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 66 OF 78 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTOther2025Smart Device-Based Therapy on Hand Motor Function Improvement in Stroke Survivors During Rehabilitation: Scoping Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesMost studies showed hand function improvements with smart device therapy, but the evidence is too mixed to say it works better than standard care. Home-based tech is feasible, yet results varied widely by device and study quality.
• PTOTSLPPilot2025Investigating dose-response patterns in virtual reality rehabilitation: a pilot study of patient satisfaction in subacute stroke.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesNo significant relationship was found between virtual reality dosage and patient satisfaction in 19 subacute stroke patients. The study was underpowered and heavily confounded by hospital length of stay, meaning VR exposure reflected stroke severity rather than a controlled treatment parameter.
• PTOTOther2025Responses and reliability of candidate intensity measures to different mental and motor load levels of an upper limb exergame in children and adolescents with neurological diagnoses.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesChildren with neurological diagnoses reported higher effort and performed fewer movements as exergame difficulty increased. Heart rate variability also dropped during harder motor tasks. However, these measures were not reliable when repeated on separate days, so they cannot yet track therapy intensity in practice.
• PTOTQualitative2025Perceptions of occupational therapists and physiotherapists of early intervention therapy services for infants with or at risk of cerebral palsy: A qualitative interview study.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineTherapists report that fragmented communication between hospital and municipality services forces parents to carry medical records back and forth. This burden delays care and creates conflicting advice, while a focus on gross motor skills often causes therapists to miss the early window for hand function intervention.
• PTSLPSystematic Review2026Group rehabilitation for adults with acquired neurological disorders: A systematic review of mono- and interdisciplinary interventions in physical and speech-language therapy.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationGroup therapy works for aphasia, especially intensive approaches, but shows no clear advantage over individual therapy for stroke mobility. No studies tested true integrated PT/SLT care, leaving a major gap in evidence for combined treatment.
• PTOTRCT2025Transcranial magnetic stimulation regulates brain functional network dynamics in stroke patients: a randomised controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding 1Hz rTMS to standard rehab improved upper limb movement and daily self-care more than rehab alone. Brain scans showed increased network flexibility in sensory and cognitive areas, which correlated with better arm recovery and predicted treatment success.
• PTOTOther2025Innovative stimulated muscle contraction signals based digital muscle marker: a reliable tool for assessing muscle in persons with stroke.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA wearable device that stimulates muscles and reads their response tracked muscle mass and strength in stroke survivors reliably, even on the weak side. It requires no voluntary effort, offering a way to assess muscle wasting in patients who cannot cooperate with standard strength tests.
• PTOTOther2025Reliability of upper limb kinematic variables: adults with unilateral cerebral palsy performing a standardized drinking task.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn adults with spastic unilateral CP, a motion-capture drinking task gave repeatable upper limb movement results over consecutive days. Small day-to-day differences were usually measurement noise; changes above the reported change thresholds likely reflect real movement differences.
• PTOTCohort2025Clinical assessments and gait characteristics by subtype classification using temporal and kinematic symmetry indices during gait in patients with chronic stroke.Journal of rehabilitation medicineStroke survivors who walk independently split into four distinct gait subtypes based on symmetry. Those with severe motor impairment had the lowest walking speed and most asymmetry. However, patients with similar moderate impairment and speed showed different underlying movement problems, meaning one subtype needs different rehab than another.
• PTOther2025The role of surface EMG in predicting responsiveness of muscles to FES therapy after cervical SCI.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationBaseline surface EMG predicted which upper limb muscles would strengthen during FES after cervical SCI better than clinical scores. The best model caught many non-responders but missed many true responders, so it is not ready for routine use.
• PTOther2025Does body weight support improve neural and biomechanical measures during treadmill gait in children with unilateral cerebral palsy?Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPartial body weight support improved gait kinematics in high-functioning children with cerebral palsy but did not change muscle synergy patterns. Benefits peaked at 20% support and reversed at 40%. The study was observational, not a training trial.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Rehabilitation needs and healthcare utilization of adults with cerebral palsy: A mixed methods study.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineAdults with cerebral palsy still seen in pediatric rehabilitation had shifting equipment, therapy, and specialist needs, but only 21 of 280 had documented transition efforts.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025ICF-based functioning profiles in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: Evidence from a population-based study in Argentina.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineChildren with severe motor impairments rated technology as a major facilitator, while those with milder issues saw it as neutral. Immediate family supported all levels, but health services and societal attitudes only helped the milder group.
