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 6 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTOther2017Maximum Step Length Test Performance in People With Parkinson Disease: A Cross-sectional Study.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTPeople with Parkinson disease step significantly shorter backward than forward or sideways. Medication improves step length slightly, but the change is too small to be clinically meaningful. The test correlates strongly with balance and walking endurance measures.
• OTRCT2017The influences of the mental practice on the quality of life of the stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceStroke patients who added 10 minutes of arm-focused mental practice to occupational therapy for 4 weeks reported greater total quality-of-life scores than controls, especially in self-care and upper-extremity function. Small trial.
• PTOTOther2017The effects of vibratory stimulation employed to forearm and arm flexor muscles on upper limb function in patients with chronic stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceVibration to the affected biceps and wrist flexor was followed by higher grip strength and Box and Block Test scores, while sensory scores changed little in 10 people with hemiplegia after stroke, without a control group.
• OTOther2017The relational neurobehavioral approach: can a non-aversive program manage adults with brain injury-related aggression without seclusion/restraint?Disability and rehabilitationNo seclusion or mechanical restraint was used while staff reported 137 incidents on unit 1 and 358 on unit 2 in a skilled nursing facility using the Relational Neurobehavioral Approach.
• PTOTPilot2017The effects of task-oriented training on hand dexterity and strength in children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy: a preliminary study.Journal of physical therapy scienceThe six children who received conventional occupational therapy plus 20 minutes of task-oriented training showed a within-group hand dexterity improvement, but no between-group difference was found and grip strength did not improve.
• OTSLPPilot2017Effects of bedside self-exercise on oropharyngeal swallowing function in stroke patients with dysphagia: a pilot study.Journal of physical therapy scienceNine stroke patients with swallowing difficulties performed three daily exercises for four weeks. Swallowing scores improved in both the mouth and throat phases. This was a small pilot, so the exercises are not proven to work, but the patients managed them independently.
• PTOTCohort2017Early Fever As a Predictor of Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity in Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAmong 167 adults with severe traumatic brain injury, higher early temperature scores on days 1 and 3 were linked to later paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity. Fever 38.0°C or higher in the first 24 or 48 hours was also linked to PSH.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2017Living with traumatic brain injury in a rural setting: supports and barriers across the continuum of care.Disability and rehabilitationRural survivors and caregivers said returning home was hardest: local TBI expertise, transportation, financial help, and community ties often fell short. Urban rehab staff and family advocates helped, but few used available state supports.
• PTOTOther2017Effects of mental practice combined with electromyogram-triggered electrical stimulation for upper extremity function in stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding mental practice plus EMG-triggered electrical stimulation to conventional rehabilitation produced larger gains in upper-extremity motor function and activity scores than conventional rehabilitation alone in stroke hemiparesis. The added treatment and usual therapy were given together.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2017Service Delivery in the Healthcare and Educational Systems for Children Following Traumatic Brain Injury: Gaps in Care.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationChildren with TBI often miss needed care: few receive inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation, and schools rarely identify them for TBI-related support. Children who receive systematic transition services are more likely to be identified for school support.
• OTSystematic Review2017Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury and the Associations With Risk Behavior in Adolescence and Young Adulthood: A Systematic Review.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationChildhood TBI was linked to later substance use in all 3 reviewed articles, but behavior findings were inconsistent. The studies were observational, so this does not prove injury causes risk behavior.
• OTPilot2017Reductions in Alexithymia and Emotion Dysregulation After Training Emotional Self-Awareness Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Phase I Trial.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationIn 13 TBI adults who completed eight sessions of emotional awareness training, alexithymia and emotional awareness improved at post-test and 2-month follow-up. Anxiety and positive mood improved, and emotion regulation problems improved, but depression and negative mood did not.
• PTOTCase Report2017Dual task training effects on balance and hand functions of stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceTwo stroke patients with right hemiplegia improved on hand dexterity and balance tests after three weeks of dual-task training. Because only two people were treated and no comparison group was used, this shows what happened to them, not that the training caused the improvement.
