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. 2023 Feb 3;18(2):e0281238. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281238

Scoping review of molecular biomarkers associated with fatigue, stress, and depression in stroke survivors: A protocol

Tarynn Potter 1,*, Nisal Gange 2, Eliza Whiteside 1, Prajwal Gyawali 1
Editor: Abiodun E Akinwuntan3
PMCID: PMC9897583  PMID: 36735703

Abstract

The prevalence of stroke increases each year and while mortality from stroke has decreased, the prevalence of comorbidities such as anxiety, depression and fatigue affects as many as 75% of stroke survivors. The aetiology of post-stroke fatigue is not clear, although it has been shown to be interrelated with comorbidities such as stress and depression. Due to the interconnected nature of these comorbidities, it is important to improve the specificity of diagnosis and identify novel therapeutic targets to improve the quality of life for stroke survivors. The investigation of molecular biomarkers associated with post-stroke stress, fatigue, and depression may shed light on the relationships between comorbidities and also contribute to the development of novel diagnostics and therapies. Several biomarkers have been identified for stress, depression, and fatigue, some of which are specific to stroke survivors. However, there remain several gaps in understanding, particularly in relation to the physiological mechanisms underlying these side effects and molecular biomarkers associated with post-stroke fatigue. The aim of this scoping review protocol is to outline the methodologies that will be used to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current literature on biomarkers associated with post-stroke fatigue, stress, and depression, informing future research questions.

Introduction

Stroke is one of the five leading causes of death in Australia [1], and the burden resulting from stroke has increased globally [2]. While more people survive stroke due to medical interventions [3], between 25%-74% of stroke survivors experience ongoing psychological comorbidities [47]. These comorbidities include symptoms of stress in 68% of patients, anxiety in 52.9% of patients, and depression in 74.5% of patients [6, 8]. These psychological comorbidities can significantly affect quality of life and their impacts differ among patients dependent on demographic and mental health status [6].

Post-stroke fatigue is reported by patients to be among the worst symptoms to cope with and is reported by up to 75% of stroke survivors [9]. Higher levels of fatigue have been associated with symptoms of depression [9] and reduced sleep quantity has been associated with the development of post-stroke stress and anxiety [8]. Stress has been shown to significantly affect stroke recovery, correlating increased stress levels to higher functional impairment [10], is negatively associated with health outcomes for stroke survivors [1012], and often precedes depression and anxiety [13]. Despite the high prevalence of fatigue in stroke survivors, a lack of accurate assessment for post-stroke fatigue inhibits the development of more effective clinical interventions [14]. Quality of life for stroke survivors is negatively affected by fatigue, stress, and depression [8, 15] however, measurement and treatment of these comorbidities is inconsistent [11, 16]. Treatment for post-stroke fatigue, anxiety and depression would provide stroke survivors with improved quality of life and health outcomes.

The relationship between post-stroke fatigue, stress and depression is complex. Although shown to be interrelated, the relationship between fatigue and side effects such as stress and depression remains to be clarified [9, 11]. These comorbidities may be part of a perpetual cycle, compounding negative outcomes for stroke survivors [8, 14]. The complexity of these relationships carries through to treatment, and as a result there is currently no best practice [17]. Treatment post-stroke fatigue generally relies on individual clinician recommendation based on personal experience rather than evidence-based treatment [16]. In addition to inconsistencies in treatment, the treatment options currently available for stroke survivors are limited in their efficacy [18].

A thorough understanding of the biomarkers associated with post-stroke symptoms, could provide biological measurement processes for follow up or early diagnosis. Limited studies have undertaken molecular biomarker analysis for post-stroke fatigue, although several have been conducted on the molecular biomarkers associated with chronic fatigue syndrome [1921]. Furthermore, several serum and salivary biomarkers have been identified in stroke survivors experiencing stress and depression [22, 23]. This leaves a significant gap in the understanding of molecular biomarkers associated with post-stroke fatigue. There is, however, considerable overlap in the identified biomarkers for stress, depression, and fatigue, which provides an opportunity to elucidate the interrelated biology of these conditions in stroke survivors. By determining the biomarkers associated with post-stroke stress, fatigue, and depression, higher specificity of diagnosis can potentially be achieved, and therapeutic targets can be developed. Although the benefit of elucidating these biomarkers in stroke survivors has potential for novel screening and therapeutic interventions, this is the first review that will map potential biomarkers specific to post-stroke fatigue.

