Group Versus Individual Therapy for Neurologic Recovery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

To investigate evidence for group-based interventions compared with individual-based interventions for sensorimotor rehabilitation in adults with neurologic conditions.

Medline, Embase, Emcare, and PsychINFO were searched from inception to July 2024.

Randomized controlled trials that compared group versus individual delivery of the same type of sensorimotor rehabilitation for adults with neurologic conditions were included.

Two reviewers independently screened, assessed methodological quality, and extracted data. Study characteristics, participant details, intervention/control characteristics, and clinical outcomes were extracted.

Ten trials were included in the review. Participant groups included people with Parkinson disease (2 trials), multiple sclerosis (1 trial), and stroke (7 trials). Meta-analyses found significant effects in favor of group interventions for 6-minute walk test distance (mean difference, 36.18m; 95% CI, 14.58-57.77; P=.001), and gait speed (mean difference, 0.2m/s; 95% CI, 0.13-0.27; P<.0001). No difference was found for other clinical measures.

Group-based rehabilitation appears to deliver improved ambulation speed and distance in people with neurologic conditions. Further research is required to understand whether group-based rehabilitation has additional benefits for motivation and social support. Delivery of rehabilitation in a group appears worthy of consideration in clinical settings.