Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42652928›Full record

ReviewLife (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Comparative Efficacy of Exercise Modalities for Motor Function Recovery After Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis.

Ziyang Yu, Shuaiwang Huang, Xiyang Peng

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Life (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

3 authors.

Ziyang YuCollege of Physical Education, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410012, China.ORCID 0009-0009-2197-6532
Shuaiwang HuangCollege of Physical Education, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410012, China.
Xiyang PengCollege of Physical Education, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410012, China.ORCID 0000-0003-1307-9785

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 81801392
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExercise rehabilitation (ER) has become an important treatment regimen during the recovery phase of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Optimal exercise prescriptions for post-stroke motor recovery remain controversial.

methodsPubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were systematically searched through November 2025. The Cochrane risk-of-bias (RoB 1) assessment tool was utilized to assess the risk of bias in the original studies.

resultsThis study included 66 trials comprising 3675 patients. For balance, whole-body tilting postural training (WTPT), unilateral strength training (UST) and robot-assisted unilateral gait training (RAUGT) showed high SUCRA rankings. Activities of daily living likely improved most with robot-assisted Tai Chi training (RATCT), home rehabilitation guidance (HRG) and robot-assisted gait training (RAGT). Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) gains appeared greatest following robot-assisted hand training with electrical stimulation (RAHT + ES), neural inhibition therapy (NIT) and graded motor imagery with electrical stimulation (GMI + ES). Walking endurance seemed most responsive to visual feedback training (VFT), UST and visual aids training (VAT), while functional mobility showed greatest improvement with tilt sensor-assisted gait training with electrical stimulation (TAGT + ES), gait training (GT) and virtual reality therapy with motor imagery (VRT + MI).

conclusionsThis study provides the first comprehensive evidence synthesis evaluating the comparative effectiveness of specific exercise modalities across distinct recovery domains after AIS. Rather than supporting generic interventions, the findings highlight the distinct comparative advantages of various emerging technologies and traditional practices. These results offer an evidence-based framework for clinicians to optimize post-stroke rehabilitation protocols and highlight priority areas for future research on dose-response and long-term outcomes.

Indexed as

activities of daily livingbalance functionexercise modalitiesmotor function recoverynetwork meta-analysisstroke

Identifiers

PMID42652928
PMCPMC13514623

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.