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 26 OF 29 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTRCT2025Impact of sensorimotor mismatch on virtual reality sickness and user experience: age-related differences in a randomized trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn healthy adults, deliberate sensorimotor mismatches in a seated VR ball-throwing task did not increase VR sickness compared to standard or errorless tasks. However, the mismatch condition caused significantly more frustration and exhaustion. Older participants reported less sickness than younger ones. This suggests mismatched feedback is tolerable but may reduce user enjoyment.
• PTOTOther2025Individual muscle strengths in rehabilitation outcomes of distal radius fracture.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSimulated extension exercises after wrist fracture helped a weaker patient heal but hurt a stronger one. Muscle strength changes how much force hits the bone. Standard exercise plans may overload strong patients and underload weak ones.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Manual wheelchair training approaches and intended training outcomes for adults who are new to wheelchair use: A scoping review.Australian occupational therapy journalMost wheelchair training programs for adults focus on basic skills, confidence, and propulsion mechanics rather than long-term community participation. They rarely address the needs of older adults with progressive conditions or those with cognitive impairments, leaving therapists without clear guidance on effective, tailored approaches.
• PTOTCohort2025Fatigue and recovery assessed by repetitive handgrip strength measurement as predictors of fall risk in older adults: A cross-sectional study.Clinical rehabilitationOlder adults who had fallen showed worse handgrip fatigue and recovery than those who had not. In adjusted models, a higher fatigue ratio predicted more future falls, while previous falls and lower physical performance were the strongest predictors.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Physical Therapy Management of Fall Risk in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: An Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline From the American Physical Therapy Association - Geriatrics.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)Multicomponent exercise with progressive balance training is the most effective way to reduce falls. Tai Chi works well for lower-risk patients. Resistance training or education alone does not reduce falls and should not be used in isolation.
• PTSurvey2025Entry-level physical therapist curricula in geriatric care: an Italian national survey study.Archives of physiotherapyItalian PT curricula cover fall prevention well but lack depth in dementia, chronic conditions, and communication with sensory deficits. Directors value geriatric training, yet teaching hours and internship requirements vary widely, leaving gaps in preparing students for complex older adults.
• PTOTRCT2025The impacts of transcranial direct current stimulation combined with aquatic neuromuscular training on pain, function, kinesiophobia, knee instability, and quality of life in knee osteoarthritis: a double-blind randomized trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding brain stimulation to water exercises didn't reduce pain more than placebo at six weeks, but it improved knee stability and function. Both groups got better, so the stimulation didn't add a pain benefit over the exercise alone.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025Prevalence and risk factors of neck pain among middle-aged and older adults in China: a cross-sectional study from the CHARLS cohort.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineNearly one in five middle-aged and older adults in China reported neck pain. Women were affected far more often than men. Neck pain was strongly linked to headache, depression, poor sleep, and multiple chronic conditions.
• PTOTOther2024Reliability and validity of five balance assessments battery in individuals with schizophrenia.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTIn 26 adults with schizophrenia, the Star Excursion Balance Test and Timed Up-and-Go were the most useful balance measures, and best separated people with a fall history from those without.
• PTPilot2025Characteristics of health literacy of older adults in care prevention classes: pilot study.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder adults attending community exercise classes often said they could understand and use health advice, but many said they struggled to judge whether health information was reliable or which treatment option was better.
• PTOTOther2025Psychometric validation of comprehensive coordination scale to assess the advanced coordination ability in people with stroke.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineThe Comprehensive Coordination Scale reliably measures motor coordination in chronic stroke survivors. A total score below 62.5 effectively distinguishes those with stroke from healthy older adults. However, the scale's bilateral and unaffected-side subscores showed poor reliability or diagnostic power.
• PTCohort2025Diffusion tensor imaging biomarkers for assessing cognitive and physical function in aging.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 106 older adults with mild cognitive or physical problems, diffusion MRI measures of white matter were associated with walking, balance, hand use and thinking scores, strongest for executive function. This does not show scans can guide treatment.
• PTOther2025Intrarater and Interrater Reliability and Concurrent Validity of the 3-Meter Backward Walk Test in Non-frail, Pre-frail, and Frail Older Adults in Residential Care Homes.Physical therapyIn 217 residential care residents, a 3-meter backward walk gave repeatable times and matched forward walking and fall history. Frail residents' second-round times were less stable, especially when slower than 15 seconds.
