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 42 OF 78 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPCohort2022Longitudinal Trends in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Inpatient Rehabilitation.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationFewer of the most severely disabled traumatic brain injury patients entered inpatient rehabilitation, and their stays shortened. Patients were older, and payer mix shifted toward Medicare.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Trajectories of Executive Functions After Early Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury: Teacher Ratings in the Initial 81 Months Postinjury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationTeacher ratings showed two groups: 65% stayed in the normal range, while 35% had executive function concerns that worsened over time. Children in the struggling group were more likely to have had a brain injury, lower socio-economic status, and authoritarian parenting.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Use of health services and unmet needs among adults with cerebral palsy in Ireland.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn Ireland, unmet needs among adults with cerebral palsy were most common for physiotherapy (23%) and occupational therapy (13%). Adults aged 25 to 65 years were less likely to use physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy than adults aged 18 to 24 years.
• PTOTQualitative2022Supportive mobility device use across the life span by individuals with cerebral palsy: A qualitative study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIndividuals with CP described mobility devices as both liberating and restricting, noting they are often designed for transport rather than living. Caregivers and providers reported a broken system with frequent denials and delays. Stakeholders called for devices that adapt across the life span.
• PTOther2023Clinical utility of the Trendelenburg Test in people with multiple sclerosis.Physiotherapy theory and practiceIn 20 people with multiple sclerosis who could walk 100 m, a goniometer gave consistent Trendelenburg pelvic-drop readings and matched lab motion capture reasonably well. Pelvic drop also related to walking and step-task pelvic tilt, while hip strength related less consistently.
• PTOTCohort2023Rest-Activity Rhythm Characteristics Associated With Depression Symptoms in Stroke Survivors.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationStroke survivors with more fragmented 24-hour activity patterns had higher odds of depression symptoms. This association held across two distinct samples. The link was strongest for clinically significant depression rather than mild symptoms.
• PTOTCase Report2023Training of isometric force tracking to improve motor control of the wrist after incomplete spinal cord injury: a case study.Physiotherapy theory and practiceOne man with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury improved his ability to track a visual force target with his wrist, reaching error levels similar to healthy adults. He gained wrist control without increasing maximum force, and reported better daily wrist stability.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Societal Participation of People With Traumatic Brain Injury Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A NIDILRR Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationPeople with traumatic brain injury reported significantly less community involvement during the pandemic compared to before. However, their levels of productivity and social relations remained stable. Pre-existing factors like disability severity and income continued to predict participation outcomes similarly in both periods.
• PTOther2022Assessment of Walking Speed and Distance Post-Stroke Increases After Providing a Theory-Based Toolkit.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTProviding a toolkit to physical therapists increased the odds of documenting 10m walk tests by 9.7 times and 6-minute walk tests by 3.5 times. Interpretation of results also rose, but the change was largest in outpatient and inpatient settings, not acute care.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Common data elements to standardize genomics studies in cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyResearchers developed a standardized data set for cerebral palsy genomics studies, defining 10 mandatory items like birth year, sex, motor type, and GMFCS level. This framework helps unify how clinical traits are recorded globally, though it excludes intervention data.
• PTRCT2022Implementation and Adoption of Telerehabilitation for Treating Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTTele-rehabilitation for mild traumatic brain injury was safe and feasible, but symptoms improved less than with in-person care. The remote program removed hands-on cervical therapy, supervised aerobic exercise, and challenging balance tasks, which likely limited recovery compared to the full in-person protocol.
• PTSurvey2022Development of lower limb training interventions that promote an external focus of attention in people with stroke: a modified Delphi survey.Physiotherapy theory and practiceExperts agreed on how to phrase stroke rehab instructions to keep attention on the goal, not the body movement. They favored simple, positive cues like "touch the marker" over "don't touch" or naming body parts. This is guidance, not proof of improved walking.
• PTOTPilot2023Examining the role of intrinsic and reflexive contributions to ankle joint hyper-resistance treated with botulinum toxin-A.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn nine people with ankle spasticity, the clinical Modified Ashworth Scale showed a significant drop in resistance six weeks after botulinum toxin injections. However, precise instrumented measures of reflex and tissue stiffness failed to confirm this group-wide effect, leaving the specific mechanism of action unclear.
