Research Topics
Hand Rehabilitation
Using the ICF model to understand the implications of upper-extremity impairments.
Theses
Neta Rogev
Sensitivity of Assessment tools to different levels of Trigger Finger Severity Across ICF Domains: Quality of Life, Functional Status, Hand Motor Skills, and Grip Strength
Yael Applebaum
Profile of individuals with Trigger Finger: implications for quality of life, function, and motor skills
Adi Atiya
Examining the outcome of Trigger Finger release using measures of quality-of-life Participation and body functions
Abigail Horwitz
Hand function, participation and quality of life among people with hand conditions
Publications
Langer, D., Luria, S., Maeir, A., & Erez, A. (2014). Occupation based Assessments and Treatments of Trigger Finger: A Survey of Occupational Therapists from Israel and the United States. Occupational therapy international.
Link Langer, D., Luria, S., Erez, A. B. H., Michailevich, M., Rogev, N., & Maeir, A. (2015). Stenosing flexor tenosynovitis: Validity of standard assessment tools of daily functioning and quality of life. Journal of Hand Therapy, 28(4), 384-388.
Link Langer, D., Maeir, A., Michailevich, M. Applebaum, Y., & Luria, S. (2016). Using the international classification of functioning to examine the impact of trigger finger. Disability and rehabilitation, 38(26), 2530-2537.
Langer, D., Luria, S., Michailevich, M., & Maeir, A. (2016). Long-term functional outcome of trigger finger. Disability and rehabilitation, 1-6.
Link Langer, D. , Maeir, A., Michailevich, M., & Luria, S. (2017). Evaluating Hand Function in Clients with Trigger Finger. Occupational Therapy International, 1-8. 0.821; 57/65; 20.
LinkLanger, D., Horwitz, A., Melchior, H., Atoun, E., & Mazor-Karsenty, T. (2024). Understanding the implications of hand impairments in light of the International Classification of Function model. Journal of Hand Therapy.
Link Steinberg, K., Langer, D., Melchior, H., Cohen, J. A., & Zinger, G. (2024). Effectiveness of the static progressive Joint Active System splint in improving upper extremity joint stiffness. Hand Surgery and Rehabilitation, 43(3), 101710.
Link Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Dental Hygienists
A collaborative study conducted with Ms. Shifra Netanely and Prof. Shay Luria from Hadassah Medical Center, in partnership with third-year occupational therapy students as part of a Research Seminar course (2016–2017 academic year).
Publications
Netanely , S., Luria, S., & Langer, D. (2020). Musculoskeletal disorders among dental hygienist and students of dental hygiene. International Journal of Dental Hygiene, 18(2), 210-216.
LinkAssessment Tools in Hand Rehabilitation
Theses
Eliana Messinger
Hebrew version of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire: Translation, validation, and development of preliminary standards among the general population of Israel
Publications
Langer, D., Melchior, H., & Mazor-Karsenty, T. (2022). Grip strength in healthy Israeli adults: Comparison to internationally reported normative data. Work, 71(3), 787-794.
LinkTomkinson, G. R., Lang, J. J., Rubín, L. , McGrath, R., Gower, B., Boyle, T., ... Leong, D. P & The iGRIPS (International handGRIP Strength) Group: … Langer, D., ….Mazor-Karsenty, T …. (2024). International norms for adult handgrip strength: A systematic review of data on 2.4 million adults aged 20 to 100+ years from 69 countries and regions. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 101014.
Link
Research in this area is conducted in collaboration with the Oncology Department and the Occupational Therapy Service at Shaare Zedek Medical Centre.
The global incidence of cancer has increased over recent decades. Significant advances in early diagnosis and cancer treatment have led to an increase in survival rates. Nevertheless, many individuals living with and beyond cancer experience functional decline and reduced quality of life as a result of the disease and its treatments, even years after recovery. Occupational therapy services available to this population in Israel remain limited despite research demonstrating the need for functional and rehabilitative interventions.
