Integrating Assistive Technologies and Smart Home Systems in Neuromuscular Disorders: A Systematic Narrative Review of Clinical Outcomes and Occupational Therapy Perspectives.

This is a narrative review supported by a systematic search, not a new trial, so it synthesizes existing studies rather than measuring outcomes directly. Only 20 studies were included, and many were nonrandomized, descriptive, qualitative or review-level, so the strength of evidence varies by technology. Robotics findings are biased toward people who still had residual motor function, so they may not apply to advanced neuromuscular disease. Most efficacy data were short-term, often limited to 6 weeks, and did not monitor device abandonment as weakness progresses. The authors did not formally quality-score the eight review-level papers, and some descriptive studies had small, non-representative samples. Smart home and communication evidence was dominated by descriptive studies and case reports, with reporting bias toward immediate technical success. The review notes ethical and safety concerns, including privacy, constant monitoring, internet dependency and voice-recognition failures, but these were not quantified.

The University of West Attica Special Account for Research Grants funded the work. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that smart home systems or robots are proven long-term treatments for neuromuscular disease. The review found short-term or selected evidence, and high technical accuracy did not prevent device abandonment.