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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 4 OF 78 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPOther2016Reliability and validity of standing balance assessment index using a hand-held dynamometer in stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy sciencePushing against a stroke patient's pelvis with a hand-held dynamometer until they lose balance measures standing stability reliably. The force needed correlates strongly with standard balance scores. It is quick and works for patients too impaired to perform other tests.
• PTRCT2016The effects of visual control whole body vibration exercise on balance and gait function of stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn stroke patients, adding 10 minutes of visual control whole body vibration to 30 minutes of Neuro-developmental treatment improved Functional Reach and Timed Up and Go scores more than Neuro-developmental treatment alone. Both were given together, so vibration alone cannot be separated.
• PTOther2017Quantification of upper body movements during gait in older adults and in those with Parkinson's disease: impact of acceleration realignment methodologies.Gait & postureWearable sensor alignment methods changed every upper-body gait variable tested. For 12 of 42 variables, the method also changed how clearly Parkinson's disease differed from controls, so sensor results cannot be compared across studies without the same processing.
• PTOTOther2016Effects of community-based rehabilitation program on activities of daily living and cognition in elderly chronic stroke survivors.Journal of physical therapy scienceOlder adults with chronic stroke who took part in a monthly community rehabilitation program combining exercise and crafts improved in daily activities and cognition. Only eleven finished, and there was no control group.
• PTOTCase Report2016The effects of neck and trunk stabilization exercises on upper limb and visuoperceptual function in children with cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceEleven children with cerebral palsy improved hand function and visual-motor speed after eight weeks of neck and trunk stabilization exercises. Because this was a small case series without a control group, it cannot confirm the exercises caused the gains.
• PTCase Report2016Accelerometer based analysis of gait initiation failure in advanced juvenile parkinsonism: a single subject study.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn one woman with advanced juvenile parkinsonism, a sudden verbal command produced freezing patterns, while planned, step-by-step initiation produced larger forward acceleration and lower step frequency. This is one person, not a pattern.
• PTPilot2016Effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching and deep-breathing exercises on upper extremity lymphedema in stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceTen stroke patients with arm swelling performed deep-breathing and stretching exercises for four weeks. Body water volume in both arms decreased significantly, but the study lacked a control group, so the exercises cannot be proven as the cause.
• PTSurvey2017Aerobic Exercise Prescription in Stroke Rehabilitation: A Web-Based Survey of US Physical Therapists.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPT87.8% of responding US physical therapists endorsed aerobic exercise after stroke, but 72.1% could not prescribe it for every indicated patient, and 83.8% reported barriers.
• PTRCT2016Effects of assisted aquatic movement and horseback riding therapies on emotion and brain activation in patients with cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter one 50-minute session, patients with cerebral palsy assigned to assisted aquatic movement showed higher alpha-wave brain activity and more pleasant and more activated feelings than those assigned to horseback riding or movie watching.
• PTOTOther2016The effect of bilateral trainings on upper extremities muscle activation on level of motor function in stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceStroke patients with better arm recovery showed higher muscle activation and lower co-contraction when lifting a Pilates ring with both hands compared to clasping hands. This suggests the ring task may facilitate more coordinated movement in the affected limb.
• PTOTRCT2016Effects of inclined treadmill walking training with rhythmic auditory stimulation on balance and gait in stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding a metronome to inclined treadmill walking improved balance and gait more than walking without it or on a flat treadmill. However, the study was small and only included patients who could already walk, so results may not apply to all stroke survivors.
• PTOTPilot2016Effect of sensorimotor stimulation on chronic stroke patients' upper extremity function: a preliminary study.Journal of physical therapy scienceTwo female and one male chronic stroke patients showed increased Box and Block and 10-second hand-test scores after 12 sessions combining passive mobilization, vibration, and proprioceptive training, while also receiving conventional rehabilitation. The contribution of any single component cannot be separated.
• PTOther2016Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the selective control assessment of the lower extremity tool among patients with spastic cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceThe Japanese version of the SCALE tool reliably measures selective motor control in spastic cerebral palsy. It takes 15 minutes, needs no special equipment, and scores track closely with GMFCS levels. Use it to assess lower-limb control, but it cannot be used for children under 6 or GMFCS level V.
