eHealth tools to assess the neurological function for research, in absence of the neurologist - a systematic review, part I (software)

Vasco Ribeiro Ferreira; Esther Metting; Joshua Schauble; Hamed Seddighi; Lise Beumeler; Valentina Gallo

doi:10.1007/s00415-023-12012-6

eHealth tools to assess the neurological function for research, in absence of the neurologist - a systematic review, part I (software)

J Neurol. 2024 Jan;271(1):211-230. doi: 10.1007/s00415-023-12012-6. Epub 2023 Oct 17.

Authors

Vasco Ribeiro Ferreira¹, Esther Metting^{2

3}, Joshua Schauble⁴, Hamed Seddighi^{5

6}, Lise Beumeler^{5

7}, Valentina Gallo⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Sustainable Health, University of Groningen, Campus Fryslân, Wirdumerdijk 34, 8911 CE, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. v.ribeiro.ferreira@rug.nl.
² Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
³ University Medical College Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Knowledge Infrastructure, University of Groningen, Campus Fryslân, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Sustainable Health, University of Groningen, Campus Fryslân, Wirdumerdijk 34, 8911 CE, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
⁶ Department of Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
⁷ Department of Intensive Care, Medical Centre Leeuwarden, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.

Abstract

Background: Neurological disorders remain a worldwide concern due to their increasing prevalence and mortality, combined with the lack of available treatment, in most cases. Exploring protective and risk factors associated with the development of neurological disorders will allow for improving prevention strategies. However, ascertaining neurological outcomes in population-based studies can be both complex and costly. The application of eHealth tools in research may contribute to lowering the costs and increase accessibility. The aim of this systematic review is to map existing eHealth tools assessing neurological signs and/or symptoms for epidemiological research.

Methods: Four search engines (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus & EBSCOHost) were used to retrieve articles on the development, validation, or implementation of eHealth tools to assess neurological signs and/or symptoms. The clinical and technical properties of the software tools were summarised. Due to high numbers, only software tools are presented here.

Findings: A total of 42 tools were retrieved. These captured signs and/or symptoms belonging to four neurological domains: cognitive function, motor function, cranial nerves, and gait and coordination. An additional fifth category of composite tools was added. Most of the tools were available in English and were developed for smartphone device, with the remaining tools being available as web-based platforms. Less than half of the captured tools were fully validated, and only approximately half were still active at the time of data collection.

Interpretation: The identified tools often presented limitations either due to language barriers or lack of proper validation. Maintenance and durability of most tools were low. The present mapping exercise offers a detailed guide for epidemiologists to identify the most appropriate eHealth tool for their research.

Funding: The current study was funded by a PhD position at the University of Groningen. No additional funding was acquired.

Keywords: Epidemiology; Neurological Diseases; Neurological signs; Neurological symptoms; Software; eHealth.

Publication types

Systematic Review
Review

MeSH terms

Humans
Nervous System Diseases* / diagnosis
Neurologists
Risk Factors
Software
Telemedicine*