• PTOther2025Motor control enhancements by sub-threshold mechanical noise applied to foot soles during quiet standing.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSub-threshold noise in shoe insoles reduced sway and calf muscle effort during standing, especially on a soft foam surface that mimics balance impairment. The noise helped muscles work more efficiently, but this was a small lab study in ten healthy young adults.
• PTOther2025A toolbox for the identification of foot-floor contact sequences to analyze atypical gait cycles in a real-life scenario: application on patients after proximal femur fracture and healthy elderly.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPressure insoles worn during daily walking showed people after proximal femur fracture had more unusual foot-floor contact patterns and more uneven flat-foot and swing timing than healthy older adults.
• PTOTOther2025Interdisciplinary expert agreement on group and definitions for compensatory protective step strategies to prevent falls: A e-Delphi method study.Brazilian journal of physical therapyFourteen experts agreed on precise definitions for 14 compensatory step strategies used to recover balance. The group clarified ambiguous terms and distinguished between true strategies and unintended limb collisions, creating a standard language for fall prevention research and practice.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Item-Level Psychometrics for the Functional Gait Assessment in Persons With Stroke.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationThe Functional Gait Assessment measures one thing in chronic stroke: walking balance. A new scoring sheet lets therapists see exactly which tasks a patient can handle and which are just out of reach, guiding treatment targets without needing to calculate complex statistics.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Lived Experiences of Older Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain and Implications on Their Daily Life: A Metasynthesis of Qualitative Research.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationOlder adults with chronic low back pain often hide their struggles to avoid burdening family, leading to isolation and despair. They actively seek explanations for their pain to gain credibility with clinicians. Therapists should validate invisible pain and involve families in care plans.
• PTOTSLPPilot2025Safety and efficacy of belt-type electrical stimulation for preventing disuse syndrome in elderly hemodialysis patients: a pilot study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesBelt-type electrical stimulation during dialysis was safe for frail elderly patients, with no injuries or medication changes. Five of eight completers showed improved mobility scores and increased thigh muscle mass on CT scans, though these are preliminary findings from a small pilot.
• PTOTCohort2025A longitudinal study of frailty reversibility through a multi-component dementia prevention program.Journal of physical therapy scienceProcessing speed improved significantly in older adults with prefrailty or frailty after a 3-month community program. No cognitive changes occurred in the robust group. Muscle mass decreased in the prefrailty group, while body fat increased in both groups.
• PTCase Report2025Ataxia telangiectasia in a Bahraini child treated with intensive physiotherapy: A case report.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoA 9-year-old girl with Ataxia Telangiectasia improved balance, trunk control and gross motor function after one year of intensive physiotherapy. She progressed from needing assistance to walking independently with a walker and climbing stairs without rails.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Detection of mild cognitive impairment using a virtual reality-based stroop task: a cross-sectional study of embodied behavioral markers.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHand movement path length and hesitation time during a virtual reality sorting task distinguished people with mild cognitive impairment better than the MoCA. These digital markers showed high sensitivity and specificity in a large sample, offering a potential alternative to standard paper-based screening.
• PTQualitative2025Identifying Potential Determinants That Can Impact the Implementation of a Physical Activity Pathway in Outpatient Physical Therapy: A Mixed Methods Study.Physical therapyOutpatient PTs approved a new physical activity pathway, calling it simple and feasible. However, they lacked the specific skills and confidence for behavior change techniques like goal setting. Barriers included time, patient disinterest, and missing documentation templates in the electronic health record.
• PTOther2025Wearable-Sensor-Instrumented Assessment of Prolonged Walking Identifies Performance Deficits in Older Adults With Normal Clinical Presentation.Journal of geriatric physical therapy (2001)Across the whole group, the test did not show a change in walking quality from the first to last minute. But 7 of 42 older adults looked normal early and abnormal late, a deficit missed by standard tests.
• PTSystematic Review2025Virtual reality motor sensing exercise in patients with Parkinson's disease: a scoping review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with Parkinson's disease in studies of virtual reality movement training often improved on balance and gait tests after training, but outcomes versus usual therapy were inconsistent and only short-term training was studied.
