Exploring Unsupervised Home-Based Exercise Therapy in Chronic Post-Stroke Individuals: A Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Exercise Science

Background:

• Physical exercise is vital for post-stroke recovery, yet therapy time constraints limit in-session exercise.
• Unsupervised home-based interventions offer a potential solution for sustained exercise in chronic stroke survivors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map the modalities of unsupervised home-based rehabilitation interventions for chronic post-stroke patients.
• To review exercise characteristics, technology use, outcomes, and adherence strategies.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published since 2020.
• Searched Medline, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Pedro databases.
• Included studies focused on unsupervised home-based exercise therapy ≥6 months post-stroke.

Main Results:

• Six RCTs (135 participants) were analyzed, with exercise frequency ranging from 3 days/week to daily.
• Interventions included mHealth apps, video guidance, and boxing, targeting balance, mobility, and core stability.
• Balance and walking capacity were primary outcomes; most programs involved therapist support for adherence.

Conclusions:

• Diverse exercise modalities and technologies are employed in unsupervised home-based stroke rehabilitation.
• Adherence strategies vary, with therapist support being common, except in app-based interventions.
• More research is required to establish the definitive effectiveness of these interventions.