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Objective: To determine the quantity and quality of description of cognitive rehabilitation for cognitive deficits in people with multiple sclerosis, using a variety of published checklists, and suggest ways of improving the reporting of these interventions. Data sources: A total of 10 electronic databases were searched, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO, from inception to May 2017. Grey literature databases, trial registers, reference lists and author citations were also searched. Review methods: Papers were included if participants were people with multiple sclerosis aged 18 years and over and if the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation in improving functional ability for memory, attention or executive dysfunction, with or without a control group, was being evaluated. Results: A total of 54 studies were included in this review. The reporting of a number of key aspects of cognitive rehabilitation was poor. This was particularly in relation to content of interventions (reported completely in 26 of the 54 studies), intervention procedures (reported completely in 16 of the 54 studies), delivery mode (reported completely in 24 of the 54 studies) and intervention mechanism of action (reported completely in 21 of the 54 studies). Conclusion: The quality of reporting of cognitive rehabilitation for memory, attention and executive function for multiple sclerosis, across a range of study designs, is poor. Existing reporting checklists do not adequately cover aspects relevant to cognitive rehabilitation, such as the approaches used to address cognitive deficits. Future checklists could consider these aspects we have identified in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify healthcare professionals' perceived barriers and facilitators to clinical practice guideline implementation within stroke rehabilitation. Data sources: CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, Cochrane library, Academic Search Complete and Scopus. Additional papers were identified through hand searching. Review methods: The review followed the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols systematic review approach. Any empirical research that provided qualitative data on healthcare professionals' perceived factors influencing clinical guideline implementation in stroke rehabilitation was included. One reviewer screened all titles and abstract reviews (n = 669). Another two reviewers independently screened 30% of title and abstract reviews, followed by full-text reviews (n = 61). Study quality was assessed using the mixed-method appraisal tool. Results: Data from 10 qualitative, six quantitative and six mixed-method studies published between 2000 and 2022, involving 1576 participants in total, were analysed and synthesised using modified thematic synthesis approach. The majority of participants were therapists n = 1297 (occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists). Organisational factors (time constraints, resources) alongside healthcare professionals' lack of knowledge and skills were the most cited barriers to guideline implementation. Contradictory attitudes and beliefs towards stroke guidelines applicability to real-life clinical practice and their evidence base were reported. Organisational support in the form of training, local protocols, performance monitoring and leadership were reported as perceived facilitators. Conclusion: Barriers and facilitators are multifactorial and were identified at guideline, individual, team and organisational levels. There is a need to translate perceived barriers and facilitators into implementation interventions especially addressing organisational-level barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This systematic review analysed the evidence for the effect of head-up tilt (passive-standing) on consciousness among persons in prolonged disorders of consciousness. Data sources: Articles were identified through primary database searching (Medline, CINAHL, AMED, The Cochrane Library) and post-citation searching (Scopus). Review methods: This review followed the PRISMA statement. The search strategy was created to find articles that combined any conceivable passive standing device, any measure of consciousness and disorders of consciousness of any origin. Inclusion criteria were any papers that evaluated the use of head-up tilt in adults in defined disorders of consciousness. Exclusion criteria included active stand studies, paediatric studies and animal studies. The search was completed independently by two researchers. Data collection and risk of bias assessment was completed using the Downs and Black tool. Results: 6867 titles were retrieved (last search completed 21/6/20). Ten papers met the inclusion criteria: five examined the effects of a single head-up tilt treatment, and five the effects of head-up tilt regimes. Eighty-seven participants were randomised in three randomised controlled trials. In the remaining preliminary studies or case series, 233 participants were analysed. Quality was low, with only two high-quality studies available. Four studies were suitable for effect size analysis, where medium to large effect sizes were found. The two high-quality studies found head-up tilt had a large effect on consciousness. Conclusion: Overall there is some evidence that repeated passive standing on a tilt-table can improve consciousness, but the relevant studies provoke further questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This systematic review aimed to examine the effects of home-based exercises in comparison with centre-based exercises for improving the paretic upper limb after stroke. Data sources: AMED, MEDLINE, EMBASE CINAHL, Cochrane, PsycINFO, and PEDro databases. Review methods: Only