• PTOTCohort2025Exploring exercise intolerance in adult patients with persistent post-concussion symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn adults with persistent concussion symptoms, 81% had exercise intolerance confirmed by treadmill testing. Higher overall symptom burden predicted this intolerance. Within those intolerant, higher resting heart rate allowed more exercise, while higher anxiety lowered the threshold for symptoms.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Health Literacy and Access to Care among Patients with and Without Traumatic Brain Injury: An All of Us Analysis.NeuroRehabilitationPatients with a history of traumatic brain injury are significantly more likely to report difficulty understanding health information, needing help with medical forms, and delaying care due to cost or transportation compared to matched controls.
• PTOTSurvey2025Shoulder problems after spinal cord injury. Part one: self-assessment by questionnaires.Journal of rehabilitation medicine54 of 100 people with spinal cord injury reported shoulder pain after injury, and 34 reported pain in the last week. Pain was common across injury levels and among wheelchair users and ambulatory people.
• PTMeta-Analysis2026High-intensity interval training after stroke: A mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis of safety, feasibility and acceptability.Clinical rehabilitationHIIT after stroke showed no difference in adverse events or dropouts versus control, with 94.4% attendance. It was considered safe and feasible only for carefully screened chronic stroke survivors under supervision.
• PTPilot2025Using MediaPipe to track upper-limb reaching movements after stroke: a proof-of-principle study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn seven people after stroke, single-camera MediaPipe tracked reaching videos and showed faster palm movements by day five. Palm movement consistency decreased, and shoulder/trunk patterns differed, so speed alone did not reveal whether movement was recovered or compensated.
• PTOTCohort2025Neuromuscular adaptations in soleus and tibialis anterior muscles in persons with spinal cord injury.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHigh-functioning individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury required significantly higher muscle electrical activity to match the force of controls. This suggests they recruit larger or more motor units to compensate for lower firing rates. No differences were found in motor unit synchronization or force variability.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Effect of exercise-based interventions on stroke rehabilitation: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationExercise improves balance, strength, and walking after stroke, but the best type depends on how long it has been since the event. Trunk exercises help most in the subacute phase, while aerobic training aids chronic recovery. Most evidence is moderate quality, so tailor prescriptions carefully.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2025The impact of non-invasive brain-computer interface technology on the therapeutic effect of patients with spinal cord injury: a summary of evidence based on meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationNon-invasive brain-computer interfaces showed positive pooled effects on motor function, sensory function and daily living in spinal cord injury. But with 109 participants in 9 small studies, mostly self-controlled, the authors call this a research hypothesis, not a basis for clinical practice.
• PTOTRCT2025Effect of upper-limb robot-assisted therapy combined with pneumatic gloves on upper limb function in young and middle-aged stroke patients: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationYoung and middle-aged stroke patients using robot-assisted therapy with pneumatic gloves showed greater upper limb movement and daily function gains than those in conventional occupational therapy. Both groups improved, but the robot-glove group scored higher on motor and activity tests after four weeks.
• PTOTCohort2025Association of Hallucinogen Use With Psychosocial Outcomes: Secondary Analysis of the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database.Topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitationHallucinogen use was rare and linked to higher depression scores but not quality of life. Users were more likely to be younger, male, and report falls or sleep disturbances. This observational data cannot prove hallucinogens cause or relieve these symptoms.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations: Rehabilitation, Recovery and Community Participation Following Stroke. Part One: Stroke Rehabilitation Planning for Optimal Care Delivery, 7th Edition Update 2025.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationStroke unit care reduces poor outcomes. Early mobilization within 24 hours increased mortality and reduced favorable outcomes in the AVERT trial. Virtual rehab is effective for motor, cognitive, and speech goals. Multidisciplinary discharge planning improves transitions but mixed evidence exists on specific clinical outcomes.