The objectives of this research program are to conduct needs assessments across various oncological diagnoses, with a particular focus on breast cancer, evaluate treatment effectiveness, and develop training courses for occupational therapists providing services to women coping with breast cancer.
Alongside these research activities, the first master's-level course in oncology was launched at the School in 2019, and in 2022 a continuing education program for occupational therapists was delivered at Shaare Zedek Medical Centre.
Theses
Shlomit Goldmasha
An exploratory study examining the implications of breast cancer on quality of life, participation and body functions among Israeli women
Chani Jacobs
Risk Reducing Mastectomy: Functional and Sensory Motor Status
Stave Hill
Improving Function and Quality of Life in Women with Breast Cancer and Cognitive Impairment: a Group Intervention Program 'Take Action'.
Vered Weiss
Cognitive profile of adults during the first year from cancer diagnosis: Correlation with self-efficacy, coping strategies and emotional state
Students
Aviya Sliman-Nahum
Efficacy of a Nerve Gliding Intervention for Preventing Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Women with Breast Cancer
Publications
Langer, D., Tendler, S., & Bar-Haim Erez, A. (2023). A broad perspective on breast cancer: Participation, quality of life and return to work throughout the recovery process. Work, 75, 325-337
LinkErez A., Jacobs-Braun R., Mor P., Langer D. (2024) Implications of risk-reducing bilateral mastectomy among breast cancer susceptibility gene carriers: well-being and function. Academia Oncology.
Link
Research areas include digital exclusion, frailty and pre-frailty, healthy aging, and delirium prevention and management among hospitalized older adults.
Digital Exclusion and the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Relationship Between Communication
Technology Use and Personal Well-Being Among Older Adults - This study was conducted as part of a research seminar that examined the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2020–2021 academic year. Three outstanding students: Sharon Goldman, El Delore, and Sarah Flesh, represented the school at the 2022 AOTA Annual Conference and subsequently co-authored a publication on the topic.
Publications
Goldman, S., Delore, E., Flesh, S., Langer, D., & Mazor-Karsenty, T. (2022). Digital Exclusion and COVID-19: Does Communication Technology Correlate with Wellbeing. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics.
LinkFrom Crisis to Opportunity: Early Identification of Pre-Frailty During Acute Hospitalization Among Adults Aged 65 and Older
In collaboration with Prof. Adina Maeir, Dr. Roni Shenkar, the Geriatric Department, and the Occupational Therapy Service at Shaare Zedek Medical Center
The world's population is aging rapidly due to declining fertility rates and increasing life expectancy. This trend is also evident in Israel and poses significant challenges to the healthcare and welfare systems. Within this population, frailty is considered a major geriatric syndrome with wide-ranging implications for individuals, families, and healthcare systems. Frailty describes a state of diminished physiological reserves and increased vulnerability to stressors, resulting from the cumulative decline of multiple body systems. Today, frailty is widely viewed as a dynamic condition that can be influenced and modified, rather than an inevitable consequence of aging.
Research in this area examines frailty and pre-frailty among older adults in the context of acute hospitalization and recovery. Current studies investigate the prevalence of pre-frailty and frailty among hospitalized older adults and the association between participation in daily activities during the month preceding hospitalization and frailty status. In addition, the study examines changes in frailty status from the month prior to hospitalization to the post-discharge period among independently living community-dwelling older adults. By identifying factors associated with deterioration or improvement in frailty status, these studies may contribute to the development of programs aimed at promoting healthy aging.
Theses
Koral Lev
The relationship between frailty and participation among people aged 65+ who are in acute care setting
Students
Hila Zacay
Frailty Trajectories During Hospitalization and Community Reentry in Older Adults
Shirly Dror
Frailty Trajectories During Hospitalization and Community Reentry in Older Adults
Prevention and Management of Delirium in Acute Hospitalization Among Older Adults
In collaboration with Dr. Roni Shenkar, the Geriatric Department, and the Occupational Therapy Service at Shaare Zedek Medical Center
With increasing life expectancy, the number of older adults hospitalized in acute care settings continues to rise. These hospitalizations are often associated with functional decline, loss of independence, and cognitive deterioration. One of the most common and clinically significant complications among hospitalized older adults is delirium, an acute state of confusion characterized by disturbances in attention and awareness. Delirium is associated with adverse outcomes, including prolonged hospital stays, functional decline, increased risk of institutionalization, and higher mortality rates.