randomized clinical trials were included. Participants in the reviewed studies were adults at any time after stroke. The experimental intervention was home-based exercises compared with centre-based exercises. Outcome data related to strength, motor recovery, dexterity, activity, and participation were extracted from the eligible trials and combined in meta-analyses. The quality of included trials was assessed by the PEDro scores. The quality of evidence was determined according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Results: Eight trials, involving 488 participants, were included. Most trials (63%) delivered semi-supervised interventions (amount of supervision 3–43%), and three trials provided full supervision. Random-effects meta-analyses provided moderate- to high-quality evidence that home- and centre-based exercises provide similar effects on motor recovery (MD 1.4 points; 95% CI −0.9 to 3.8), dexterity (MD −0.01 pegs/s; 95% CI −0.04 to 0.05), upper limb activity performance (SMD −0.04; 95% CI −0.25 to 0.18), and quality of movement (0.1 points; 95% CI −0.2 to 0.4). Effects on strength were also similar but the quality of the evidence was rated as low. No trials examined effects on participation. Conclusion: Effects of home-based prescribed exercises on upper limb motor recovery, dexterity, and activity are likely to be similar to improvements obtained by centre-based exercises after stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the factors affecting clinical decision-making about which patients should receive stroke rehabilitation. Methods: Data sources (MEDLINE, CINAHL, AMED and PsycINFO) were searched systematically from database inception to August 2018. Full-text English-language studies of data from stroke clinicians were included. Studies of patients were excluded. The included studies were any design focussed on clinical decision-making for referral or admission into stroke rehabilitation. Summary factors were compiled from each included study. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results: After removing duplicates, 1915 papers were identified, of which 13 met the inclusion criteria. Eight included studies were qualitative and one used mixed methods. A total of 292 clinicians were included in the studies. Quality of the included studies was mixed. Patient-level and organizational factors as well as characteristics of individual clinicians contributed to decisions about rehabilitation. The most often described factors were patients' pre- and poststroke function (n = 6 studies), presence of dementia (n = 6), patients' social/family support (n = 6), organizational service pressures (n = 7) and the decision-making clinician's own knowledge (n = 5) and emotions (n = 5). Conclusion: The results highlight a lack of clinical guidance to aid decision-making and reveal that a subjective approach to rehabilitation decision-making influenced by patient-level and organizational factors alongside clinicians' characteristics occurs across services and countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This systematic review sought evidence concerning the effectiveness of peer mentoring for people with traumatic brain injury. Data sources: Fourteen electronic databases were searched, including PsycINFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library, from inception to September 21 2016. Ten grey literature databases, PROSPERO, two trials registers, reference lists and author citations were also searched. Review methods: Studies which employed a model of one-to-one peer mentoring between traumatic brain injury survivors were included. Two reviewers independently screened all titles and abstracts before screening full texts of shortlisted studies. A third reviewer resolved disagreements. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed studies for quality and risk of bias. Results: The search returned 753 records, including one identified through hand searching. 495 records remained after removal of duplicates and 459 were excluded after screening. Full texts were assessed for the remaining 36 studies and six met the inclusion criteria. All were conducted in the United States between 1996 and 2012 and employed a variety of designs including two randomised controlled trials. A total of 288 people with traumatic brain injury participated in the studies. No significant improvements in social activity level or social network size were found, but significant improvements were shown in areas including behavioural control, mood, coping and quality of life. Conclusion: There is limited evidence for the effectiveness of peer mentoring after traumatic brain injury. The available evidence comes from small-scale studies, of variable quality, without detailed information on the content of sessions or the ‘active ingredient’ of the interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine whether shoulder orthoses prevent or reduce gleno-humeral subluxation and hemiplegic shoulder pain. Data sources: OVID SP, MEDLINE, AMED, CINAHL, PEDro and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Review methods: We included: randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials, controlled before and after studies and observational studies. Two reviewers independently screened, critically appraised papers using the PEDro tool, and extracted data. A descriptive synthesis was performed as there were insufficient data for meta-analysis. Results: Eight studies were included, totalling 186 participants: One randomised controlled trial with 41 participants, one quasi-randomised with 14 participants, one before and after controlled study with 40 participants and five observational studies with 91 participants met the inclusion criteria. Findings suggest that applying an orthosis to an already subluxed shoulder immediately