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Geriatrics research

Everything we have read on geriatrics. 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.

1,442 PAPERS · PAGE 23 OF 29 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTSLPOther2023Multi-professional screening instrument for risk of broncho-aspiration in a hospital environment for the elderly population: validity evidence based on response processes.CoDASExperienced hospital professionals applying a broncho-aspiration screening checklist to elderly patients rated items relevant and agreed strongly, but non-verbal signs of doubt appeared on every item.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Validation and reliability analysis of the Questionnaire on the Emotional Impact of Vertigo-CIEV version translated to the Brazilian Portuguese language.CoDASThe Brazilian Portuguese version of the CIEV questionnaire reliably identifies emotional impact and anxiety risk in patients with vertigo. It correlates strongly with the Dizziness Handicap Inventory, particularly in the emotional domain, offering a practical tool for assessing psychological distress in vestibular patients.
• PTRCT2024Effectiveness of the online-based comprehensive cognitive training application, Smart Brain, for community-dwelling older adults with dementia: a randomized controlled trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineCognition improved in older adults with dementia after a home program combining a tablet app, blood-pressure and glucose monitors, a scale, a smartwatch, training, and cognitive, nutrition, and social activities. The components cannot be separated.
• PTOTOther2023Effectiveness of locomotion training in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective clinical trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceSix months of home-based locomotion training reduced disability scores from 0.24 to 0.16 on a 3-point scale and lowered pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Without a control group, natural variation cannot be ruled out, but the exercises are simple and low-intensity.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Frailty recommendations and guidelines: an evaluation of the implementability and a critical appraisal of clinical applicability by the ISPRM Frailty Focus Group.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineFour existing frailty guidelines were considered usable, with recommendations for screening, exercise, nutrition, medication review, home safety, swallowing and continence care. Their strength varies, and many recommendations rest on low evidence.
• PTOther2024A comprehensive multivariate analysis of the center of pressure during quiet standing in patients with Parkinson's disease.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationQuiet standing sway in Parkinson's disease split into five components and six subtypes. Sway area and speed alone did not separate mild from severe PD, so PTs may need to look beyond one sway number.
• PTOTOther2024Human-centered design of a novel soft exosuit for post-stroke gait rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThe new stroke-specific NewGait device scored 84.3 on usability versus 62.7 for the original, indicating best imaginable usability. Silicone bands survived 500,000 cycles while latex failed at 26,727. Clinical effectiveness remains untested.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Successful Discharge to Community From Home Health Less Likely for People in Late Stages of Dementia.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)Successful discharge to community rates varied by dementia stage. Patients in the most advanced stage had the lowest success rate at 52.0%. Those in middle stages had the highest rates, between 78.8% and 79.3%. Declining independence and higher caregiver needs were linked to lower success.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Rehabilitation delivery models to foster healthy ageing-a scoping review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesRehabilitation for older adults is mostly delivered through outpatient, telerehabilitation, home, community, inpatient, and eldercare models. Physical therapists lead most interventions, often focusing on single diseases rather than multimorbidity. Assistive technology and environmental adaptations are rarely provided.
• PTOTCase Report2024Preliminary gait analysis of frail versus older adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceThree frail women walked with a wider base and slower speed, keeping their center of gravity more stable than three robust men. However, their foot clearance was lower, suggesting a higher risk of tripping despite the stability measures.
• PTOTQualitative2024Competency acquisition among rehabilitation professionals supporting older residents' community-based activities in Japan: a qualitative study.Journal of physical therapy scienceExperienced therapists supporting community gatherings for older adults described a path from anxiety to competence. They started by building systems and knowledge, then focused on rapport and understanding the specific group. This allowed them to facilitate rather than direct activities, helping residents maintain independence.
• PTOTOther2024The stepping test, and infrared depth sensor, provide reliable measures of balance in community-dwelling older adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceA 20-second stepping test measured by a cheap motion sensor tracked balance well in 27 healthy older adults. Poor balance showed up as fewer steps and more head sway. The test was reliable, but the group was small and all were fully independent.
