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.

3,875 PAPERS · PAGE 36 OF 78 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022Pathway of care for visual and vestibular rehabilitation after mild traumatic brain injury: a critical review.Brain injuryOnly eight low-quality studies describe care pathways for visual and vestibular symptoms after mild brain injury. Sequential referral is common, but evidence for combined treatment is limited to case reports. Standardized protocols and timing for referral remain undefined.
• PTOTPilot2022Feasibility and Potential Effects of Robot-Assisted Passive Range of Motion Training in Combination with Conventional Rehabilitation on Hand Function in Patients with Chronic Stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineTwelve chronic stroke patients who received robot-assisted passive finger movement before conventional hand therapy showed improved hand strength and function. However, the study had no control group and a very small sample, so it is impossible to tell if the robot caused the improvement or if standard therapy alone would have achieved the same result.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022Does time spent in rehabilitation make a difference on activity limitation and impairment in people with stroke? - A Cochrane Review summary with commentary.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIncreasing rehabilitation time did not consistently improve outcomes. While some subgroup analyses suggested benefits for daily activities and upper limb function when time differences were large, the overall certainty was very low. There is no evidence to recommend a specific minimum daily dose of rehabilitation for stroke patients.
• PTOTOther2022Visual oscillation effects on dynamic balance control in people with multiple sclerosis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationVirtual trees swaying in a VR scene disrupted balance in people with MS but not in healthy controls. This suggests patients may mistake moving objects for their own motion, which could explain falls in busy environments like grocery stores.
• PTOther2022Evaluation of supraspinatus muscle changes in the shoulder joint of stroke patients with hemiplegic and shoulder subluxation using ultrasonography: comparison between affected and unaffected sides.Journal of physical therapy scienceStroke patients with shoulder subluxation had thinner supraspinatus muscles on the affected side at 0°, 30°, and 60° shoulder abduction. Those without subluxation showed no side-to-side difference. Ultrasound may help assess the shoulder, but this study did not test treatment.
• PTCase Report2022Effects of kinesthetic illusion induced by visual stimulation on the ankle joint for sit-to-stand in a hemiparesis stroke patient: ABA' single-case design.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn one stroke patient, conventional physiotherapy plus 5 minutes of a video that made the paralyzed ankle appear to move for 5 days was followed by better weight-bearing symmetry and ankle dorsiflexion, but not faster sit-to-stand. The video's separate effect is unclear.
• PTOTSLPOther2022The reliability and effectiveness of shoulder joint evaluation by ultrasonography in stroke patients: deltoid muscle thickness, acromion-humeral distance, acromion-lesser tuberosity distance.Journal of physical therapy scienceUltrasound reliably measures deltoid thickness, acromion-humeral distance, and acromion-lesser tuberosity distance in stroke patients. Hemiplegic deltoid thickness was significantly lower than the non-hemiplegic side at 0, 30, and 60 degrees of abduction. This supports using ultrasound to objectively assess shoulder subluxation risk.
• PTOTSLPPilot2022Regional cerebral blood perfusion changes in chronic stroke survivors as potential brain correlates of the functional outcome following gamified home-based rehabilitation (IntelliRehab)-a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn eight chronic stroke survivors, three months of gamified home rehabilitation improved arm function scores. Brain blood flow changed in specific regions, but these changes did not correlate with the functional gains. The study cannot prove the software caused the improvement, as all participants also received conventional rehabilitation.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022"Hidden gains"? Measuring the impact of mindfulness-based interventions for people with mild traumatic brain injury: a scoping review.Brain injuryMindfulness-based interventions for mild traumatic brain injury show significant improvements in coping, somatic symptoms, and emotional health. However, studies rarely measure physical function, sleep, or pain catastrophizing. Qualitative reports suggest benefits in daily life and sleep that quantitative tests missed.
• PTOTCase Series2022Multisite Transcutaneous Spinal Stimulation for Walking and Autonomic Recovery in Motor-Incomplete Tetraplegia: A Single-Subject Design.Physical therapyTwo men with incomplete cervical spinal cord injury walked three times farther when transcutaneous spinal stimulation was added to locomotor training. Improvements in walking, balance, and bowel function lasted for months after the stimulation stopped.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Intrauterine drug exposure as a risk factor for cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyInfants with intrauterine drug exposure had a 5.2% rate of cerebral palsy, ten times higher than the general population. Even after excluding very preterm infants, the rate remained significantly elevated. These children warrant high-risk developmental surveillance regardless of other medical complications.