• PTOTSLPCohort2017Predictive Indices for Functional Improvement and Deterioration, Institutionalization, and Death Among Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationA new scoring system predicts which Medicare patients aged 65 or older will deteriorate, be institutionalized, or die within two years. It identifies risk factors like advanced age, living alone, and vision impairment to help clinicians plan care and prevent poor outcomes.
• PTOTSLPOther2017Auditing Access to Outpatient Rehabilitation Services for Children With Traumatic Brain Injury and Public Insurance in Washington State.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationChildren with public insurance faced longer waits and lower acceptance rates for outpatient rehabilitation in Washington State. Speech therapy showed the largest disparities, with median waits of 20 days for public insurance versus 5 days for private insurance.
• OTCohort2017Group-Based Trajectory Analysis of Emotional Symptoms Among Survivors After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAfter severe TBI, about 70% of 129 survivors had low depression that rose over 24 months, while 30% stayed high. Anxiety also split into low-stable and high-stable groups, and high depression or anxiety clustered with low life satisfaction.
• PTOTSLPCohort2017How Are Race, Cultural, and Psychosocial Factors Associated With Outcomes in Veterans With Spinal Cord Injury?Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationFor veterans with spinal cord injury, race alone rarely predicted outcomes once other factors were considered. Instead, anxiety, self-esteem, and communication with providers drove quality of life and satisfaction, while medical and demographic factors drove participation levels.
• PTOTRCT2017The Relations of Cognitive, Behavioral, and Physical Activity Variables to Depression Severity in Traumatic Brain Injury: Reanalysis of Data From a Randomized Controlled Trial.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationCBT and usual care produced similar depression improvement. Across both groups, fewer negative thoughts and more rewarding activities were related to better mood; physical activity showed little consistent link.
• PTOTQualitative2018Patient-centered mobility outcome preferences according to individuals with stroke and caregivers: a qualitative analysis.Disability and rehabilitationStroke survivors often prioritized walking independently. Caregivers often prioritized safety, falls, home changes, driving, and realistic mobility prognosis. Ask each person and caregiver before choosing mobility goals.
• PTOTRCT2017The effects of whole body vibration combined biofeedback postural control training on the balance ability and gait ability in stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding whole body vibration to biofeedback postural control training improved step length more than biofeedback alone or aero-step combinations. Balance limits improved in all groups, but the vibration group showed the greatest gains in gait.
• OTOther2018The Deployment Trauma Phenotype and Employment Status in Veterans of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationVeterans with mild TBI, PTSD and depression were most likely to be unemployed and not looking for work. The study did not show this was worse than PTSD and depression alone. Mild TBI alone was least likely to be unemployed.
• PTOTSLPCohort2018Internet and Social Media Use After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationMost adults with moderate-to-severe TBI use the internet, often via smartphone, and social media habits mirror the general population. Non-use is driven by age, income, and education rather than injury severity. Many lack confidence seeking online health advice.
• PTOTSLPCohort2018Variation in Adult Traumatic Brain Injury Outcomes in the United States.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAdults hospitalized with traumatic brain injury in 20 US states showed large differences in survival and access to inpatient rehabilitation depending on where they received care. Uninsured patients were more likely to die and less likely to receive rehabilitation than those with insurance.
• PTOTOther2018Sympathetic nervous system activity measured by skin conductance quantifies the challenge of walking adaptability tasks after stroke.Gait & postureSkin conductance rose as walking tasks became harder, linking physiological stress to task difficulty. Slower walkers showed higher stress responses, but self-reported balance confidence did not predict these changes.
• PTOTOther2017Validity of Robot-Based Assessments of Upper Extremity Function.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationRobot-based tests of arm movement correlated strongly with standard clinical measures of stroke impairment and function. A panel of tests, including speed and targeting tasks, captured deficits across different levels of daily life better than any single test alone.
• PTOTOther2017Functional Test of the Hemiparetic Upper Extremity: A Rasch Analysis With Theoretical Implications.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn 109 people with stroke arm weakness, most FTHUE tasks measured one upper-extremity function, but 33 scored maximum, so the test did not show movement quality problems.