• PTCohort2024Relationships between mediolateral step modulation and clinical balance measures in people with chronic stroke.Gait & postureBetter control of how the paretic foot is placed sideways predicted higher balance scores, less fear of falling, and fewer falls in people with chronic stroke. The link was weak to moderate, so this biomechanical measure does not replace standard clinical assessment.
• PTCohort2024The relationship between acceleration in sit-to-stand and falls in community-dwelling older adults: cross-sectional study.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn community-dwelling older adults, lower maximum power and velocity during a single sit-to-stand movement were associated with a history of falls. This sensor-based measure remained significant after adjusting for age, gender, BMI, and pain, unlike the standard 5-repetition test.
• PTOTOther2024Virtual reality skateboarding training for balance and functional performance in degenerative lumbar spine disease.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA six-week VR skateboarding program reduced pain and improved walking, strength, and balance in older adults with degenerative lumbar spine disease. Participants used handrails for safety, and the study lacked a control group receiving usual care.
• PTOTRCT2024Dog-assisted physiotherapy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a randomized controlled pilot study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineAdding a therapy dog to balance exercises for two weeks improved walking distance, balance, and mood more than standard physiotherapy alone in people with ALS. The study was small and short, so it shows promise but does not prove long-term benefit or how to apply it in routine care.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Hearing Aid Amplification Improves Postural Control for Older Adults With Hearing Loss When Other Sensory Cues Are Impoverished.Trends in hearingOlder adults with hearing loss and impaired balance systems stood more steadily on foam when wearing hearing aids. The improvement was not linked to how long they had used the devices, suggesting the benefit comes from immediate access to environmental sound cues rather than long-term adaptation.
• PTCohort2024Changes in caregiving risk and motor function among older adults participating in community gatherings in Koshigaya city.Journal of physical therapy scienceFrail older adults in community exercise groups saw lower caregiving risk scores and better leg strength after six months. Healthy participants showed no benefit in risk scores, and leg strength gains were the only motor function improvement seen across the whole group.
• PTCohort2024Effect of controlled start position on the reach distance distribution range in the functional reach test among community-dwelling older adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceAligning the shoulder with the ankle before the Functional Reach Test reduced measurement variability in older adults. This controlled start position made the test more consistent, especially for those with curved spines, without changing the average reach distance.
• PTOTCohort2024Perturbation-based dual task assessment in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesOlder adults with mild cognitive impairment fell more often during reactive balance tests than cognitively intact peers, regardless of whether they performed a simultaneous visual task. Adding the visual task did not worsen their balance recovery, suggesting they prioritized staying upright over the secondary task.
• PTPilot2024Inhalation effect of lychee-scented candles on stress and sleep quality among adults and the elderly: a pilot randomized controlled study.Journal of physical therapy scienceInhalation of a lychee-scented candle for four weeks improved sleep quality in healthy adults and elderly. It did not reduce stress compared to a control group. The study was small, unblinded, and involved healthy participants, so results may not apply to patients with sleep disorders.
• PTOTCohort2023Functional Ability, Psychological Factors, and Rehabilitation Outcomes After Elective Total Hip Replacement.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieOlder adults in rehab after hip replacement improved their function but did not regain their pre-surgery level. Higher positive affect predicted shorter hospital stays, but did not predict better functional ability at discharge.
• PTPilot2024The relationship between sleep quality and gait in people with multiple sclerosis: A pilot study.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoIn 41 adults with MS, poorer sleep was linked to gait. Lower sleep efficiency related to shorter steps, and more awakenings related to slower walking and shorter step time.
• PTOTOther2024Enhancing fall risk assessment: instrumenting vision with deep learning during walks.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new AI tool automatically tracks where pregnant women look while walking over obstacles in a lab. It accurately identifies gaze on hazards, helping clinicians see if distraction contributes to fall risk without manual video review.
• PTOther2024Lower extremity muscle strength equation of older adults assessed by Five Time Sit to Stand Test (FTSST).Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoIn 121 older adults, sit-to-stand time, body weight and gender were used to estimate knee extensor strength. Slower five sit-to-stand times went with lower measured strength.
