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 35 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPCohort2024Establishing a Clinical Care Pathway to Expedite Rehabilitation Transitions for Stroke Patients With Dysphagia and Enteral Feeding Needs.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationA clinical pathway using PM&R consultation to identify stroke patients likely to recover swallowing allowed transfer to rehab with a nasogastric tube. This group achieved oral diet significantly faster than those receiving early PEG placement.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Outcomes following intensive day rehabilitation for young people in Western Australia.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineYoung people in intensive day rehab improved in function and goal attainment, with gains maintained at six months. But with no control group, natural recovery or community therapy may explain some progress, so do not assume the programme alone caused the change.
• PTOTOther2024Paired DBS and TMS Reveals Dentato-Cortical Facilitation Underlying Upper Extremity Movement in Chronic Stroke Survivors.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairDirect stimulation of the cerebellum in stroke survivors with severe arm weakness facilitated motor cortex activity at short intervals. This excitatory effect was stronger in those with more severe impairment, suggesting the cerebellum may compensate for lost brain function in these patients.
• OTSurvey2024Age-related smartphone use patterns among individuals with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury.Brain injuryMost respondents with moderate-to-severe TBI owned a smartphone, but those aged 45 and older used fewer functions beyond calls and fewer apps. Therapists should check what clients actually use before recommending phone-based reminders.
• PTOTCohort2024Comparison of Upper Extremity Function and Daily Use in Individuals with and without Post Stroke Depression.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairDepression did not affect arm function during early rehabilitation but was linked to significantly worse arm use and independence at six months. Clinicians should monitor mood closely when patients transition home, as depression may hinder the carryover of therapy gains to daily life.
• PTOTOther2023Spatial mapping of posture-dependent resistance to passive displacement of the hypertonic arm post-stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPost-stroke arm stiffness is not uniform. It depends heavily on where the hand is in space, with strong forces pulling toward a central equilibrium and less resistance in the middle of the workspace. This pattern is driven by muscle activity, not just tight tissues.
• PTOTOther2023Reduced physical activity level was associated with poorer quality of life during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic: a sub-study of the last-long trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStroke survivors who reported less physical activity during lockdown were significantly more likely to report poorer quality of life. This association remained after adjusting for loneliness, mental health, and social activity. No participants reported improved activity or quality of life.
• PTOTOther2023The impact of lesion side on bilateral upper limb coordination after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRight hemisphere stroke made alternating two-hand circles harder to coordinate. Left hemisphere stroke made simultaneous circles harder, especially the weaker hand's path. This pattern could help choose two-hand practice.
• PTOTQualitative2023Delivery of a community-based peer mentorship program for people with spinal cord injury at a rehabilitation center.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeer mentors were on site with a rehab team that included PTs and OTs. Patients sometimes confused mentors with clinicians. Shared workspace, informal talks, and a written agreement on boundaries were described as important for collaboration.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Perceived stress and pain interference in acute rehabilitation following spinal cord injury: Resilience as a moderator.Rehabilitation psychologyDuring acute spinal cord injury rehab, high resilience did not stop stress from worsening pain intensity. But for patients with low resilience, every point of stress increased pain interference. Screening for resilience may help identify those most vulnerable to stress-related disability.
• PTOTOther2024Effects of enriched task-specific training on sit-to-stand tasks in individuals with chronic stroke.NeuroRehabilitationAfter a three-week package of task-specific exercise, socialization, and sensory and cognitive stimulation, 41 people with chronic stroke averaged 2.1 more 30-second chair stands, still present at six months. There was no control group. Weight-bearing changes were inconsistent in three participants.
• PTOTOther2024The impact of a novel musculoskeletal consult service in an inpatient rehabilitation facility: A descriptive analysis.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationInpatients with refractory musculoskeletal pain saw significant pain reduction after sports medicine consults, especially those receiving injections. Functional improvement was greater in patients who did not need injections, suggesting those treated with procedures had more severe underlying impairments.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024The association of multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury to acute and long COVID-19 outcomes.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPatients with MS, TBI, or SCI had no higher risk of death or longer stays than matched controls, but those with SCI were hospitalized more often. Across all three groups, MS and TBI patients showed higher odds of post-COVID weakness, mobility issues, and cognitive dysfunction.