• PTOTOther2025Shoulder joint rotational range of motion characteristics among the elderly.Journal of physical therapy scienceElderly adults have significantly less total shoulder rotation than young adults in most arm positions. The pattern of which positions allow more movement stays the same with age, but the overall range shrinks. Therapists should measure multiple positions, not just one, to catch these changes.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025The relationships between metacognitive aspects of daily activity performance and participation patterns: Older adults' perspectives.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTCommunity-dwelling older adults reported the most difficulty with complex tasks and executive functions. These self-reported cognitive struggles correlated with participating in fewer activities, needing more assistance, and leaving the home less often, but not with how much they enjoyed those activities.
• PTRCT2025Dose-response effectiveness of focused shockwave therapy on ultrasonographic muscular properties in patients with stroke exhibiting ankle spasticity.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationDouble-dose shockwave did not change calf muscle architecture more than lower-dose shockwave in stroke ankle spasticity. Across the sample, fascicle length showed a small time-related change. In the higher-dose group, longer fascicles were linked to better walking and ankle movement.
• PTOTOther2025Biomechanical of bilateral heel rise, and its association with balance, functional mobility, and walking speed in older adults.Archives of physiotherapyHow fast and high older adults rise on their toes predicts how quickly they walk and stand up, but does not predict how long they can balance on one leg. Assessing heel rise speed is useful for mobility screening, not for static balance.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Relationship Between Visual Functions and Independence in ADLs and IADLs Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults.The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy AssociationContrast sensitivity predicted independence in dressing, toileting, bathing, laundry, shopping, cooking, and medication management. Near vision predicted independence in eating and most other IADLs. Distance vision predicted independence only in shopping and money management. Screen contrast sensitivity, not just acuity.
• PTOTOther2025Lifestyle Composite and Resilience to Alzheimer's Disease Pathology in Down Syndrome.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDFor adults with Down syndrome and similar amyloid levels, higher physical activity was associated with fewer dementia symptoms and better cognitive scores. The combined lifestyle composite showed a similar protective effect, but physical activity alone had the strongest association.
• PTCohort2025Retrospective cohort study of the economic value of providing microprocessor knees to the population of Medicare fee-for-service K2 beneficiaries with a knee disarticulation/above knee amputation.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalK3 microprocessor knee users had lower monthly medical costs and fewer injurious fallers than K2 nonmicroprocessor knee users after balancing age, sex, race, region, and listed conditions. The device cost difference was reported to offset within 19 months.
• PTOTCohort2025Ultrasonographic Measurement of Severe Sarcopenia in the Elderly Subject.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationUltrasound measurement of rectus femoris thickness significantly distinguished severe from non-severe sarcopenia in elderly patients. A thickness of 10.3 mm or less identified severe cases with 89% sensitivity, offering a rapid, accessible bedside tool for assessing functional decline.
• PTOTRCT2026Individualized task difficulty promotes balance training outcomes and self-efficacy in individuals with lower limb loss.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalAdjusting balance training difficulty to each person's ability led to greater improvement in time in balance and self-efficacy compared to standard training. This suggests one-size-fits-all protocols may be too challenging for individuals with lower limb loss.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2025The role of rehabilitation across the continuum of liver disease from cirrhosis to transplantation and beyond: A narrative review.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationRehabilitation is safe and improves function across liver disease stages. PTs focus on early mobility and endurance. OTs manage ADLs and tremor. SLPs address dysphagia and cognitive effects of encephalopathy. Evidence supports exercise for frailty, but long-term outcome data remain sparse.
• PTOTCohort2025Clinical Characterization of Hip Subgroups in Geriatric Chronic Low Back Pain.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOlder adults with chronic low back pain and hip involvement reported worse pain quality and lower self-efficacy than those with no hip impairments. This subgroup also had less trunk flexibility and endurance. Screening for hip symptoms may help identify patients at higher risk for disability.
• PTOTCohort2026Association of Sleep Quality With Activity and Participation in Older Adults.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOlder adults with poor sleep quality reported lower physical function, greater disability, and less walking confidence than those with good sleep. They also walked slower and had lower performance scores. No association was found with figure-of-8 walking skill.
