TOPIC

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 24 OF 29 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTCohort2024Construct validity, responsiveness and minimal important difference of the cumulated ambulation score in older adults with hip fracture in sub-acute rehabilitation facility.Clinical rehabilitationAfter hip fracture rehabilitation, a two-point rise on the six-point mobility score meant patients improved enough to be considered clinically important. The score tracked other mobility and independence measures, but at discharge 32.2% reached the top score.
• PTOTQualitative2024The perceptions of nurses and physicians in primary care of rehabilitation for frail older adults.Clinical rehabilitationNurses and physicians knew what PTs and OTs offer but were unsure who to call or how to refer. They wanted PTs and OTs on-site and regular team meetings. Better communication routes, not more education, are the missing link for frail older adults.
• PTOther2024Utilization and Potential Disparities in Access to Physical Therapy for Spine Pain in the Long-Term Care Population.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation49.7% of long-term care residents with spine pain histories received physical therapy, but only 12.1% received it for spine pain. Physical therapy was less likely for non-white groups except North American Native, socioeconomically deprived areas, dementia, and higher medical complexity.
• PTOTOther2025Falls in people with mobility limitations: a cross-sectional analysis of a US registry of assistive device users.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyHalf of adults seeking mobility devices reported a fall in the past three months. Those with progressive conditions like Parkinson's or osteoarthritis fell most often, while many still used only canes or no device.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Employing the International Classifications of Functioning, Disability, and Health to identify relevant categories for disability evaluation in older adults from the research perspective: a systematic review.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineResearch on older adults' disability focuses almost entirely on self-care, mobility, and housework. Mental functions appear frequently, but environmental factors are largely missing from existing measures. This gap suggests current evaluations overlook how physical and social surroundings act as barriers or facilitators to daily life.
• PTOTCohort2024Associations Between Rehabilitation Utilization and Out-of-Pocket Costs Among Older Adults With Breast Cancer in the United States.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOlder breast cancer survivors who used rehab in the first year had higher average out-of-pocket costs than those who did not. However, they had lower median costs and less spending on hospital stays and equipment. The overall difference was too small to be clinically meaningful.
• PTCohort2024Disability Moderates Dual Task Walking Performance and Neural Efficiency in Older Adults With Multiple Sclerosis.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairOlder adults with more MS disability had higher prefrontal brain activity while walking alone and smaller increases when walking while reciting letters than those with lower disability. Both groups improved across repeated trials, but no rehabilitation was tested.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025A Role for Health Literacy in Protecting People With Limited English Proficiency Against Falling: A Retrospective, Cohort Study.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationLimited English proficiency nearly tripled fall odds in rehab. Inadequate health literacy raised that risk fourfold, while adequate literacy kept risk comparable to English speakers. Language barriers and reading difficulty, not cognition alone, drove falls.
• PTOTOther2024Simulated real-world feasibility and feedback session for a lift assistance device, Raymex™: a mixed-method descriptive study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesParticipants found the Raymex lift useful for getting up from the floor and as a walker. They also raised design concerns, including confusing brake buttons, seat comfort, noise, weight, and price. This was feedback on this device version, not proof it prevents falls.
• PTOTCase-Control2025Delayed Cortical Responses During Reactive Balance After Stroke Associated With Slower Kinetics and Clinical Balance Dysfunction.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairStroke survivors showed delayed brain responses to balance loss, linked to poorer clinical balance. When forced to rely on the paretic leg, these delays correlated with slower corrective body movements. Loading the nonparetic leg masked these deficits, allowing normal-speed reactions.
• PTOTQualitative2024Translation, extension, and evaluation of usability, usefulness, and safety of a fall prevention and management program for people living with spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis who use wheelchairs or scooters full time.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesParticipants reported no technical barriers to the online program and valued peer interaction. They described increased awareness of fall risks and modified tasks, but did not report improved participation in daily activities.
• PTOTSLPOther2024The standard posture is a myth: a scoping review.Journal of rehabilitation medicineThe "ideal" upright posture taught in clinical manuals is a myth. It was designed based on incorrect 19th-century anatomy and assumes standing is effortless. Healthy adults do not naturally stand this way. Using it as a standard labels normal people as abnormal and ignores individual variation.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Risk-taking behaviour and executive functions, a major component of the risk of fall factors after recent stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicinePost-stroke patients with anosognosia, impulsivity, inattention, or perseveration had significantly higher odds of falling in rehab, even after adjusting for physical severity. Language disorders were not associated with falls. These cognitive signs should guide decisions on supervised walking.
