ArticleBrain sciences2020
Synergistic Effects of Scalp Acupuncture and Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Cerebral Infarction: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.
Article in Brain sciences, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Combined noninvasive brain stimulation and acupuncture for post-stroke motor recovery: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in neurology · 2026Pooled it
- Comparison of the efficacy of different protocols of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation on motor function, activities of daily living, and neurological function in patients with early 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 · 2025Pooled it
- Is acupuncture combined with repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation more effective in improving upper limb motor dysfunction after stroke? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on upper-limb and finger function in stroke patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in neurology · 2022Pooled it
- Effect of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with abdominal acupuncture on lower limb motor function and balance in post-stroke hemiplegia: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in neurology · 2026Trial
- Article
- Catgut embedding in acupoints combined with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis: study protocol for a randomized clinical trial.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Article
- Noninvasive Brain Stimulation for Neurorehabilitation in Post-Stroke Patients.Brain sciences · 2023Review
- Efficacy of Neurostimulations for Upper Extremity Function Recovery after Stroke: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Effect of New Nursing on Patients with Acute Cerebral Infarction.Computational and mathematical methods in medicine · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
This study investigated the synergistic effects of scalp acupuncture (SA) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), known to be effective for cerebral infarction. This outcome-assessor-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial included a per-protocol analysis to compare the efficacy of SA and electromagnetic convergence stimulation (SAEM-CS) and single or no stimulation. The trial was conducted with 42 cerebral infarction patients (control group, 12; SA group, 11; rTMS group, 8; SAEM-CS group, 11). All patient groups underwent two sessions of CSRT per day. SA, rTMS, and SAEM-CS were conducted once per day, 5 days per week, for 3 weeks. The primary outcome was evaluated using the Fugl-Mayer assessment (FMA). FMA Upper Extremity, FMA total, MBI, and FIM scores significantly increased in the rTMS group compared with the control group. Additionally, FMA Upper Extremity, FMA total, MBI and FIM scores significantly increased in the rTMS group compared with the SAEM-CS group. However, there were no significant changes in the SA or SAEM-CS groups. In conclusion, low-frequency rTMS in the contralesional hemisphere may have long-term therapeutic effects on upper extremity motor function recovery and improvements in activities of daily living. SAEM-CS did not show positive synergistic effects of SA and rTMS.
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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.