• PTOTCohort2024Reduced oxygen desaturation in the vastus lateralis of chronic stroke survivors during graded muscle contractions.Topics in stroke rehabilitationStroke survivors show reduced oxygen use in both legs compared to healthy controls. The non-paretic leg also has impaired oxygen handling, even when strength is normal. This suggests muscle physiology changes affect the whole body, not just the weak side.
• PTOTQualitative2023Competing discourses as barriers to change in rehabilitation nursing: a discourse analysis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesNurses in a spinal cord injury unit described patient dialogue as central to participation, but tight task routines left little time. The analysis found a dominant biomedical task culture that blocked time for dialogue.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Outcome Prediction Using Machine Learning Methods.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationModels using therapy records and patient factors predicted TBI discharge and 9-month outcomes. Effort during OT, PT and speech therapy, age, injury severity and time to rehab were strongest clues. They do not show which treatment caused recovery.
• PTOTCohort2023Excellent Recanalization and Small Core Volumes Are Associated With Favorable AM-PAC Score in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke Secondary to Large Vessel Occlusion.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationIn acute large-vessel stroke, smaller core volumes, younger age, milder initial stroke, and excellent vessel reopening were associated with favorable discharge AM-PAC mobility and daily-activity scores. This is an association from records, not proof of treatment effect.
• PTOTOther2023Quality of sexual life in Mexican men after spinal cord injury.Journal of rehabilitation medicineMexican men with thoracic spinal cord injuries reported significantly lower sexual life quality than those with lumbar injuries. Higher education levels were also linked to greater sexual satisfaction. These findings highlight specific risk factors for sexual dysfunction in this population.
• OTPilot2023A Pilot Feasibility Trial of an Upper Extremity Assistive System.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationSome participants with wrist weakness after neurologic injury showed meaningful improvement in their own OT goals while using a custom powered hand sleeve and occupational therapy. The sleeve and therapy were given together, so their separate effects cannot be separated.
• PTOTRCT2024Effects of anodal tDCS on resting state eeg power and motor function in acute stroke: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding anodal tDCS to physical therapy improved lower-limb function in acute stroke patients with mild impairment, but did not improve upper-limb function or change brain activity compared to sham. The benefit was seen immediately and lasted one month.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2024Mechanisms of Post-Stroke Fatigue: A Follow-Up From the Third Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairPost-stroke fatigue likely has distinct subtypes with different biological drivers, meaning a single treatment rarely works for everyone. Inflammation, dopamine pathways, and sensory network dysfunction are key suspects, but current evidence is too limited to recommend specific interventions beyond general exercise and careful assessment.
• PTOTRCT2024Effects of an assist-as-needed equipped Tenodesis-Induced-Grip Exoskeleton Robot (TIGER) on upper limb function in patients with chronic stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAssist-as-needed TIGER robot training plus task-specific motor training improved Fugl-Meyer scores from baseline in 16 chronic stroke patients, but the original constant-assistance TIGER showed greater gains, so the new mode was not superior.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2024A review of combined functional neuroimaging and motion capture for motor rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationCombining motion capture with brain imaging shows promise for assessing movement, but the field is in its infancy. Most studies are small, use healthy participants, and lack clinical validation, so there is no evidence yet that this changes patient outcomes.
• PTOTOther2023Prediction of Discharge Destination After Inpatient Rehabilitation for Stroke Using Mobility and Self-Care Assessment in Section GG of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility - Patient Assessment Instrument.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationFor stroke patients leaving inpatient rehab, having a caregiver at home was the strongest predictor of going home rather than to a skilled nursing facility. Admission Section GG scores above 33.5 predicted discharge to home with homecare, and scores above 36.5 predicted home with outpatient therapy.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Effect of Post-stroke Depression on Functional Outcomes of Patients With Stroke in the Rehabilitation Ward: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationStroke patients with depression had lower functional independence scores at discharge and stayed in rehabilitation longer. However, their total improvement in independence during the stay was similar to patients without depression. Depression slowed recovery speed but did not stop progress.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Developing and Evaluating Data Infrastructure and Implementation Tools to Support Cardiometabolic Disease Indicator Data Collection.Topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitationMost inpatients did not recall being taught about aerobic exercise or having their lipids checked, and fewer than half of outpatients met activity guidelines. An AI tool extracted survey data with less than 1% error, but this quality improvement project reports no evidence that the interventions changed outcomes.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Change characteristics of health-related quality of life and its association with post-stroke fatigue at four-year follow-up.Journal of rehabilitation medicineMost stroke survivors had stable high function at four-year follow-up, but fatigue clustered in trajectories with poorer or worsening quality of life. Some improved, and some deteriorated, between the first and fourth year.