• PTOTOther2021Validity and Acceptability of Wearable Devices for Monitoring Step-Count and Activity Minutes Among People With Multiple Sclerosis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesCommercially available activity monitors performed poorly for people with multiple sclerosis. They gave inaccurate step counts and failed to measure activity time. Participants distrusted devices that seemed wrong, which reduced their motivation to use them. Do not rely on these specific consumer devices for clinical monitoring in this population.
• PTPilot2021Prefrontal Cortex and Supplementary Motor Area Activation During Robot-Assisted Weight-Supported Over-Ground Walking in Young Neurological Patients: A Pilot fNIRS Study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesOnly a minority of children with neurological gait impairments showed the expected brain activation while walking in the Andago robot. The brain imaging setup took about half an hour to prepare and was generally accepted, but the authors state it is too early for clinical use.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2021A Socially Assistive Robot for Stroke Patients: Acceptance, Needs, and Concerns of Patients and Informal Caregivers.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPatients and caregivers saw value in a robot for home exercise but worried it lacked human empathy and physical support. Caregivers were willing to drive up to 45 minutes for sessions. Both groups insisted the robot must supplement, not replace, human therapists.
• PTOTPilot2021Changes in Cortical Activity in Stroke Survivors Undergoing Botulinum Neurotoxin Therapy for Treatment of Focal Spasticity.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesNine stroke survivors showed increased brain activity in motor areas after botulinum toxin injections. However, the average improvement in arm function was smaller than the threshold considered clinically meaningful. This suggests the brain changes may not translate to noticeable functional gains for most patients.
• PTOTSLPOther2021The Nottwil Standard-Development and Implementation of an International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health-Based Clinical Standard Assessment for Post-acute Rehabilitation After Newly Acquired Spinal Cord Injury.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA new ICF-based assessment standard for spinal cord injury rehab saw high compliance for physical tests like muscle strength and mobility. However, assessments for autonomic function, pain, and mental health were performed in only 35-41% of cases. The standard is feasible but requires stronger enforcement for these often-missed domains.
• PTOTPilot2021The Impact of Sub-maximal Exercise on Neuropathic Pain, Inflammation, and Affect Among Adults With Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA single bout of arm-cranking exercise reduced neuropathic pain and improved mood in adults with spinal cord injury. Pain relief was larger and more consistent in those with tetraplegia. Those with paraplegia reported higher exertion, and their pain changes were less clear immediately after exercise.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Sociodemographic and Biomedical Correlates of Developmental Delay in 2- and 4-Year-Olds with Sickle Cell Disease.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPIn children with sickle cell disease, risk factors for developmental delay shift with age. Private insurance and professional daycare were protective in two-year-olds, while severe disease and abnormal stroke screening were linked to delay in four-year-olds.
• PTSLPOther2021Evaluating a Speech-Specific and a Computerized Step-Training-Specific Rhythmic Intervention in Parkinson's Disease: A Cross-Over, Multi-Arms Parallel Study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesBoth rhythmic speech and rhythmic step training improved speech and gait in Parkinson's patients, with no difference between the two. Untreated patients worsened over six months. Neither intervention restored performance to healthy control levels.
• PTOTCohort2022Muscle synergy structure and gait patterns in children with spastic cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with cerebral palsy who walked with different gait patterns showed highly similar muscle synergy structures. While specific muscle weights varied, these differences were small and not clearly linked to the gait pattern or walking speed, suggesting individual motor control strategies rather than pattern-specific neural signatures.
• PTOther2022Adaptive treadmill walking encourages persistent propulsion.Gait & postureOn self-paced treadmills, propulsive force changes persist across strides, unlike on fixed-speed machines. This mirrors overground walking mechanics, suggesting self-paced treadmills may better support rehabilitation goals of increasing propulsion and speed.
• PTOTCohort2021Correlates of Objectively Measured Physical Activity Among People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with progressive MS spent less time in light activity than those with relapsing-remitting MS. Walking impairment predicted less vigorous activity, but only for those with lower disability scores. For those with higher disability scores, walking ability did not predict activity levels.
• PTOTCohort2022Evaluation of unsupervised 30-second chair stand test performance assessed by wearable sensors to predict fall status in multiple sclerosis.Gait & postureWearable sensors tracking chair stands at home over 48 hours detected fall risk in multiple sclerosis better than a single clinic test. Non-fallers performed more repetitions at home than in the lab, while fallers' performance stayed consistent.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022Parental engagement in early intervention for infants with cerebral palsy-A realist synthesis.Child: care, health and developmentWeekly face-to-face coaching and accessible home materials help parents stick with infant therapy. However, home programmes do not consistently improve infant motor skills, and parents often find the process stressful despite high adherence.
