Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28903772›Full record

SynthesisJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2017

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for improving capacity in activities and arm function after stroke: a network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Bernhard Elsner, Gert Kwakkel, Joachim Kugler, Jan Mehrholz

2 registry-linked trialsAbstract readSystematic ReviewNetwork Meta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 91 papers, 16 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
91citing papers in PubMed, 16 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.

NCT04000269 nawithdrawnnot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

Pilot Study Using Targeted High Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Promote Upper Extremity Motor Function in Patients With Subacute Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA) Stroke

TypeinterventionalSponsorMilton S. Hershey Medical CenterRan2020 to 2022Enrolled0ConditionsMiddle Cerebral Artery StrokeArmsSoterix MxN Neuromodulation device, Sham Stimulation
NCT06383039 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

The Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Balance on Supplementary Motor Area and Cerebellum in Healthy Individuals

TypeinterventionalSponsorZeynep SoyRan2022 to 2023Enrolled30ConditionsBalanceArmsTranscranial Direct Current Stimulation
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

91 citing papers in PubMed, 16 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  2. Combined transcranial direct current stimulation and mirror therapy for upper limb rehabilitation in patients with stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026
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31 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

4 authors.

Bernhard ElsnerDepartment of Public Health, Dresden Medical School, Technical University Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany. bernhard.elsner@tu-dresden.de.
Gert KwakkelDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, VU University Medical Center, MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Joachim KuglerDepartment of Public Health, Dresden Medical School, Technical University Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
Jan MehrholzDepartment of Public Health, Dresden Medical School, Technical University Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTranscranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is an emerging approach for improving capacity in activities of daily living (ADL) and upper limb function after stroke. However, it remains unclear what type of tDCS stimulation is most effective. Our aim was to give an overview of the evidence network regarding the efficacy and safety of tDCS and to estimate the effectiveness of the different stimulation types.

methodsWe performed a systematic review of randomised trials using network meta-analysis (NMA), searching the following databases until 5 July 2016: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, Web of Science, and four other databases. We included studies with adult people with stroke. We compared any kind of active tDCS (anodal, cathodal, or dual, that is applying anodal and cathodal tDCS concurrently) regarding improvement of our primary outcome of ADL capacity, versus control, after stroke. PROSPERO ID: CRD42016042055.

resultsWe included 26 studies with 754 participants. Our NMA showed evidence of an effect of cathodal tDCS in improving our primary outcome, that of ADL capacity (standardized mean difference, SMD = 0.42; 95% CI 0.14 to 0.70). tDCS did not improve our secondary outcome, that of arm function, measured by the Fugl-Meyer upper extremity assessment (FM-UE). There was no difference in safety between tDCS and its control interventions, measured by the number of dropouts and adverse events.

conclusionComparing different forms of tDCS shows that cathodal tDCS is the most promising treatment option to improve ADL capacity in people with stroke.

Indexed as

Activities of Daily LivingArmHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicRecovery of FunctionStroke RehabilitationTranscranial Direct Current StimulationTreatment OutcomeMeta-analysisRecovery of functionReviewStrokeTranscranial direct current stimulation

Identifiers

PMID28903772
PMCPMC5598049

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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 OpenQuestion graph.