Rehabilitation and Management in Lateral Medullary Stroke (Wallenberg Syndrome): A Scoping Review and Evidence Map

Abstract

Objective

To map rehabilitation interventions and rehabilitation-relevant management reported for lateral medullary stroke (Wallenberg syndrome) and distinguish direct intervention evidence from management and assessment reports.

Data sources

PubMed/MEDLINE, Ichushi-Web, and Web of Science Core Collection were searched from inception to 12 March 2026. Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature was searched on 24 April 2026. Citation tracking was performed.

Review methods

Reports were eligible if they described rehabilitation, rehabilitation-relevant management, assessment, prognosis, or monitoring relevant to recovery or safety. Two reviewers screened records; charting and classification were verified by a second reviewer using operational definitions. Reports were grouped by clinical phase, target domain, safety management, outcome measures, and primary reporting function.

Results

The searches identified 741 records; 486 unique records were screened and 78 reports were included. Publication years ranged from 1997 to 2026; 60 reports were case reports or case series. Primary reporting functions were categorized as explicit intervention/program (n = 29), management/procedural pathway (n = 21), assessment/prognostic/monitoring (n = 18), and minimal-detail supportive/diagnostic (n = 10). Dysphagia was addressed in 63 reports, but only 22 were explicit intervention/program reports. No included report explicitly described sensory safety education.

Conclusion

The accessible literature is useful but mixed. Interpretation is limited by unretrieved full-text candidates, omitted databases/grey literature, no critical appraisal, and no independent agreement statistic for post hoc reporting-function classification. Future reports should separate therapeutic training from management pathways and describe dosage, safety management, reassessment timing, discharge function, sensory safety education, and daily-life precautions.