• PTOTOther2026Standardisation in acute stroke research: A scoping review of upper limb assessments against Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Roundtable (SRRR) benchmarks.Clinical rehabilitationAcute stroke upper limb research mostly used impairment tests like FMA-UE and NIHSS, not activity or movement-quality measures. Follow-up timing and imaging use were inconsistent with standard stroke recovery guidelines.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations Rehabilitation, Recovery, and Community Participation Following Stroke, Part Three: Optimizing Activity and Community Participation Following Stroke , 7th Edition Update, 2025.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationStroke survivors need coordinated care for mood, fatigue, cognition, driving, work, leisure and community roles. Guidelines recommend information, support and services after discharge.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Factors influencing activity performance and participation in usual life situations among people with Parkinson's disease: a mixed methods study.Disability and rehabilitationBoth motor and non-motor issues like apathy limit daily activities. People with Parkinson's stay active by adapting tasks or environments, such as using mobility aids or scheduling around symptoms.
• PTSystematic Review2025Configuration design of ankle rehabilitation robots: a systematic review and future prospects.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAnkle rehabilitation robot designs are still mainly engineering configurations, not proven patient treatments. Clinical checks are small, often healthy people, and some designs need therapist alignment.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Psychological Health of Female Service Members and Veterans Associated With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury History: A LIMBIC-CENC Study.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationFemale service members and veterans with a history of mild traumatic brain injury reported significantly worse PTSD, depression, and neurobehavioral symptoms than those without. Combat-related injuries were linked to poorer outcomes, but injury count and blast exposure alone were not.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Bilateral intermittent theta-burst stimulation as a priming strategy to enhance action observation and imitation training in early parkinson's disease: a proof-of-concept study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding brain stimulation before Tai Chi training improved dual-task walking and memory in 15 people with early Parkinson's. Standard training alone improved balance and immediate recall, but did not significantly help complex walking or delayed memory.
• PTOTCohort2025Brain Oscillatory Modes as a Proxy of Stroke Recovery.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn stroke patients, a specific brain signal pattern decreased over time. This decrease was linked to better hand movement recovery in those who improved most. The signal may serve as a biological marker for how well a patient is recovering.
• PTOTCohort2025Linking behavioral variability to daily function in stroke survivors: the mediating role of cognitive and motor mechanisms.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke survivors showed more inconsistent performance on simple reaction and movement tasks than matched older adults. In stroke survivors, inconsistency was linked to poorer daily living tasks, and executive control, not muscle strength, helped account for that link. No treatment was tested.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Factors Related to Depression Symptoms in Chronic Poststroke Aphasia.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn chronic left-hemisphere stroke survivors, depression symptoms tracked with self-reported communication and cognitive disability, low social participation, and poor perceived recovery. Physical impairment and clinician-scored language severity were unrelated. Screen for mood when patients report daily life struggles.
• PTOTPilot2025Clinical usability and functional outcomes of a lightweight robotic orthosis (HKAFO) in chronic stroke patients with hemiplegic gait: a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationChronic stroke patients walked faster and balanced better after training with a lightweight robotic orthosis, but gains appeared mostly while wearing the device. Unassisted endurance changed little. Participants found the device heavy and difficult to put on, preferring their usual walking aids.
• PTOTOther2025Fatigue influences embodiment perception and motor performance in multiple sclerosis subjects: a cross-sectional immersive virtual reality study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationFatigued MS patients moved their hands slower and felt less ownership of the virtual body than non-fatigued ones, despite similar disease severity. VR training was highly enjoyable and safe for all, but MS itself did not worsen performance compared to healthy controls.
• PTQualitative2025Exploring Impacts of Integrating a Rehabilitation Dog into Physiotherapy from the Perspectives of Children with Cerebral Palsy and Their Caregivers.NeuroRehabilitationChildren with cerebral palsy and caregivers reported that a rehabilitation dog in physiotherapy provided physical steadiness, emotional safety and enjoyment. They said the bond made sessions feel more personal and encouraged trying walking tasks.
• PTOTOther2025Lateral weight transfer deficits reveal balance vulnerability in early-stage Parkinson's disease during trip-perturbed walking.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHalf the early Parkinson's participants could not recover stability by the third step after a simulated trip, despite passing standard clinical balance tests. Their failure was linked to reduced lateral weight transfer, suggesting balance deficits are task-specific and require perturbation-based assessment.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Impact of single-event multilevel surgery on gait efficiency in children with cerebral palsy: a retrospective study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineChildren with cerebral palsy who had single-event multilevel surgery improved their walking efficiency and overall gait quality. They walked with better knee extension and stronger ankle push-off, though their speed did not increase. These changes were seen in a retrospective study without a true control group.