Research conducted within the laboratory focuses on the development, implementation, and evaluation of interventions aimed at the prevention and management of delirium among older adults in acute care settings.
Students
Ayelet Kaye
'Occupational Prescription' as an Occupational Therapy Intervention for Older Adults Hospitalized with Delirium: A Feasibility Study
Rebecca Friedman
Evaluating a delirium prevention intervention for hospitalized older adults using the RE-AIM framework
Family caregivers play a central role in supporting individuals coping with illness, disability, or prolonged hospitalization. They assist in managing daily care, provide emotional support, and often serve as an important source of information regarding the patient’s condition and functioning. Alongside their significant contribution, caring for a family member may involve emotional, physical, and social burdens that affect caregivers’ own quality of life and well-being. Research conducted within the laboratory focuses both on the contribution of family caregivers to understanding patients’ health and functional status and on the impact of the caregiving role on caregivers’ health, participation, and quality of life.
Theses
Hagar Vitenshtien
Difference between self-report and proxy report on frailty and participation of elders in acute care setting
Collaborative Projects with Prof. Esther-Lee Marcus, Department of Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation, Herzog Medical Center, Jerusalem
Miriam Picard
Quality of life and well-being of family caregivers of prolonged mechanically ventilated patients.
עבודת גמר במדעי היסוד
Dr. Maisaa Tarabih
The Impact of Gender and Cultural Context on Caregiver Burden, Well‑Being, and Quality of Life Among Israeli Arab’s Families of Long‑Term Mechanically Ventilated Patients
Publications
Picard, M., Marcus, E. L., Weintraub, N., & Langer, D. (2025). Quality of Life and Well-Being of Family Caregivers of Prolonged Mechanically Ventilated Patients: An Observational Study. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 79(4), 7904205180.
Link
Parents of autistic adolescents with Level 1 support needs report higher levels of parental distress, psychological stress, caregiving burden, and concern regarding their children's success than parents of children with autism who have higher support needs and parents of children with other neurodevelopmental diagnoses. These experiences contribute to reduced parental self-efficacy. There is a substantial lack of structured interventions aimed at improving parental resilience and promoting adolescents’ participation in everyday life.
OT-ParentShip is a structured, short-term intervention program designed to provide direct support to parents of autistic adolescents. The program incorporates an integrative, multidimensional approach to the multiple factors involved in the functioning of adolescents with autism. Its goal is to enhance parental resilience and improve adolescents’ participation in everyday life. The program aims to promote parents as agents of change for their children by strengthening their ability to identify and analyze facilitating and limiting factors within the child and the environment, and to define the resources available to them as a family.
The protocol was adapted for autistic preschool children during 2025–2026.
Intervention Outcomes
- Promotion of parental resilience through addressing the parent's basic psychological needs as an individual and in the parental role (enhancing belonging and competence).
- Promotion of parents as agents of change for their child as the most consistent factor in the child’s life (enhancing autonomy and competence).
- Promotion of the child’s/adolescent’s occupational participation in everyday life (enhancing autonomy and competence in the adolescent).
Intervention Protocol for Adolescents
Mazor-Karsenty, T., Wachspress, B., & Maeir, A. (2017). OT Parentship - a coaching based intervention for parents of adolescents with high functioning autism spectrum disorder: Treatment Manual. Jerusalem, IL: School of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University
Intervention Protocol for Preschool Children
Mazor-Karsenty, T., Wachspress, B., Hagai, R. & Maeir, A. (2026). OT Parentship - a coaching based intervention for parents of autistic preschoolers: Treatment Manual. Jerusalem, IL: School of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University
Training Courses
The first OT-ParentShip training course began in September 2020. The course lasted five days, and upon completion, the five occupational therapists who were trained joined the RCT study evaluating the protocol.
