Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34100428›Full record

ArticleNeural regeneration research2022

Central nervous system stimulation therapies in phantom limb pain: a systematic review of clinical trials.

M Ángeles Garcia-Pallero, Diana Cardona, Lola Rueda-Ruzafa, Miguel Rodriguez-Arrastia, Pablo Roman

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Neural regeneration research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
3.9field-weighted citation impact, top 5% 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.

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

11 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for phantom limb pain- 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
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Cortical Reorganization after Limb Loss: Bridging the Gap between Basic Science and Clinical Recovery.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2024
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
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

5 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

M Ángeles Garcia-PalleroHospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Asturias, Spain.
Diana CardonaDepartment of Nursing Science, Physiotherapy and Medicine, University of Almería, Almería, Spain.
Lola Rueda-RuzafaDepartment of Functional Biology and Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology- CINBIO, University of Vigo, Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain.
Miguel Rodriguez-ArrastiaFaculty of Health Sciences, Pre-Department of Nursing; Research Group CYS, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jaume I University, Castello de la Plana, Spain.
Pablo RomanDepartment of Nursing Science, Physiotherapy and Medicine, University of Almería, Almería, Spain.
University of Almería · ESHospital Universitario Central de Asturias · ESUniversidade de Vigo · ESUniversitat Jaume I · ES

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Phantom limb pain is a chronic pain syndrome that is difficult to cope with. Despite neurostimulation treatment is indicated for refractory neuropathic pain, there is scant evidence from randomized controlled trials to recommend it as the treatment choice. Thus, a systematic review was performed to analyze the efficacy of central nervous system stimulation therapies as a strategy for pain management in patients with phantom limb pain. A literature search for studies conducted between 1970 and September 2020 was carried out using the MEDLINE and Embase databases. Principles of The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline were followed. There were a total of 10 full-text articles retrieved and included in this review. Deep brain stimulation, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, and motor cortex stimulation were the treatment strategies used in the selected clinical trials. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation were effective therapies to reduce pain perception, as well as to relieve anxiety and depression symptoms in phantom limb pain patients. Conversely, invasive approaches were considered the last treatment option as evidence in deep brain stimulation and motor cortex stimulation suggests that the value of phantom limb pain treatment remains controversial. However, the findings on use of these treatment strategies in other forms of neuropathic pain suggest that these invasive approaches could be a potential option for phantom limb pain patients.

Indexed as

central nervous system stimulationneuromodulationneuropathic painphantom limb painsystematic review

Identifiers

PMID34100428
PMCPMC8451556
OpenAlexW3170429138

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
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 OpenQuestion graph.