Rehabilitation approaches used for children with spinal muscular atrophy: A scoping review based on the F-words framework.

The evidence base is composed largely of low-level studies (case reports, case series, expert opinion), with only two randomized controlled trials. The review could not assess the quality of the included studies, so the findings reflect what has been reported, not necessarily what works best. The definition of 'rehabilitation' was broad, which may have included some practices that are not strictly therapeutic interventions. The literature may not reflect real-world practice, as it is limited to what has been published. There is unequal sex representation in the underlying studies, with more male participants than female.

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The work was funded by Muscular Dystrophy Canada, the Canada Research Chairs Program, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Some of the included studies had authors employed by or funded by pharmaceutical companies or device manufacturers.

Do not interpret the prevalence of exercise interventions in the literature as evidence of their effectiveness for improving daily function. The review explicitly states that the assumption that 'Fitness' improvements transfer to 'Functioning' improvements has not been demonstrated in SMA research.