• OTSLPOther2017Measurement of confidence: the development and psychometric evaluation of a stroke-specific, measure of confidence.Clinical rehabilitationA 27-item stroke confidence questionnaire covers self-confidence, positive attitude and social confidence, with consistent scores over time in 202 adults, but it is not yet shown to guide treatment or predict recovery.
• PTOTRCT2018A randomized controlled trial of a modified wheelchair arm-support to reduce shoulder pain in stroke patients.Clinical rehabilitationStroke patients who used a modified wheelchair arm-support in addition to positioning, passive therapy, Western and Chinese medicine and ordinary wheelchair care had lower pain scores at 12 weeks, but not at 4 weeks. The support was not tested alone.
• PTOTSLPRCT2017Sertraline for Major Depression During the Year Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationSertraline did not improve depression scores more than placebo over 12 weeks after traumatic brain injury. Both groups got better. The only group difference was better information processing speed on a cognitive test for sertraline.
• OTOther2017The role of meaning in life: mediating the effects of perceived knowledge of stroke on depression and life satisfaction among stroke survivors.Clinical rehabilitationAmong 192 older stroke survivors, higher perceived knowledge of stroke was linked to fewer depressive symptoms and greater life satisfaction. Meaning in life appeared to carry this link. These were baseline data, so giving information was not shown to cause improvement.
• PTOTRCT2018Home-based neurologic music therapy for arm hemiparesis following stroke: results from a pilot, feasibility randomized controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationHome-based music therapy was feasible to deliver, but it did not significantly improve arm function or dexterity in this small pilot. Patients found the sessions motivating and manageable, suggesting the method is practical, though larger trials are needed to prove effectiveness.
• OTSLPCase Series2018Feasibility of a cognitive strategy training intervention for people with Parkinson's disease.Disability and rehabilitationSeven people with Parkinson's and subjective cognitive decline found a home-based strategy training intervention feasible and satisfying. They reported clinically important improvements in self-identified functional problems, but this case series cannot prove the treatment works.
• OTRCT2018The effects of modified constraint-induced movement therapy and mirror therapy on upper extremity function and its influence on activities of daily living.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter three weeks, acute stroke inpatients given mirror therapy or mCIMT plus ADL training and self-exercise showed no significant between-group difference in arm function or ADL independence. In the mCIMT group, arm gains went with eating and dressing gains.
• PTOTRCT2018The efficacy of interactive, motion capture-based rehabilitation on functional outcomes in an inpatient stroke population: a randomized controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationAdding motion capture-based exercises to usual physical therapy did not improve standing balance more than usual physical therapy alone in subacute stroke inpatients. Both groups improved balance and some function, but not walking speed.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2017Co-constructing engagement in stroke rehabilitation: a qualitative study exploring how practitioner engagement can influence patient engagement.Clinical rehabilitationPatients with communication disabilities perceived practitioner engagement through personalisation and persistence. Disengagement, often driven by practitioner powerlessness or stigma, led to reduced service access and patient isolation. Engagement was co-constructed, with practitioner attitudes directly influencing patient participation.
• PTOTCase Report2018Immediate effects of scapular stabilizing exercise in chronic stroke patient with winging and elevated scapula: a case study.Journal of physical therapy scienceA chronic stroke patient with winging and elevated scapula had reduced scapular distance and faster cup lifting after supervised scapular protraction and retraction. This is one person, not a pattern.
• PTOTPilot2018Pre-therapy Neural State of Bilateral Motor and Premotor Cortices Predicts Therapy Gain After Subcortical Stroke: A Pilot Study.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationIn ten chronic stroke patients, brain chemical measures before therapy were linked to arm movement gains after four weeks of reach practice. Higher markers of brain activity in some areas matched better improvement.
• OTCohort2018The Association of Cognitive Reserve in Chronic-Phase Functional and Neuropsychological Outcomes Following Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAt least a year after TBI, higher estimated premorbid IQ and more education were related to better neuropsychological test scores, but not to daily function, physical health, or mental health.
