Towards Contextualization of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Neuropsychological Rehabilitation of Adults with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Scoping Review Protocol

Abstract: Background: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) is a significant public health concern in African contexts, yet clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for neuropsychological rehabilitation are limited. Untreated or improperly managed mTBI can lead to long-term health problems leading to Post Concussive Symptoms (PCS) and associated disability, with consequences extending beyond the individual to affect family members and communities. This scoping review aims to map existing CPGs for mTBI in, identify gaps in the literature, and explore barriers to their implementation in resource-constrained areas. Method: The scoping review will be guided by six stages described in scoping review methodological frameworks. An electronic literature database search of (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Health Source- Consumer Edition, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. A reference list of included articles and scoping or systematic reviews identified from the search will be compiled. Grey literature including dissertations, thesis, conference proceedings, relevant websites such as those of international organisations such as World Health Organisation (WHO) and governments or brain injury reports will be searched. These sources will be identified using appropriate Medical Search Headings (MeSH) and related terms. We will search for, and review studies published in English language only, during the period of January 2015 to June 2025. Two reviewers will read the titles, and abstracts and full text of the studies identified during the search to exclude records that do not meet the inclusion criteria. Data will then be extracted. Any difference in opinion between the reviewers during the procedure will be resolved through discussion with a third reviewer. Data extraction and analysis will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE II) system will be utilized independently by two reviewers to evaluate the possibility the quality of the included studies. The included articles will be subjected to narrative synthesis, with the results being presented thematically. Ethics and dissemination: Ethics waiver will be requested, as only publicly available data will be analysed. Findings from the scoping review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at scientific meetings, health professionals that provide care for individuals with mTBI, policy makers, researchers and caregivers or family members of individuals with lived experiences of mTBI.