Kitchen-related tasks used in occupational therapy during rehabilitation of adults with acquired brain injury: A systematic review

Abstract

Introduction Kitchen-related tasks are widely used in occupational therapy for adults with acquired brain injury. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of kitchen-related, task-based occupational therapy interventions for improving clinical and functional outcomes in the rehabilitation of adults with acquired brain injury. Method A systematic review of the literature was conducted with narrative synthesis (PROSPERO registration CRD42019141898), by searching relevant electronic databases (BNI, CINAHL Plus, MEDLINE, DORIS, OT Seeker etc.), registries of ongoing studies (ISRCTN, PROSPERO, etc.), and grey literature (OpenGrey, etc.). English-language studies that evaluated kitchen-related tasks in the rehabilitation of adults with acquired brain injury were included and independently appraised for their methodological quality by two reviewers. Results Seventeen primary studies met the eligibility criteria. Studies were heterogeneous in methods, methodological quality, setting, sample size, purpose, and design of kitchen-related tasks. Fifteen studies evaluated kitchen-related, task-based treatments for improving function, and two studies examined kitchen-related task assessments for safety and task performance. This provides very limited evidence for the effectiveness of kitchen-related, task-based interventions compared to interventions not based on kitchen-related tasks. Conclusion While kitchen-related, task-based occupational therapy interventions in acquired brain injury rehabilitation are common practice, there is currently limited research evidence to support this. Further studies are warranted to strengthen the evidence base.

O hand, where art thou? Mapping hand location across the visual field during common activities

“…Furthermore, the ubiquitous nature of these daily tasks and the use of both single and bi-manual unscripted actions across the entire visual scene make them ecologically robust and representative of healthy populations. Kitchen-based tasks are also widely used in neurological rehabilitation, both in the assessment and treatment of individuals with acquired brain injury (Mohapatra and Kulnik 2021 ) and are considered meaningful and highly valued by these same individuals (Bigelius et al 2009 ). Moreover, the fairly low ambulatory demands of kitchen-related tasks also make them a good activity to contrast to other activities involving visually guided manual actions combined with ambulation in wider spaces such as in sports contexts or factory environments.…”

Aligning formal and functional assessments of Visuospatial Neglect: A mixed-methods study

“…Qualitative data from occupational therapist notes collected as a standard component of post-stroke functional assessment can be employed to address this knowledge gap (Baum et al, 2008;Mohapatra & Kulnik, 2021). Occupational therapists regularly conduct structured, observational assessments to determine patient's ability to complete common daily life activities and suitability for discharge (Katz et al, 2000;Mohapatra & Kulnik, 2021). Two common classes of these real-world observational assessments are kitchen-related tasks and wash and dress assessments.…”

“…In a kitchen assessment, a therapist might ask a patient to prepare a simple meal or a hot drink in a kitchen. Therapists then observe patients completing the assigned task, whilst taking note of any notable behavioural patterns (Baum et al, 2008;Mohapatra & Kulnik, 2021). These include motor impairments, cognitive deficits, and any other behaviours which might prove dangerous following discharge.…”