Psychological interventions for post stroke pain: A systematic review.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Psychology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Chronic pain is a common and debilitating condition following stroke, significantly impacting patients' quality of life.
• Psychological interventions have shown promise in managing chronic pain in general populations.

Approach:

• This review systematically searched major databases (PubMed, PsychINFO, Embase, CINAHL) for studies on psychological interventions for chronic post-stroke pain.
• Included studies focused on adults with stroke, measuring pain outcomes like intensity and frequency.
• Study quality was assessed using established tools like the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist and RoBiNT Scale.

Key Points:

• Three single-case reports were included in the narrative synthesis.
• Psychological interventions demonstrated a potential to alleviate chronic post-stroke pain.
• The overall quality of the included studies was poor due to low internal validity inherent in single-case designs.

Conclusions:

• Limited evidence suggests psychological interventions may offer clinical utility for chronic post-stroke pain.
• The paucity and low quality of existing research necessitate cautious interpretation of findings.
• More high-quality, rigorous studies are essential to establish definitive efficacy and guide clinical practice.