Latest Rehabilitation research

Top 10 this week

Week of 20 September 2026

1. 1

   Effect of Sequential Electroacupuncture Combined With Augmented Reality Gait Training on Walking Function and Neuromuscular Control in Subacute Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial

   American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 14 September 2026

   EA + AR improves gait speed post‑stroke

2. 2

   Enhancing poststroke cognitive recovery with Mindlenses, a combined prism adaptation and serious game device: a randomized controlled trial

   Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicine · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 18 September 2026

   RCT of prism adaptation + serious games for post‑stroke cognition

3. 3

   Effects of High-Intensity Laser Therapy on Functional Outcomes and Spasticity-Related Pain in Subacute and Chronic Stroke Patients with Plantar Flexor Spasticity: A Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial

   American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 14 September 2026

   In a small sham-controlled trial of 22 subacute or chronic stroke survivors, three weeks of high-intensity laser therapy alongside standard rehab lowered pain scores dramatically and produced a modest, statistically adjusted gait-speed gain of about 0.09 m/s at six weeks. Range of motion, quality of life, spasticity tone and muscle size were unchanged, and the clinical relevance of the speed increase remains uncertain, warranting larger confirmatory studies.

4. 4

   Longitudinal Multimodal Brain Mapping and Post-Stroke Neuroplasticity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Combined Neuroimaging and Molecular Biomarker Evidence

   Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 18 September 2026

   Systematic review/meta-analysis of post‑stroke neuroplasticity and acupuncture

5. 5

   The big picture of poststroke aphasia, neglect, and cognitive impairment trials: an overview of 3 systematic reviews

   Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicine · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 18 September 2026

   Overview of post‑stroke aphasia, neglect, cognitive trials

6. 6

   The impact of prehabilitation on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

   Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 14 September 2026

   High-quality evidence in a top journal

7. 7

   Short-term home-based multimodal prehabilitation for perioperative functional recovery in prefrail and frail older men undergoing radical prostatectomy: a randomized controlled trial

   BMC geriatrics · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 24 July 2026

   High-quality evidence in a top journal

8. 8

   Effectiveness of virtual reality-based balance training in primary school children: a randomized controlled trial

   BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 18 August 2026

   High-quality evidence in a top journal

9. 9

   Integration of early palliative care in cancer treatment: a meta-analysis of 39 randomized controlled trials on clinical outcomes and management optimization

   Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 19 September 2026

   A meta-analysis of 39 randomized trials involving 8,400 cancer patients found that integrating palliative care within 12 weeks of diagnosis improves quality of life by a modest but consistent margin and is associated with a roughly 16% lower risk of death. The survival signal is exploratory and data from low- and middle-income settings remain limited, so broader applicability needs further study.

10. 10

    Drawing and visual art interventions for anxiety in children aged 5-12: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

    BMJ paediatrics open · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 16 September 2026

    A meta-analysis of eight randomized trials (816 children) found that drawing- and visual-art activities dramatically lowered short-term anxiety in medical or procedure settings, with an effect size near -2.7 standard deviations. However, results were highly variable and only apply to acute clinical contexts, so the benefit cannot yet be assumed in schools or other settings.

Paper of the day, last two weeks

• Recovery Trajectories of Lower Limb Motor Function After Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: A Latent Class Mixed Model Analysis

  Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation · Q1 journal · Retrospective cohort · Evidence level 3 (Low) · 20 September 2026

  In a Japanese cohort of 516 patients, latent class modeling revealed five separate trajectories of lower-extremity motor score over the first year, ranging from early high recovery to slow sustained gains. Admission motor score, age, injury severity and bony injury predicted class membership, suggesting trajectory-based prognostication could refine patient counseling, though external validation is needed.

• Efficacy of a soft robotic exoskeleton for upper-limb rehabilitation in subacute stroke inpatient rehabilitation: a randomised controlled trial

  Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 10 September 2026

  Soft robotic glove adjunct shows distal FMA‑UE benefit in stroke

• Walking with treadmill lateral oscillation facilitates paretic limb loading in individuals post-stroke

  Journal of biomechanics · Q1 journal · Unclassified · Evidence level 5 (Expert Opinion) · 10 September 2026

  Low-intensity treadmill oscillation enhances paretic limb loading

• The effect of multimodal sensory therapy in consciousness improvement in patients with acquired brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis

  Disability and rehabilitation · Q1 journal · SR of cohorts · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 15 September 2026

  MST improves consciousness levels and coma emergence in ABI

• Fall-prevention education after achieving independent walking is associated with reduced subsequent fall risk in patients with stroke: a retrospective pre-post intervention study

  Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation · Q1 journal · Unclassified · Evidence level 5 (Expert Opinion) · 12 September 2026

  Fall‑prevention education lowers post‑stroke fall risk

• Spared Motor Neurons Enable Control of a Robotic Sixth Finger for Functional Grasping in Tetraplegia

  IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society · Q1 journal · Unclassified · Evidence level 5 (Expert Opinion) · 8 September 2026

  Robotic sixth finger enables functional grasping in tetraplegia

• Spared Motor Neurons Enable Control of a Robotic Sixth Finger for Functional Grasping in Tetraplegia

  IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society · Q1 journal · Unclassified · Evidence level 5 (Expert Opinion) · 8 September 2026

  Robotic sixth finger enables functional grasping in tetraplegia

• Multidimensional immunometabolic changes and energy expenditure during intensive neurorestorative rehabilitation in chronic motor-complete thoracolumbar spinal cord injury: a quasi-experimental study

  Spinal cord · Q1 journal · Non-randomized trial · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 9 September 2026

  Intensive neurorestorative rehab in chronic SCI

• Sarcopenia, Nutritional Status, and the Association Between Rehabilitation Dose and Functional Efficiency After Inpatient Rehabilitation for First-Ever Ischemic Stroke

  American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation · Q1 journal · Retrospective cohort · Evidence level 3 (Low) · 7 September 2026

  In 1,036 first-ever ischemic stroke patients, each additional 30 minutes of inpatient rehab per day increased functional efficiency, while having sarcopenia decreased efficiency by roughly the same amount. Better nutritional status also modestly improved efficiency, and the benefit of therapy was blunted in sarcopenic patients, highlighting the need to address muscle loss during stroke recovery.

• Sarcopenia, Nutritional Status, and the Association Between Rehabilitation Dose and Functional Efficiency After Inpatient Rehabilitation for First-Ever Ischemic Stroke

  American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation · Q1 journal · Retrospective cohort · Evidence level 3 (Low) · 7 September 2026

  In 1,036 first-ever ischemic stroke patients, each additional 30 minutes of inpatient rehab per day increased functional efficiency, while having sarcopenia decreased efficiency by roughly the same amount. Better nutritional status also modestly improved efficiency, and the benefit of therapy was blunted in sarcopenic patients, highlighting the need to address muscle loss during stroke recovery.

Evidence summaries in Rehabilitation

• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain
• Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation