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 57 OF 78 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTRCT2025Cost consequences analysis of early vocational rehabilitation compared with usual care for stroke survivors.Clinical rehabilitationEarly specialist vocational rehabilitation cost more than usual care but produced only a tiny, non-significant gain in quality-adjusted life years. The study's conclusion is highly uncertain because 85% of cost data was missing. Do not assume this proves the intervention is poor value.
• PTOTCohort2025Coaching stroke survivors to persevere with practice: An observational behavioural mapping study.Clinical rehabilitationTherapists frequently used coaching strategies like monitoring practice quality and providing feedback, but rarely set collaborative long-term goals or prescribed independent home exercises. This structured, therapist-led approach may increase dependence and leave survivors unprepared for the transition to home-based rehabilitation.
• PTOther2024Baby Observational Selective Control AppRaisal (BabyOSCAR): Convergent and discriminant validity and reliability in infants with and without spastic cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyA 1-minute video of spontaneous movements scored by BabyOSCAR was related to later spastic CP diagnosis and gross motor level. It also showed higher asymmetry in unilateral CP. Arm scoring was less consistent than leg scoring.
• 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.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Barriers for work in people with multiple sclerosis: a Norwegian cultural adaptation and validation of the short version of the multiple sclerosis work difficulties questionnaire.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThe Norwegian version of the MSWDQ-23 reliably measures work difficulties in people with multiple sclerosis. It distinguishes those who worked recently from those who did not, and separates relapsing-remitting from progressive MS based on physical barriers. Use it to identify specific employment obstacles during routine follow-up.
• PTOTOther2024Baby Observational Selective Control AppRaisal (BabyOSCAR): Construct validity and test performance.Developmental medicine and child neurologyThe BabyOSCAR test reliably measures spontaneous movement in infants, but arm and leg scores reflect separate abilities. Clinicians should use the total raw score for quick screening and prediction, while keeping arm and leg subscales distinct for detailed analysis or research.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Pharmacological and neurosurgical management of cerebral palsy and dystonia: Clinical practice guideline update.Developmental medicine and child neurologyFor dystonia in cerebral palsy, the guideline suggests considering oral/enteral baclofen, clonidine, gabapentin, botulinum toxin, intrathecal baclofen, or deep brain stimulation only after discussing benefits and harms with the family; it suggests against routine trihexyphenidyl and benzodiazepines, and against levodopa or medical cannabis.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Fatigue among children and adolescents with acquired brain injury in a specialized neurorehabilitation setting.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesFatigue improved during intensive neurorehabilitation, but only self-reported changes in general and sleep fatigue were significant. Parents consistently rated their child's fatigue as more severe than the children did, particularly regarding cognitive difficulties.
• PTOTOther2024A co-design process to develop personalized mobility programming for individuals with mobility impairments.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with neurological mobility impairments and clinicians co-designed four mobility programs. The paper reports design, not evidence that they help.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Motivation in veterans with an acute/subacute ischemic stroke did not improve cognition and functional motor recovery but reduced deaths.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineVeterans with higher motivation showed no better motor or cognitive recovery than those with lower motivation. However, the less motivated group had significantly more deaths. Do not assume low motivation predicts poor functional gains, but consider it a potential mortality risk marker.
• PTOTOther2024Design and control of a low-cost non-backdrivable end-effector upper limb rehabilitation device.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA low-cost upper limb robot moved its handle within 0.012 mm of set paths in tests on one healthy engineer. It offers passive, active and game modes, but no stroke patients were treated.