• PTOTOther2023Loaded and unloaded timed stair tests as tools for assessing advanced functional mobility in people with stroke.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineThe Timed Stair Test reliably measures advanced mobility in stroke survivors. Walking with a 5% body-weight vest took 45 seconds on average, compared to 17 seconds for healthy adults. A completion time over 26 seconds strongly indicates stroke-related mobility limitations.
• PTOTOther2023Altered biomechanical strategies of the paretic hip and knee joints during a step-up task.Topics in stroke rehabilitationPeople with chronic stroke use inefficient strategies when stepping up. The affected leg bends less at the hip and knee, forcing the pelvis to hike higher. This leg also generates less power at the knee, shifting the load to the hip.
• PTOTOther2022Split-Belt Adaptation and Savings in People With Parkinson Disease.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTMost people with Parkinson disease adapted to split-belt walking and showed savings, meaning they re-learned the pattern faster the second time. However, individual responses varied widely. Two participants showed almost no adaptation, suggesting a one-size-fits-all approach to gait training is ineffective.
• PTOTCohort2022Asymmetry in sleep spindles and motor outcome in infants with unilateral brain injury.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn infants with unilateral brain injury, asymmetry in sleep spindles on EEG predicted later unilateral cerebral palsy with 95% accuracy. This retrospective study of 40 infants suggests EEG could help identify high-risk babies, but the small sample and lack of comparison to standard assessments limit current clinical use.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Pain trajectories and well-being in children and young people with cerebral palsy: A cohort study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with cerebral palsy fell into five distinct 5-week pain patterns. Those with high or changing pain reported lower physical and psychological well-being than those with stable low pain. Repeated brief pain checks may help spot children at risk for poor well-being.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2022Factors influencing sustainable employment of persons with acquired brain injury (ABI) or spinal cord injury (SCI): A qualitative study evaluating the perspective of health and work professionals.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesProfessionals identified gaps in long-term employment support for brain and spinal cord injury. They reported that vocational services often end once initial integration is complete, leaving workers and employers without help when health declines or workplace changes occur. Early, coordinated intervention and ongoing access to a contact person were deemed critical for sustaining employment. Knowledge of long-term support resources was limited among many professionals, creating a risk of unsupported job loss years after rehabilitation.
• PTOTRCT2023Cerebral Theta-Burst Stimulation Combined with Physiotherapy in Patients with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicineNine weeks of cerebral theta-burst stimulation added to standard physiotherapy improved lower limb muscle strength, walking speed, stride length, and daily living ability in 38 patients with incomplete spinal cord injury more than sham stimulation.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2023Early Opportunities to Explore Occupational Identity Change: Qualitative Study of Return-To-Work Experiences After Stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStroke survivors described needing early, low-pressure opportunities to practise work skills and talk with employers. They valued services that anticipated their needs and offered continuous support, rather than waiting for them to ask for help.
• PTOTCohort2023Improvement in the Capacity for Activity Versus Improvement in Performance of Activity in Daily Life During Outpatient Rehabilitation.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTIn outpatient neurorehabilitation, 59% of patients improved their clinical test scores but showed no improvement in daily life activity. This gap existed for both stroke and Parkinson disease, and was larger for walking than for upper limb function.
• PTOTPilot2023Robotic locomotor training for spasticity, pain, and quality of life in individuals with chronic SCI: A pilot randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesNeither robotic walking nor conventional activity-based training reduced spasticity. Both groups reported increased pain interference but improved quality of life. This pilot suggests exercise benefits well-being despite pain, but does not prove either method reduces spasticity.
• PTOther2022Safety and Feasibility of 1-Repetition Maximum (1-RM) Testing in Children and Adolescents With Bilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy.Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy AssociationAll 24 children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy completed 1-repetition maximum leg press testing safely, with one mild muscle cramp. Stopping after one failed lift underestimated strength by 19.0%, about 40 pounds, so allow multiple attempts.
• PTOTQualitative2023Implementing functional electrical stimulation clinical practice guidelines to support mobility: A stakeholder consultation.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesClinicians reported that functional electrical stimulation guidelines are often too vague to guide practice. They cited inconsistent access, lack of confidence, and poor post-training support as key barriers. A tiered training model with ongoing peer support was identified as essential for successful implementation.