• PTOTOther2024Social participation, resilience, and coping tendency in a sample of stroke survivors: a multi-centre cross-sectional study in China.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStroke survivors with higher resilience reported better social participation. For those with low resilience, using positive coping strategies was linked to less frequent participation, not more. Assess resilience before targeting coping skills.
• PTOTQualitative2023Providing Insights into the Challenges of Implementing Activity-Based Therapy in Canada: A Comparative Analysis Using Focus Group Interviews with Key Interest Groups.Topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitationClinicians, patients, and administrators in Canada identified six barriers to activity-based therapy for spinal cord injury: gaps in training, lack of standardization, unclear timing, difficulty achieving high dosage, funding constraints, and poor measurement tools.
• PTOTCase Series2023Combinatorial Effects of Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation and Task-Specific Training to Enhance Hand Motor Output after Paralysis.Topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitationCombining hand grip training with transcutaneous spinal stimulation improved grip strength in six people with spinal cord injury or stroke. Neither training nor stimulation alone worked well. This preliminary evidence suggests the combination is necessary for gains.
• PTOTSLPOther2023What Is the Pathway to the Best Model of Care for Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury? Evidence-Based Guidance.Topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitationA new care pathway for traumatic spinal cord injury maps the full journey from acute trauma to lifelong community living. It prioritizes team-based navigation, equity, and peer support, giving clinicians a structured model to coordinate transitions and reduce service gaps.
• PTOTPilot2023Using Risk Scores to Estimate Lower Extremity Fragility Fracture Risk among Individuals with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: A Preliminary Model.Topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitationA preliminary risk score using five clinical factors estimates 5-year lower extremity fracture risk in chronic spinal cord injury. Prior fracture and duration of injury drive the score. The model is not validated for clinical use due to small sample size.
• PTOTQualitative2023Designing an Egocentric Video-Based Dashboard to Report Hand Performance Measures for Outpatient Rehabilitation of Cervical Spinal Cord Injury.Topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitationTherapists prioritized seeing video clips and movement quality to judge home hand use, while physicians preferred numerical trends. All seven clinicians wanted summarized data to save appointment time and requested patient diaries to understand barriers like pain or frustration.
• PTOTPilot2024Decoding hand and wrist movement intention from chronic stroke survivors with hemiparesis using a user-friendly, wearable EMG-based neural interface.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA wearable EMG sleeve decoded 12 hand and wrist movements in seven chronic stroke survivors with 77.1% accuracy. Decoding worked best when visible movement was present. For severe impairments, binary intent detection achieved 86.7% accuracy, though no physical therapy outcome was tested.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Use of the Capability, Opportunity and Motivation Behaviour model (COM-B) to Understand Interventions to Support Physical Activity Behaviour in People with Stroke: An Overview of Reviews.Clinical rehabilitationInterventions combining at least two COM-B elements (capability, opportunity, motivation) improved physical activity after stroke, while single-element interventions often failed. Most evidence involved adults with mild stroke in community settings, leaving gaps for those with severe disability.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Utility of Structured Oculomotor, Balance, and Exercise Testing in Civilian Adults With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationEye tracking and exercise tests found physical deficits in most adults with mild brain injury, even when patients reported few symptoms. These objective measures reveal problems that questionnaires miss, suggesting clinicians should not rely on patient reports alone to guide treatment.