• PTOTOther2024Evaluating inter- and intra-rater reliability in assessing upper limb compensatory movements post-stroke: creating a ground truth through video analysis?Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationExperienced therapists agreed moderately well when rating specific arm movements in stroke videos, but disagreed heavily on overall smoothness and coordination. These wide gaps mean therapist video ratings alone are not yet reliable enough to train automated assessment tools.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2024Defining paediatric neurorehabilitation: You cannot improve what you cannot characterize.Developmental medicine and child neurologyCurrent labels like 'occupational therapy' or 'Bobath' hide what actually happens in the room. To see if a treatment works, therapists must specify the active ingredients and how they are delivered, rather than relying on vague job titles or session counts.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2024Stroke and liminality: narratives of reconfiguring identity after stroke and their implications for person-centred stroke care.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStroke survivors described an identity crisis where they felt trapped between their old and new selves. This liminal state often persisted indefinitely, driven by stigma, loss of autonomy, and a sense of powerlessness in healthcare. Professional psychological support was key to moving past this uncertainty.
• PTOTRCT2024Encouraging arm use in stroke survivors: the impact of smart reminders during a home-based intervention.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationSmart reminders increased objective arm activity counts in stroke survivors but did not improve patient-reported use or clinical function scores compared to controls. The functional gains were small and below clinically meaningful thresholds, with high data loss limiting certainty.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Employment Outcomes Among Clients With Stroke Utilizing Public Vocational Rehabilitation Services in the United States.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationStroke survivors using vocational rehab had a 36.4% competitive employment rate. Short-term job supports, placement help, and rehab tech linked to better outcomes. Job search assistance and assessments linked to worse outcomes. Disability benefits and longer service duration also linked to lower employment rates.
• PTOTRCT2025Overground robotic exoskeleton vs conventional therapy in inpatient stroke rehabilitation: results from a pragmatic, multicentre implementation programme.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationOverground robotic exoskeletons allowed stroke patients to walk significantly further during therapy than conventional physiotherapy. However, functional gains were similar between groups overall. Only patients with moderate baseline impairment showed better motor function scores with the robot, though this finding requires cautious interpretation due to study limitations.
• PTOTOther2024Predicting upper limb motor recovery in subacute stroke patients via fNIRS-measured cerebral functional responses induced by robotic training.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationBrain activity measured during the first session of robotic arm training predicted short-term motor recovery better than resting scans. Combining these brain measures with basic clinical data improved accuracy, suggesting task-induced neural responses offer early prognostic insight for subacute stroke patients.
• PTOther2024Enhanced gait tracking measures for individuals with stroke using leg-worn inertial sensors.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn inpatient stroke rehabilitation, leg sensors with an enhanced algorithm found more foot-off and foot-contact events than the older algorithm, especially during slow or uneven walking. It still timed swing phases poorly, so clinicians should not rely on all gait measures from it.
• PTOTOther2024Proportional myoelectric control of a virtual bionic arm in participants with hemiparesis, muscle spasticity, and impaired range of motion.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTen stroke survivors with hemiparesis, including four with severe spasticity, controlled a virtual hand by muscle activity. Grasp control was similar to healthy controls; paretic extension was less accurate. This does not show a physical device helps daily tasks.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2024Cognitive-motor dual-task training on gait and balance in stroke patients: meta-analytic report and trial sequential analysis of randomized clinical trials.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding cognitive tasks to stroke gait or balance rehab did not clearly improve Time Up and Go or walking speed. Berg Balance Scale scores may rise, but the evidence is too small to confirm it.
• PTCase Series2025Whole genome sequencing for copy number variant detection to improve diagnosis and management of rare diseases.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn three cases, whole genome sequencing resolved uncertain or missed genetic diagnoses after standard tests failed. It does not show sequencing changes therapy, but it clarified cause and prognosis for these families.
• 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.
• PTOTCohort2024Development of a quantitative assessment for abnormal flexor synergy index in patients with stroke: a validity and responsiveness study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new markerless motion capture index tracks abnormal elbow flexion during shoulder lifting. It correlates with standard impairment scores and detects small functional gains after therapy. The test takes seconds, offering a quick quantitative measure for stroke rehabilitation.