Overall, the number of molecular biomarkers associated with stress, fatigue, and depression are quite significant and provide various targets for further investigation due to the complex mechanism of action behind each of these conditions. In addition, the current notion that affective disorders, including depression, have a common physiological mechanism within a clinical spectrum of severity [24] highlights the necessity for greater understanding of molecular biomarkers to provide insight into these mechanisms. Unfortunately, this has yet to translate into effective molecular diagnostic tools, particularly in stroke survivors. While some research has been conducted into biomarkers associated with stress and depression in stroke survivors, there is a lack of literature available on molecular biomarkers associated with post-stroke fatigue. Due to this lack of literature, the potential for uncovering novel diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers is high. In addition, the complexity of the interrelationship between stress, fatigue, and depression presents an opportunity to build on the current baseline understanding of the biomarkers associated with these comorbidities and allow more robust comparative analyses moving forward.

Aims and objectives

This scoping review will provide a review of current literature and aims to:

  • Identify molecular biomarkers associated with post-stroke fatigue, stress, and depression

  • Describe the relationships between post-stroke fatigue, stress, and depression

  • Identify the approaches that have been used to measure molecular biomarkers in patients with post-stroke fatigue, stress, and depression

  • Inform future research to identify novel biomarkers for diagnosis and therapeutic intervention for stroke survivors

  • Identify questions for future research into molecular biomarkers for post-stroke fatigue, stress, and depression as independently and concurrently occurring morbidities

Methods and analysis

This review will be conducted in accordance with a scoping review methodology using the framework first outlined by Arksey and O’Malley [25] and in line with guidance from Joanna Briggs Institute [26]. This method was chosen to enable the effective mapping and summarising of a broad range of existing research outcomes, to examine the methods used when conducting biomarker measurements and to identify gaps in collective understanding in line with the previously outlined aims and objectives.

The framework that will be used involves refining the research question; identifying the relevant research publications that have addressed the research question; publication selection; charting the data; and collating, summarising and reporting the results [25]. The PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews [27] checklist will be used for reporting. Studies will be selected according to the eligibility criteria in Table 1. Eligibility criteria are based on the PICO (participant, intervention, comparator, and outcome) format.

Table 1. Eligibility criteria for screened references.

Inclusion Exclusion
Population Stroke or transient ischemic attack survivors Non-human subject
Any age
Interventions Molecular biomarkers Oxidative stress biomarkers not discussed in association with stress, fatigue, or depression
Comparator Not applicable Not applicable
Outcomes Altered biomarker profile No exclusion criteria
Publication Peer-reviewed journal articles of any design–qualitative or quantitative. Reviews
Commentaries/opinion papers
Letters
Meta-analyses
Not published in English
Unpublished studies

Stage 1

Refining the research question

Initially we endeavoured to review the literature primarily related to molecular biomarkers associated with post-stroke fatigue. It was identified that there was insufficient independent research into this topic to answer this question with a systematic review. Due to the interconnected nature of post-stroke fatigue with stress and depression, we instead endeavoured to identify molecular biomarkers that are associated with each of these comorbidities. By identifying the molecular biomarkers associated with post-stroke fatigue, stress, and depression we can potentially elucidate the interrelated biology of these comorbidities. The aims and objectives section of this protocol outlines the research questions.

Stage 2

Identifying relevant studies

In consultation with a Senior Research Librarian, the initial search strategy was developed, as shown in Table 2. The strategy drew on common terms for the key themes being investigate. The terms searched included ‘post-stroke’, ‘poststroke’, ‘post stroke’, ‘biomarker’, ‘fatigue’, ‘stress’ and ‘depression’. A preliminary search was conducted to refine search strategy which included the addition of terms ‘stroke recovery’ and ‘stroke rehabilitation’. The search strategy was developed in Scopus and expanded to PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct and EBSCOHost. No publication type or date limits were applied.