• OTCohort2024Profiles of executive functioning following traumatic brain injury and stroke using the assessment of participation and executive functions: combined cross-sectional and longitudinal designs.Journal of rehabilitation medicineThe A-PEX assessment identified worse executive functioning in traumatic brain injury patients compared to stroke patients during inpatient rehabilitation. Standard tests failed to detect these differences. The A-PEX also tracked patient progress over one month, offering a more sensitive view of daily participation deficits.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Rehabilitation with intensive attention training early after acquired brain injury promotes better long-term status on health-related quality of life, daily activities, work ability and return to work.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePatients starting intensive attention training within 4 months of brain injury had better long-term quality of life, work ability, and return-to-work rates than those starting later. The specific type of training made little difference overall, though early process-based training showed minor advantages.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Criteria and Indicators for Centers of Clinical Excellence in Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation: A Global Consensus Facilitated by ISRRA.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairSeven consensus criteria for stroke rehabilitation centers were agreed, led by outstanding rehabilitation, then research culture, patient partnership, knowledge exchange, leadership, education, and equitable access.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Upper limb intention tremor assessment: opportunities and challenges in wearable technology.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWearable sensors and smartphone tasks can quantify upper limb tremor, but intention tremor remains hard to measure accurately. Current tools often fail to separate the tremor from the voluntary movement, requiring new algorithms and tasks designed specifically for goal-directed actions.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Individualized goals expressed by patients undergoing stroke rehabilitation: an observational study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStroke patients prioritized walking and daily tasks, but few set goals for cognitive or visual deficits despite having them. Patient-specific goal measures capture functional activities well but may miss underlying impairments, so clinicians should ask about these areas directly rather than relying on scores.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2024Association between fear of falling and falls following acute and chronic stroke: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePeople with acute stroke who answer yes to "are you afraid of falling?" have a higher risk of falls. In chronic stroke, a simple yes/no question misses the link, so use a confidence scale like the FES or ABC to spot the risk.
• PTOTCohort2023Comparison of usefulness between the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test and the Berg Balance Scale for measuring balance in patients with subacute stroke: a prospective cohort study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThe Mini-BESTest detects balance changes during subacute stroke rehab better than the Berg Balance Scale. The Berg scores hit a ceiling for 43% of patients at discharge, hiding further improvement. The Mini-BESTest avoided this, making it more useful for tracking progress in higher-functioning patients.
• PTOTRCT2024Brain computer interface training with motor imagery and functional electrical stimulation for patients with severe upper limb paresis after stroke: a randomized controlled pilot trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationBrain-computer interface training did not improve arm function more than standard therapy in severely impaired stroke patients. The main driver of recovery was whether the motor pathway was intact, not the type of training. Patients with damaged pathways showed little improvement regardless of intervention.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Characterization of an Italian population with neurological disorders in a rehabilitation setting using ClinFIT.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn 364 adults with neurological disorders, the ClinFIT Generic-30 tool identified severe problems in walking, moving around, and daily routines for over 30% of patients. It also captured issues like assisting others and intimate relationships that disease-specific core sets often miss.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024The Life After Stroke In Northern Sweden Study (LASINS): Methodology, cohort demographics and initial results.NeuroRehabilitationStroke survivors in northern Sweden, averaging three years post-stroke, mostly reported mild to moderate recovery. They completed a comprehensive survey on sleep, mood, fatigue, and activity, establishing a baseline for future research rather than testing a treatment.
• PTOTPilot2023Feasibility of a new intervention addressing group-based balance and high-intensity training, physical activity, and employment in individuals with multiple sclerosis: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA multidisciplinary balance and exercise programme was feasible and safe for employed people with MS, but showed no benefit over usual care. Participants reported fewer work barriers within the group, but the trial was too small to prove the intervention works.
• PTOTRCT2024Repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation in rehabilitation of upper extremity hemiparesis following stroke: a pilot study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAdding repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation to standard therapy and brain stimulation did not improve upper-limb recovery more than brain stimulation and therapy alone. Both active groups improved significantly more than the sham group, but the added peripheral stimulation offered no extra benefit.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2024Facilitators to alleviate loneliness and social isolation as identified by individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders: A qualitative study.Rehabilitation psychologyVeterans with spinal cord injuries identified eight strategies to ease loneliness, ranging from pursuing hobbies and getting outside to connecting with peers who share their experience. They emphasized that acceptance of their new normal and finding a sense of purpose were critical internal shifts.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2024Measuring Neuroplasticity in Response to Cardiovascular Exercise in People With Stroke: A Critical Perspective.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairCurrent biomarkers for measuring neuroplasticity after cardiovascular exercise in stroke survivors are inconsistent and rarely linked to functional recovery. While exercise shows promise, no specific marker reliably predicts clinical benefit, so treatment decisions should remain based on patient function rather than biological measures.