• PTPilot2021Shoulder Tendon Adaptations Following a Graded Exercise Test to Exhaustion in Highly Trained Wheelchair Rugby Athletes With Different Impairments.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAfter a maximal exercise test, biceps tendon echogenicity dropped significantly, suggesting fluid shift or reactive change. Athletes with spinal cord injuries had thicker supraspinatus tendons than those with other impairments. However, most tendon measures did not change, and pain was only linked to one post-exercise ultrasound finding.
• PTOTCohort2021Early Use of Phenol Neurolysis Likely Reduces the Total Amount of Botulinum Toxin in Management of Post-Stroke Spasticity.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStroke patients who received phenol neurolysis first required significantly less botulinum toxin in their subsequent injections compared to those who received botulinum toxin first. Phenol was typically used for lower limb spasticity within four months of stroke onset.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Effectiveness of Self-Monitoring Approach Using Fitness Trackers to Improve Walking Ability in Rehabilitation Settings: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAdding fitness trackers to usual rehabilitation showed little to no improvement in walking ability across most conditions. Stable COPD patients saw a small increase in walking distance that was still below the threshold for clinical importance. Trackers alone are not a fix for gait deficits.
• PTOther2021Quantitative Assessment of Clinician Assistance During Dynamic Rehabilitation Using Force Sensitive Resistors.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesForce sensors at the knee tracked when and how long clinicians assisted treadmill stepping, but not how hard they pushed. In two people with complete spinal cord injury, knee contact time was shorter during body-weight-supported training with hands-on cueing and epidural stimulation.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021What Is Intensity and How Can It Benefit Exercise Intervention in People With Stroke? A Rapid Review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesHigh-intensity exercise appears safe for people with stroke, with no adverse events reported in the studies reviewed. However, there is no agreed definition of intensity, and most studies measured body changes rather than how much people could actually do in daily life.
• PTOTOther2021Relating Global Cognition With Upper-Extremity Motor Skill Retention in Individuals With Mild-to-Moderate Parkinson's Disease.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesHigher scores on a five-minute cognitive screen predicted better retention of an upper-extremity motor task nine days later in people with mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease. This held true regardless of whether they took their dopamine medication during training.
• PTPilot2022Acute effects of axial loading on postural control during walking and turning in people with multiple sclerosis: A pilot study.Gait & postureWeighted vests did not change gait in the main analysis. People with MS and controls walked faster in some vest trials, and some changes remained after removal. The pattern may reflect practice or attention.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Relationship Between Cognition and Gait at 2- and 12-Months Post-Traumatic Brain Injury.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesSlower performance on a cognitive sorting test at 2 months predicted slower maximum walking speed and less stable step timing at 12 months. However, the statistical models explained very little of the variation, so early cognitive scores cannot reliably predict an individual patient's long-term walking recovery.
• PTOTCase-Control2021Characterizing Cycling Smoothness and Rhythm in Children With and Without Cerebral Palsy.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesChildren with cerebral palsy cycled with significantly less smoothness and rhythm than typically developing peers. New measures can quantify these movement quality deficits, helping therapists identify compensatory patterns and target specific motor control issues during recumbent cycling training.
• PTCohort2022Effects of assigning physical therapists exclusively to the acute-phase stroke patient ward.Journal of physical therapy scienceLength of stay did not clearly change. A stroke ward model with dedicated PTs, early assessment, physician consultation, exercise instruction, and weekly conferences was linked to faster rehab start and greater daily-function improvement.
• PTOTOther2022The presence of pain in community-dwelling South African manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury.The South African journal of physiotherapy85% of manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury reported pain. Neuropathic pain was more common than musculoskeletal pain and was associated with higher severity. Burning pain in the lower limbs below the injury level was the most frequent presentation.
• PTRCT2022Passive mobilisation of the shoulder in subacute stroke patients with persistent arm paresis: A randomised multiple treatment trial.The South African journal of physiotherapyCombined soft tissue mobilisation increased passive shoulder external rotation by about 7 degrees in stroke patients with arm weakness. Scapular and standard angular mobilisation both decreased external rotation. No other range of motion or pain measures differed between techniques.
• PTNarrative Review2021Utility and Feasibility of Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation for Patients With Incomplete SCI in Therapeutic Settings: A Review of Topic.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTranscutaneous spinal cord stimulation was reported as a feasible add-on to intensive training after incomplete spinal cord injury. Reviewed studies described improved walking, standing, and hand function, but stimulation settings and lasting benefit remain unsettled.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2021When Spinal Neuromodulation Meets Sensorimotor Rehabilitation: Lessons Learned From Animal Models to Regain Manual Dexterity After a Spinal Cord Injury.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThis review synthesizes animal and early human data showing cervical spinal stimulation may aid hand recovery, but only when paired with specific rehabilitation. Stimulation alone is not a cure; optimal training intensity and timing remain undefined.
• PTOTSLPPilot2022Immediate effects of neuromuscular joint-facilitation bridging exercises on walking ability and balance function in stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceCombining neuromuscular joint facilitation with bridging exercises produced immediate improvements in walking speed and balance in stroke patients. The combined approach outperformed either intervention alone, though the study measured effects right after a single session rather than long-term recovery.
• PTOTOther2021Flipping the ICF: Exploring the Interplay of Theory and the Lived Experience to Reconsider Physical Activity in Community-Dwelling People With Multiple Sclerosis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with MS prioritized daily routines like self-care and family roles to maintain identity and independence. Physiotherapists focused on physical performance and overlooked these personal and contextual drivers. This mismatch explains why standard exercise advice often fails to sustain engagement.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Evaluating a Therapeutic Powered Mobility Camp for Children with Severe Cerebral Palsy.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieChildren with severe cerebral palsy improved powered mobility skills after a three-week camp, with gains maintained at follow-up. Participants achieved personal functional goals, such as driving to friends or moving around the school, and reported enjoying driving independently.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022ICF Core Sets for the assessment of functioning of adults with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyExperts created a checklist of 33 essential categories to assess functioning in adults with cerebral palsy. This brief set highlights mobility, self-care, pain, and environmental factors like support services, aiming to standardise care for this growing population.
• PTPilot2022Effective physical therapy activities to improve the supine-to-seated transfer time in stroke patients: an observational pilot study.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn stroke patients who could already sit up independently, time spent on transitional movements and special equipment therapy was associated with faster sitting transfers. This pilot suggests these specific activities may help, but confounding factors and small sample size limit conclusions.
• PTOTQualitative2021The Experience of Locomotor Training From the Perspectives of Therapists and Parents of Children With Cerebral Palsy.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesParents and therapists described 6 weeks of intensive locomotor training as manageable and meaningful. Families valued the short duration and peer support. Reported improvements extended beyond walking to include better sleep, mood, and respiratory function, which were key motivators for participation.
• PTOTRCT2022Embodiment, tailoring, and trust are important for co-construction of meaning in physiotherapy after stroke: A qualitative study.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyStroke survivors valued trust and engagement over specific exercises. They wanted to be pushed and corrected, interpreting exertion as progress. Assessment and goal-setting were often tacit, with patients trusting therapists to decide what mattered, rather than seeking explicit explanations.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022Can Transcranial Electrical Stimulation Facilitate Post-stroke Cognitive Rehabilitation? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencestDCS may briefly improve attention and language recovery in stroke survivors, but does not help global thinking, memory, or visual neglect. The evidence is weak, based on small studies with no long-term follow-up, so it should not replace standard therapy.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022Sensory-Based Priming for Upper Extremity Hemiparesis After Stroke: A Scoping Review.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthMost studies found that adding sensory priming to motor training improved arm function in stroke patients. However, protocols varied wildly in dose and method, and many were small pilots, so there is no single proven recipe to copy yet.
• PTOTCase Report2021Case Report: Perspective of a Caregiver on Functional Outcomes Following Bilateral Lateral Pectoral Nerve Cryoneurotomy to Treat Spasticity in a Pediatric Patient With Cerebral Palsy.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn one non-verbal teenager with severe cerebral palsy, freezing the nerves to the chest muscles improved shoulder movement and made dressing, bathing, and wheelchair transfers easier for his caregiver.
• PTOTSLPProtocol2021A Co-creation Centre for Accessible Rehabilitation Technology.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThis paper describes the setup of a new technology-driven rehabilitation centre for stroke survivors and outlines the plan for a small pilot study. It reports no results, so there is currently no evidence here to change clinical practice.
• PTPilot2022PedBotHome: A Video Game-Based Robotic Ankle Device Created for Home Exercise in Children With Neurological Impairments.Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy AssociationHalf the children met the goal of using this home ankle robot for 20 of 28 days. Technical faults stopped the others. Some children showed improved strength and reduced spasticity, but hardware broke often. This device is feasible for home use, but not yet proven effective.