reduced vertical subluxation on X-ray but improvements were not maintained when orthosis was removed. Orthoses with both proximal and distal attachments improved shoulder pain in the majority of stroke patients when worn for four weeks (starting several days or weeks post-stroke). There was no increase in adverse effects of contracture, spasticity or hand oedema when compared to no orthosis. Orthoses were generally well-tolerated and most patients rated the orthosis as comfortable to wear. Conclusion: Observational studies suggest that orthoses reduce vertical subluxation whilst in-situ. Available evidence from heterogeneous studies after stroke suggests that orthoses may reduce pain and are well-tolerated with prolonged use. No studies have tested whether subluxation and pain can be prevented by immediate post-stroke application of orthoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To systematically appraise published reviews on interventions used to support transitions for individuals with neurological conditions. Data sources: MEDLINE, CINAHL, The Allied and Complementary Medicine, AMED, PsycINFO, Cochrane database of systematic reviews and Web of Science were searched between 31st December 2010 and 15th September 2022. Method: The systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines. The quality and risk of bias were measured using A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews 2 and the Risk Of Bias In Systematic reviews' tool. All types of reviews which involved participants with neurological conditions were included. Results: Seven reviews met the inclusion criteria. A total of 172 studies were included in the reviews. Effectiveness of transition interventions could not be calculated due to the lack of data. The findings suggested that the use of health applications may be beneficial by increasing self-management capabilities and disease knowledge. Education and clear communication between healthcare providers and recipients may also have positive impacts on quality of life. Risk of bias was found to be high in four of the reviews. Four reviews had low or critically low levels of evidence. Conclusions: There is a paucity of published evidence on interventions used to support the transitions of individuals with neurological conditions and the effect that these have on quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To conduct a systematic review of the effectiveness of facial exercise therapy for facial palsy patients, updating an earlier broader Cochrane review; and to provide evidence to inform the development of telerehabilitation for these patients. Data Sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PEDro and AMED for relevant studies published between 01 January 2011 and 30 September 2020. Methods: Predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria were utilised to shortlist abstracts. Two reviewers independently appraised articles, systematically extracted data and assessed the quality of individual studies and reviews (using GRADE and AMSTAR-2, respectively). Thematic analysis used for evidence synthesis; no quantitative meta-analysis conducted. The review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42017073067). Results: Seven new randomised controlled trials, nine observational studies, and three quasi-experimental or pilot studies were identified (n = 854 participants). 75% utilised validated measures to record changes in facial function and/or patient-rated outcomes. High-quality trials (4/7) all reported positive impacts; as did observational studies rated as high/moderate quality (3/9). The benefit of therapy at different time points post-onset and for cases of varying clinical severity is discussed. Differences in study design prevented data pooling to strengthen estimates of therapy effects. Six new review articles identified were all rated critically low quality. Conclusion: The findings of this targeted review reinforce those of the earlier more general Cochrane review. New research studies strengthen previous conclusions about the benefits of facial exercise therapy early in recovery and add to evidence of the value in chronic cases. Further standardisation of study design/outcome measures and evaluation of cost-effectiveness are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To establish what aspects of group-based cognitive rehabilitation for memory problems are reported, and to develop a checklist for authors, which may to improve reporting of these interventions in future studies. Data sources: A systematic search was conducted on Web of Knowledge, CINAHL, MEDLINE, AMED, EMBASE and PsycINFO electronic databases (last search: 01/05/2015). Review methods: Articles were included if the sample were adults with a neurological disorder, the intervention was group-based cognitive rehabilitation for memory problems, and if the study was a randomised controlled trial. Articles were independently screened for inclusion and data extracted by two researchers, with the third researcher arbitrating any disputes. Results: Fourteen studies were included in this review. The reporting of certain aspects of an intervention was found to be poor, particularly in relation to: duration of the programme (6 of 14 studies did not report), the development of the intervention (7 of 14 studies did not discuss), and the content and structure of intervention (7 of the 14 studies did not provide details). Conclusion: This review found that the overall reporting of memory rehabilitation content and format is poor. Refinement and adaption of pre-existing checklists to capture aspects of cognitive rehabilitation programmes may help authors when reporting complex interventions. A draft checklist is provided that could be refined and validated in further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: 1. To describe what exercises and intervention variables are used in resistance training interventions in randomised controlled trials for lower limb tendinopathy 2. To assess completeness of reporting as assessed by the Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template (CERT) and the Toigo and Boutellier framework. 