Table 2. Search strategy development.
Key Words: "post-stroke" OR poststroke OR "stroke recovery" OR "stroke rehabilitation" OR "post stroke" AND biomarker AND fatigue? OR stress OR depression
Search Strategy Database n results Field Search Limits/Filters
(“post-stroke” OR poststroke OR “stroke recovery” OR “stroke rehabilitation” OR "post stroke”) AND biomarker? AND (fatigue? OR stress OR depression) Scopus 123 Title-Abstract-Keyword None
(“post-stroke” OR poststroke OR “stroke recovery” OR “stroke rehabilitation” OR "post stroke”) AND biomarker? AND (fatigue? OR stress OR depression) Scopus 120 Title-Abstract-Keyword English Language only
("post-stroke" OR poststroke OR "stroke recovery" OR "stroke rehabilitation" OR "post stroke") AND biomarker? AND (fatigue? OR stress OR depression) AND NOT oxidative) Scopus 79 Title-Abstract-Keyword English Language only
("post-stroke" OR poststroke OR "stroke recovery" OR "stroke rehabilitation" OR "post stroke") AND biomarker? AND fatigue? AND NOT oxidative) Scopus 0 Title-Abstract-Keyword English Language only
("post-stroke" OR poststroke OR "stroke recovery" OR "stroke rehabilitation" OR "post stroke") AND biomarker? AND fatigue?) Scopus 0 Title-Abstract-Keyword English Language only
("post-stroke" OR poststroke OR (stroke W/3 recovery) OR (stroke W3 rehabilitation) OR "post stroke") AND biomarker? AND (fatigue? OR stress OR depression) AND NOT oxidative) Scopus 81 Title-Abstract-Keyword English Language only
stroke? AND biomarker? AND fatigue? Scopus 0 Title-Abstract-Keyword None
stroke? AND biomarker? AND fatigue? PubMed 55 All fields None
("post-stroke" OR poststroke OR (stroke W/3 recovery) OR (stroke W3 rehabilitation) OR "post stroke") AND biomarker? AND (fatigue? OR stress OR depression) AND NOT oxidative) PubMed 30 All fields None
("post-stroke" OR poststroke OR (stroke W/3 recovery) OR (stroke W3 rehabilitation) OR "post stroke") AND biomarker? AND (fatigue? OR stress OR depression) PubMed 144 All fields None
("post-stroke" OR poststroke OR "stroke recovery" OR "stroke rehabilitation" OR "post stroke") AND biomarker? AND (fatigue? OR stress OR depression) PubMed 158 All fields None
((((((ALL = (("post-stroke")) OR ALL = (poststroke)) OR ALL = ("stroke recovery")) OR ALL = ("stroke rehabilitation")) OR ALL = ("post stroke"))) AND ALL = (biomarker*)) AND ALL = ((fatigue* OR stress or depression)) Web of Science 144 All fields None
ALL = ("post-stroke" OR poststroke OR "stroke NEAR/3 recovery" OR "stroke NEAR/3 rehabilitation" OR "post stroke") AND ALL = (biomarker*) AND ALL = (fatigue* OR stress or depression) NOT ALL = (oxidative) Web of Science 94 All fields None
post-stroke OR poststroke OR stroke recovery OR stroke rehabilitation OR "post stroke" EBSCOHost: Academic Search Ultimate, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL with Full Text, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection 57583 All fields None
(post-stroke OR poststroke OR stroke recovery OR stroke rehabilitation OR "post stroke") AND biomarker* EBSCOHost: Academic Search Ultimate, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL with Full Text, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection 753 All fields None
(post-stroke OR poststroke OR stroke recovery OR stroke rehabilitation OR "post stroke") AND biomarker* AND fatigue* EBSCOHost: Academic Search Ultimate, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL with Full Text, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection 5 All fields None
(post-stroke OR poststroke OR stroke recovery OR stroke rehabilitation OR "post stroke") AND biomarker* AND (fatigue* OR stress OR depression) EBSCOHost: Academic Search Ultimate, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL with Full Text, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection 177 All fields None
[abstract] (fatigue OR depression OR stress) AND (post-stroke OR poststroke OR "stroke recovery" OR "stroke rehabilitation" OR "post stroke") AND [all fields] biomarker (all fields) Science Direct 97 Abstract-All fields None
((post-stroke OR poststroke OR "stroke recovery" OR "stroke rehabilitation" OR "post stroke") AND biomarker* AND (fatigue* OR stress OR depression)) Scopus 172 Title-Abstract-Keywords None
(post-stroke OR poststroke OR "stroke recovery" OR "stroke rehabilitation" OR "post stroke") AND (fatigue? OR stress OR depression) ALL Fields biomarker? Science Direct 139 Title-Abstract-Keyword None
("post-stroke" OR poststroke OR "stroke recovery" OR "stroke rehabilitation" OR "post stroke") AND biomarker? AND (fatigue? OR stress OR depression) PubMed 171 All fields None
("post-stroke" OR poststroke OR "stroke recovery" OR "stroke rehabilitation" OR "post stroke") AND biomarker? AND (fatigue? OR stress OR depression) Web of Science 98 All fields None
("post-stroke" OR poststroke OR "stroke recovery" OR "stroke rehabilitation" OR "post stroke") AND biomarker? AND (fatigue? OR stress OR depression) EBSCOHost: Academic Search Ultimate, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL with Full Text, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection 184 (110*) All fields None
*n without duplicates

Stage 3

Study selection

Studies identified in the search will be collated in EndNote X9.3.1 and exported to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) SUMARI for screening of titles and abstracts. Each will be independently reviewed by two authors in line with the proposed criteria outlined in Table 1. Conflicts will be resolved in consultation with an independent third party. If no consensus is reached, the article will progress for further review. Following initial screening, full text articles will be independently reviewed by two authors with any conflicts resolved by consensus between the authors. A PRISMA flow diagram will be used to report the selection process [28].

While not required as part of the scoping review methodology, all articles will be critically appraised. This is to allow assessment of the efficacy of biomarkers identified by analysing the quality of methods used for extraction and measurement of these markers. Critical appraisal will be undertaken in JBI SUMARI using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Quality Appraisal Tool [29] for quantitative studies, and the JBI SUMARI Checklist for Qualitative Research [30]. Two independent authors will complete the critical appraisal and discuss and resolve any discrepancies.

Stage 4

Charting the data

The data will be charted to comprehensively capture the information from studies that meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis [31]. This will include capturing the participant and sample size, clinical details pertinent to stroke, study methods and key findings relevant to our aims and objectives. In addition, we will record the nature in which biomarkers were studied for monitoring, diagnosis, measurement, prediction or to elucidate the relationship to biological processes. A standardised electronic form in Excel will be utilised with the headings outlined in Table 3, and each article will be detailed by one author and verified by the second author. Resolution of discrepancies will be resolved via consensus between the authors. Consistency will be maintained throughout the process by consultation between authors and any considerable alterations to the charted data will be recorded.

Table 3. Data extraction table headings.
Column Title Summary
Author/Study Author name or Study title
Aims/theory/hypothesis/questions Correlation or association of stress/fatigue/depression with inflammation. Could inflammation predict fatigue or fatigue severity.
Nature of study and number of participants i.e., cross-sectional, prospective, RCT and number of patients and/or controls.
Participant details Including time post-stroke, frequency of collect and when blood collection occurred (within 72 hours post diagnosis, after 3 months post diagnosis or other).
Was there a control group (comparative studies).
Stroke related clinical information Including stroke severity (NIHSS, mRS); type (ischaemic or haemorrhagic); left or right side; initial or recurrent stroke.
What aspects of stroke recovery discussed Stress and/or fatigue and/or depression. How were these variables measured and what tools were used?
Biomarkers What biomarkers measured: inflammation, oxidative stress, tryptophan/kynurenine pathway, hormones, genetics (gene, loci, allele, RNA etc).
Key findings Inflammation correlated with fatigue or inflammation predicts fatigue or inflammation caused fatigue or something that authors concluded
Pathophysiological basis why did fatigue correlate with inflammation or why was depression predicted by oxidative stress
Other questions related to paper quality assessment

Stage 5

Collating, summarising, and reporting results

The results of the articles charted will be summarised with a focus on the research questions outline in the aims and objectives of this protocol. Quantitative data will be tabulated by biomarker type. Qualitative data will be narrated or tabulated by theme. Further description of all results will be provided for context in relation to the research question and any gaps in the literature will be narrated. Interpretation of the results will be conducted within the constraints of the review limitations. Data underlying the findings will be available with the review as supplementary tables. Relevant literature may be missed as grey literature will be excluded. This was intended to ensure assessment of the quality of research included.

Discussion

As the prevalence of stroke continues to increase and up to 75% of post-stroke patients suffer from anxiety, depression, or fatigue, it is imperative that novel targets are identified for diagnostic and therapeutic agents to improve quality of life for these patients. Previous studies have identified molecular biomarkers that can assist in analysing post-stroke stress and depression, however this is the first review that will map potential biomarkers for post-stroke fatigue. One of the strengths of this study is that biomarkers will be assessed in relation to stress, depression, and fatigue, which will better elucidate the relationship and common mechanisms of these comorbidities in stroke survivors. We anticipate this review will identify gaps in current understanding and identify priorities for future research into molecular biomarkers associated with post-stroke fatigue, stress, and depression. This review may also have further implications on understanding stress, depression, and fatigue outside of stroke care, where the effects on biomarkers are likely to be the same and mechanisms may be similar. The outcome of this review will be relevant to researchers, clinicians, and policy makers.