• OTRCT2018Online Family Problem Solving for Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Influences of Parental Marital Status and Participation on Adolescent Outcomes.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationOnline family problem solving was linked to less trouble with behavior and daily functioning for adolescents from married homes. Adolescents from single-parent homes did not show clear gains.
• OTCohort2017Ecological Momentary Assessment of Pain, Fatigue, Depressive, and Cognitive Symptoms Reveals Significant Daily Variability in Multiple Sclerosis.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn ambulatory multiple sclerosis, pain, fatigue, depressed mood, and perceived cognitive function increased significantly from wake to bedtime. Fatigue varied most within the day, depressed mood least, and fatigue patterns differed by age and sex.
• PTOTOther2017How Do Pain, Fatigue, Depressive, and Cognitive Symptoms Relate to Well-Being and Social and Physical Functioning in the Daily Lives of Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis?Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationFor people with MS, bad pain days were linked with worse social participation and lower-extremity functioning. Depressed mood and fatigue days were linked with worse well-being. In the main models, perceived cognitive changes showed no same-day links.
• PTOTOther2018Modification of Spastic Stretch Reflexes at the Elbow by Flexion Synergy Expression in Individuals With Chronic Hemiparetic Stroke.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn stroke survivors, spastic stretch reflexes during functional arm lifting were no larger than reflexes seen in healthy people doing the same amount of voluntary muscle work. This suggests the involuntary coactivation itself, not spasticity, drives reaching deficits.
• PTOTRCT2017Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Severely Affected Arm-Hand Motor Function in Patients After an Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Pilot Randomized Control Trial.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationCathodal tDCS plus occupational therapy did not improve arm-hand function more than sham plus occupational therapy after severe acute stroke. The tDCS group gained 10 points on the 57-point arm-hand test versus 2 with sham, but 16 patients were too few.
• PTOTSystematic Review2017Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for improving capacity in activities and arm function after stroke: a network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationCathodal tDCS improved activities of daily living in stroke patients, but no tDCS type improved arm function. Safety profiles were similar across all stimulation types and controls. Clinicians should not expect tDCS to restore arm movement based on this evidence.
• PTOTOther2017Lower Extremity Motor Impairments in Ambulatory Chronic Hemiparetic Stroke: Evidence for Lower Extremity Weakness and Abnormal Muscle and Joint Torque Coupling Patterns.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairParetic legs show preserved hip extension and adduction strength but weak abduction and flexion. During ankle push-off, the paretic leg involuntarily kicks the hip inward and extends the knee. This coupling may cause the body to collapse toward the affected side during balance challenges.
• PTOTSLPRCT2018Effect of mirror use on lower extremity muscle strength of patients with chronic stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceLower-limb strengthening increased knee muscle strength in all three groups of chronic stroke patients. Adding a mirror to the exercise did not produce significantly greater strength gains than exercising without one.
• PTOTSLPCohort2018Relationship Between Gonadal Function and Cardiometabolic Risk in Young Men With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationYoung men with chronic spinal cord injury and low testosterone had higher body fat, worse cholesterol, and more insulin resistance than those with normal levels. This links hormone deficiency to cardiometabolic risk, but does not prove low testosterone causes it.
• PTOTOther2017Reorganization of finger coordination patterns through motor exploration in individuals after stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke survivors got faster at a cursor task and showed wider free finger movement after training, but the main finger pattern did not change more from the first to the last training session. There was no control group.
• PTOTCohort2018Long-Term Performance and User Satisfaction With Implanted Neuroprostheses for Upright Mobility After Paraplegia: 2- to 14-Year Follow-Up.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAfter an average of six years at home, 22 people with spinal cord injury reported high satisfaction, most devices survived, and leg strength and transfers were maintained, but standing time and leg weight bearing decreased.
• PTOTQualitative2018Falls in people with multiple sclerosis: experiences of 115 fall situations.Clinical rehabilitationPeople with multiple sclerosis described falls as happening indoors during everyday tasks, often when MS symptoms fluctuated, fatigue or distraction reduced attention. Walking aids were often involved, sometimes used as usual but not enough support, and sometimes not used as intended.