• 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.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Screening and outcomes of co-occurring traumatic brain injury among people with spinal cord injury: a scoping review.Journal of rehabilitation medicineCo-occurring brain injury is frequently missed in spinal cord injury patients due to poor documentation. Mild injuries are hardest to detect. Outcomes are mixed, but moderate to severe cases often face longer stays and lower independence. Rely on multiple markers, not just one test.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Satisfaction, effectiveness, and usability of telerehabilitation for Parkinson's disease patients.Journal of rehabilitation medicineParkinson's patients rated telerehabilitation highly for convenience and emotional support, yet their overall quality of life significantly worsened over 6 months. Only 19 of 56 reported improved quality of life. The programme helped maintain exercise routines but did not stop symptom progression.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Development of a new social prescribing intervention for families of children with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyFamilies reported many unmet social needs, especially benefits, National Disability Insurance Scheme and transport. Parents and clinicians co-designed screening, resource packs and a community linker role, but this paper does not show the programme improves outcomes.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Ethnicity and health-related quality of life in the post stroke population: a systematic review.Journal of rehabilitation medicineEight of 11 stroke studies found better quality of life in majority ethnic groups; 2 found better outcomes in minority groups, and 1 found no difference. Asians scored better in two studies. Where measured, differences were small or moderate.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy versus health education for sleep disturbance and fatigue following stroke and traumatic brain injury.Journal of rehabilitation medicineCognitive behavioral therapy improved sleep quality more than health education immediately after treatment. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups at 2 or 4 months follow-up. Both groups showed similar long-term gains, suggesting health education may be sufficient for sustained improvement.
• PTRCT2025Efficacy of brain-computer interface training with motor imagery-contingent feedback in improving upper limb function and neuroplasticity among persons with chronic stroke: a double-blinded, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn chronic stroke, contingent-feedback BCI with electrical stimulation and virtual hand feedback plus conventional therapy improved wrist extensor strength more than independent-feedback BCI with electrical stimulation and virtual hand feedback plus conventional therapy, but wrist extension range did not differ significantly between groups.
• PTOTSurvey2025Self-reported physical activity more than 1 year after stroke and its determinants in relation to the WHO recommendations.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationTwo-thirds of stroke survivors reported physical activity levels below WHO recommendations over a year after onset. Those needing home help, using mobility devices, living alone, or who were older were significantly less active. Stroke type and time since onset did not predict activity levels.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Exploring the role of the rock climbing Treadwall as a novel therapy tool in physical rehabilitation.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationNine children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy used a rotating climbing wall for 10 minutes daily. They climbed significantly farther and faster after three weeks. Upper limb function scores improved. The study confirms feasibility and safety but cannot prove the wall caused the gains.
• PTOTOther2025Development of the Italian version of the Motricity Index and evaluation of its reliability in adults with stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineThe Italian Motricity Index reliably measures motor impairment on the more affected side after stroke, but shows poor agreement between therapists on the less affected side. Expect measurement error of 9-25% on the affected side, so small score changes are not true improvements.
• PTCohort2025Increasing prevalence of cerebral palsy in children born very preterm in Denmark.Developmental medicine and child neurologyCP prevalence among Danish children born very preterm increased by 3.5% annually from 2003 to 47.8 per 1000 live births in 2013, while neonatal mortality fell. This is a population trend, not evidence that therapy changes CP risk.
• PTOTCohort2025Characteristics of subacute stroke patients who achieve earlier independence in real-life walking performance during hospitalization.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAfter subacute stroke, younger age, higher cognition, and better walking ability on admission predicted earlier independence in real ward walking; low daily-living ability or no walking ability predicted slower achievement.
• PTOTCohort2025Enhancing safety monitoring in post-stroke rehabilitation through wearable technologies.Clinical rehabilitationStroke survivors took much longer to complete the Timed Up and Go test, but their movements appeared smoother than healthy controls. This suggests they consciously trade speed for stability. Wearable sensors detected this cautious strategy, potentially offering a way to monitor fall risk in real time.
