Computer Assistive Technology and Associations with Quality of Life for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury: a Systematic Review

Overview

Journal Qual Life Res

Specialties Pharmacology
Rehabilitation Medicine

Date 2018 Feb 9

PMID 29417427

Citations 9

Authors

Valeria Baldassin

Helena Eri Shimizu

Emerson Fachin-Martins

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Study Design: Systematic review.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to identify and organize evidence regarding quality of life influenced by assistive technology related to computers for people with traumatic and non-traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).

Setting: Distrito Federal, Brazil.

Methods: A search strategy was conducted on the PubMed, PEDro, LILACS, PsycINFO, and SCIELO. All types of study designs considering assistive technology to improve quality of life for individuals with SCI were included. After search strategy procedures, ten references were included to review. The methodologic quality of each study was evaluated using the Level of Evidence proposed by the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine.

Results: Most of the studies showed that devices for computer access improve the quality of life of people with SCI, regardless of the level of injury and type of resource. However, the positive outcomes in the quality of life should be interpreted with caution, as several methodological limitations were observed in the articles.

Conclusions: Despite the scarcity of studies and their methodological limitations, there is evidence that assistive technology for computer access favors the quality of life of people with tetraplegia due to SCI, since it improves participation, independence, and self-esteem.

Citing Articles

Cognitive Reserve and Its Association with Cognitive and Mental Health Status following an Acute Spinal Cord Injury.

Arora M, Pozzato I, McBain C, Tran Y, Sandalic D, Myles D J Clin Med. 2023; 12(13).

PMID: 37445291 PMC: 10342273. DOI: 10.3390/jcm12134258.

Development and Use of Assistive Technologies in Spinal Cord Injury: A Narrative Review of Reviews on the Evolution, Opportunities, and Bottlenecks of Their Integration in the Health Domain.

Morone G, Pirrera A, Iannone A, Giansanti D Healthcare (Basel). 2023; 11(11).

PMID: 37297786 PMC: 10252185. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11111646.

Developing an assistive technology usability questionnaire for people with neurological diseases.

Masbernat-Almenara M, Rubi-Carnacea F, Opisso E, Duarte-Oller E, Medina-Casanovas J, Valenzuela-Pascual F PLoS One. 2023; 18(1):e0281197.

PMID: 36719908 PMC: 9888697. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281197.

Gabapentin add-on therapy for patients with spinal cord injury associated neurogenic overactive detrusors that are unresponsive to combined anticholinergic and beta-3 adrenergic therapy.

Cakici O, Kaya C, Sanci A, Gencler O, Mammadkhanli O, Cindas A Cent European J Urol. 2022; 74(4):547-551.

PMID: 35083075 PMC: 8771127. DOI: 10.5173/ceju.2021.161.

Effects of App-Based Transitional Care on the Self-Efficacy and Quality of Life of Patients With Spinal Cord Injury in China: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Liu T, Xie S, Wang Y, Tang J, He X, Yan T JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2021; 9(4):e22960.

PMID: 33792555 PMC: 8050746. DOI: 10.2196/22960.

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