• PTOTOther2016Factors affecting the quality of life of homebound elderly hemiparetic stroke patients with cognitive impairment.Journal of physical therapy scienceFor homebound older stroke patients with cognitive impairment, higher quality of life scores went with better cognition and greater daily independence. Age, sex, and care level showed no clear link.
• PTOTOther2016Analysis of affected and non-affected sides of stroke hemiparalysis patients and correlations between rehabilitation therapy assessments using the bioelectrical impedance analysis method.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 20 stroke patients with hemiplegia, a body electrical measure called phase angle was lower on the paralyzed side and tracked grip strength, hand dexterity, and daily activity independence. Another body electrical measure was also lower, but the resistance measure did not differ.
• PTOther2016Comparison of the psychometric properties of two balance scales in children with cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 40 children with cerebral palsy, Fullerton Advanced Balance tasks were harder than Pediatric Balance Scale tasks. The hardest was walking with head turns. The easiest was sitting with back unsupported and feet supported on the floor.
• PTOTCohort2016Relationship between manual dexterity and the unified parkinson's disease rating scale-motor exam.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn patients with Parkinson's disease, lower scores on a simple block-moving test closely matched higher scores on the standard motor exam. A low block test score suggests significant motor impairment, offering a quick functional check for upper limb dexterity.
• PTOther2017Kinematic head and trunk strategies used by hemiplegic stroke patients crossing over obstacles of different heights.Journal of physical therapy scienceStroke patients crossing a 20%-height obstacle showed more head forward bending than with no obstacle, and more head side bending and pelvis rotation on the non-paretic side than at 10% height. At 10%-height, head, trunk, and pelvis motion did not clearly increase.
• PTOTCohort2017Does grip strength on the unaffected side of patients with hemiparetic stroke reflect the strength of other ipsilateral muscles?Journal of physical therapy scienceGrip strength on the unaffected side of stroke patients correlated significantly with the strength of seven other muscle groups. Measuring grip alone may offer a quick estimate of overall unaffected-side strength, though correlations were moderate.
• PTOTOther2017Effects of observation of hand movements reflected in a mirror on cortical activation in patients with stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter mirror therapy, EEG responses in stroke patients changed. Mirror viewing altered alpha and beta activity differently from direct hand viewing. The study did not measure hand function or daily tasks, so it does not show functional recovery.
• PTOTCase Series2017Effects of two-handed task training on upper limb function of chronic hemiplegic patients after stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceTwo chronic stroke patients practised everyday two-handed tasks for 12 sessions. Both had larger and faster brain-to-hand responses and small hand-function gains, but this cannot show the training works.
• PTPilot2017A preliminary study of the measurement of overload applied to the foot support of a wheelchair and a seated postural support device.Journal of physical therapy scienceForce plates under device foot supports recorded strong horizontal pushes from spasticity, not only downward weight. One participant reached 525 N, exceeding the 500 N standard for a 40 kg user. This is a three-person preliminary measurement, not proof devices fail.
• PTOTSLPOther2016What do the relationships between functional classification systems of children with cerebral palsy tell us?Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 327 children with spastic cerebral palsy, motor, hand-use, and communication classifications moved together, especially in quadriplegia. Better motor and hand-use levels were associated with being an effective communicator.
• PTRCT2017Factors Associated With Ambulatory Activity in De Novo Parkinson Disease.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTPeople with early Parkinson disease who were not on dopaminergic medication and were not regular exercisers averaged 5,362 ± 2,890 steps/day. Higher step count was associated with higher fitness, no fear of falling, lower motor signs, recent diagnosis, and having a cardiovascular condition.
• PTOTCase Report2017Effects of interactive metronome training on postural stability and upper extremity function in Parkinson's disease: a case study.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn one woman with Parkinson's disease, balance and hand scores improved during interactive metronome training, but this case report cannot show the training caused them.
