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 4 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPRCT2017The effects of posterior talar glide with dorsiflexion of the ankle on mobility, muscle strength and balance in stroke patients: a randomised controlled trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding posterior talar glide mobilization to standard therapy improved ankle range of motion and balance in stroke patients more than standard therapy alone. The added manual technique led to greater gains in dorsiflexion and functional reach compared to weight-bearing exercises.
• PTOTRCT2016Upper-Limb Recovery After Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing EMG-Triggered, Cyclic, and Sensory Electrical Stimulation.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairAll three stimulation types improved upper-limb scores over 8 weeks, with no significant difference between EMG-triggered, cyclic NMES, and sensory stimulation. This trial did not show one method was better for wrist-hand function after stroke.
• OTSLPOther2017Neurobehavioral Characteristics of Older Veterans With Remote Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationOlder veterans with remote TBI had worse everyday function, more depression and PTSD symptoms, and poorer executive function/processing speed than peers without TBI; memory and language scores were not different.
• PTOTOther2017Validating accelerometry as a measure of physical activity and energy expenditure in chronic stroke.Topics in stroke rehabilitationStandard accelerometry thresholds underestimate activity intensity in stroke survivors with hemiparetic gait. New stroke-specific cutpoints for Actical monitors were developed, showing that walking at 2.0 mph is vigorous intensity for this population, not light or moderate.
• OTOther2017Effect of transcranial direct current stimulation of stroke patients on depression and quality of life.Journal of physical therapy scienceStroke patients with severe depression who received conventional occupational therapy plus tDCS had lower depression scores and higher quality-of-life scores than those receiving conventional occupational therapy plus false tDCS.
• PTOTCohort2016Association Between Time to Rehabilitation and Outcomes After Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAfter traumatic spinal cord injury, a 10% longer wait for inpatient rehabilitation was associated with a 1.50-point lower FIM motor score at discharge. This was an observational association, not proof that delay caused worse function.
• PTOTOther2016Use of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Short Version in Mild to Moderate Parkinson Disease.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationThe WHOQOL-BREF showed people with mild to moderate Parkinson disease reported lower quality of life than controls in physical, psychological, social, overall, and health satisfaction, but not environment. Fatigue, depression, apathy, and daily function related more closely to quality of life than motor scores.
• PTOTSLPOther2017Estimated Prestroke Peak VO2 Is Related to Circulating IGF-1 Levels During Acute Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn 15 acute stroke patients, estimated pre-stroke aerobic fitness correlated with circulating IGF-1 levels but not with IGFBP-3. Patients with higher IGF-1 had significantly higher estimated fitness. This small observational study links a biomarker to a calculated fitness estimate, offering no evidence that changing fitness alters stroke recovery.
• PTOTCohort2016Social Support and Actual Versus Expected Length of Stay in Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAlmost half of stroke, lower extremity fracture, and joint replacement inpatients left earlier than expected. Patients with no family or friend support were less likely to leave early in all groups, and more likely to stay longer in fracture or joint replacement.
• PTOTCohort2017Parkinsonian signs are a risk factor for falls.Gait & postureOlder adults with mild parkinsonian signs were more likely to fall during follow-up, even after common fall risk factors were considered. Their falls were also more likely to result in injury and emergency service use.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2017The Canadian occupational performance measure for patients with stroke: a systematic review.Journal of physical therapy scienceThe Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) shows good reliability in stroke patients but correlates poorly with standard assessments. It captures unique patient goals but requires adequate communication skills, so use it alongside other measures, not alone.
• PTOTQualitative2017Starting a new conversation: Engaging Veterans with spinal cord injury in discussions of what function means to them, the barriers/facilitators they encounter, and the adaptations they use to optimize function.Disability and health journalNine Veterans with spinal cord injury described function as doing what they want and being independent. They said tools, transportation, therapy and caregivers helped; wheelchairs and inaccessible surfaces hindered; they used creative adaptations.