• PTOTOther2024Screening cutoff values to identify the risk of falls after stroke: A scoping review.Journal of rehabilitation medicineFor people with chronic stroke living at home, a Berg Balance Scale score between 46.5 and 50.5 points best identifies fall risk. Other common tests like the Timed Up and Go and Falls Efficacy Scale have lower accuracy, so do not rely on them alone.
• PTCohort2024The effect of patients' socioeconomic status in rehabilitation centers on the efficiency and performance.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineFor-profit French rehabilitation centers showed better physical dependence and discharge outcomes than public centers. Patient clinical factors, staffing and socioeconomic status explained much of the gap, though some advantage remained.
• PTPilot2024Detecting muscle fatigue among community-dwelling senior adults with shape features of the probability density function of sEMG.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 30 older adults doing a handgrip test, a shape measure of the muscle electrical signal rose during fatigue, while common amplitude and frequency measures were less consistent. It may help flag low-effort fatigue, but this was a lab pilot.
• PTOTOther2025Discordance Between Balance Ability and Perception Is Associated With Falls in Parkinson's Disease: A Coordinated Analysis.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairPeople with Parkinson's who were under-confident in their balance, despite their actual ability, were more likely to be fallers. This discordance predicted falls better than balance tests or severity scores alone.
• PTOTPilot2024The Effect of the Mediterranean Diet-Integrated Gamified Home-Based Cognitive-Nutritional (GAHOCON) Training Programme for Older People With Cognitive Frailty: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesOlder adults with cognitive frailty who used a gamified home training app improved their diet adherence, cognitive scores, and walking speed over 12 weeks. A control group doing only self-revision saw their diet knowledge drop significantly.
• PTOTSLPRCT2024Therapeutic singing and expiratory muscle strength training in Parkinson's disease: a mixed methods comparison.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesExpiratory muscle strength training and therapeutic singing produced no significant differences in quality of life, depression, or anxiety in people with Parkinson's disease. Both interventions were highly adhered to, but quality of life scores worsened over time regardless of treatment.
• PTOther2024Environmental constraints for improving motor flexibility during obstacle crossing in older adults.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationCombining a footfall block and toe-touch target during obstacle crossing made older and younger adults better able to vary joint patterns while keeping toe height stable. It helped the trailing limb too. This was an immediate lab effect, not proof of fewer falls.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Disparities in Mortality Outcomes Among Older Adults With Communication Disabilities Using the National Health and Aging Trends Study.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOlder adults with communication disabilities had a 46% higher risk of death over ten years than those without, even after accounting for health and other disabilities. This risk remained significant for expressive, cognitive, and multiple difficulties, but not for hearing loss alone.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2024Postoperative cognitive dysfunction in elderly postcardiac surgery patients: progress in rehabilitation application research.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThis review outlines how to assess and manage cognitive decline after cardiac surgery. It highlights that while cognitive training and exercise show some promise, evidence for long-term benefits in post-cardiac surgery patients is still emerging and often mixed.
• PTOTCohort2024Associations between autistic and comorbid somatic problems of gastrointestinal disorders, food allergy, pain, and fatigue in adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceHigher autistic symptom scores were linked to more IBS, likely food allergy, pain, and fatigue in 35,048 adults. Pain and fatigue links were stronger in women, and likely food allergy and fatigue links were stronger in younger adults.
• PTOTCohort2024Relationship between functional independence and community integration of people with spinal cord injury in Bangladesh.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesFor 200 adults with spinal cord injury, independence at discharge did not track with home or social community integration one month later. Injury level and completeness mattered more, so therapists should not assume discharge independence guarantees reintegration.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024Efficacy of different spinal orthoses for pain management, functional improvement, and quality of life in osteoporotic vertebral fractures: a mini review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesEvidence for spinal braces in osteoporotic fractures is inconsistent. Dynamic braces like Spinomed show promise for pain and strength, but rigid and soft braces perform similarly to no brace. High risk of bias in included studies means no specific orthosis is proven superior.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025A scoping review and synthesis of the literature on the relation between mobility impairment and cognitive impairment.Disability and rehabilitationIn adults over 50, lower mobility and lower cognitive function consistently occur together. Longitudinal evidence suggests each can predict decline in the other, though only a few studies directly tested this bidirectional link. Screening for one impairment should prompt assessment of the other.