Supporting information

S1 Checklist. PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) 2015 checklist: Recommended items to address in a systematic review protocol*.

(DOC)

S1 File

(PDF)

Data Availability

No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study. All relevant data from this study will be made available upon study completion.

Funding Statement

This research has been supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Decision Letter 0

Abiodun E Akinwuntan

17 Oct 2022

PONE-D-22-24829A systematic scoping review of molecular biomarkers associated with fatigue, stress, and depression in stroke survivors: a protocolPLOS ONE

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6. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above and, if applicable, provide comments about issues authors must address before this protocol can be accepted for publication. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about research or publication ethics.

You may also provide optional suggestions and comments to authors that they might find helpful in planning their study.

(Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: Some major and minor points to raise regarding this study protocol.

Specific comments:

1. Suggest to call this a "scoping review" rather than a "systematic scoping review".

2. Please change "Unfortunately, this is yet to translate" to "Unfortunately, this has yet to translate".

3. There was a previous systematic review on the same topic published in 2016 (citation: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26891661) and a few other reviews since. What therefore is the rationale for the present review? The prior studies were not referenced by the authors; they should be referenced.

4. The current thinking is that depression likely runs an entire clinical spectrum from mild to severe; there are genetic and neurobiological studies lending support to the notion that these conditions are not discrete categories but rather, have common biological underpinnings and may form at least part of a continuum or affective disorder spectrum (citation: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32557983). This should be at least briefly mentioned as it has important implications for diagnosis and research and would further strengthen the need for precise biomarkers.

Reviewer #2 (who is also the Academic Editor Abiodun Akinwuntan): Authors are to be commended for this version of the manuscript. However, there are major concerns that need to be addressed before the manuscript is suitable for publication.

A major problem that repeats across the entire manuscript is the inconsistency in and interchangeable use of major descriptors of the protocol including fatigue, anxiety, stress, depression, sleeplessness, and quality of life.

Abstract: Line 23: What these several gaps that remain?

Introduction: Lines 45-62: Too many repetitions of facts. These paragraphs can be shortened into in short and succinct paragraph.

Line 93: Consider replacing "thorough understanding" with "review".

Methods and Analysis: Lines 125-126: How will the understanding lead to increase in specific diagnostic and therapeutic interventions to guide future research? This sentence is confusing and misleading.

Other aspects of the manuscript seem well-written

**********

7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

**********

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PLoS One. 2023 Feb 3;18(2):e0281238. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281238.r002

Author response to Decision Letter 0


6 Dec 2022

Reviewer #1 Feedback:

1. Suggest calling this a “scoping review” rather than a “systematic scoping review”. Title has been adjusted from “systematic scoping review” to “scoping review”.

2. Please change “Unfortunately, this is yet to translate to” to “ Unfortunately, this has yet to translate”. The sentence on line 103 has been corrected.

3. Previous systematic review on the same topic published in 2016 and a few other reviews since then. What therefore is the rationale for the present review? The prior studies were not referenced by the authors. Lines 75-77 have been updated to better reflect the previous reviews that have been conducted into biomarkers for post-stroke depression. We have also provided a more robust rationale with edits to lines 88-90 to better clarify the knowledge gap the review aims to address.

4. The current thinking is that depression likely runs an entire clinical spectrum from mild to severe; there are genetic and neurobiological studies lending support to the notion that these conditions are not discrete categories but rather have common biological underpinnings and may form at least part of a continuum or affective disorder spectrum. This should at least be briefly mentioned as it has important implications for diagnosis and research and would further strengthen the need for precise biomarkers. Thank you for flagging this for consideration. This reference has been included and the implications to diagnostic and therapeutic processes outlined on lines 100-103.

Reviewer #2 feedback:

1. A major problem that repeats across the entire manuscript is the inconsistency in and interchangeable use of major descriptors of the protocol including fatigue, anxiety, stress, depression, sleeplessness, and quality of life. Thank you for flagging the inconsistencies with these descriptors. The protocol has been reviewed and the major descriptors updated to reduce these inconsistencies. This includes updates to line 16 to provide more consistency as well as consideration for clear articulation of the main variables considered in this protocol in the substantial edits for lines 49-61.

