliable in people with Parkinson's disease, even when asked to walk fast or take large steps. Step length was the most consistent measure, offering a simple, equipment-free way to track gait changes.
• PTOTPilot2022Gait improvement in stroke patients by Gait Exercise Assist Robot training is related to trunk verticality.Journal of physical therapy scienceStroke patients with a Verticality of SIAS score of 1 or higher were more likely to walk independently after GEAR training. Patients scoring 0 may need trunk control work before robot walking.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Prefrontal hemodynamics during forward and backward walking, with and without a cognitive task, in people with multiple sclerosis.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineBackward walking increased prefrontal cortex activity in people with MS, similar to adding a cognitive task to forward walking. This suggests backward walking is cognitively demanding, potentially useful for dual-task training, though no clinical outcomes were measured.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Validation of content and structure of the Return-to-work assessment for post-stroke survivors.The South African journal of physiotherapyExperts and post-stroke survivors reached 100% agreement on a new scale to assess return-to-work readiness. The tool covers personal, work, and contextual factors, including communication and employer attitudes, providing a structured way to evaluate barriers and facilitators for employment.
• PTOTRCT2022Motor function and safety after allogeneic cord blood and cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells in cerebral palsy: An open-label, randomized trial.Developmental medicine and child neurologyAllogeneic cord blood infusion showed greater gross motor improvement than natural history at 12 months on the GMFM-66. This was a post hoc finding in an underpowered safety trial. No significant difference was found for cord tissue-derived cells.
• PTOTOther2022Relationships between walking speed, activities and participation in people with chronic stroke in Burundi.The South African journal of physiotherapyWalking speed was related to balance and daily activity limitations in chronic stroke survivors in Burundi, but not to social participation overall. People who walked only at home participated less than those walking farther.
• PTOTPilot2023Combined Aerobic Exercise and Virtual Reality-Based Upper Extremity Rehabilitation Intervention for Chronic Stroke: Feasibility and Preliminary Effects on Physical Function and Quality of Life.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationTen chronic stroke survivors completed 18 sessions of aerobic exercise plus virtual reality arm training with no dropouts. Arm impairment showed a small change that did not reach the clinical importance threshold, but aerobic capacity and self-reported strength improved substantially.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Factors Predicting Return to Work After Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Follow-up Study.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationStroke survivors who viewed returning to work as important, had no language impairment, and scored well on walking and thinking tests at rehab discharge were more likely to return to work. Office workers and those with fewer other health problems also had higher odds.
• PTOTCohort2023Association of Caregiver Availability and Training With Patient Community Discharge After Stroke.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationStroke patients with a willing, able caregiver were more likely to return to the community after inpatient rehab. Caregiver training was also linked to community discharge, but the study cannot separate the two.
• 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.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Factors Determining Not Returning to Full-Time Work 12 Months After Mild Ischemic Stroke.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationAmong mild stroke survivors, persistent functional limitation and diabetes were linked to not returning to full-time work. Anxiety, depression, and fatigue appeared associated only before adjusting for other factors, so their independent role remains unclear.
• PTOTCohort2023Deploying Digital Health Technologies for Remote Physical Activity Monitoring of Rural Populations With Chronic Neurologic Disease.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationRemote step monitoring worked well for rural Veterans with Parkinson's or stroke, with high device adherence. However, daily activity was low in both groups. Older age predicted fewer steps, while Parkinson's patients took significantly fewer steps than stroke survivors.
• PTOTCase-Control2023Assessment of balance in people with mild traumatic brain injury using a balance systems model approach.Gait & posturePeople with subacute concussion scored lower on the Mini-BESTest than healthy controls, particularly in dynamic gait and reactive postural control. However, total scores did not correlate with overall self-reported symptom severity, meaning patients may underreport functional deficits.
• PTOTCohort2023Acupuncture use for pain after traumatic brain injury: a NIDILRR Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems cohort study.Brain injuryAmong 1,064 people with chronic pain after traumatic brain injury, 19.5% used acupuncture. Users were more often White, married, higher income, and military veterans. Pain severity and function were similar between users and non-users, though users reported more pain sites.
• PTOTSLPRCT2023Immediate improvements in post-stroke gait biomechanics are induced with both real-time limb position and propulsive force biofeedback.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationBoth real-time limb position and propulsive force biofeedback immediately increased paretic leg propulsion in nine people post-stroke. Limb position feedback raised leg angle more effectively, while force feedback increased ankle push-off. Neither changed the non-paretic leg.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Predictors of Discharge Destination After Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairStroke severity, age, and living alone before the stroke strongly predicted where patients went after acute care. Patients living alone were 5.56 times more likely to go to a residential facility, while those with severe strokes or longer stays were more likely to need rehabilitation.
• 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.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023A systematic review of the determinants of implementation of a locomotor training program using a powered exoskeleton for individuals with a spinal cord injury.Clinical rehabilitationImplementation of exoskeleton gait training depends on managing expectations, securing staff time, and handling adverse events like falls or skin lesions. High costs and device complexity are barriers, while perceived health benefits and reduced clinician strain are facilitators for adoption in clinical settings.
• PTOTCohort2023Walking Outcome After Traumatic Paraplegic Spinal Cord Injury: The Function of Which Myotomes Makes a Difference?Neurorehabilitation and neural repairEarly hip flexion and knee extension strength on the weaker leg predicts whether a person with paraplegic SCI will walk at six months. Distal leg strength determines if they can walk outdoors. These simple bedside tests help set realistic recovery expectations and guide rehab intensity.
• PTOTOther2023Multicentric investigation on the safety, feasibility and usability of the ABLE lower-limb robotic exoskeleton for individuals with spinal cord injury: a framework towards the standardisation of clinical evaluations.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThe ABLE exoskeleton was safe and feasible for 24 people with spinal cord injury. No falls occurred, and donning took about seven minutes. Walking independence improved, but without a control group, these gains may reflect natural recovery or standard therapy rather than the device itself.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Relationship between gait regularity and harmony, and gait speed at discharge in inpatients with subacute stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 16 subacute stroke inpatients, early trunk smoothness and vertical step regularity correlated with discharge walking speed. This suggests monitoring vertical trunk movement stability during early gait, though the small sample and high baseline function limit broader application.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2023Use of the Digital Assistant Vigo in the Home Environment for Stroke Recovery: Focus Group Discussion With Specialists Working in Neurorehabilitation.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesSpecialists said this stroke home app suited only a small group of patients. They wanted therapist assessment, adjustable exercises, voice or video instead of chat text, and caregiver support.
• PTOTPilot2023Relative and absolute reliability of gait variables obtained from gait analysis with trunk acceleration in community-dwelling individuals with chronic stroke: a pilot study.Journal of physical therapy scienceTrunk acceleration sensors reliably track gait changes in chronic stroke patients, especially during fast walking. Clinicians can trust small improvements measured this way, as the sensor noise is low enough to distinguish real progress from measurement error.
• PTOTOther2023Psychometric properties of Upper-body Dressing Scale in people with stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineTiming how long it takes a stroke patient to put on a shirt distinguishes them from healthy adults with high accuracy. The standard score failed to do this because patients with good cognition needed no help. Use the time taken, not the cue count, to track recovery.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Satisfaction analysis of overground gait exoskeletons in people with neurological pathology. a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAcross 23 studies, people with stroke, spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis reported generally positive satisfaction with overground gait exoskeletons, especially safety, efficacy and comfort. Fitting, removal, weight, size and ease of use were the weakest points.