Key result
Non-pharmacological interventions improve mood after stroke, driven by exercise and robot-assisted therapy.
Why the study?
Do non-pharmacological interventions improve depression, anxiety, and pseudobulbar affect in post-stroke individuals?
Systematic Review
Do non-pharmacological interventions improve depression, anxiety, and pseudobulbar affect in post-stroke individuals?
Non-pharmacological interventions such as robot-assisted therapy and physical exercise may improve mood disturbances like depression and anxiety in stroke survivors.
BACKGROUND: Stroke survivors face high rates of depression, anxiety, and pseudobulbar affect. Clinicians report lack of clarity on effective non-pharmacological interventions due to uncertainty about treatment options as barriers to evidence-based treatment. No systematic review has investigated the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions on the conditions of depression, anxiety, and pseudo-bulbar affect. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions on the outcomes of depression, anxiety, and pseudobulbar affect in post-stroke individuals. METHODS: Following the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we searched databases Medline, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and PsycINFO for randomized controlled trials in English, within 2012-2023, evaluating the effect of a non-pharmacological intervention on depression, anxiety, and/or pseudobulbar affect. Two researchers screened titles, abstracts, and full texts. One researcher extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Data were synthesized narratively. No studies explored the impact on pseudobulbar affect. CONCLUSION: Non-pharmacological interventions may be effective in improving mood in stroke survivors. Robot-assisted therapy and physical exercise were seen to improve multiple outcome measures. Patient education should be delivered alongside rehabilitation and directed to both stroke-survivor and caregiver.
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Balram et al. (2024) conducted a systematic review in Mood disturbances post-stroke (depression, anxiety, pseudobulbar affect). Non-pharmacological interventions was evaluated on Depression, anxiety, and pseudobulbar affect. Non-pharmacological interventions, including robot-assisted therapy and physical exercise, may improve mood in stroke survivors, though no studies evaluated pseudobulbar affect.
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