Interventions to improve upper extremity reaching function in persons with stroke: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

Background A majority of stroke patients have persisting upper extremity impairments, with a large number of individuals who do not regain the ability to reach and manipulate everyday objects despite receiving prolonged and intensive therapy. Varied interventions have been employed to improve reaching functions. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive and updated review of all the interventions that can be used to improve upper extremity reaching function in stroke. Objective To review the existing interventions aimed to improve upper extremity reaching function in persons with stroke. Inclusion criteria Studies with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods design which have employed interventions to improve upper extremity reaching function following stroke and have been published from database inception to 25th February 2021 in English. Methods The proposed scoping review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist and will be conducted as per the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley. A database-specific search strategy will be used in four electronic databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science) and four grey literature platforms (ProQuest, MedNAR, OpenGrey, New York Academy of Medicine). The screening and extraction of data from eligible studies will be done independently by two reviewers. The extracted data will be presented with the help of tables and visual representation. Discussion Previously conducted reviews have enumerated the various types of interventions that have been used to improve upper extremity reaching function, but are incomprehensive and in need of an update. This review will provide an overview of all the therapeutic interventions which might aid in clinical decision making during stroke rehabilitation.