• PTOTRCT2025Effects of unilateral lower limb exoskeleton robot on gait improvement and brain function in patients with chronic stroke: a randomized clinical trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding two weeks of unilateral exoskeleton walking training to routine rehab improved walking speed and stride length more than routine rehab alone. It did not improve daily independence, and brain activation changes were only within the robot group.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Neuromodulation effects of low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound in human, a systematic review focusing on motor and sensory functions.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationLow-intensity focused ultrasound changed brain excitability in a dose-dependent way. Specific settings suppressed motor activity during stimulation, while others boosted it for 30 minutes after. The effects were on lab measures, not function. No clinical improvement was shown.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2025Noninvasive brain stimulation for upper limb motor activity in children and young adults with cerebral palsy and pediatric stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding brain stimulation to therapy did not improve upper limb movement in children with cerebral palsy or stroke. The combined treatment showed no benefit over standard care alone, so clinicians should not expect these stimulation techniques to enhance motor recovery on their own.
• PTOther2025Tug-vimu: a GoPro-based mobility assessment bridging the gap between technology and clinical practice.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 16 healthy adults, a GoPro chest-camera TUG system detected 98% of gait steps and measured step length and duration reliably at slow and regular speeds. Some turning and sit-to-stand metrics missed predefined error targets.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Mild multiple sclerosis challenges shape work experiences, affect self-concept, and are often trivialized despite disclosure.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPeople with mild multiple sclerosis who had disclosed their diagnosis still hid work struggles. They feared being seen as incompetent or lazy, not just disabled. This silence prevented managers from making adjustments. Clinicians should discuss specific task barriers, not just the diagnosis, to help patients keep their jobs.
• PTOTPilot2025The Soleus H-Reflex as a Biomarker of Post-Injury Spasticity in Spinal Cord Injury: A Conceptual Pilot Study.NeuroRehabilitationEarly spinal reflex measures correlated with existing spasticity and motor strength at admission, but failed to predict new spasticity by discharge. Reduced post-activation depression was associated with spasticity, yet the small sample prevents clinical use.
• PTRCT2025Spatially distributed sequential stimulation applied to the paralyzed quadriceps muscles while performing motor-assisted FES cycling.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationDuring motor-assisted FES cycling, four small electrodes delivering pulses sequentially produced more paralyzed quadriceps power than four electrodes connected as one large electrode. The fatigue measure did not differ, and only four participants were tested.
• PTOTOther2025Corticomuscular coupling study for post-stroke rehabilitation: a scoping review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationScoping 89 studies, brain-muscle coupling drops in stroke patients, especially distally. It correlates with recovery and guides neuromodulation. But small samples, no unified protocols, and technical noise mean it is not yet a clinical tool.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Changes in tibialis anterior muscle activity following tibial nerve block in adults with spastic equinovarus foot: an observational pilot study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineIn adults with spastic foot, a temporary nerve block improved passive ankle movement and reduced muscle tone. Unexpectedly, activity in the front shin muscle also decreased during walking. This likely reflects reduced struggle against stiffness, not weakness, but actual gait changes were not measured.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Effectiveness of myoelectric wearable orthoses for upper extremity functional recovery in spinal cord injury- a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 10 people with chronic cervical spinal cord injury, six weeks of training with a myoelectric arm orthosis improved hand range and grip on the trained arm. Between-group differences on the trained arm were not significant. The only significant group difference was for grip strength in the opposite, untrained hand.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Positive effects of functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling on perception of effort, cerebral blood flow, and cognition in post-stroke patients.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationStroke patients reported significantly lower perceived effort during FES-assisted cycling compared to traditional cycling at the same workload. Cerebral blood flow increased similarly in both conditions, and cognitive benefits were inconsistent, with a potential advantage for FES on one attention task.
• PTOTOther2026The Differential Effects of Fast Walking Speed on Muscle Coactivation in the Paretic and Non-Paretic Extremities Post-Stroke.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairFast walking acutely reduced muscle coactivation in the paretic leg, while slow walking increased it. This suggests fast speeds may help restore selective motor control, whereas slow speeds might reinforce stiff, maladaptive patterns.