2. Abstract: Line 23: What these several gaps that remain? Lines 22-24 have been updated to include detail of the current gaps in understanding.

3. Introduction: Lines 45-62: Too many repetitions of facts. These paragraphs can be shortened into in short and succinct paragraph. This section has been updated from lines 47-61 to concisely articulate key concepts with greater clarity.

4. Line 93: Consider replacing "thorough understanding" with "review". Line 112 has been updated with this change.

5. Methods and Analysis: Lines 125-126: How will the understanding lead to increase in specific diagnostic and therapeutic interventions to guide future research? This sentence is confusing and misleading. This statement has been removed (lines 144-146) as it did not add value to the rationale of this paragraph.

Attachment

Submitted filename: Response to Reviewers1.docx

Decision Letter 1

Abiodun E Akinwuntan

19 Jan 2023

Scoping review of molecular biomarkers associated with fatigue, stress, and depression in stroke survivors: a protocol

PONE-D-22-24829R1

Dear Dr. Potter,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

An invoice for payment will follow shortly after the formal acceptance. To ensure an efficient process, please log into Editorial Manager at http://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/, click the 'Update My Information' link at the top of the page, and double check that your user information is up-to-date. If you have any billing related questions, please contact our Author Billing department directly at authorbilling@plos.org.

If your institution or institutions have a press office, please notify them about your upcoming paper to help maximize its impact. If they’ll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team as soon as possible -- no later than 48 hours after receiving the formal acceptance. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org.

Kind regards,

Abiodun E. Akinwuntan, PhD, MPH, MBA

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Does the manuscript provide a valid rationale for the proposed study, with clearly identified and justified research questions?

The research question outlined is expected to address a valid academic problem or topic and contribute to the base of knowledge in the field.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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2. Is the protocol technically sound and planned in a manner that will lead to a meaningful outcome and allow testing the stated hypotheses?

The manuscript should describe the methods in sufficient detail to prevent undisclosed flexibility in the experimental procedure or analysis pipeline, including sufficient outcome-neutral conditions (e.g. necessary controls, absence of floor or ceiling effects) to test the proposed hypotheses and a statistical power analysis where applicable. As there may be aspects of the methodology and analysis which can only be refined once the work is undertaken, authors should outline potential assumptions and explicitly describe what aspects of the proposed analyses, if any, are exploratory.

Reviewer #1: Partly

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

3. Is the methodology feasible and described in sufficient detail to allow the work to be replicable?

Descriptions of methods and materials in the protocol should be reported in sufficient detail for another researcher to reproduce all experiments and analyses. The protocol should describe the appropriate controls, sample size calculations, and replication needed to ensure that the data are robust and reproducible.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

4. Have the authors described where all data underlying the findings will be made available when the study is complete?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception, at the time of publication. The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

6. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above and, if applicable, provide comments about issues authors must address before this protocol can be accepted for publication. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about research or publication ethics.

You may also provide optional suggestions and comments to authors that they might find helpful in planning their study.

(Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: Thank you for the revisions. Authors should also describe where all data underlying the findings will be made available when the study is complete.

Reviewer #2: The authors have done a good job responding to each of the comments. I have no additional comments at this time.

**********

7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

**********

Acceptance letter

Abiodun E Akinwuntan

24 Jan 2023

PONE-D-22-24829R1

Scoping review of molecular biomarkers associated with fatigue, stress, and depression in stroke survivors: a protocol

Dear Dr. Potter:

I'm pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been deemed suitable for publication in PLOS ONE. Congratulations! Your manuscript is now with our production department.

If your institution or institutions have a press office, please let them know about your upcoming paper now to help maximize its impact. If they'll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team within the next 48 hours. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information please contact onepress@plos.org.

If we can help with anything else, please email us at plosone@plos.org.

Thank you for submitting your work to PLOS ONE and supporting open access.

Kind regards,

PLOS ONE Editorial Office Staff

on behalf of

Dr. Abiodun E. Akinwuntan

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Associated Data

    This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

    Supplementary Materials

    S1 Checklist. PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) 2015 checklist: Recommended items to address in a systematic review protocol*.

    (DOC)

    S1 File

    (PDF)

    Attachment

    Submitted filename: Response to Reviewers1.docx

    Data Availability Statement

    No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study. All relevant data from this study will be made available upon study completion.


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