• PTOTCohort2023Stroke Lesion Volume and Injury to Motor Cortex Output Determines Extent of Contralesional Motor Cortex Reorganization.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn 35 people with subacute stroke, no single corticospinal tract measure was related to contralesional motor cortex reorganization overall. In participants with no measurable motor output, larger stroke volume was linked to more reorganization, and hand function was worse with more damage.
• PTCohort2023Management Of Spastic Equinovarus Foot in Children with Cerebral Palsy: An Evaluation of Anatomical Landmarks for Selective Nerve Blocks of the Tibial Nerve Motor Branches.Journal of rehabilitation medicineUltrasound landmarks for tibial motor branches to calf muscles were mapped in 24 children with cerebral palsy and spastic equinovarus foot. Positions were given as percentages of leg length, not only millimetres, to help target diagnostic nerve blocks.
• PTOTCohort2023Predicting later categories of upper limb activity from earlier clinical assessments following stroke: an exploratory analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationEarly arm strength and function scores best predicted later daily arm use categories in people with stroke. However, models were poor at accurately predicting these categories for new patients, with high error rates suggesting many other factors are involved.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Literature review of stroke assessment for upper-extremity physical function via EEG, EMG, kinematic, and kinetic measurements and their reliability.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRobotic sensors can measure upper-limb movement more precisely than clinical scales, but they are not yet ready for routine use. Biomechanical data is reliable, while brain and muscle signals lack consistent reliability data for stroke patients.
• PTSLPCohort2023Temporal trends, clinical characteristics, and sociodemographic profile of post-neonatally acquired cerebral palsy in Australia, 1973-2012: A population-based observational study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyPost-neonatal cerebral palsy declined in two Australian states. Cerebrovascular accidents were the most common cause. Among children born 1995 to 2012, 40% required assistive equipment for mobility, 32% were non-verbal, and 50% had active epilepsy.
• PTNarrative Review2022Beyond pain in the brain: A clinician's guide to interpreting the spinal cord's role in the pain experience.Musculoskeletal science & practice
• PTSystematic Review2023Control strategies used in lower limb exoskeletons for gait rehabilitation after brain injury: a systematic review and analysis of clinical effectiveness.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFor stroke, powered exoskeleton gait training reported improvements in walking, balance and endurance, but no controller is clearly best. Evidence was strongest for assistive strategies, and training dose differed across studies.
• PTOTRCT2023Effects of bihemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation on motor recovery in subacute stroke patients: a double-blind, randomized sham-controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding bihemispheric tDCS to task-oriented training helped subacute stroke patients recover upper limb function better than sham. This benefit persisted at three months and appeared even in patients with severe damage to the motor pathways.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Changes in cerebral blood flow before, during, and after forward and backward walking in stroke patients trained using virtual reality walking videos with deliberately induced inaccuracies in walking speed estimations.Journal of physical therapy scienceWatching backward-walking VR videos increased brain activity in the right prefrontal cortex during the video and during subsequent backward walking. Forward walking showed no significant change. This suggests backward walking may engage more cognitive control, but clinical functional gains were not measured.
• PTOTCohort2022Daily-Living Freezing of Gait as Quantified Using Wearables in People With Parkinson Disease: Comparison With Self-Report and Provocation Tests.Physical therapyWearable monitoring of freezing of gait in daily life did not correlate with self-reported scores, but matched off-medication provoking tests. This suggests questionnaires miss real-world frequency, while wearables capture objective data that clinics may not.
• PTOTSLPRCT2022A Novel Balloon Catheter-based Dilation Intervention for Patients with Cricopharyngeus Achalasia After Stroke: A Randomized Study.DysphagiaA novel balloon catheter shortened dilation duration to 9 days versus 14 days for standard catheters. It improved swallowing function scores and reduced pain without increasing complications. Both groups also received routine swallowing training and electrical stimulation.
