Parker, J., Powell, L. orcid.org/0000-0003-0230-8722 and Mawson, S. orcid.org/0000-0003-2795-8983 (2020) The effectiveness of upper-limb wearable technology for improving activity and participation in adult stroke survivors : a systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22 (1). e15981. ISSN 1438-8871
Abstract
Background: With advances in technology, the adoption of wearable devices has become a viable adjunct in poststroke rehabilitation. Upper limb (UL) impairment affects up to 77% of stroke survivors impacting on their ability to carry out everyday activities. However, despite an increase in research exploring these devices for UL rehabilitation, little is known of their effectiveness.
Objective: This review aimed to assess the effectiveness of UL wearable technology for improving activity and participation in adult stroke survivors.
Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and randomized comparable trials of UL wearable technology for poststroke rehabilitation were included. Primary outcome measures were validated measures of activity and participation as defined by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Databases searched were MEDLINE, Web of Science (Core collection), CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool was used to assess the methodological quality of the RCTs and the Downs and Black Instrument for the quality of non RCTs.
Results: In the review, we included 11 studies with collectively 354 participants at baseline and 323 participants at final follow-up including control groups and participants poststroke. Participants’ stroke type and severity varied. Only 1 study found significant between-group differences for systems functioning and activity (P≤.02). The 11 included studies in this review had small sample sizes ranging from 5 to 99 participants at an average (mean) age of 57 years.
Conclusions: This review has highlighted a number of reasons for insignificant findings in this area including low sample sizes and the appropriateness of the methodology for complex interventions. However, technology has the potential to measure outcomes, provide feedback, and engage users outside of clinical sessions. This could provide a platform for motivating stroke survivors to carry out more rehabilitation in the absence of a therapist, which could maximize recovery.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | ©Jack Amy Parker, Lauren Powell, Susan Mawson. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 08.01.2020. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on http://www.jmir.org/, as well as this copyright and license information must be included. |
Keywords: | wearable electronic devices; stroke; rehabilitation; upper extremity |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > School of Health and Related Research (Sheffield) > ScHARR - Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > School of Education (Sheffield) The University of Sheffield > Sheffield Teaching Hospitals |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 11 Feb 2020 13:01 |
Last Modified: | 11 Feb 2020 13:10 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | JMIR Publications |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.2196/15981 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:155429 |