Introduction. Motor imagery and mental practice can be defined as a continuous mechanism in which the subject tries to emulate a movement using cognitive processes, without actually performing the motor action. The objective of this review was to analyse and check the efficacy of motor imagery and/or mental practice as a method of rehabilitating motor function in patients that have suffered a stroke, in both subacute and chronic phases. Material and Methods. We performed a bibliographic search from 2009 to 2021 in the following databases, Medline (PubMed), Scopus, WOS, Cochrane, and OTSeeker. The search focused on randomized clinical trials in which the main subject was rehabilitating motor function of the upper limb in individuals that had suffered a stroke in subacute or chronic phases. Results. We analysed a total of 11 randomized clinical trials, with moderate and high methodological quality according to the PEDro scale. Most of the studies on subacute and chronic stages obtained statistically significant short-term results, between pre- and postintervention, in recovering function of the upper limb. Conclusions. Motor imagery and/or mental practice, combined with conventional therapy and/or with other techniques, can be effective in the short term in recovering upper limb motor function in patients that have suffered a stroke. More studies are needed to analyse the efficacy of this intervention during medium- and long-term follow-up.

This article aims at revealing the impacts of depopulation in terms of the violation of the occupational rights of people who live in rural areas, away from large urban centres. The starting point is an overview of the inequalities that emerge in neglected rural areas in the European Union, followed by an analysis of the Spanish context with ageing as a salient factor. Then, the influence of rural territories on occupation is assessed, discussing the violation of occupational rights. Finally, there is a description of different macro and micro actions to address some of the occupational injustices in rural areas and to favour equality in the exercise of occupational rights from the standpoint of occupational science.

Research is essential to reflect patients' satisfaction with their devices in the field of Prosthetics and Orthotics, record their performance and health-related quality of life. This requires culturally adapted questionnaires for each country. Periodic assessment of validity and test fit are essential elements for the long-term utility and effectiveness of psychometric tests. This article reviews the psychometric properties of the Orthotics and Prosthetics Users Survey (OPUS). The purpose, in addition to its adaptation to the Spanish-speaking population, involves a review/update of content, statistical analyses, and validity studies, until a larger number of studies are conducted. Study design: a Systematic review. A systematic literature search was carried out in specialized search engines: Alcorze (University of Zaragoza), MEDLINE (PubMed), and EMBASE of original articles published since 2000. Eleven items belonging to the OPUS were obtained, according to the language of the country where they were validated, and promising psychometric properties were confirmed (reflecting reliability values between 0.62 and 0.95; Cronbach's α scores between 0.73 and 0.98) with sample sizes between 10 and 321. The study concluded by stating that the OPUS was validated in different languages, reporting good psychometric robustness so far. Further deployment, refinement, and validation of this survey by country is warranted in view of its promising use.

Occupational therapy (OT) advocates for rehabilitation and social reintegration within prison systems, yet its integration must consider the ethical and institutional constraints of incarceration. This paper critically examines the Spanish penitentiary system to explore the tensions between the punitive logic of imprisonment and the rehabilitative values of OT. The aim is to assess whether the current institutional structure enables socio-health professionals—particularly occupational therapists—to act coherently with their humanistic and ethical principles. A detailed documentary review was conducted using the Triangular Method of Ontologically Grounded Personalism (Sgreccia), which integrates biological/situational, anthropological, and ethical dimensions. Legislative documents, institutional reports, and academic literature were systematically analyzed to identify ethical challenges affecting professional practice within Spanish prisons. Findings reveal a paradoxical reality: Spain maintains one of the lowest crime rates in the EU yet exhibits a high incarceration rate, reflecting a punitive penal culture. The prison population, mostly adult males convicted of property and public health offenses, experiences significant occupational deprivation, mental illness, and social vulnerability. Ethical dilemmas include dual loyalty, loss of autonomy, and institutional priorities that undermine person-centered rehabilitation. The study underscores profound ethical tensions limiting OT practice in prisons. Addressing these challenges requires institutional and professional transformation toward more participatory and dignity-centered correctional models. Future research should incorporate empirical and qualitative approaches to design ethical frameworks that promote occupational justice and sustainable reintegration.

Objective: This study characterized Spanish occupational therapists’ knowledge of the national Code of Ethics and perceptions of professional ethics and examined associations with sociodemographic and educational variables. It quantified knowledge of key Code elements (approving body and professional values), described ethics education and participation in formal ethical support structures, and identified resources used to manage ethical conflicts in routine practice. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional online survey was administered between March and September 2022. The analytical sample included 596 occupational therapists practicing in Spain. The questionnaire assessed participant characteristics, ethics education, knowledge and perceived importance of the Code, participation in ethics committees or similar structures, experience of ethical conflicts, and conflict-management strategies. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were conducted (p < 0.05). Results: Respondents were mostly women (86.6%) and aged 20–40 years. Although 65.3% reported university ethics education and 73.2% rated the Code as important/very important, 11.4% were unaware of its existence. Only 28.2% identified the approving body, and 16.3% correctly identified the professional values included in the Code. Ethical conflicts were reported by 43.1%. When conflicts occurred, respondents most often consulted the interdisciplinary team (25.5%) or occupational therapy colleagues (24.3%), whereas few consulted the Code (4.5%) or an ethics committee (2.7%). Ethics education and greater professional experience were associated with higher Code knowledge. Conclusions: Occupational therapists in Spain endorse professional ethics, yet actionable knowledge and use of the Code and engagement with formal support structures remain limited. Strengthening practice-oriented ethics education and accessible deliberation mechanisms may improve ethical decision-making.

RESUMEN El propósito de este artículo es mostrar los efectos de la despoblación con relación a la vulneración de los derechos ocupacionales de las personas que habitan zonas rurales alejadas de los grandes núcleos urbanos. Se parte de una descripción de las desigualdades ocasionadas por el abandono del medio rural en la Unión Europea y se incide en el análisis del contexto español con el envejecimiento como factor sobresaliente. Posteriormente, se realiza una valoración de la influencia que tiene el territorio rural en las ocupaciones y se analiza la vulneración de los derechos ocupacionales. Finalmente, se muestran diferentes iniciativas a nivel macro y micro para afrontar algunas de las injusticias ocupacionales que se dan en el medio rural y favorecer la igualdad en el desarrollo de los derechos ocupacionales desde la ciencia ocupacional. For the English translation: Depopulation in Spain and violation of occupational rights see https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2021.1896331