The Influence of Sound-Based Interventions on Motor Behavior After Stroke: A Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Neurorehabilitation
• Biomechanical Engineering
• Auditory Neuroscience

Background:

• Stroke survivors often experience significant motor deficits, impacting daily function.
• Understanding interventions that can restore motor control is crucial for rehabilitation.
• Sound-based interventions (SBIs) are emerging as a potential tool to modulate motor behavior.

Approach:

• Systematic review of studies investigating SBIs on biomechanical parameters in stroke patients.
• Searched major databases (PubMed, Web of Science, PEDro, Cochrane) until September 2019.
• Included studies assessed kinematic, kinetic, and electromyographic outcomes for upper limb and walking tasks.

Key Points:

• Twelve studies with 240 participants met the criteria.
• SBIs demonstrated improvements in knee flexion and gastrocnemius muscle activity during walking.
• Evidence for upper limb motor tasks, such as reaching, was inconclusive due to study heterogeneity and quality.

Conclusions:

• SBIs can induce biomechanical changes in walking motor behavior in stroke patients.
• Further research is needed to clarify the effects of SBIs on upper limb motor tasks.
• Future studies should utilize actual music and focus on sub-acute stroke patients to elucidate underlying mechanisms.