• PTOTCase Report2017Restoration of Vision After Brain Injury Using Magnet Glasses.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationMagnetic glasses lifted a droopy eyelid, letting a patient with brain injury use an already deviated eye. She reported seeing more of the room, and mobility and dressing support improved.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2016What are the barriers and facilitators to goal-setting during rehabilitation for stroke and other acquired brain injuries? A systematic review and meta-synthesis.Clinical rehabilitationPatients tended to want broad, long-term goals; staff tended to set short, impairment-focused goals. Use early therapist-led goal-setting when patients prefer it, and shift to patient-led goals after discharge.
• OTRCT2016Rehabilitation of hemineglect of the left arm using movement detection bracelets activating a visual and acoustic alarm.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationLeft-arm movement improved in three tasks only while alarms were active during seven days of occupational therapist-guided bimanual task practice with wrist alarm bracelets in nine stroke patients with arm neglect. No lasting benefit was seen after the alarms were switched off.
• PTOTRCT2016Technology-assisted stroke rehabilitation in Mexico: a pilot randomized trial comparing traditional therapy to circuit training in a Robot/technology-assisted therapy gym.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRobot gym therapy matched traditional therapy for arm function but improved leg movement scores more. The groups differed sharply in age, with the robot group much younger. The robot gym allowed one therapist to supervise six patients at once, potentially doubling daily treatment volume.
• PTOTSurvey2017Using the World Health Organization's Disability Assessment Schedule (2) to assess disability in community-dwelling stroke patients.The South African journal of physiotherapyCommunity stroke survivors 6 to 12 months after stroke reported severe to extreme difficulty walking long distances, self-care, household tasks and community participation. No demographic group showed a clear pattern of participation restrictions.
• OTCase Report2017Motor skill changes and neurophysiologic adaptation to recovery-oriented virtual rehabilitation of hand function in a person with subacute stroke: a case study.Disability and rehabilitationA person with subacute stroke completed eight one-hour VR hand training sessions over two weeks while continuing occupational, physical, and speech therapy. She gained pinch force, hand scores, and brain map changes, but this case cannot show the training caused them.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2017What environmental factors influence resumption of valued activities post stroke: a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative findings.Clinical rehabilitationEnvironmental factors reported to help stroke survivors resume valued activities included adapted equipment, accessible transport, home changes, information and social support. Negative attitudes, long distances and unstable conditions were reported to hinder them. Evidence is mostly qualitative.
• PTOTSLPCohort2017Characteristics of patients with hemiparetic stroke who yield highly reliable muscle strength measurements.Journal of physical therapy scienceStroke patients with a Functional Independence Measure cognitive score of 19 or higher produced consistent muscle strength measurements. Below this threshold, results were too variable to trust. Clinicians should check this score before relying on dynamometer data for treatment planning.
• PTOTSurvey2017Quality and Equity in Wheelchairs Used by Veterans.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationNo racial difference was found in wheelchair quality among Veterans with spinal cord injury or limb loss. Older age and lower income were associated with lower-quality chairs. Specialty-clinic prescription was associated with better manual chairs.
• OTSLPRCT2017Effects of expiratory muscle strength training on swallowing function in acute stroke patients with dysphagia.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding expiratory muscle strength training to traditional swallowing therapy showed greater improvement in functional dysphagia, vallecular residue, and penetration-aspiration scores than traditional therapy alone in acute stroke patients with dysphagia. Pyriform residue did not differ.
• PTOTPilot2017Effects of repeated vibratory stimulation of wrist and elbow flexors on hand dexterity, strength, and sensory function in patients with chronic stroke: a pilot study.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 10 patients, vibration to wrist and elbow flexors did not beat traditional physical therapy. Both groups improved hand dexterity, but grip strength was not shown to improve and sensation was unchanged.
• PTOTOther2016Robot-assisted and conventional therapies produce distinct rehabilitative trends in stroke survivors.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationDifferent patterns of arm outcome change emerged after robot-assisted and conventional therapy. The original trial's main Fugl-Meyer difference was significant but small, so this secondary analysis describes how scores moved together, not superiority.
• PTOTCase-Control2016A robot-based behavioural task to quantify impairments in rapid motor decisions and actions after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationEighty-two percent of people with stroke were impaired on more than five robot task measures, and all but one person with neglect was impaired. Distractor errors appeared even when MoCA scores were normal.