• PTOTCohort2026Prevalence and Characteristics of Prehabilitation Utilization Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries Undergoing Elective Inpatient Lower Extremity Joint Replacement.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOnly 9.53% of older Medicare patients undergoing elective hip or knee replacement received prehabilitation. Most received a single outpatient physical therapy visit. Pre-frail patients and those with more chronic conditions were less likely to receive these services.
• PTMeta-Analysis2025Effectiveness of interventions in increasing physical activity of inpatients after stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical rehabilitationActivity feedback or extra physiotherapy may increase inpatient activity after stroke, but evidence is very low. No clear function or quality-of-life benefit was shown, and extra physiotherapy may increase falls.
• PTOTSurvey2025Quality of life among lower limb prosthetic users in Jordan: a cross-sectional study using the Arabic SF-36.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesJordanian prosthetic users reported strong social functioning and emotional well-being but low physical functioning and general health. Older age and higher-level amputation were linked to worse physical scores, while women reported better emotional adjustment than men.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Overall outcome, functioning, and disability in older adults 3 to 14 years after traumatic brain injury.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationYears after TBI, many older adults kept the same overall outcome, while some improved and some worsened. Mild and moderate injury often meant better independence, but assistance, mobility aids, swallowing problems, and smell or taste change were still reported.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Usability of Videoconferencing for Physical Exercise Interventions in Older Adults: Scoping Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesVideoconferencing is usable for remote exercise in older adults, with high adherence and satisfaction. However, technology issues and costs are common barriers. Standardized usability testing is rare, so evidence on specific device effectiveness remains limited.
• PTOTRCT2025Electrical vestibular stimulation to improve balance in older adults: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRepeated low-level electrical stimulation behind the ears reduced head sway during difficult standing tasks in older adults. The effect persisted for six months in the hardest condition. This is a small pilot, so do not change practice yet.
• PTPilot2025Enhancing Self-Efficacy Through Robotic Safety Support in Balance-Challenging Reach Tasks: Feasibility Study in Young Adults.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesA fall-safety robot and familiarization with it raised confidence before challenging reaches, but did not improve reach distance, forward-back sway, or task persistence beyond the control group in healthy young adults.
• PTOther2025Capturing Objective Functional Measures Using Smartphone Inertial Sensors: Feasibility and Usability Study With Older Adults.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesOlder adults found a smartphone app feasible for recording sit-to-stand movements, with high data quality. However, single-leg balance recordings failed frequently. Users requested feedback and reminders, highlighting that current prototypes lack the motivation drivers needed for long-term home monitoring.
• PTOTOther2026Validity of Scores From the 12-Item Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale Among Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults With Multiple Sclerosis.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationThe 12-item Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale accurately reflects walking ability in older adults with MS, not just younger ones. Scores tracked closely with timed walk tests and endurance measures across all ages, and cognitive decline did not distort the results.
• PTOTPilot2025Real-time biofeedback monitoring rehabilitation of distal radius fracture.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA wearable prototype used muscle signals to predict hand fracture healing in real time. It triggered vibration warnings when exercises risked slowing recovery. The system worked accurately on healthy volunteers, but has not yet been tested on patients with fractures.
• PTOTCohort2025Muscle strength and stiffness of elbow muscles: correlation with upper limb motor functions in people with chronic stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineElbow muscle strength, but not stiffness, correlated with upper limb motor function in people with chronic stroke. Strength explained variance in impairment and activity scores, while resting stiffness showed inconsistent or no significant links to functional outcomes.
• PTOTSLPPilot2026Promoting community and social participation in chronic stroke: A pilot study of the ENGAGE intervention.Disability and health journalHalf the participants showed meaningful improvement in social participation, but the study lacked a control group. The intervention was feasible and safe, with no injuries reported. Therapists should view this as a promising tool for goal-setting, not proven efficacy.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Optimal exercise modalities for post-intervention motor function changes in stroke survivors: a pairwise and network meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationResistance training best preserved walking endurance, and robotic training best preserved walking speed after stroke rehab ended. However, no exercise modality significantly improved balance or limb motor control during follow-up, suggesting gains in these areas often fade without continued supervision.