• PTOTOther2024Trend change analysis of postural balance in Parkinson's disease discriminates between medication state.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTrend change analysis detected differences between medication states in Parkinson's disease that standard sway measures missed. However, neither method distinguished patients from healthy controls during quiet standing.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2024Meta-analysis of the quantitative assessment of lower extremity motor function in elderly individuals based on objective detection.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationObjective sensors and 3D motion capture systems reliably detected differences in walking speed and stride length between elderly groups. Wearable inertial sensors and clinical gait analysis showed inconsistent results across studies, making them less dependable for standardized assessment.
• PTOther2024Classification and comparison of the physical characteristics and functions of various age groups of community-dwelling elderly individuals participating in the Kayoi-no-ba program.Journal of physical therapy scienceAmong older adults attending a weekly community exercise program, women over 80 had lower strength, poorer balance, and slower mobility than women in their 60s and 70s. Men over 80 had lower grip strength and shorter left-leg balance time.
• PTSLPCase-Control2024Differences in cough strength, respiratory function, and physical performance in older adults with and without low swallowing function in the repetitive saliva swallowing test.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder adults with low swallowing screening had weaker cough and breathing muscles than matched controls. Lung function and physical tests were similar. The analysis included 14 low swallowing and 14 controls.
• PTOTOther2024Cultural adaptation and Sepedi translation of the Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsThe Sepedi version of a balance-confidence questionnaire was culturally adapted and gave stable results when given again to 32 older rural adults. It can help assess balance confidence, but this study did not test whether it predicts falls.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024Validity and Reliability of Dynamic and Functional Balance Tests in People Aged 19-54: A Systematic Review.International journal of sports physical therapyThe Y-Balance Test, Star Excursion Balance Test, and one-arm Functional Reach Test are valid and reliable for assessing dynamic balance in healthy adults aged 19-54. Different tests measure distinct skills, so scores cannot be directly compared between them.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2023Prioritising patients for hospital occupational therapy to reduce inpatient falls: A retrospective case-control study to identify predictive patient falls risk factors.The British journal of occupational therapyEarly occupational therapy input was associated with an 81% reduction in falls within the first 48 hours of admission. Key risk factors for early falls included impaired balance, reduced muscle strength, impulsivity, and mobilising without assistance.
• PTOther2024Dual-task improvement of older adults after treadmill walking combined with blood flow restriction of low occlusion pressure: the effect on the heart-brain axis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAfter one 20-minute treadmill walk with low-pressure leg cuffs, older adults tapped light targets faster and swayed less while standing on foam than after walking without cuffs.
• PTCase Series2024Factors leading to falls in transfemoral prosthesis users: a case series of prosthesis-side stumble recovery responses.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSix transfemoral prosthesis users had harness-defined falls in 13 of 24 prosthesis-side stumble trials, including 7 of 11 early swing trials. Knee buckling and poor base adjustment were common. This is one small case series, not proof.
• PTOther2024Relations Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cognition in Older Adults With Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment From the Aerobic Exercise and Cognitive Training (ACT) Trial: Sex Differences.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationHigher aerobic fitness was linked to better memory and executive function in older adults with amnestic MCI, especially men. It was not linked to global cognition or to women's executive function or memory. This is association, not proof exercise improves cognition.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2024Are Middle- or Older-Aged Adults With a Spinal Cord Injury Engaging in Leisure-Time Physical Activity? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationLeisure activity in adults over 45 with spinal cord injury varies wildly. While the average moderate-to-heavy activity was 173 minutes per week, between 27% and 64% of participants reported doing none at all. This gap means you cannot assume your patients are active enough to protect their heart health.
• PTOther2024The psychometric properties of the modified fear of falling avoidance behavior questionnaire in Parkinson's disease and older adults.Archives of physiotherapyThe modified fear-of-falling avoidance questionnaire produced consistent scores when repeated about a week apart and related to balance, mood, and step counts. It may help therapists screen avoidance behavior, not prove it predicts future falls.
• PTOTCohort2024Association Between Depression Symptoms and Disability Outcomes in Older Adults at Risk of Mobility Decline.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationDepression symptoms linked to worse physical function and participation in older adults at risk of mobility decline. However, depression did not predict how quickly these abilities declined over two years. Treat depression as a concurrent marker of current disability, not necessarily a driver of future rapid decline.
