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Background <p>Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability worldwide, with a disproportionate burden borne by low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Gait and balance impairments are among the most common and disabling consequences of stroke, substantially limiting functional independence and increasing the risk of falls. Although rehabilitation interventions are known to improve gait and balance outcomes after stroke, the extent and nature of evidence generated in LMIC contexts remain unclear.</p> Objective <p>We aimed to map the scope and characteristics of published studies reporting rehabilitation interventions targeting gait and/or balance among stroke survivors in LMICs, and to identify gaps to inform future research and practice.</p> Methods <p>We conducted a scoping review of the published literature to identify recent (January 1st, 2014 - October 31st, 2025) studies on rehabilitation interventions promoting gait and/or balance among stroke survivors in LMICs. We searched the PubMed, EBSCOhost, PEDro and African Journals Online (AJOL) databases and screened references from bibliographies. Data were charted and summarized descriptively, focusing on intervention types and characteristics, as well as geographical distribution.</p> Results <p>The search identified 728 records, of which 89 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were randomized or pilot randomized controlled trials, although reporting of intervention content, dose, and usual care comparators was often incomplete. The majority of interventions reflected conventional physiotherapy approaches such as task-specific gait training, balance exercises, strengthening, and functional mobility practice, while fewer studies evaluated treadmill-based, robotic, virtual-reality, neuromodulation, or other technology-supported programs. Research output was unevenly distributed across regions, with 64.0% being from Upper-Middle Income Countries (UMICs) and only two (2.2%) of the included studies conducted in low-income countries (LICs). Considerable heterogeneity was evident in intervention intensity, duration, terminology, and outcome measures.</p> Conclusions <p>A wide range of rehabilitation interventions for post-stroke gait and balance has been investigated in LMICs; however, the evidence base remains fragmented, inconsistently reported, and geographically imbalanced. Future work should prioritize context-appropriate, rigorously designed studies, clearer reporting of intervention content and dose, and better representation of low-income settings to guide equitable and effective stroke rehabilitation.</p>

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Recent research on rehabilitation interventions for post-stroke gait and balance in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

  • 期刊论文

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月20日

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  • Gerard Urimubenshi,
  • Anne Kumurenzi,
  • Farayi Kaseke,
  • Roberta de Oliveira Cacho,
  • Jussara Almeida de Oliveira Baggio

摘要

Background

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability worldwide, with a disproportionate burden borne by low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Gait and balance impairments are among the most common and disabling consequences of stroke, substantially limiting functional independence and increasing the risk of falls. Although rehabilitation interventions are known to improve gait and balance outcomes after stroke, the extent and nature of evidence generated in LMIC contexts remain unclear.

Objective

We aimed to map the scope and characteristics of published studies reporting rehabilitation interventions targeting gait and/or balance among stroke survivors in LMICs, and to identify gaps to inform future research and practice.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review of the published literature to identify recent (January 1st, 2014 - October 31st, 2025) studies on rehabilitation interventions promoting gait and/or balance among stroke survivors in LMICs. We searched the PubMed, EBSCOhost, PEDro and African Journals Online (AJOL) databases and screened references from bibliographies. Data were charted and summarized descriptively, focusing on intervention types and characteristics, as well as geographical distribution.

Results

The search identified 728 records, of which 89 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were randomized or pilot randomized controlled trials, although reporting of intervention content, dose, and usual care comparators was often incomplete. The majority of interventions reflected conventional physiotherapy approaches such as task-specific gait training, balance exercises, strengthening, and functional mobility practice, while fewer studies evaluated treadmill-based, robotic, virtual-reality, neuromodulation, or other technology-supported programs. Research output was unevenly distributed across regions, with 64.0% being from Upper-Middle Income Countries (UMICs) and only two (2.2%) of the included studies conducted in low-income countries (LICs). Considerable heterogeneity was evident in intervention intensity, duration, terminology, and outcome measures.

Conclusions

A wide range of rehabilitation interventions for post-stroke gait and balance has been investigated in LMICs; however, the evidence base remains fragmented, inconsistently reported, and geographically imbalanced. Future work should prioritize context-appropriate, rigorously designed studies, clearer reporting of intervention content and dose, and better representation of low-income settings to guide equitable and effective stroke rehabilitation.