Rehabilitation research focused on neurorehabilitation.

Glen Gillen, EdD, OTR, FAOTA, is Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy, Programs in Occupational Therapy, Columbia University, 710 West 168th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10032; [email protected] The American Occupational Therapy Association’s (AOTA’s) Centennial Vision states, “We envision that occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven, and evidence-based profession with a globally connected and diverse workforce meeting society’s occupational needs” (AOTA, 2007, p. 614). Three elements that are viewed as relevant to a shared vision include evidence-based decision making, science-fostered innovation in occupational therapy practice, and the power to influence. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy clearly has the capacity to play a key role in meeting the Centennial Vision. The journal has the potential to guide practitioners to make evidence-based decisions via the dissemination of well-designed clinical trials; make practitioners, clients, and third-party payers aware of scienceand evidence-based innovations that have the potential to improve participation and quality of life; and eventually influence health care decisions for present and future clients. Indeed, one of the four strategic directions that were identified to support the vision is increasing research capacity and productivity (AOTA, 2007). Until relatively recently, the practice area of neurorehabilitation has been plagued by an overreliance on anecdotal interventions and the overuse of nonstandardized assessments. Occupational therapists have realized the need to raise the bar first and foremost so that we can provide cutting-edge and high-quality services to those we serve and ensure the viability of occupational therapy as a reimbursable and necessary service. Fortunately, a renewed focus on evidence-based and occupation-based practice has resulted in a substantial increase in the research available to interpret and implement. Even a cursory review of the American Occupational Therapy Association’s EvidenceBased Practice and Resource Directory demonstrates the significant increase in neurorehabilitation research. Certainly, over the past 10–15 yr, the literature has suggested substantial changes in neurorehabilitation techniques firmly based in current research. Commonly used interventions historically considered to be tried and true are being rethought, questioned, or, in some cases, not recommended on the basis of the available evidence. This change is particularly true in the substantial areas of motor control (Rao, 2004) and cognitive and perceptual rehabilitation (Gillen, 2009). The positive result is the development of innovative interventions that may hasten clients’ recovery and ultimately improve their quality of life. In this article, I review all neurorehabilitation research published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT) in the past 2 years (2008–2009) to determine the types of research published and to assess how well the journal is meeting the Centennial Vision.