• PTCase Report2016Using musculoskeletal modeling to evaluate the effect of ankle foot orthosis tuning on musculotendon dynamics: a case study.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyA custom ankle-foot orthosis set in plantar flexion with heel alignment tuning reduced gastrocnemius operating length and improved swing knee flexion and walking speed in a person with left hemiplegia after stroke. Knee extension in stance did not improve.
• PTCohort2016Contribution of Paretic and Nonparetic Limb Peak Propulsive Forces to Changes in Walking Speed in Individuals Poststroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairAfter 12 weeks of gait training, paretic leg propulsion became the stronger predictor of faster self-selected walking speed, reducing reliance on the non-paretic leg. However, non-paretic propulsion remained the primary driver for maximum speed. Assess both speeds to guide treatment.
• PTPilot2017The feasibility of singing to improve gait in Parkinson disease.Gait & postureSinging did not change walking speed, step rate, or stride length compared with normal walking. In this small single-session study, singing alone kept step timing steadier than singing with music or word generation.
• PTOther2017Short-term effects of physiotherapy combining repetitive facilitation exercises and orthotic treatment in chronic post-stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceFour weeks of repetitive facilitation exercises plus AFO gait training were followed by better lower-limb and walking scores in 27 chronic stroke patients. Both treatments were given together, so neither can be credited alone.
• PTOTOther2017Clinical characteristics affecting motor recovery and ambulation in stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceWomen with stroke hemiplegia had lower hand and upper-limb motor stages and more complex regional pain syndrome. Shoulder pain was linked to complex regional pain syndrome. Rehabilitated patients were further from stroke, so better walking scores cannot be credited to rehabilitation alone.
• PTCohort2017Comparison of forward walking and backward walking in stroke hemiplegia patients focusing on the paretic side.Journal of physical therapy scienceBackward walking was slower and had shorter strides than forward walking. Hip extension and ankle push-off forces were significantly reduced. This suggests backward walking requires different mechanics, but the small sample size limits how broadly this applies to stroke recovery.
• PTOTSLPCohort2016Self-Reported Sleep Disturbance Mediates the Relationship Between PTSD and Cognitive Outcome in Blast-Exposed OEF/OIF Veterans.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationIn blast-exposed veterans, poor sleep links PTSD symptoms to worse cognitive performance. Sleep disturbance accounted for most of the association between PTSD and deficits in memory, processing speed, and cognitive control. Clinicians should assess sleep when evaluating cognition in this population.
• PTOTSLPRCT2016Tracking patterns of needs during a telephone follow-up programme for family caregivers of persons with stroke.Disability and rehabilitationCaregivers prioritized stroke information and survivor behavior management early. They delayed addressing their own health needs until the fifth call, when a specific assessment tool helped them identify these personal concerns. Physical care needs remained stable but were less urgent initially.
• PTSurvey2016Increased Rates of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Among Older Adults in US Emergency Departments, 2009-2010.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationEmergency department visits for mild traumatic brain injury among US adults aged 65 and older were common, especially in those 85 and older. Falls caused most diagnosed cases. Consider mild head injury after a fall.
• PTOTSLPRCT2017Early home-supported discharge for patients with stroke in Portugal: a randomised controlled trial.Clinical rehabilitationEarly home-supported discharge did not improve functional independence scores compared to usual care. However, fewer patients in the home-supported group had severe disability (FIM < 60) at six months, suggesting a potential benefit for the most impaired patients that requires further study.
• PTOTSLPCohort2017Long-Term School Outcomes of Children and Adolescents With Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationChildren with severe TBI need school support services immediately. Those with mild or moderate injuries often appear fine at two years but require comparable support by six years post-injury. Monitor academic performance long-term, not just at discharge.
• PTSurvey2017Perception and use of balance measures for stroke patients among physical therapists in South Korea.Journal of physical therapy scienceSouth Korean physical therapists reported using the Single Leg Stance test, Functional Reach test and Berg Balance Scale most often. Their own judgment that a measure was useful tracked most closely with what they used.