3. To assess the implementation of scientific resistance training principles. 4. To assess therapeutic quality of exercise interventions with the i-CONTENT tool. Data sources: We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, AMED, EMBase, SPORTDiscus, and the Cochrane library databases. Review methods: Systematic review of randomised controlled trials that reported using resistance exercises for lower limb tendinopathies. Results: We included 109 RCTs. Eccentric heel drops were the most common exercise (43 studies), followed by isotonic heel raises (21), and single leg eccentric decline squats (18). Reporting of exercise descriptor items from the Toigo and Boutellier framework ranged from 0–13, with an average score of 9/13, and only 7 studies achieved a full 13/13. Reporting of items from the CERT ranged from 0–18, with an average score of 14/19. No study achieved a full 19/19, however 5 achieved 18/19. Scoring for resistance training principles ranged from 1–10, with only 11 studies achieving 10/10. Reporting across studies for the i-CONTENT tool ranged from 2–7, with an average score of 5 across included studies. A total of 19 studies achieved a full 7/7 score. Less than 50% of studies achieved an overall low risk of bias, highlighting the methodological concerns throughout studies. Conclusion: The reporting of exercise descriptors and intervention content was generally high across RCTs for lower limb tendinopathy, with most allowing exercise replication. However, reporting for some tendinopathies and content items such as adherence was poor, limiting optimal translation to clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate whether Kinesio taping technique, applied to ankles of healthy people as a preventive intervention and people with ankle injuries, is superior to sham or alternative interventions on ankle function. Data Sources: Medline, Embase, Amed, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Cochrane Library and Web of Science, from inception to August 2020. Review methods: The terms "ankle" and "kinesio taping" were used in the search strategy. Included studies were randomized controlled trials (including crossover design) investigating Kinesio taping effects on ankle functional performance compared to any alternative or control/sham technique. Results: From 5,572 studies, 84 met the eligibility criteria which evaluated 2,684 people. Fifty-eight meta-analyses from 44 studies were performed (participants in meta-analyses ranging from 27 to 179). Fifty-one meta-analyses reported ineffectiveness of Kinesio taping: moderate evidence for star excursion balance test (anterior direction), jump distance, dorsiflexion range of motion, and plantar flexion torque for healthy people (effect size = 0.08–0.13); low to very-low evidence for balance, jump performance, range of motion, proprioception, muscle capacity and EMG for healthy people; balance for older people; and balance and jump performance for people with chronic instability. Seven meta-analyses reported results favoring Kinesio taping (effect size[95% CI]): low to very-low evidence for balance (stabilometry, ranging from 0.42[0.07–0.77] to 0.65[0.29–1.02]) and ankle inversion (0.84[0.28–1.40]) for healthy people; balance for older people (COP velocity, 0.90[0.01–1.78]); and balance for people with chronic instability (errors, 0.55[0.06–1.04]). Conclusions: Current evidence does not support or encourage the use of Kinesio taping applied to the ankle for improvements in functional performance, regardless the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of behavioural activation interventions for people with neurological conditions with comorbid depression, and explore content and adaptations. Data sources: PsycINFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL, AMED, and EMBASE databases were searched on the 19 November 2019. Reference lists of selected full-texts were screened by title. Review methods: We included peer-reviewed studies published in English that used behavioural activation for treatment of depression in adults with a neurological condition. Single-case reports, reviews, and grey literature were excluded. Methodological quality was assessed by two authors independently, and quality was appraised using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklists. Results: From 2714 citations, 10 articles were included comprising 590 participants. Behavioural activation was used to treat depression in people with dementia (n = 4), stroke (n = 3), epilepsy (n = 1), Parkinson's disease (n = 1), and brain injury (n = 1). Sample size ranged from 4 to 105 participants. There were seven randomized controlled studies; however, no studies compared behavioural activation to an alternative psychological therapy. The effect sizes varied between small and large in the studies where effect size could be calculated (d = 0.24–1.7). Methodological quality of the included studies was variable. Intervention components were identifying and engaging in pleasurable activities, psychoeducation, and problem-solving. Adaptations included delivering sessions via telephone, delivering interventions via primary caregivers, and giving psychoeducation to caregivers. Conclusion: The effectiveness of behavioural activation in randomized controlled trials varied from small to large (d = 0.24–1.7) in reducing depression. The content of behavioural activation was comparable to established treatment manuals. Adaptations appeared to support individuals to engage in therapy. Review registration: PROSPERO 2018, CRD42018102604. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To conduct a systematic review to evaluate exercise and structured physical activity for people living with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. Data sources: AMED, CINAHL, Cochrane, EMBASE, Informit, MEDLINE, PEDro, PsycINFO, PubMed and SportDiscus were searched until 18 August 2019. Reference lists of included studies were hand-searched. Methods: Cochrane guidelines informed review methods. English language peer-reviewed studies of any design, in any setting, were included. Method quality was appraised with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale and Joanna Briggs Institute instruments. Data were extracted for study design, sample characteristics and therapy content. Effectiveness was calculated where possible. Results: Eleven studies were included. Method appraisal showed moderate to high risk of bias. Research designs included three randomized controlled trials, two quasi-experimental studies, one cohort study, four case studies and one case series. Sample sizes ranged from 1 to 24. Exercise interventions included supported and robot-assisted gait training, gaze training, balance re-education and auditory-cued motor training. Dosage ranged from two to five sessions per week over four to eight weeks. End-of-intervention effect sizes were small (6-minute walk test: –0.07; 95% confidence interval (CI): –0.87, 0.73) to moderate (balance: –0.61; 95% CI: –1.40, 0.23; Timed Up and Go: 0.42; 95% CI: –0.49, 1.33) and statistically non-significant. Function, quality of life and adverse events were inconsistently reported. Conclusions: For people with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, robust evidence was not found for therapeutic exercises. Reported improvements in walking were derived from two clinical trials. The effects of structured physical activity for people with advanced Progressive Supranuclear Palsy are not known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate if somatosensory retraining programmes assist people to improve somatosensory discrimination skills and arm functioning after stroke. Data sources: Nine databases were systematically searched: Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsychInfo, Embase, Amed, Web of Science, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, OT seeker, and Cochrane Library. Review methods: Studies were included for review if they involved (1) adult participants who had somatosensory impairment in the arm after stroke, (2) a programme targeted at retraining somatosensation, (3) a primary measure of somatosensory discrimination skills in the arm, and (4) an intervention study design (e.g. randomized or non-randomized control designs). Results: A total of 6779 articles were screened. Five group trials and five single case experimental designs were included (N = 199 stroke survivors). Six studies focused exclusively on retraining somatosensation and four studies focused on somatosensation and motor retraining. Standardized somatosensory measures were typically used for tactile, proprioception, and haptic object recognition modalities. Sensory intervention effect sizes ranged from 0.3 to 2.2, with an average effect size of 0.85 across somatosensory modalities. A majority of effect sizes for proprioception and tactile somatosensory domains were greater than 0.5, and all but one of the intervention effect sizes were larger than the control effect sizes, at least as point estimates. Six studies measured motor and/or functional arm outcomes (n = 89 participants), with narrative analysis suggesting a trend towards improvement in arm use after somatosensory retraining. Conclusion: Somatosensory retraining may assist people to regain somatosensory discrimination skills in the arm after stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the ability of clinical measures of balance to distinguish fallers from non-fallers and to determine their predictive validity in identifying those at risk of falls. Data sources: AMED, CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, PubMed Central and Google Scholar. First search: July 2015. Final search: October 2017. Review methods: Inclusion criteria were studies of adults with a definite multiple sclerosis diagnosis, a clinical balance assessment and method of falls recording. Data were extracted independently by two reviewers. Study quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 scale and the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Statistical analysis was conducted for the cross-sectional studies using Review Manager 5. The mean difference with 95% confidence interval in balance outcomes between fallers and non-fallers was used as the mode of analysis. Results: We included 33 studies (19 cross-sectional, 5 randomised controlled trials, 9 prospective) with a total of 3901 participants, of which 1917 (49%) were classified as fallers. The balance measures most commonly reported were the Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go and Falls Efficacy Scale International. Meta-analysis demonstrated fallers perform significantly worse than non-fallers on all measures analysed except the Timed Up and Go Cognitive (p < 0.05), but discriminative ability of the measures is commonly not reported. Of those reported, the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale had the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value (0.92), but without reporting corresponding measures of clinical utility. Conclusion: Clinical measures of balance differ significantly between fallers and non-fallers but have poor predictive ability for falls risk in people with multiple sclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the validity and reliability of accelerometers to detect