• PTOTQualitative2025"I was angry that I fell" all the way to "if I fall, I fall": a qualitative study of the spectrum of behavioral fall risk factors for veterans with dysvascular lower-limb amputation.Disability and rehabilitationVeterans with leg amputations described fall risks as a spectrum of behaviors. Key factors included trust in the prosthesis, awareness of dual-tasking, and emotional regulation. Low trust led to device abandonment, while high trust encouraged risky activities. Self-imposed activity restriction after a fall was identified as a maladaptive behavior that increases future risk.
• PTOTCase Report2024Cryoneurolysis and Quadriplegia: A Case Report on Pain and Severe Spasticity Management.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationA man with long-standing quadriplegia and severe spasticity had cryoneurolysis to hip and hand muscles. His hip and knee range of motion and hand function improved for months, and he regained some daily independence. This is one person's story, not proof the treatment works for others.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024Overview of Effects of Motor Learning Strategies in Neurologic and Geriatric Populations: A Systematic Mapping Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationMost trials on motor learning strategies in older adults had weak methods. Only 5 studies were reliable enough to interpret. Results were mixed: dual-task and observational learning showed some promise in specific groups, but firm conclusions on effectiveness cannot be drawn.
• PTOTCohort2025Plantar sensation associates with gait instability in older adults.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationOlder adults with poorer plantar sensation showed greater gait instability during normal walking and when pulled sideways. No link was found for slip-like or visual disturbances. This suggests foot sensation matters most for lateral balance, but does not prove treating it prevents falls.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Functional independence trajectories over 5 years in older veterans with traumatic brain injury: A model systems study.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationFunctional independence declined over five years in older veterans with TBI. Those with longer posttraumatic amnesia or preinjury substance use had lower scores and steeper drops. Clinicians should monitor these high-risk groups closely, as their recovery trajectory is worse than average.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Efficacy of non-invasive brain stimulation interventions on cognitive impairment: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationrTMS improved language and executive function scores in people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment, but evidence quality was low and effects varied widely between patients. tDCS showed no consistent benefit for global cognition, attention, or mood symptoms.
• PTOTCohort2025Etiological factors and clinical outcomes in extracapsular and intracapsular hip fractures among older adults: A gender-specific analysis.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationOlder women with extracapsular hip fractures are significantly less likely to return home and more likely to need rehabilitation or readmission than those with intracapsular fractures. Men with the same fracture types showed no difference in discharge outcomes. Risk factors for severe fractures differed by gender.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025Characterizing the attitudes, proficiency, and usage patterns for daily technology among older adults with a cognitive impairment.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyOlder adults with mild cognitive impairment, traumatic brain injury, or post-stroke cognitive impairment reported positive attitudes and proficiency with technology. They used social and domestic tools most often, but transportation and leisure technologies least. Age was a barrier, while interest and comfort predicted usage.
• PTCohort2025Comparative Cost Analysis of Neck Pain Treatments for Medicare Beneficiaries.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationAmong older adults with new neck pain, starting with chiropractic spinal manipulation was associated with lower Medicare costs than primary care without analgesics in some claims, but not all.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Neuroimaging and cognitive correlates of postural control in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPoorer cognition, especially executive function, is linked to worse balance in Parkinson's. Brain scans show patients rely more on conscious cortical control for posture. However, protocols varied widely, so no single test or intervention is proven.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024A Scoping Review of the Predictive Qualities of Walking Speed in Older Adults.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)Self-selected walking speed below about 1.0 m/s in older adults was repeatedly linked to higher risk of mortality, falls, hospitalization, disability, cognitive decline, and low physical activity. It can flag patients needing further assessment or referrals.