• PTOther2017The effects of functional electrical stimulation on muscle tone and stiffness of stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter 6 weeks of functional electrical stimulation to the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius muscle tone and stiffness decreased in 10 stroke patients. Without a control group, this suggests a possible change, not proof that FES alone caused it.
• PTOTSLPOther2017Comparison of differences in respiratory function and pressure as a predominant abnormal movement of children with cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceChildren with ataxic cerebral palsy had the lowest lung capacity and inspiratory strength, while those with spastic type had the highest. Dyskinetic type fell in between. Assessing respiratory function is necessary because these differences depend on the specific movement disorder.
• PTRCT2017Effects of stair task training on walking ability in stroke patients.Journal of physical therapy scienceStroke patients who did stair task training for six weeks changed swing phase time more than controls, while stance phase time did not clearly differ. Stair task training may guide PT mobility.
• PTOTRCT2016Skilled Bimanual Training Drives Motor Cortex Plasticity in Children With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn children with unilateral cerebral palsy, 90 hours of structured bimanual skill training enlarged hand movement areas in the brain and strengthened muscle responses to brain stimulation. Unstructured play did not. Both groups improved hand function similarly.
• PTPilot2017Reliability of lower extremity muscle strength measurements with handheld dynamometry in stroke patients during the acute phase: a pilot reliability study.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 15 acute stroke ICU patients, a handheld dynamometer gave consistent lower-limb strength readings in bed, with two therapists and across days. It may help physical therapists record hip, knee and ankle strength in pounds, but not yet proven against sitting tests.
• PTOther2017Balance impairment limits ability to increase walking speed in individuals with chronic stroke.Disability and rehabilitationIn chronic stroke, poorer balance was linked to less ability to increase walking speed. A Berg Balance Scale score below 47 may help identify people who could not speed up.
• PTSurvey2017Prevalence of secondary impairments of adults with cerebral palsy according to gross motor function classification system.Journal of physical therapy scienceMotor function level was associated with reported spine, joint, pain, and mobility-loss problems in adults with cerebral palsy. Some other conditions did not show differences by motor function level. The paper did not test treatment.
• PTOTPilot2017H-GRASP: the feasibility of an upper limb home exercise program monitored by phone for individuals post stroke.Disability and rehabilitationIn 6 of 8 people post stroke who finished a home arm exercise program with weekly phone calls, arm function, use, strength and self-perceived performance improved. Retention and adherence were below target, and no control group limits interpretation.
• PTOTOther2016Rehabilitation Needs of Stroke Survivors After Discharge From Hospital in India.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationStroke survivors and caregivers in Chennai reported substantial rehabilitation needs, especially information about stroke and services and financial support. They faced few affordable services, long travel, and little awareness of warning signs.
• PTOTCohort2016Active Lifestyle Is Associated With Reduced Dyspnea and Greater Life Satisfaction in Spinal Cord Injury.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationPlanned exercise was associated with less reported breathlessness in people with spinal cord injury. More time away from home and organized sports were linked with greater life satisfaction, but planned exercise alone was not.
• PTOther2017Validity of gait asymmetry estimation by using an accelerometer in individuals with hemiparetic stroke.Journal of physical therapy scienceA trunk accelerometer tracked step time asymmetry after hemiparetic stroke in close agreement with force plates but gave higher step time asymmetry values. Step length asymmetry was less precise. It may be useful for gait screening, not exact measurement.
• PTPilot2017Effect of inspiratory muscle training on respiratory capacity and walking ability with subacute stroke patients: a randomized controlled pilot trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn subacute stroke inpatient rehab, with usual physical and occupational therapy, both inspiratory muscle training and cycle exercise improved breathing and walking measures. The inspiratory training group had greater gains in breathing capacity, one-second breathing volume and six-minute walk, not oxygen saturation or 10-meter speed.
• PTOTRCT2017A low cost virtual reality system for home based rehabilitation of the arm following stroke: a randomised controlled feasibility trial.Clinical rehabilitationThe home glove system, with usual care, therapist setup and support, did not significantly improve the primary arm function test after eight weeks. Recruitment was so low that a definitive trial would need many more participants, and the system required substantial therapist support.