Exercise intervention for sleep disorders after stroke: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Sleep disorders after stroke is one of the most common neuropsychiatric complications and is associated with increased risk of death and poor functional outcomes. Some evidence shows that patients with sleep disorders after stroke benefit from exercise intervention. However, this result is still conflicting. This study aims to explore the effects of exercise on sleep disorders after stroke and to establish safe and effective exercise prescriptions. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The databases including Google Scholar, Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane library will be searched using pre-specified search strategies. Randomized controlled trials and non-randomized prospective controlled cohort studies regarding exercise for sleep disorders after stroke will be included. The primary outcome is the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scale. The secondary outcomes are adverse events associated with exercise and all deaths. The methodological quality of each study will be evaluated by the physiotherapy evidence database scale. The heterogeneity will be evaluated using the I(2) test. If I(2) > 50%, random effects models will be used in the analysis; otherwise, fixed effects models will be used to pool the data. RESULTS: This study will assess the efficacy and safety of exercise for sleep disorders after stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings will be helpful for clinicians to examine the clinical decision-making in the treatment of sleep disorders after stroke using exercise intervention. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required because this study is a secondary analysis. The results of this study will be disseminated through journals and academic exchanges. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202130106.