• PTCase-Control2025The trunk segmental motion complexity and balance performance in challenging seated perturbation among individuals with spinal cord injury.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationPeople with thoracic spinal cord injury showed less variable trunk movement, more variable balance recovery, and greater reliance on their arms during wheelchair perturbations, especially backward. This describes their control strategy, not evidence a treatment works.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025Return to sports after pediatric traumatic brain injury: An expert panel survey.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationExpert opinions on when children with serious brain injuries can return to sports vary widely. Risk of the activity mattered more than injury severity for most scenarios. For severe injuries and high-contact sports, many experts recommended waiting months or never returning, highlighting the need for individualized decision-making.
• PTCase-Control2025Correlating autonomic physiology with symptoms of autonomic dysreflexia after spinal cord injury.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationHeart-rate slowing and blood-pressure response did not track with reported autonomic dysreflexia symptoms in people with SCI, even though those measures differed from controls.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms in stroke survivors: a cross-sectional study of 1,140 individuals.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStroke survivors who did more than 75 minutes of vigorous or 150 minutes of moderate activity per week had lower odds of depressive symptoms. However, exceeding 300 minutes of moderate activity weekly removed this benefit. The study cannot prove exercise prevented the depression.
• PTNarrative Review2025Mechanisms of Post-stroke Stiff-Knee Gait: A Narrative Review.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationPost-stroke stiff-knee gait is not simply quadriceps spasticity. Possible mechanisms include reflexes, abnormal tone, poor coordination, and weak push-off, and current definitions and tests are imprecise.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2025Genetic investigations in cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyA genetic cause is found in many children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, especially those with normal MRI scans or worsening symptoms. Therapists should flag these signs for medical review. A genetic diagnosis does not rule out the cerebral palsy label or its management.
• PTPilot2024The Effect of Sensory Reweighting on Postural Control and Cortical Activity in Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Study.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationPeople with Parkinson's disease standing on foam in a dark VR scene swayed more side to side than controls. Their brain-wave measures were higher when relying on vision or touch. This pilot tested 10 people with Parkinson's disease and 11 controls.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Cognitive Training Using Virtual Reality: An Assessment of Usability and Adverse Effects.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationTen stroke survivors and twenty clinicians tried a new VR cognitive training program. Both groups reported only moderate usability and mild-to-moderate motion sickness. No differences in comfort or ease of use were found between experienced and novice users.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Major structural congenital anomalies and causal pathways in people with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyMajor congenital anomalies are present in nearly a quarter of people with cerebral palsy, and most of these anomalies are directly involved in causing the condition. This suggests clinicians should actively look for structural anomalies when assessing aetiology.
• PTOTSLPPilot2025Multiparametric MRI Assessment of Morpho-Functional Muscle Changes Following a 6-Month FES-Cycling Training Program: Pilot Study in People With a Complete Spinal Cord Injury.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesFour men with complete spinal cord injury who cycled with electrical stimulation for six months showed increased thigh muscle volume and reduced fat infiltration on MRI. These changes reversed slightly after stopping. No control group was used, so this is a feasibility check, not proof of efficacy.
• PTOTSurvey2024Nonresponse Bias on Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals' Experience of Care Quality Measure Scores.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationRoutine inpatient rehabilitation experience surveys underrepresented patients with lower cognition, stroke or brain injury, and proxy answers differed from patient answers. These scores may not represent all patients.
• PTOTOther2024Robotic Rigor: Validity of the Kinarm End-Point Robot Visually Guided Reaching Test in Multiple Sclerosis.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationRobotic movement planning metrics correlated moderately with standard dexterity tests, and reaction time distinguished those reporting hand problems. Movement correction metrics showed no significant relationship with either clinical measure, suggesting they may assess distinct aspects of motor function.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Association of Rate of Functional Recovery With Therapy Time and Content Among Adults With Acquired Brain Injuries in Inpatient Rehabilitation.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationMore OT ADL/IADL training linked to faster daily self-care gains, but more PT bed mobility training linked to slower daily mobility recovery. These observational findings suggest a mismatch between billed therapy time and functional progress rates, not proof that PT bed mobility training harms recovery.