Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31772592›Full record

ArticleEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2019

The Effect of Different Acupuncture Therapies on Neurological Recovery in Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Feng Xiong, Chenying Fu, Qing Zhang, Lihong Peng, Zejun Liang, Li Chen, Chengqi He, Quan Wei

Registry-linked trialOpen access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06509841 (The Impact of Jiaji Electroacupuncture and Scalp Electroacupuncture on Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury), which is not on this map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
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.

NCT06509841 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

The Impact of Jiaji Electroacupuncture and Scalp Electroacupuncture on Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorHangzhou Medical CollegeRan2024 to 2025Enrolled84ConditionsSpinal Cord Injuries (SCI)ArmsElectro-acupuncture at the Jiaji points, Electro-acupuncture at the scalp points
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Efficacy of various acupuncture modalities on alleviating symptoms in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
    Pooled it
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  5. Recent Advances in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury.The archives of bone and joint surgery · 2024
    Review
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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 at 1 institution in 1 country.

Feng XiongDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8173-8845
Chenying FuState Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Qing ZhangDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2639-7416
Lihong PengDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3905-7085
Zejun LiangDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3895-4611
Li ChenDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Chengqi HeDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Quan WeiDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0541-905X
Sichuan University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Many acupuncture therapies were used to treat spinal cord injury (SCI) and its complications. The difference in efficacy among these therapies has not been assessed. To compare the efficacy of different acupuncture therapies for SCI, we searched databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, and WanFang) for relevant RCTs in both English and Chinese before June 2019 that reported the association between acupuncture therapies and SCI. The RCTs were categorized according to the location of the acupoints used in them. The neural function was assessed by American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) motor score, and daily living ability was accessed by Modified Barthel Index (MBI) after SCI. In total, 22 trials involving 1644 participants were included. The pairwise meta-analysis and random effects model network meta-analysis were conducted. The results indicated that exercise combined with electro-acupuncture (EA) is superior to exercise without acupuncture in improving the ASIA motor score. EA was associated with a significantly higher improvement in the MBI score than exercise alone, except for EA of head + limbs and limbs. Additionally, EA on the head + back and back + front (chest and abdomen) rank the top in both increasing the ASIA motor score and the MBI score. Acupuncture can significantly increase motor function and daily living ability of individuals who suffer from SCI, especially acupuncture of the back + front or the head + back. The evidence supports acupuncture of the back + front or the head + back as an effective treatment for SCI.

Identifiers

PMID31772592
PMCPMC6854954
OpenAlexW2982064096

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.