• PTOTRCT2017Changes of gait parameters following constrained-weight shift training in patients with stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceA 10 mm shoe lift on the unaffected side forced weight onto the paretic leg. This improved walking speed and step length more than standard care. The 5 mm lift did not show significant improvement over the control group.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2017Traumatic brain injury caregivers: A qualitative analysis of spouse and parent perspectives on quality of life.Neuropsychological rehabilitationParents describe returning to parenting a child and fear for the future, while partners report losing intimacy and the stress of making decisions alone. Both groups feel isolated and overwhelmed. These distinct burdens mean you should assess parents and spouses separately rather than treating all caregivers as one group.
• PTOTSLPPilot2016Global cognitive function and processing speed are associated with gait and balance dysfunction in Parkinson's disease.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 14 people with Parkinson's, lower global cognitive scores correlated with slower walking and more sway. Processing speed specifically linked to turning difficulty. No control group and tiny sample mean these associations are hypotheses, not evidence of cause.
• PTOTOther2017Discriminative and predictive validity of the short-form activities-specific balance confidence scale for predicting fall of stroke survivors.Journal of physical therapy scienceThe short-form ABC scale predicted falls in stroke survivors with high accuracy. A score of 45.42 or lower indicated a higher risk of multiple falls. This shorter tool performed better than the full 16-item scale and takes less time to administer.
• OTPilot2016Matching Task Difficulty to Patient Ability During Task Practice Improves Upper Extremity Motor Skill After Stroke: A Proof-of-Concept Study.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationThe tasks practiced were about as hard as participants could manage. In 10 people with chronic stroke, 200 repetitions were feasible, and after the program they performed functional tasks faster and used less trunk movement.
• PTOTOther2017Motor Learning in Stroke: Trained Patients Are Not Equal to Untrained Patients With Less Impairment.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairStroke patients could train to match the pre-training performance of less impaired untrained people, but they plateaued. The untrained groups still had more room for rapid gains. Matching performance after training does not mean matching ability to improve further.
• PTOTCohort2017Associations Between Foot Placement Asymmetries and Metabolic Cost of Transport in Hemiparetic Gait.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn stroke survivors, how far feet are placed ahead of the trunk predicts metabolic cost better than overall step length asymmetry. Targeting foot placement symmetry, not just step length, may improve walking economy.
• PTOTRCT2017Guided Training Relative to Direct Skill Training for Individuals With Cognitive Impairments After Stroke: A Pilot Randomized Trial.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationNo overall difference in functional independence between guided and direct training after stroke, but guided scores were higher at 3, 6, and 12 months while direct scores were higher at discharge.
• OTSLPRCT2016A randomized problem-solving trial for adolescent brain injury: Changes in social competence.Rehabilitation psychologyA web-based problem-solving program did not improve social competence overall. However, it helped specific subgroups: younger teens with moderate injuries and older teens with severe injuries showed gains on parent-rated social skills. These improvements did not extend to measures of actual social participation.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2017The danger zone: Systematic review of the role of HMGB1 danger signalling in traumatic brain injury.Brain injuryHMGB1 levels in blood and spinal fluid rise after brain injury and predict death or severe disability. Animal studies show blocking HMGB1 reduces brain swelling and improves movement. These are biomarker and preclinical findings, not tested treatments for patients.
• PTOTSLPRCT2017Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention on Reducing Misconceptions Among Ethnic Minorities With Complicated Mild to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationA one-hour home visit by a bilingual educator cut misconceptions about brain injury recovery. This reduction held at one month for English speakers but faded for Spanish speakers, who may need booster sessions to keep the gains.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2016Computerized Cognitive Rehabilitation of Attention and Executive Function in Acquired Brain Injury: A Systematic Review.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationComputerized attention and executive training after acquired brain injury was often reported to improve test scores, but no standard program, control, or dose emerged, so it does not tell therapists which treatment to use.
• OTPilot2016Feasibility and Potential Benefits of a Web-Based Intervention Delivered Acutely After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Adolescents: A Pilot Study.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAdolescents with mild head injury using a web-based program combining symptom monitoring, anticipatory guidance, psychoeducation, activity pacing and cognitive-behavioral principles saw daily symptom scores fall by 2.0 points per day early on, but no control group means benefit cannot be attributed.
