PIONEER
Perceptual disorders after stroke InterventiON EvidencE Review (PIONEER): A scoping review and Cochrane Review revision and expansion (January 2020 to December 2021)
What is perception?
Perception is our ability to make sense of the world around us, by interpreting and understanding the information we get from our senses. One in five stroke survivors experience difficulties with perception affecting vision, hearing, taste, smell touch and somatosensation (including sense of body position) and can have a marked impact on an individual’s everyday life.
Healthcare professionals have limited guidance to inform how best to manage perceptual problems experienced by people after stroke. Treatment can vary across the UK depending on where you live. Perceptual problems may not be diagnosed or treated fully.
What is PIONEER?
In this project, we aimed to identify and summarise all the research on treatments for perceptual problems in people with stroke. We used this to determine which treatments work, what gaps there are in the research, and which perceptual problems and treatments should be prioritised in future research.
There were three stages in our research:
1. A scoping review
We conducted a detailed search to identify all relevant research into treatments for perceptual problems after stroke, so we can tell the range, scope, number and type of studies found, and the perceptual problems and treatments investigated. We created interactive maps to summarise this information in a way that is easy to understand.
2. Cochrane Systematic Review
From our scoping review results, we identified all the randomised controlled trials exploring treatments for perceptual problems after stroke. Where possible we combined the data, to find out which treatments are effective, and for which perceptual problems.
3. Research priority setting
We worked with stroke survivors, carers and healthcare professionals to agree on the key clinical implications arising from the results. We also identified priorities for future research.
Project team
Dr Christine Hazelton is leading the research activities
Prof Marian Brady is co-lead on the project
Dr Katie Thomson is a PIONEER researcher
Dr Alex Todhunter-Brown is a PIONEER researcher providing expertise on Cochrane reviews and involving stakeholders
Dr Pauline Campbell is a PIONEER researcher, providing expertise on literature review processes and data mapping
We are also collaborating with researchers and clinicians in NHS Fife, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lothian, Keele University and University of Edinburgh.
Project stakeholder team – expertise and experience
Perceptual problems after stroke is a very complex topic. To make sure our research covered the topic fully, and in a way that is relevant and accessible to those affected, we worked with clinical experts and people with personal experience of stroke and its impact on perception.
Publications and media
Review protocol: Christine Hazelton, Marian Brady, Pauline Campbell et al. Perceptual disorders after stroke intervention evidence review (PIONEER). PROSPERO 2019 CRD42019160270 Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42019160270
Publications:
Hazelton C, McGill K, Campbell P, Todhunter-Brown A, Thomson K, Nicolson DJ, et al. Perceptual disorders after stroke: a scoping review of interventions. Stroke 2022
Hazelton C, Thomson K, Todhunter-Brown A, Campbell P, Chung C, Dorris L et al. Interventions for perceptual disorders following stroke. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2022(under review)
Project blog: https://perceptionpioneer.wordpress.com/home/
Project Twitter: @Pioneer_Stroke
Funder’s project website: https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR128829
Acknowledgement
This project is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) [NIHR Health Technology Assessment (NIHR 128829]. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