• PTOTCohort2024How older adults maintain lateral balance while walking on narrowing paths.Gait & postureOlder adults maintain lateral balance on narrowing paths by taking wider steps and slowing their center of mass. This compensates for higher variability, keeping their risk of instability comparable to younger adults despite poorer clinical balance scores.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025'It's designed for someone who is not me': A reflexive thematic analysis of the unmet healthcare support needs in UK autistic adults aged 65 years and over.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic older adults describe healthcare as 'designed for someone who is not me.' They report high anxiety, sensory overload, and a lack of trust due to past misunderstandings. Key needs include continuity of care, text/email contact options, and staff who offer explicit reassurance and extra processing time.
• PTOTOther2025Functional electrical stimulation for walking in adults with cerebral palsy: a service evaluation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdults with cerebral palsy using functional electrical stimulation for foot drop walked slightly faster and reported much higher satisfaction with their walking after three months. Most continued using the device for years, though the small number of participants and lack of a control group limit confidence in these results.
• PTOther2024Gait kinematics differ by bout duration and setting.Gait & posturePeople walked faster and with longer steps inside the lab than outside, and faster and with longer steps during long out-of-lab bouts than short out-of-lab bouts. Hip, knee and ankle movement did not differ by setting or bout length.
• PTOTPilot2024A Falls Prevention Program for People After Stroke in Guyana: An International Collaboration.Physical therapyIn Guyana, 19 people post-stroke who joined an 8-week home and clinic falls prevention program showed improved walking speed and sit-to-stand time. Most reported less fear of falling and continued the exercises at home. This is a small pilot study, so it shows feasibility and preliminary benefit, not proven efficacy.
• PTOther2024Normalization of the hip abductors rate of activation during a voluntary step task in older adults: Reliability and differences among approaches.Gait & postureDifferent ways of scaling muscle activity data during a stepping test produce different numbers, but all methods are consistent across trials. Researchers should use the peak muscle activity during the step to normalize data, as this method was reliable for all muscles and sides.
• PTOTCohort2024The Importance of Racially and Ethnically Inclusive Gait Speed Reference Values in Individuals 90 Years and Older: LifeAfter90.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)Gait speeds in people over 90 were substantially slower than in those under 90, with a mean of 0.54 m/s. Using standard cut points like 1 m/s to flag risk is not useful in this group, as almost no one walks that fast.
• PTOTCohort2025Malnutrition and sarcopenia in inpatient rehabilitation: prevalence and associations with changes in bodyweight, muscle strength, and functional independence.Journal of rehabilitation medicineOver a third of inpatient rehab patients had malnutrition or sarcopenia. Strength and function improved during rehab, but malnourished patients were still weaker and less independent at discharge. Many at-risk patients lost weight, suggesting follow-up is needed.
• PTOther2024Hip Strength, Change of Direction, and Falls in Recreational Pickleball Players.International journal of sports physical therapyRecreational pickleball players who reported falling while playing were older and slower on a change-of-direction test, but hip strength, single-leg squat form, and ankle motion were not different between the groups.
• PTSurvey2024Influence of caregiver understanding of their capability to perform activities of daily living, disease comprehension, and attitudes on occupational low back pain: a cross-sectional study.Journal of physical therapy scienceCaregiver ratings of repositioning, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, and residual-function use were linked to low back pain. The study cannot show that changing these factors prevents pain.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Elevated parkinsonism symptoms in autism during middle and older adulthood are linked with psychosocial, physical health, and mental health outcomes.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic adults aged 40-83 who screened positive for parkinsonism reported lower physical, environmental, and autism-specific quality of life, plus more memory, sleep, and depression issues. These links persisted when excluding those on antipsychotics, but daily living skills findings did not.
• PTOTCohort2024Analysis of fall risk factors and environmental hazards for older adults in Japan: assessing fall situations and locations.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn Japanese day-care homes, falls clustered in bedrooms, hallways, and entrances. Not using an assistive device predicted hallway and entrance falls, while Parkinson’s disease, orthopedic conditions, and cane use predicted bedroom falls.
• PTOther2024Process of dynamic balance recovery after voluntary perturbation: a time-series data analysis of young and older adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceHealthy older adults took longer to steady themselves after a step-down than young adults. They showed greater sway in the first second and did not reach a stable baseline by three seconds, unlike the younger group.