Background. Mirror therapy (MT) has been used as a treatment for various neurological disorders. Recent application of electroencephalogram (EEG) to the MT study allows researchers to gain insight into the changes in brain activity during the therapy. Objective. This scoping review is aimed at mapping existing evidence and identifying knowledge gaps about the effects of MT on upper limb recovery and its application for individuals with chronic stroke. Methods and Materials. A scoping review through a systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases. Twenty articles published between 2010 and 2020 met the inclusion criteria. The efficacy of MT on upper limb recovery and brain activity during MT were discussed according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Results. A majority of the studies indicated positive effects of MT on upper limb recovery from the body structure/functional domain. All studies used EEG to indicate brain activation during MT. Conclusion. MT is a promising intervention for improving upper limb function for individuals with chronic stroke. This review also highlights the need to incorporate EEG into the MT study to capture brain activity and understand the mechanism underlying the therapy.

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Following the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, restrictions imposed to curb the virus spread may affect the elderly population. Therefore, a scoping review was conducted to map the daily activities restrictions and the psychological impacts on the elderly. Articles from five databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, and Google Scholar were retrieved that used “disease outbreaks” or “infectious disease outbreaks” and “elderly” or “older adult” or “geriatric” or “old age”, which provide relevant insight on the restrictions and psychological impacts on the elderly, published throughout this COVID-19 pandemic until July 2021. Twenty-one eligible articles were included and summarised using thematic analysis. Restrictions throughout the pandemic may, directly and indirectly, impact the elderly’s psychological wellbeing and vary according to their age, gender, previous history of mental illness, comorbidities, and social support. Therefore, the strength of association between each variable should be identified to facilitate healthcare providers in managing the impact of COVID-19 on the elderly population.

Exercise training is paramount in improving aerobic capacity, improving lung function, reducing the symptoms of dyspnea, and reconditioning the wasted skeletal muscles. Many literature and guidelines have advocated the importance of exercise intervention in addressing the secondary impairment to post covid-19 infection, including home-based therapy and telerehabilitation. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) was previously thought to be contraindicated for exercise training; however, exercise was later found to be beneficial and relatively safe in chronic PH. However, there is a lack of high-quality evidence on the safety and effectiveness of exercise training in post-Covid-19 infected individuals with PH. Pulmonary hypertension has been documented to be one of the post-Covid-19 complications. PH occurred due to Covid-19 infection should be given careful consideration before subjecting them to exercise training, especially in home-based therapy. This article aims to discuss the differing etiological factor, pathophysiological backgrounds, and the possible disease long-term outcomes that may compromise the safety of exercise training in post-Covid-19 patients complicated with PH. By understanding the risk of developing PH, risk assessment and stratification can be explicitly outlined for a safe exercise prescription through proper patient selections. Any possible complications can be anticipated; hence, proper preventive strategies can be instituted.

The emergence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has posed significant challenges in occupational therapy rehabilitation practice prior to the level of contact with patients. This paper discussed the inclusive design process and intervention procedure in developing a design of home-setting rehabilitation products, self-occupational therapy practice and the challenges involved through the ongoing care of patients by occupational therapists, caregivers, and patients during this pandemic. The case study of Personal Reflective Mirror Therapy (P-REMIT) is premeditated as a pilot study tool, designed, and developed through patients’ experience (user-centered) for Diplegia (Upper Limb Stroke) patients. Keywords: Inclusive; Design; Intervention; COVID-19; Clinical; Therapy; Procedure eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7iSI7%20(Special%20Issue).3809

BACKGROUND: Hand injuries affect a person’s functioning, thus impeding their abilities to return to work. There is a limited understanding in return to work of the overall predictors when including hand characteristics and functional abilities. Therefore, it is essential to identify the most relevant predictors in return to work among individuals with a hand injury. OBJECTIVES: (1) To compare hand function characteristics and functional abilities of injured workers who have or have not returned to work. (2) To estimate hand function characteristics and functional abilities as predictors to return to work. METHODS: One hundred and fifteen adult workers with hand injuries aged 18– 59 years old from five general hospitals in Malaysia participated in a cross-sectional study. Predictors were estimated using logistic regression. RESULTS: There was a significant association between occupational sector (p = 0.012), injury duration (p = 0.024), occupational performance (p = 0.009) and satisfaction with performance (p <  0.001), grip strength of injured hand (p = 0.045– 0.002) and the Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) disability/symptom (p = 0.001) with the person’s return to work status. Significant predictors of return to work were identified using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) satisfaction’s score, DASH disability/symptoms’ score and duration of the injury. CONCLUSION: As two main predictors of return to work were COPM satisfaction and DASH disability/symptoms, occupational therapists working in rehabilitation should focus on achieving functional performance and satisfaction within the optimal time.

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