Comparison of the Clinical Effectiveness of Telerehabilitation with Traditional Rehabilitation Methods in Multiple Sclerosis Patients: A Systematic Review
Telemed Journal and e-Health
Sarpourian, F., Sharifian, R., et al. (2024).
Telemed Journal and e-Health, 30(8), e2214-e2231.
<div>This systematic review investigates the effects of telerehabilitation interventions on clinical outcomes in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). This summary highlights conclusions within the scope of speech-language pathology.</div>
No funding received
2013 to May 24, 2023
<div>Original randomized controlled trials (RCT) and RCT pilot studies</div>
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<div>Computer-based cognitive rehabilitation software resulted in clinical outcomes comparable to or surpassing traditional rehabilitation in individuals with MS. Findings for specific software included the following:</div>
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<li>RehaCom software demonstrated significant effects for symbol digit modalities test (SDMT), verbal and visuospatial episodic memory on the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test Revised, processing speed and attention on the Trail Making Test Part A, and executive functioning on the Trail Making Test Part B compared to usual care. No significant differences were found in California Verbal Learning Test and n-back task scores.</li>
<li>ERICA software showed more effects than face-to-face treatment on scores for the following tests: Montreal Cognitive Assessment , Selective Reminding Test-Long-Term Storage, Selective Reminding Test-Delayed Recall of the Selective Reminding Test, and SDMT.</li>
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<div>Two studies found that participants who received computer-assisted cognitive telerehabilitation successfully retained their functional improvements in attentional domains for up to six months post-treatment.</div>
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<div>Limitations of this review included a lack of full text access to many articles, a restriction to English-language publications, small sample sizes, a lack of long-term follow-up, and significant clinical heterogeneity. Additional research is needed to investigate the clinical effectiveness of telerehabilitation compared to traditional rehabilitation on physical and cognitive outcomes in individuals with MS.</div>
