Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28905238›Full record

ReviewChinese journal of integrative medicine2017

Methological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on acupuncture for stroke: A review of review.

Xin-Lin Chen, Chuan-Wei Mo, Li-Ya Lu, Ri-Yang Gao, Qian Xu, Min-Feng Wu, Qian-Yi Zhou, Yue Hu, Xuan Zhou, Xian-Tao Li

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Chinese journal of integrative medicine, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Xin-Lin ChenCollege of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Chuan-Wei MoCollege of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Li-Ya LuPublic Health, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, G12 8RZ, UK.
Ri-Yang GaoCollege of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Qian XuCollege of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Min-Feng WuFirst Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.
Qian-Yi ZhouFirst Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.
Yue HuCollege of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Xuan ZhouCollege of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
Xian-Tao LiCollege of Basic Medical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China. lxt150@126.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses regarding acupuncture intervention for stroke and the primary studies within them.

methodsTwo researchers searched PubMed, Cumulative index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, ISI Web of Knowledge, Cochrane, Allied and Complementary Medicine, Ovid Medline, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang and Traditional Chinese Medical Database to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses about acupuncture for stroke published from the inception to December 2016. Review characteristics and the criteria for assessing the primary studies within reviews were extracted. The methodological quality of the reviews was assessed using adapted Oxman and Guyatt Scale. The methodological quality of primary studies was also assessed.

resultsThirty-two eligible reviews were identified, 15 in English and 17 in Chinese. The English reviews were scored higher than the Chinese reviews (P=0.025), especially in criteria for avoiding bias and the scope of search. All reviews used the quality criteria to evaluate the methodological quality of primary studies, but some criteria were not comprehensive. The primary studies, in particular the Chinese reviews, had problems with randomization, allocation concealment, blinding, dropouts and withdrawals, intent-to-treat analysis and adverse events.

conclusionsImportant methodological flaws were found in Chinese systematic reviews and primary studies. It was necessary to improve the methodological quality and reporting quality of both the systematic reviews published in China and primary studies on acupuncture for stroke.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyMeta-Analysis as TopicSystematic Reviews as TopicHumansPublication BiasPublicationsStrokeacupuncturemeta-analysesmethodological qualityreview of reviewstrokesystematic review

Identifiers

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.