Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31023258›Full record

Trial reportBMC neurology2019

Intermittent theta burst stimulation enhances upper limb motor function in patients with chronic stroke: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Yu-Jen Chen, Ying-Zu Huang, Chung-Yao Chen, Chia-Ling Chen, Hsieh-Ching Chen, Ching-Yi Wu, Keh-Chung Lin, Tzu-Ling Chang

3 registry-linked trialsAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC neurology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 58 papers, 24 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
58citing papers in PubMed, 24 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.

NCT01947413 nacompletednot on this map

New Protocols in the Treatment of Upper Limb Dysfunctions of Patients With Stroke: An Evidence of Clinical and Kinematic Studies.

TypeinterventionalSponsorChang Gung Memorial HospitalRan2012 to 2017Enrolled80ConditionsCerebral Vascular AccidentArmsintermittent theta burst stimulation, continuous theta burst stimulation, sham theta burst stimulation
NCT05478434 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

Cortico-cortical Stimulation and Robot-assisted Therapy a New Approach of Upper Limb Functional Recovery After Stroke

TypeinterventionalSponsorI.R.C.C.S. Fondazione Santa LuciaRan2022 to 2025Enrolled32ConditionsStroke, Stroke, IschemicArmsCortico-cortical stimulation plus robot-assisted therapy, Sham cortico-cortical stimulation plus robot-assisted therapy
NCT06775145 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Therapeutic Effect of Neuromodulation on Anxiety Disorders by High-Definition Transcranial Electrical Stimulation

TypeinterventionalSponsorNational Taiwan University HospitalRan2025 to 2025Enrolled100ConditionsGeneralized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)ArmsHD-R_cDC+cTBS & sham-L_aDC+iTBS, sham-R_cDC+cTBS & HD-L_aDC+iTBS, HD-R_cDC+cTBS & HD-L_aDC+iTBS, sham-R_cDC+cTBS & sham-L_aDC+iTBS
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

58 citing papers in PubMed, 24 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  3. Effectiveness of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) on Post-Stroke motor dysfunction: A Meta-Analysis of randomized controlled trials.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
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  13. Comparative efficacy of different noninvasive brain stimulation protocols on upper-extremity motor function and activities of daily living after stroke: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2024
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  14. Theta-burst stimulation as a therapeutic tool in neurological pathology: a systematic review.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2024
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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

8 authors.

Yu-Jen ChenDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, 5, Fushing Street, Kuei-Shan District, Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan.
Ying-Zu HuangNeuroscience Research Center and Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan.
Chung-Yao ChenMedical School, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Chia-Ling ChenDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, 5, Fushing Street, Kuei-Shan District, Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan. clingchen@gmail.com.
Hsieh-Ching ChenDepartment of Industrial and Management, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan.
Ching-Yi WuDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, 5, Fushing Street, Kuei-Shan District, Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan.
Keh-Chung LinSchool of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Tzu-Ling ChangDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, 5, Fushing Street, Kuei-Shan District, Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan.

Funding

Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou CMRPG 3D1461-3, CMRPG 3B1441-3 and CMRPG 3F1251National Science Council MOST, 105-2314-B-182 -020 -MY3
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIntermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) is a form of repetitive transcranial stimulation that has been used to enhance upper limb (UL) motor recovery. However, only limited studies have examined its efficacy in patients with chronic stroke and therefore it remains controversial.

methodsThis was a randomized controlled trial that enrolled patients from a rehabilitation department. Twenty-two patients with first-ever chronic and unilateral cerebral stroke, aged 30-70 years, were randomly assigned to the iTBS or control group. All patients received 1 session per day for 10 days of either iTBS or sham stimulation over the ipsilesional primary motor cortex in addition to conventional neurorehabilitation. Outcome measures were assessed before and immediately after the intervention period: Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), Box and Block test (BBT), and Motor Activity Log (MAL). Analysis of covariance was adopted to compare the treatment effects between groups.

resultsThe iTBS group had greater improvement in the MAS and FMA than the control group (η

conclusionsThe iTBS induced greater gains in spasticity decrease and UL function improvement, especially in fine motor function, than sham TBS. This is a promising finding because patients with chronic stroke have a relatively low potential for fine motor function recovery. Overall, iTBS may be a beneficial adjunct therapy to neurorehabilitation for enhancing UL function. Further larger-scale study is warranted to confirm the findings and its long-term effect.

trial registrationThis trial was registered under ClinicalTrials.gov ID No. NCT01947413 on September 20, 2013.

Indexed as

AdultAgedChronic DiseaseFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMuscle SpasticityPilot ProjectsRecovery of FunctionStroke RehabilitationTranscranial Magnetic StimulationTreatment OutcomeUpper ExtremityMotor functionRehabilitationStrokeTheta burst stimulation (TBS)Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Identifiers

PMID31023258
PMCPMC6485156

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.