Attention training may help divided attention for a short time after stroke.

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   Six studies had 223 adults with stroke and attention problems, mostly in Europe. Average age was under 65 in five studies and 68 to 70 in one; 51% to 70% of people were men.

2. 02

   What they did

   People did attention training to rebuild attention skills, or learned ways to work around attention problems. Training ran for three to 11 weeks, or for 10 hours in one study. The other groups had their usual care and no attention treatment.

3. 03

   What happened

   Divided attention improved more than usual care right after training, in four studies. That gain was not clear at three to six months, and most results were very uncertain. Ratings of attention, other attention skills, daily life, mood and quality of life showed no clear gain over usual care.

What the review found

1. Helped

   Across four studies, attention training helped people track two things at once more than usual care.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 4 studies with 165 people · vs people who got usual care · the authors rated their certainty low · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

2. No difference

   Across two studies, divided attention was not clearly better than usual care three to six months on.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 2 studies with 99 people · vs people who got usual care · the authors rated their certainty very low · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

3. No difference

   Across two studies, people's own ratings did not clearly beat usual care right after treatment.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 2 studies with 53 people · vs people who got usual care · they rated themselves · the authors rated their certainty very low · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

4. No difference

   Across two studies, people's own ratings did not clearly beat usual care three to six months later.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 2 studies with 99 people · vs people who got usual care · they rated themselves · the authors rated their certainty very low · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

Source