A Scoping Review of Technology-Based Approaches for Upper Limb Motor Rehabilitation after Stroke: Are We Really Targeting Severe Impairment?

Abstract

Technology-based approaches for upper limb (UL) motor rehabilitation after stroke are mostly designed for severely affected patients to increase their recovery chances. However, the available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focused on the efficacy of technology-based interventions often include patients with a wide range of motor impairment. This scoping review aims at overviewing the actual severity of stroke patients enrolled in RCTs that claim to specifically address UL severe motor impairment. The literature search was conducted on the Scopus and PubMed databases and included articles from 2008 to May 2024, specifically RCTs investigating the impact of technology-based interventions on UL motor functional recovery after stroke. Forty-eight studies were selected. They showed that, upon patients’ enrollment, the values of the UL Fugl-Meyer Assessment and Action Research Arm Test covered the whole range of both scales, thus revealing the non-selective inclusion of severely impaired patients. Heterogeneity in terms of numerosity, characteristics of enrolled patients, trial design, implementation, and reporting was present across the studies. No clear difference in the severity of the included patients according to the intervention type was found. Patient stratification upon enrollment is crucial to best direct resources to those patients who will benefit the most from a given technology-assisted approach (personalized rehabilitation).