The effects of visual skills training on cognitive and executive functions in stroke patients: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

The visual system and associated skills are of particular importance in stroke rehabilitation. The process of neuroplasticity involved in restoring cognitive function during this period is mainly based on anatomical and physiological mechanisms. However, there is little evidence-based knowledge about the effects of visual skills training that could be used to improve therapeutic outcomes in cognitive rehabilitation. A computerized systematic literature search was conducted in the PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science databases from 1 January 1960 to 11 Febuary 2024. 1,787 articles were identified, of which 24 articles were used for the calculation of weighted standardized mean differences (SMD) after screening and eligibility verification. The findings revealed moderate effects for global cognitive function (SMD = 0.62) and activities of daily living (SMD = 0.55) as well as small effects for executive function (SMD = 0.20) - all in favor of the intervention group. The analyses indicate that the results may not be entirely robust, and should therefore be treated with caution when applied in practice. Visual skills training shows positive effects in improving cognitive and executive functions, especially in combination with high cognitive load and in an early phase of rehabilitation. An improvement in activities of daily living can also be observed with this type of intervention. The high heterogeneity of the studies and different treatment conditions require the identification of a relationship between certain visual skills and executive functions in future research.