Improving Driving Ability After Stroke : A scoping review of interventions within occupational therapy

Abstract: Stroke is a leading cause of disability in the world and cognitive impairments post stroke are common. Driving is an occupation of great importance to many individuals and enables participation in society but due to cognition deficits after stroke it can be a difficult task to perform adequately. The aim of this study was to review and map interventions used to improve driving ability after stroke within occupational therapy practice. A literature search was conducted using Arksey and O’Malley's six-stage framework [1], and a search was made in four different databases. Seven articles were found and used for further analysing. Results showed two main categories of interventions. Task-specific training consisting of either simulator-based training or behind the wheel training in real traffic, and training of raw cognitive functions focused on driving related abilities. Both interventions overall showed improvement of driving ability, with task specific training being somewhat superior. Considering the easy implementation possibilities, cognitive training with specific focus on driving skills could be used in current occupational therapy practices. Larger studies might prove task-specific training to be much more superior which can then motivate more simulator-based intervention possibilities. Future studies could also focus on improving self-awareness as a factor.