lying, sitting and standing postures or purposeful activity in hospitalized adults recovering from acute or critical illness. Data sources: CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, Cochrane Library, PEDro, PsycINFO and SPORTDiscuss were searched from inception to June 2017. Professional networks and reference lists of relevant articles were also searched. The main selection criteria were hospitalized adults with acute or critical illness and studies investigating the validity or reliability of accelerometers to identify body position or purposeful activity. Review methods: Two authors individually assessed study eligibility and independently undertook methodological quality assessment and data extraction from selected articles. A narrative synthesis of the data was undertaken. Results: Fifteen studies, collectively enrolling 385 hospitalized participants, were identified. Populations included stroke, the elderly, acute exacerbation of chronic respiratory disease, abdominal surgery and those recovering from critical illness. Correlations of r = 0.36 to 0.98 and levels of agreement of κ = 0.28 to 0.98 were reported for identification of lying, sitting or standing postures. Correlations of r = 0.4 to 0.8 with general activity were found, with r = 0.94 and 0.96 reported for step count. The reliability of accelerometry measurement was investigated in one study evaluating step count quantification (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.99–1.00). Conclusion: The validity of accelerometers to determine lying, sitting and standing postures or quantify purposeful activity within hospitalized acute or critically ill populations is variable. The reliability of accelerometry measurement within this setting remains largely unexplored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of pre-operative exercise physiotherapy rehabilitation on the outcomes of treatment following anterior cruciate ligament injury. Methods: The following databases were searched: PubMed, Ovid, The Cochrane Library and Web of Science. Studies published between the inception of the databases and December 2015 were sought using appropriate keywords in various combinations. This search was supplemented with a manual search of the references of selected studies. Studies were assessed for methodological quality using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. Results: A total of 500 studies were identified, of which eight studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the present review. The average Physiotherapy Evidence Database score for the studies included was 5.8, which reflects an overall moderate methodological quality. The eight studies investigated a total of 451 subjects of which 71% (n=319) were males. The age of the participants in the eight studies ranged from 15 to 57 years. The duration of the intervention in the studies ranged from 3 to 24 weeks. This review found that pre-operative physiotherapy rehabilitation is effective for improving the outcomes of treatment following anterior cruciate ligament injury, including increasing knee-related function and improving muscle strength. However, whilst there was a significant improvement in quality of life from baseline following intervention, no significant difference in quality of life was found between the control and intervention groups. Conclusions: There is evidence to suggest that pre-operative physiotherapy rehabilitation is beneficial to patients with anterior cruciate ligament injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: A systematic review and meta analysis using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The aim was to evaluate the efficacy of Botulinum Toxin type A for limb spasticity on improving activity restriction and quality of life outcomes. Data sources: Pubmed, Cinahl, Amed, Embase and Cochrane databases. English Language. Search to January 2015. Review methods: All randomized, placebo controlled trials on adults with active function or quality of life measures for the arm and leg relating to spasticity of any origin and treated with a single dose of Botulinum Toxin A. Evidence quality was assessed by GRADE. Results: Twenty-five studies were reviewed. Meta analysis was carried out on six upper limb and six lower limb studies. Evidence quality for the upper limb was low/very low. A significant result for Botulinum Toxin A was found at four to twelve weeks for the upper limb for active function (SMD 0.32 CI 0.01, 0.62, P=0.04) These effects were maintained for up to six months for Active Research Arm Test (ARAT) only (MD 1.87 CI 0.53, 3.21, P=0.006). Evidence quality was very low for the lower limb. No significant effect was found. Meta analysis was not possible for quality of life measures. Conclusion: Botulinum Toxin A may improve active outcomes in the upper limb but further evidence is needed. No conclusion can be drawn about the effect on active outcomes for the lower limb or for quality of life measures in either limb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which investigates the factors associated with physical activity participation in adults with hip or knee osteoarthritis. Topics discussed include quantitative correlates of physical activity in adults with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis, relation between health-related quality of life and physical activity and physiotherapy.

The article focuses on a study which discusses psychometric properties of balance measures for use in people with cerebellar ataxia. Topics discussed include use of Consensus Based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement Instruments (COSMIN), investigation of psychometric properties of balance sub-components of the cerebellar-specific measures and use of International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS).