Donate Help Contact The AHA Sign In Home
American Heart Association
Stroke
Search: search_blue_button Advanced Search
Stroke. 2003;34:676-687
Published online before print February 27, 2003, doi: 10.1161/01.STR.0000057576.77308.30
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
34/3/676    most recent
01.STR.0000057576.77308.30v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Steultjens, E. M.J.
Right arrow Articles by Bernabei, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Steultjens, E. M.J.
Right arrow Articles by Bernabei, R.
Related Collections
Right arrow Rehabilitation, Stroke

(Stroke. 2003;34:676.)
© 2003 American Heart Association, Inc.


Original Contributions

Occupational Therapy for Stroke Patients

A Systematic Review

Esther M.J. Steultjens, MA; Joost Dekker, PhD; Lex M. Bouter, PhD; Jos C.M. van de Nes, MD; Edith H.C. Cup, MSc Cornelia H.M. van den Ende, PhD

From the Netherlands Institute for Health Care Research, Utrecht (E.M.J.S., C.H.M. van den E.); Department of Rehabilitation Medicine (J.D.) and Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine (L.M.B.), VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam; University of Professional Education, Amsterdam (J.C.M. van de N.), and Department of Occupational Therapy, University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen (E.H.C.C.), the Netherlands.

Correspondence to Esther M.J. Steultjens, Netherlands Institute for Health Care Research, PO Box 1568, 3500 BN Utrecht, Netherlands. E-mail e.steultjens{at}nivel.nl

Background and Purpose— Occupational therapy (OT) is an important aspect of stroke rehabilitation. The objective of this study was to determine from the available literature whether OT interventions improve outcome for stroke patients.

Methods— An extensive search in MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, AMED, and SCISEARCH was performed. Studies with controlled and uncontrolled designs were included. Seven intervention categories were distinguished and separately analyzed. If a quantitative approach (meta-analysis) of data analysis was not appropriate, a qualitative approach (best-evidence synthesis), based on the type of design, methodological quality, and significant findings of outcome and/or process measures, was performed.

Results— Thirty-two studies were included in this review, of which 18 were randomized controlled trials. Ten randomized controlled trials had a high methodological quality. For the comprehensive OT intervention, the pooled standardized mean difference for primary activities of daily living (ADL) (0.46; CI, 0.04 to 0.88), extended ADL (0.32; CI, 0.00 to 0.64), and social participation (0.33; CI, 0.03 to 0.62) favored treatment. For the training of skills intervention, some evidence for improvement in primary ADL was found. Insufficient evidence was found to indicate that the provision of splints is effective in decreasing muscle tone.

Conclusions— This review identified small but significant effect sizes for the efficacy of comprehensive OT on primary ADL, extended ADL, and social participation. These results correspond to the outcome of a systematic review of intensified rehabilitation for stroke patients. The amount of evidence with respect to specific interventions, however, is limited. More research is needed to enable evidence-based OT for stroke patients.

Occupational Therapy for Stroke Patients: When, Where, and How?

Francesco Landi, MD, PhD, Guest Editor Roberto Bernabei, MD, Guest Editor



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
BMJHome page
L. Legg, A. Drummond, J. Leonardi-Bee, J R F Gladman, S. Corr, M. Donkervoort, J. Edmans, L. Gilbertson, L. Jongbloed, P. Logan, et al.
Occupational therapy for patients with problems in personal activities of daily living after stroke: systematic review of randomised trials
BMJ, November 3, 2007; 335(7626): 922 - 922.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
StrokeHome page
N. A. Lannin, A. Cusick, A. McCluskey, and R. D. Herbert
Effects of Splinting on Wrist Contracture After Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Stroke, January 1, 2007; 38(1): 111 - 116.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
StrokeHome page
L. De Wit, K. Putman, N. Lincoln, I. Baert, P. Berman, H. Beyens, K. Bogaerts, N. Brinkmann, L. Connell, E. Dejaeger, et al.
Stroke Rehabilitation in Europe: What Do Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists Actually Do?
Stroke, June 1, 2006; 37(6): 1483 - 1489.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Clin RehabilHome page
F. Song, C. Jerosch-Herold, R. Holland, M. d. L. Drachler, K. Mares, and I. Harvey
Statistical methods for analysing Barthel scores in trials of poststroke interventions: a review and computer simulations
Clinical Rehabilitation, April 1, 2006; 20(4): 347 - 356.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Clin RehabilHome page
I Lim, E van Wegen, C de Goede, M Deutekom, A Nieuwboer, A Willems, D Jones, L Rochester, and G Kwakkel
Effects of external rhythmical cueing on gait in patients with Parkinson's disease: a systematic review
Clinical Rehabilitation, July 1, 2005; 19(7): 695 - 713.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
NEJMHome page
B. H. Dobkin
Rehabilitation after Stroke
N. Engl. J. Med., April 21, 2005; 352(16): 1677 - 1684.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Clin RehabilHome page
E. M. Steultjens, J. Dekker, L. M Bouter, C. J Leemrijse, and C. H. van den Ende
Evidence of the efficacy of occupational therapy in different conditions: an overview of systematic reviews
Clinical Rehabilitation, March 1, 2005; 19(3): 247 - 254.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
NeurologyHome page
C. A. Hanlon, A. L.H. Buffington, and M. J. McKeown
New brain networks are active after right MCA stroke when moving the ipsilesional arm
Neurology, January 11, 2005; 64(1): 114 - 120.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
StrokeHome page
M.F. Walker, J. Leonardi-Bee, P. Bath, P. Langhorne, M. Dewey, S. Corr, A. Drummond, L. Gilbertson, J.R.F. Gladman, L. Jongbloed, et al.
Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Community Occupational Therapy for Stroke Patients
Stroke, September 1, 2004; 35(9): 2226 - 2232.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Clin RehabilHome page
R P. Van Peppen, G Kwakkel, S Wood-Dauphinee, H J. Hendriks, P. J Van der Wees, and J Dekker
The impact of physical therapy on functional outcomes after stroke: what's the evidence?
Clinical Rehabilitation, August 1, 2004; 18(8): 833 - 862.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Evid. Based Med.Home page
ADDITIONAL ARTICLES ABSTRACTED IN ACP JOURNAL CLUB
Evid. Based Med., January 1, 2004; 9(1): 3 - 3.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
BMJHome page
Minerva
BMJ, October 6, 2003; 327(7418): E225 - 225.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Evid. Based Nurs.Home page
OTHER ARTICLES NOTED (25 Apr 2003 to 18 Jul 2003)
Evid. Based Nurs., October 1, 2003; 6(4): e1 - 12.
[Full Text]


Home page
Clin RehabilHome page
N A Lannin and R D Herbert
Is hand splinting effective for adults following stroke? A systematic review and methodological critique of published research
Clinical Rehabilitation, August 1, 2003; 17(8): 807 - 816.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
BMJHome page
Minerva
BMJ, March 22, 2003; 326(7390): 668 - 668.
[Full Text] [PDF]