SynthesisSensors (Basel, Switzerland)2021
The Long-Term Maintenance of Upper Limb Motor Improvements Following Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined with Rehabilitation in People with Stroke: A Systematic Review of Randomized Sham-Controlled Trials.
Synthesis in Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on upper limb motor recovery after stroke: an overview of systematic reviews.Frontiers in neurologyPooled it
- Efficacy of kinesthetic motor imagery based brain computer interface combined with tDCS on upper limb function in subacute stroke.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- May Dual Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Enhance the Efficacy of Robot-Assisted Therapy for Promoting Upper Limb Recovery in Chronic Stroke?Neurorehabilitation and neural repair · 2022Trial
- The Modulatory Effect of tDCS Onset Timing in Alleviating Vigilance Decrement.Brain sciences · 2025Article
- Molecular Changes in the Ischemic Brain as Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Targets-TMS and tDCS Mechanisms, Therapeutic Challenges, and Combination Therapies.Biomedicines · 2024Review
- Post-stroke rehabilitation in the peri-pandemic COVID-19 era.Rheumatology international · 2024Review
- Efficacy of a Rehabilitation Program Using Mirror Therapy and Cognitive Therapeutic Exercise on Upper Limb Functionality in Patients with Acute Stroke.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Non-Pharmacological Therapies for Post-Stroke Spastic Paralysis: A Bibliometric Analysis of Global Research from 2000 to 2024.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2024Review
- Article
- Ultrasound-Guided Median Nerve Electrical Stimulation to Promote Upper Limb Function Recovery after Stroke.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2022Article
- Modern Rehabilitation Technologies of Patients with Motor Disorders at an Early Rehabilitation of Stroke (Review).Sovremennye tekhnologii v meditsine · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the upper limb (UL) motor rehabilitation of stroke has been widely studied. However, the long-term maintenance of its improvements has not yet been proven.
methodsA systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE/Pubmed, Web of Science, PEDRo, and Scopus databases from inception to April 2021. Randomized controlled trials were included if they performed a tDCS intervention combined with UL rehabilitation in stroke patients, performed several sessions (five or more), and assessed long-term results (at least three-month follow-up). Risk of bias and methodological quality were evaluated with the Cochrane RoB-2 and the Oxford quality scoring system.
resultsNine studies were included, showing a high methodological quality. Findings regarding UL were categorized into (1) functionality, (2) strength, (3) spasticity. All the studies that showed significant improvements retained them in the long term. Baseline functionality may be a limiting factor in achieving motor improvements, but not in sustaining them over the long term.
conclusionIt seems that the improvements achieved during the application of tDCS combined with UL motor rehabilitation in stroke were preserved until the follow-up time (from 3 months to 1 year). Further studies are needed to clarify the long-term effects of tDCS.
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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.