• PTOther2022The Ziegler Test Is Reliable and Valid for Measuring Freezing of Gait in People With Parkinson Disease.Physical therapyThe Ziegler test total score showed good agreement among physical therapists and excellent agreement when the same raters rescored them later. Scores and duration correlated with percentage of time spent frozen. Use the total score, not individual start, turn, or doorway ratings.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Bimanual movements in children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review of instrumented assessments.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMotion capture tools distinguish children with CP from typically developing peers during bimanual tasks, but their reliability and ability to track therapy change remain unproven. Lab protocols fail to capture real-world movement, limiting their use as standalone clinical measures.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2023Patient experiences receiving rehabilitation care via telehealth: Identifying opportunities for remote care.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPatients at a rehabilitation hospital reported high satisfaction with telehealth, rating visits as easy, safe, and effective. This positive experience was consistent across neurological, pain, and musculoskeletal conditions, including multidisciplinary team visits.
• PTOTCase Report2023Improving functional outcomes and quality of life in an elderly woman with sarcopenia and spinal Tuberculosis: A case report.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAn elderly woman with spinal tuberculosis and sarcopenia improved her independence and quality of life after a three-month multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme. Her ability to perform daily activities increased, but this single case cannot prove the treatment works for others.
• PTOTCohort2023Dystonia in individuals with spastic cerebral palsy and isolated periventricular leukomalacia.Developmental medicine and child neurologyDystonia was found on expert video review in 50 of 85 ambulatory children and adults with spastic cerebral palsy and isolated periventricular leukomalacia. It was more common with higher gross motor impairment, and often affected the fingers or hips.
• PTOTOther2023Mobile Robotic Balance Assistant (MRBA): a gait assistive and fall intervention robot for daily living.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA prototype robot slowed walking speed and step length in users but detected 94% of simulated falls in healthy adults with no false alarms. It has not been tested on patients with balance impairments, so its real-world safety and effectiveness remain unknown.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Urgent computed tomography angiography in paediatric stroke.Developmental medicine and child neurologyUrgent CT angiography quickly identified large vessel strokes, enabling timely endovascular therapy. Children with atypical symptoms like seizures or vomiting were diagnosed much slower, missing treatment windows. CT angiography is a useful first step when MRI is not immediately available.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Prioritizing risk factors and identifying target areas to address with interventions to improve sustainable employment of persons with a brain injury or a spinal cord injury - A multi-stakeholder consensus process.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStakeholders prioritized a lifelong contact person for work issues as the top intervention for brain and spinal cord injuries, with 73% agreement. However, they rated the feasibility of implementing this and other proposed changes very low.
• PTOTQualitative2023Development of a tailored intervention targeting sedentary behavior and physical activity in people with stroke and diabetes: A qualitative study using a co-creation framework.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStroke survivors with diabetes rejected generic home exercises as overwhelming. They wanted movement woven into daily tasks, not added on top. Fatigue was the main barrier to activity. They asked for early, tailored plans that respect their energy limits and help them stay independent.
• PTOTCase Report2023Practical approaches of PULSE Racing in training their athlete for the Cybathlon Global Edition Functional Electrical Stimulation bike race: a case report.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFor one spinal cord injury athlete, a year-long plan mixing FES cycling with strength work and rest weeks led to a gold medal. Skin irritation and illness forced constant adjustments, showing that flexible monitoring is more critical than sticking to a rigid schedule.
• PTOther2023Virtual reality-based interventions for the rehabilitation of vestibular and balance impairments post-concussion: a scoping review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAcross ten studies, every balance, gait and function measure improved after virtual reality therapy for post-concussion dizziness and balance problems. The evidence was mostly low or very low quality, so this does not prove virtual reality is better than usual therapy.
• PTCohort2023Lower-extremity constraint-induced movement therapy improved motor function, mobility, and walking after stroke.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineAfter stroke, intensive lower-extremity constraint-induced movement therapy and subsequent home programs were followed by gains in leg motor function, Timed Up and Go, and walking speed and distance, still present at 3 months.
• PTOTPilot2023Telerehabilitation Initiated Early in Post-Stroke Recovery: A Feasibility Study.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairEarly telerehabilitation added to usual post-stroke care was feasible: 16 patients completed the 6-week program, with 100% session compliance. Arm scores improved, but no control group means natural recovery cannot be ruled out.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Needs of an uninsured equity-deserving minority patient cohort with physical disabilities during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesUninsured patients with physical disabilities reported unmet medical needs, broken equipment, and isolation most frequently. Rent and job worries peaked early in the pandemic, while equipment problems persisted longer. These findings highlight gaps in care for vulnerable populations during crises.