Efficacy of Task-Oriented Interventions in Upper Extremity Rehabilitation Following Stroke: A Systematic Review

A stroke can cause significant dysfunction of the upper limb, severely affecting performance in everyday occupations. The task-oriented approach is grounded in occupational therapy principles and emphasizes the use of meaningful occupations to promote functional recovery. This review examines the effectiveness of the task-oriented approach during occupational therapy rehabilitation of the upper extremity following stroke. A comprehensive search was conducted on English-language literature published between 2018 and 2023, utilizing the databases Medline, Scopus and Google Scholar, as a supplementary source. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, an intensive screening process led to the inclusion of 16 relevant articles in this review. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the PEDro Scale. A narrative synthesis was conducted to summarize and interpret the findings of the included studies, which consisted of controlled trials examining the effectiveness of task-oriented interventions delivered alone or in combination with other rehabilitative approaches. The task-oriented approach was studied alongside (a) assistive technology, (b) the Bobath method, (c) mirror therapy, (d) Botulinum Toxin injections, and (e) other therapeutic techniques. Findings indicate that these interventions effectively enhance motor function, self-perceived arm use, and performance in activities of daily living. Integrating task-oriented therapy with the aforementioned therapeutic techniques is effective in managing the hemiplegic upper extremity after stroke. This review supports the implementation of the task-oriented approach in upper limb stroke rehabilitation, either alone or combined with other approaches. Nevertheless, due to the high heterogeneity of the task-oriented interventions studied, further research is required to comprehensively assess their efficacy in upper limb rehabilitation.