Course graduates
Einav Kahlon, Yael Sapra, Mia Livand, Leah Livne, and Noga Cohen – were certified in July 2023.
Submitted Theses
Batel Wachspress
Content validity of the Parentship Protocol: A multidimensional intervention for parents of adolescents with high functioning autism spectrum disorder. 2017
Wachspress, B., Maeir, A. & Mazor-Karsenty, T. (2018). Content validity of the Parentship Protocol: A multidimensional intervention for parents of adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics.
LinkEinav Kahlon
Parents’ perceptions regarding participation in a multidimensional intervention for parents of adolescents with high-functioning autism. 2020
Qualitative analysis of the pilot study:
Kahlon, E., Wachspress, B., Berger, I., Maeir, A., & Mazor-Karsenty, T. (2023). A qualitative study on parents of autistic adolescents' experience of OT-ParentShip: A family-centred intervention. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal.
LinkHadas Goldberger
Comparison between fathers and mothers of adolescents with autism in quality of life, general stress, and parental resilience. 2022
Rotem Hagai
Adaptation and implementation of the OT-ParentShip protocol for parents of autistic preschool children.
Feasibility Pilot Study
Wachspress, B., Berger, I., Maeir, A., & Mazor-Karsenty, T. (2024). Feasibility of OT – Parentship: An intervention for parents of adolescents with autism. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 87(6) 351–360.
LinkEffectiveness Study – pRCT
Wachspress, B., Tsafrir, S., Maeir, A., & Mazor-Karsenty, T. (2025). OT-Parentship Effectiveness on Parental Resilience, Self-Determination, and Functioning of Parents and their Autistic Adolescents: Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial (pRCT). The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 79 (4).
Link
Research evidence indicates that mastery motivation plays an important role in child development. However, research in this field is lacking in Israel, both among typically developing infants and children and among infants and children with neurodevelopmental disorders. A better understanding of the development of mastery motivation among typically developing children is necessary in order to understand the abilities and difficulties of children with neurodevelopmental disorders in this area. A better understanding of factors that facilitate or hinder the development of mastery motivation may assist in guiding and focusing occupational therapy assessment and intervention processes.
Theses
Tal Katzover
Perception of mastery motivation among mothers and teachers of toddlers and preschoolers with Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 2022-2026
Noam Aharon
The relationship between Mastery Motivation and Maternal Stress in typically developing children and children with Neuro-developmental Disabilities, 2022-2025
Heli Schwartz
Mastery Motivation and Executive Function in preschool children with Neuro-developmental Disabilities, 2022-2025
Rozalin Matar
The relationship between Mastery Motivation, Sensory processing, and participation among preschool children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 2022-ongoing
Neta Marcus
Psychometric Properties and Normative Data of the Hebrew Version of the Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaire (DMQ) Among Typically Developing Children Aged 6 Months to 18 Years, 2025-ongoing
Publications
Mazor-Karsenty, T., Aharon, N., Chamudot, R., & Langer, D. (2026). Mastery Motivation and Maternal Stress in Typically Developing Children and Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 1–15.
Link
Hand in Hand – A toolkit for developing hand skills in the home environment, hand in hand with the occupational therapist, the child, and the family. Developed by Yonit Breuer.
“Hand in Hand” is a toolkit for occupational therapists to manage fine motor practice in the home environment for children aged 3–6. The purpose of the toolkit is to improve occupational therapists’ work in developing children’s fine motor skills. The toolkit was developed and illustrated by Yonit Breuer under the supervision of Dr. Tal Mazor-Karsenty as a final project for the Master’s program at the School of Occupational Therapy, Hebrew University.
What does the toolkit include?
- Accessible, up-to-date information from the literature, including evidence-based therapeutic principles, recommendations from leading researchers, and reference to developmental sequences and the components required for developing hand skills.
- A repository of approximately 170 illustrated activities available for use, along with a practice board to facilitate management of home-based practice and support generalization of skills learned during therapy.
Toolkit (Hebrew)
Theses
Yonit Breuer (Segal)
Content Validity of the Hand Champion-fish Protocol: A Playful Intervention for Improving Fine Motor Skills in Children Aged 3-8, 2022-2025
Hand in Hand – Fish Championship
The “Hand in Hand – Fish Championship” protocol is an occupational therapy intervention protocol for developing fine motor skills among preschool and early elementary school children (ages 3–8) with difficulties in these skills. The protocol enables identification of the factors underlying the child’s fine motor difficulties and supports the development of an individualized intervention plan.
The protocol is based on the image of the hand transforming into a fish. Several types of fish are used, each representing a different hand skill. Acquisition of the fish positions occurs gradually according to a structured developmental sequence (Case Smith & Exner, 2014). The protocol is based on concepts and therapeutic principles described by leading researchers and clinicians in the field of hand skill development (Case Smith & Exner, 2014; Benbow, 2006; Exner, 2006), as well as principles of playfulness and motor learning.
The Fish Championship protocol is designed to develop the full range of hand skills that support children’s functioning in major daily occupations such as play and self-care. At the same time, the protocol emphasizes the development of handwriting readiness, a foundational skill for academic functioning and a common reason for referral to occupational therapy.
Implementation of the protocol is accompanied by a toolkit that includes motivating visual materials. These materials assist in illustrating the fish imagery, guiding parents and educational staff regarding the child’s goals, and promoting practice in a manner that supports generalization of skills to everyday functioning.
The certification course for assessment and intervention using the Fish Championship protocol is offered through the School of Occupational Therapy at the Hebrew University. The course is intended for occupational therapists with at least one year of experience working in pediatrics.
The “Hand in Hand – Fish Championship” protocol was developed at the Hebrew University by Yonit Breuer under the supervision of Dr. Tal Mazor-Karsenty and is currently undergoing research evaluation.
The protocol evolved from the “Hand in Hand – Fish Championship” program, published in 2021, which promotes fine motor development among hundreds of children in Israel through enjoyment and motivation.
The protocol provides a structured and systematic approach to the assessment and treatment of children with fine motor difficulties throughout the preschool years, while guiding clinical reasoning and applying evidence-based therapeutic principles.
Course on Intervention for Children with Coordination Difficulties / Developmental Coordination Disorder
Assessment and intervention for children with fine motor difficulties using the “Hand in Hand – Fish Championship” protocol.
This line of research examined the theoretical question of whether Sensory Modulation Disorder constitutes a condition distinct from Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, given the high rate of comorbidity between the two disorders.
Yochman, A & Mazor-Karsenty T. (2014). The relationship between ADHD and SMD. In I. Berger & A. Maeir (Eds.), ADHD - A transparent impairment, clinical, daily-life, and research aspects in diverse populations (pp. 45-70). New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Mazor-Karsenty, T., Parush, S., Bonneh, Y., & Shalev, L. (2015). Comparing the executive attention of adult females with ADHD to that of females with sensory modulation disorder (SMD) under aversive and non-aversive auditory conditions. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 37, 17- 30.
Link Mazor-Karsenty, T., Shalev, L., Parush, S., & Bonneh, Y. (2018). Perception of aversive auditory stimuli is different in SMD and ADHD. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72 (6).
Link Mazor-Karsenty, T., Parush, S., & Shalev, L. (2019). Sustained attention in sensory modulation disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 88, 22-29.
Link
The laboratory of Prof. Tal Mazor-Karsenty and Dr. Danit Langer has initiated a new research program focusing on the development of occupational therapy interventions for individuals with diabetes.
During the past year (2026), a process of translation and cultural adaptation began for an intervention protocol based on the REAL (Lifestyle Redesign) framework, intended for adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes and their parents. Future plans include expanding the research to children and young adults.
Theses
Hadar Kahana
Cultural and Age Adaptation of the 'Resilient, Empowered, Active Living with Diabetes' Program for Children with Type 1 Diabetes: A Feasibility Study, 2025-ongoing
Researchers and students interested in this area are invited to contact the investigators.
