The following is a summary of “Intervention patterns and preliminary effectiveness on Social Participation following stroke: a scoping review,” published in the July 2023 issue of Neurology by Zhou et al.

Stroke survivors often lose their ability to participate in social activities. There is a need to understand better the interventions that can help improve social participation in stroke survivors.

Researchers performed a retrospective study to describe the intervention patterns used to improve social participation in stroke survivors and assess their preliminary effects. Predefined search terms were used to explore eight online databases, including Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Medline, CINAHL plus, PsycINFO, and Scopus. The search covered articles from inception to September 22, 2022. Additional studies were identified by checking the references of included articles and previous reviews. 

Eligible studies were selected, and two reviewers performed data extraction independently. Out of 98 studies included, only 25 focused on social participation as the primary outcome of clinical interventions. These varied interventions included exercise-based, occupational therapy, self-management programs, and complex interventions. Among these 25 studies, eight found a positive impact of clinical interventions on social participation for stroke survivors. Interestingly, some interventions, like exercise-based interventions and self-management programs, led to contradictory conclusions regarding their effects on social participation.

The study concluded that exercise, occupational therapy, self-management, and complex interventions are promising intervention modalities for improving social participation in stroke survivors. However, more high-quality research is needed to confirm their effectiveness and to determine the optimal combination of interventions.

Source: bmcneurol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12883-023-03250-2