Assessment tools for attention deficits in patients with stroke: a scoping review across components and recovery phases.

BACKGROUND

Attention deficits are common in patients with stroke, making the assessment of attention functions crucial for improvement. A previous review reported on attention deficit assessments using specific components in patients with stroke. However, this study only included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and did not encompass the attention assessments included in the observational study. Therefore, we reviewed and categorized the assessments used for attention deficits in patients with stroke according to specific attention components including RCTs and observational studies.

METHOD

In this study, we adhered to the scoping review guidelines. The population, concept, and context of this study were stroke; attention deficits, RCTs, observational studies, and assessments; and components (focused, selective, sustained, spatial, divided, visual, and auditory attention) and phase (acute, subacute, and chronic), respectively. Two reviewers independently screened articles at the title, abstract, and full-text levels based on inclusion and exclusion criteria using four databases and the Rayyan software. Furthermore, we identified the study design, sample size, duration since stroke onset, and assessment tools were identified.

RESULTS

Out of 1,423 articles, we selected 35. The study designs included observational studies (80%) and RCTs (20%) and a total of 2,987 patients. The age range was 40.0 ± 7.7 to 83.6 ± 9.7 years. Twenty-four assessment tools were identified, mainly including the Trail Making Test Part A, Test of Everyday Attention, and other assessments (40%, 11.4%, and 62.8%, respectively). Regarding the five components of attention, there were 10 assessments were used each for sustained and selective attention (28.6%), and six each for alertness and divided attention (17.1%). Spatial attention was assessed using only one tool (2.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

We identified various assessment tools for analyzing attention deficit in patients with stroke and mapped them by component. This scoping review would be useful for selecting assessment methods for patients with stroke with attention deficits.