Here are feasible MPT Neurosciences Physiotherapy research topic ideas, grouped by area. I have emphasized topics that can be completed as a dissertation with accessible participants and common outcome measures.
Stroke rehabilitation
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Effect of dual-task gait training on balance and walking speed in chronic stroke survivors
- Outcomes: 10-Meter Walk Test, Timed Up and Go, Berg Balance Scale, dual-task cost.
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Comparison of task-oriented circuit training versus conventional physiotherapy for upper-limb function after stroke
- Outcomes: Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity, Action Research Arm Test, Motor Activity Log.
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Relationship between trunk control and functional independence in subacute stroke
- A practical cross-sectional study.
- Outcomes: Trunk Impairment Scale, Functional Independence Measure or Barthel Index.
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Effect of aerobic interval training on fatigue, gait endurance, and quality of life in chronic stroke
- Outcomes: 6-Minute Walk Test, Fatigue Severity Scale, Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale.
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Effectiveness of mirror therapy combined with conventional therapy for hand function in stroke
- Suitable where low-cost intervention design is important.
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Association of fear of falling with balance confidence and community ambulation after stroke
- Outcomes: Falls Efficacy Scale, Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale, Community Balance and Mobility Scale.
Recent synthesis supports continued research on mobility-focused physiotherapy, gait, balance, and functional outcomes after stroke, including a
2025 Cochrane review and a
network meta-analysis of cardiorespiratory physiotherapy.
Parkinson disease
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Effect of rhythmic auditory cueing on gait freezing and gait parameters in Parkinson disease
- Outcomes: Freezing of Gait Questionnaire, 10-Meter Walk Test, Timed Up and Go.
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Effect of LSVT BIG-based exercise versus conventional exercise on functional mobility in Parkinson disease
- Outcomes: UPDRS motor score, Timed Up and Go, 6-Minute Walk Test.
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Home-based telerehabilitation versus supervised clinic exercise for balance confidence in mild-to-moderate Parkinson disease
- Useful if your institution supports video-based follow-up.
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Correlation between dual-task performance, executive function, and fall risk in Parkinson disease
- Cross-sectional and feasible with limited intervention time.
- Effect of treadmill training with external visual cues on gait and freezing episodes in Parkinson disease
- Recent evidence includes a 2025 meta-analysis on robot-assisted rehabilitation, so a lower-cost comparison of cueing or conventional approaches can be a relevant local study.
Spinal cord injury
- Effect of functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling on lower-limb spasticity and quality of life in incomplete spinal cord injury
- Needs appropriate equipment and safety supervision.
- Comparison of body-weight-supported treadmill training and conventional gait training in incomplete spinal cord injury
- Outcomes: Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury, 10-Meter Walk Test, 6-Minute Walk Test.
- Relationship between wheelchair propulsion technique, shoulder pain, and functional independence in people with spinal cord injury
- A highly feasible observational study.
- Outcomes: Wheelchair Skills Test, Wheelchair User’s Shoulder Pain Index, SCIM.
- Effect of core-stability training on sitting balance and functional reach in thoracic spinal cord injury
- Practical intervention topic with modest equipment needs.
Multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions
- Effect of combined aerobic and resistance exercise on fatigue and balance in multiple sclerosis
- Outcomes: Modified Fatigue Impact Scale, Berg Balance Scale, MS Quality of Life scale.
- Effect of virtual-reality-based balance training on postural control in multiple sclerosis
- Can be studied with commercial low-cost VR or screen-based systems, depending on access.
- Association between fatigue, physical activity, and health-related quality of life in multiple sclerosis
- Strong cross-sectional dissertation option.
- Effect of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation-based training on gait and balance in individuals with cerebellar ataxia
- A relatively less-explored clinical area.
- Effect of vestibular rehabilitation on dizziness-related disability and balance in people with central vestibular dysfunction
- Outcomes: Dizziness Handicap Inventory, Dynamic Gait Index, Functional Gait Assessment.
Traumatic brain injury and cerebral palsy
- Effect of cognitive-motor dual-task training on balance and community mobility after traumatic brain injury
- Outcomes: Timed Up and Go-cognitive, Community Integration Questionnaire, Berg Balance Scale.
- Relationship of executive dysfunction with gait and balance in adults with traumatic brain injury
- Cross-sectional option, with cognitive screening plus gait assessment.
- Effect of task-specific lower-limb training on gross motor function in ambulatory children with spastic cerebral palsy
- Outcomes: GMFM-66, 6-Minute Walk Test, Pediatric Balance Scale.
- Comparison of treadmill training with and without virtual reality for gait in children with spastic cerebral palsy
- More resource-intensive but publishable if your pediatric sample is available.
Technology and current-practice topics
- Feasibility and adherence of smartphone-based home exercise programmes in chronic stroke
- Outcomes: adherence, usability, mobility, patient satisfaction.
- Wearable-sensor assessment of gait asymmetry in stroke or Parkinson disease
- Best if you have access to inertial sensors or validated smartphone applications.
- Effect of exergaming-based rehabilitation on motivation and exercise adherence after stroke
- Outcomes: intrinsic motivation, attendance, balance, mobility.
- Knowledge, attitude, and use of teleneurorehabilitation among physiotherapists
- Good for a multicenter survey and useful if clinical recruitment is difficult.
- Barriers to community exercise participation among stroke survivors
- Qualitative or mixed-methods dissertation option.
- Association between sleep quality, fatigue, and rehabilitation participation in people with neurological disorders
- Can include stroke, Parkinson disease, or multiple sclerosis as a defined sample.
Strong choices for feasibility
If you want topics that are usually practical for an MPT dissertation, I would shortlist:
- Dual-task gait training in chronic stroke
- Trunk control and functional independence in subacute stroke
- Rhythmic auditory cueing for gait in Parkinson disease
- Fear of falling and community ambulation after stroke
- Wheelchair propulsion, shoulder pain, and function in spinal cord injury
- Aerobic and resistance exercise for fatigue in multiple sclerosis
- Telerehabilitation adherence in chronic stroke
A useful formula for framing the title
“Effect of [specific intervention] on [primary outcome] among [defined neurological population]: a randomized controlled trial.”
Example:
“Effect of dual-task gait training on gait speed, balance, and cognitive-motor interference among individuals with chronic stroke: a randomized controlled trial.”
Choose a topic based on: available patient population, therapist/equipment access, intervention duration, ethical feasibility, and availability of validated outcome measures.