SynthesisFrontiers in neurology
The effect of non-invasive brain stimulation combined with motor imagery on upper limb motor function and activities of daily living in stroke patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in neurology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: Severe stroke frequently leads to adult disability and a loss of functional independence. Specifically, stroke-induced upper limb motor impairment significantly compromises the quality of daily life for these patients. Therefore, evaluating the efficacy of non-invasive brain stimulation combined with motor imagery for the recovery of upper limb motor function is critical for improving patient outcomes. Methods: A systematic search for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted across PubMed, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, EMBASE, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and VIP databases, spanning from their inception through September 4, 2025. Key outcome measures included upper extremity motor function (assessed via FMA-UE), upper extremity functional activity (ARAT and WMFT), and activities of daily living (MBI). Statistical analyses were performed using Stata 18.0. Effect sizes were calculated as weighted mean differences (WMD) or standardized mean deviations (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using random-effects models. Results: The meta-analysis, comprising 21 studies from 16 articles, demonstrated that MI combined with NIBS significantly improved upper extremity motor function (WMD = 5.75; 95% CI = 3.67, 7.82; Conclusion: The combined intervention of MI and NIBS constitutes an effective and safe rehabilitation strategy that significantly enhances upper limb motor function and activities of daily living following stroke. Nevertheless, further high-quality, large-scale randomized controlled trials are warranted to validate these findings and establish standardized clinical protocols. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO (Registration number: CRD420251167952).
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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.