Psychometric properties of technology-assisted matching paradigms in post-stroke upper limb proprioceptive assessment: a scoping review

TL;DR

This review evaluates how well technology-assisted methods assess upper limb proprioception in post-stroke patients, finding moderate validity and good reliability.

Contribution

The study systematically reviews psychometric properties of technology-assisted matching paradigms for post-stroke proprioception assessment.

Findings

Seven studies showed moderate concurrent validity of the paradigms.

Five studies reported moderate to high test–retest and inter-rater reliability.

Most studies demonstrated good responsiveness when comparing stroke patients to healthy individuals.

Abstract

Proprioceptive impairments affect 34–64% of post-stroke patients, impacting motor recovery and daily activities. Technology-assisted matching paradigms offer precise, quantitative assessment of upper limb proprioception, but their psychometric properties require evaluation.

The search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and MEDLINE to identify studies on technology-assisted matching paradigms for assessing upper limb proprioception in post-stroke patients. Studies were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and relevant data were extracted.

A total of 13 articles were included. Upper limb robots for active mirror-matching tasks were the most used technology among our included studies (9 out of 13 studies). Seven studies showed a moderate level of concurrent validity, and four studies showed a moderate level of convergent validity. Seven studies compared stroke patients to healthy individuals, with most showing good responsiveness. Five studies revealed moderate to high test–retest and inter-rater reliability.

Technology-assisted matching paradigms demonstrate moderate validity and moderate to high reliability when applied in clinical settings for assessing upper limb proprioception in post-stroke patients.

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