• OTSLPCohort2016Effects of Depression and Antidepressant Use on Cognitive Deficits and Functional Cognition Following Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationIn severe TBI, depression was not linked to worse cognitive test scores, but people with depression reported more everyday cognitive limitations. Antidepressant use was linked to worse cognitive scores, not necessarily causing them.
• PTOTCase Report2017Reduced foot pain after spasticity control with alcohol block in a patient with chronic hemiparetic stroke: a case report.Journal of physical therapy scienceA 58-year-old woman with chronic stroke and severe foot pain from a Tailor's bunion reported pain dropping from 8/10 to 1/10 after alcohol nerve blocks reduced her ankle spasticity. The block was combined with stretching, so the independent effect of the alcohol injection remains unclear.
• OTRCT2016Benefits of virtual reality based cognitive rehabilitation through simulated activities of daily living: a randomized controlled trial with stroke patients.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke patients who used virtual reality daily living tasks improved more on a global cognitive test than patients doing conventional paper tasks. The study was small, and assessors knew which treatment was given. Use it as a signal, not proof.
• PTOTRCT2017The Effect of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation on Shoulder Biomechanics: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Comparison to Physical Therapy.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationBoth peripheral nerve stimulation and physical therapy improved shoulder strength and range of motion in stroke patients, but neither treatment was superior to the other for these biomechanical changes. Since PNS previously reduced pain more than PT, the pain relief likely stems from mechanisms other than improved shoulder mechanics.
• PTOTCohort2016Physical activity outside of structured therapy during inpatient spinal cord injury rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationDuring inpatient spinal cord injury rehabilitation, activity outside PT and OT was low. Half of the time was sedentary leisure. Wrist and hip accelerometers showed more movement by discharge, but self-report did not detect it.
• PTOTRCT2017Does Task-Specific Training Improve Upper Limb Performance in Daily Life Poststroke?Neurorehabilitation and neural repairTask-specific training did not increase upper limb use in daily life for 78 people with chronic stroke, despite improvements in clinic capacity. Neither the amount of practice nor gains in test scores predicted better real-world performance. Clinic gains did not carry over to home.
• OTCase-Control2017Analysis of muscle fiber conduction velocity during finger flexion and extension after stroke.Topics in stroke rehabilitationIn stroke survivors, the finger-extensor muscle showed lower electrical signal speed in the affected hand than the unaffected hand, while the finger-flexor muscle did not. This suggests a possible fast-twitch fiber or activation problem in extensors. It is not proven.
• PTOTOther2017Environmental barriers and social participation in individuals with spinal cord injury.Rehabilitation psychologyHigher perceived environmental barriers are linked to lower social participation and employment in people with spinal cord injury. Barriers related to assistance and services show the strongest negative association with participation. However, the overall effect is small, and the study cannot prove that removing barriers will improve outcomes.
• PTOTOther2017Exercising daily living activities in robot-mediated therapy.Journal of physical therapy scienceChronic post-stroke patients showed better arm movement, grip function and independence scores after six weeks of robot-assisted daily-living training; spasticity did not change and Barthel Index did not clearly improve.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2017The experience of patients with ABI and their families during the hospital stay: A systematic review of qualitative literature.Brain injuryPatients described inpatient rehab as prison-like due to lack of privacy and boredom. Families wanted to help with care but felt ignored or feared intruding. Both groups needed specific, consistent information at distinct times during the stay to feel prepared for discharge.
• PTOTOther2017Does the Finger-to-Nose Test measure upper limb coordination in chronic stroke?Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn chronic stroke, finger-to-nose test time tracked shoulder-elbow timing, went with arm impairment and activity, and a 10.6-second cut-off separated mild from moderate-to-severe impairment.
• PTOTCase Report2017Improved functional independence measure facilitates return to home after paralyzed upper-limb training: a case report.Journal of physical therapy scienceThe FIM score rose from 71 to 105 in one stroke patient who received occupational therapy, affected upper-limb training, physiotherapy, and a fixed walker with knee support over four months. She returned home. This is one person, not proof the package works.