• PTOTOther2024Effect of age on ankle biomechanics and tibial compression during stair descent.Gait & postureOlder adults showed lower peak tibial compression than young adults during stair descent, but similar total load over time. Ankle stiffness did not predict compression. The older group’s reduced ankle strength likely limits their ability to absorb impact forces, potentially increasing fracture risk despite lower peak loads.
• PTOther2024Inducing unstable walking conditions through visual and auditory stimuli.Journal of physical therapy scienceVisual disturbance alone, and visual disturbance with sound, made young healthy walkers take shorter, wider, more variable steps than normal walking. Adding a 0.8-second rhythm sometimes worsened coordination further. This is a lab finding, not evidence for treating falls in patients.
• PTOTCohort2024Active use of local exercise facilities can improve physical performance of community-dwelling older adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder adults using community exercise rooms at least 48 times over two years maintained grip strength, while those who never used them declined. Balance and walking speed did not improve for any group. Simply having a place to exercise supported strength maintenance.
• PTOTCohort2024Prevalence and characteristics of frailty in older adults in Japan: a cross-sectional study using data from the long-term care insurance system.Journal of physical therapy scienceAmong 393 older adults in Japan needing mild long-term care support, 80.4% were frail. Frailty was linked to age, living in rural areas, and not having orthopedic issues. The type of care service used did not differ between frail and non-frail groups.
• PTOTSLPRCT2024Effects of a dual intervention (motor and virtual reality-based cognitive) on cognition in patients with mild cognitive impairment: a single-blind, randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationBoth a VR kitchen-memory game and the same pencil-and-paper version improved cognition and reduced depressive symptoms in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Neither was better than the other. Neither improved daily-living skills. Both groups also did balance, strength and aerobic exercise, so the training alone cannot be credited.
• PTOther2024Preliminary translation of 'Reducing Disability in Alzheimer's Disease' among individuals with intellectual disabilities and caregiver dyads.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDThe adapted RDAD-KC home program did not show a significant change in physical activity, behavioral severity, caregiver distress, unmet needs, or strain. It was small, unpowered, and had no comparison group.
• PTQualitative2024Barriers and Facilitators to the Use of Wearable Robots as Assistive Devices: Qualitative Study With Older Adults and Physiotherapists.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesOlder adults and physiotherapists were generally open to a wearable robot, but most older adults did not feel they needed it. Ease of putting it on, comfort, sound, public appearance, home support and reimbursement shaped willingness to use it.
• PTOTOther2024Healthy older adults generate transverse-plane momenta required for 90° turns while walking during the same phases of gait as used in straight-line gait.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHealthy older adults use the same body mechanics to turn as they do to walk straight. They push their body sideways during right-leg stance and twist their body during double-leg stance. These specific moments offer targets for balance training.
• PTOTSurvey2024Health equity profile of knee replacement patients in the South African public sector: A descriptive study.The South African journal of physiotherapyOne in three knee replacement patients at a South African public hospital waited over five years. Older patients and those with lower socioeconomic status waited significantly longer. More than half reported severe mobility issues and pain, with many experiencing anxiety and depression.
• PTOTPilot2025Healthcare Awareness Profile Interview: Development of a new evidence-based brief clinical tool to assess awareness in people with dementia.Neuropsychological rehabilitationA brief awareness interview for people with mild-to-moderate dementia was feasible by phone or video, lasted about 11 min, and was generally acceptable. It gives a profile of awareness across memory, daily tasks, social and emotional functioning and mobility, and is not yet validated.
• PTSLPCohort2024The Effects of Repetitive Head Impact Exposure on Mental Health Symptoms Following Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationRepetitive head impacts occurring after a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury were linked to higher depression and anxiety scores five years later. Impacts that happened before the index injury were not associated with these mental health outcomes.
• PTCohort2024Healthy Days at Home Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries With Traumatic Brain Injury Requiring Inpatient Rehabilitation.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationOlder adults with traumatic brain injury spent 65.3% of the first year after discharge alive at home without hospital, nursing home, or home health care, compared with 93.2% before hospitalization. Being discharged home and better mobility at discharge were linked to more days at home.