SynthesisStroke and vascular neurology2022
Would integrated Western and traditional Chinese medicine have more benefits for stroke rehabilitation? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Stroke and vascular neurology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 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
26 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 50 citations in OpenAlex.
- Application of Deep Learning for Predicting Hematoma Expansion in Intracerebral Hemorrhage Using Computed Tomography Scans: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Accuracy.La Radiologia medica · 2025Pooled it
- Comparison of the effects of different physical stimulation therapies on reducing upper limb spastic paralysis and motor dysfunction in stroke survivors after stroke: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Pooled it
- Acupuncture treatment of vascular cognitive impairment through peripheral nerve stimulation pathway: a scoping review.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2025Pooled it
- Immediate and long-term brain activation of acupuncture on ischemic stroke patients: an ALE meta-analysis of fMRI studies.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2024Pooled it
- Effect of Huatuo Zaizao Pill on Neurological Function and Limb Motor Recovery in Ischemic Stroke Patients During Convalescence: An Open-Labelled, Randomized Controlled Trial.Chinese journal of integrative medicine · 2025Trial
- Bilateral effect of acupuncture on cerebrum and cerebellum in ischaemic stroke patients with hemiparesis: a randomised clinical and neuroimaging trial.Stroke and vascular neurology · 2024Trial
- Improvements in Gait Function Following Integrative Korean-Western Medicine Treatment in Older Adults with Chronic Stroke: A Retrospective Exploratory Study.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Observational
- Contemporary utilization of ginseng among individuals with health needs: A nationwide questionnaire survey.Journal of ginseng research · 2026Article
- Fu Zheng Li Qi Tang combined with FOCUS-PDCA model in postoperative rehabilitation of elderly biliary surgery patients.World journal of gastrointestinal surgery · 2026Article
- Perceptions of Integrated Medical Service Among Stroke Patients in South Korea: Self-Reported Web-Based Survey Study.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2026Article
- Article
- Electroacupuncture Potentiates Astragaloside IV Cerebral Delivery via P-Glycoprotein-Mediated Transcellular Transport: A Novel Blood-Brain Barrier Penetration Strategy for Ischemic Stroke Therapy.Brain and behavior · 2025Article
- Article
- Amelioration of T lymphocyte subsets, inflammatory factors and gastrointestinal function by traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation management in postoperative chemotherapy for lung cancer.Journal of medical biochemistry · 2025Article
- Understanding the Needs of Young and Middle-Aged Chinese People Who Have Experienced a Stroke Who Have Not Successfully Returned to Work: A Qualitative Study.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025Article
- Effect of DU meridian acupuncture and temporal three-needle on vascular protection mechanisms in patients with acute cerebral infarction: a randomized controlled evaluator-blinded clinical trial.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Article
- Technical specification for developing a clinical practice guideline for the integration of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine.Journal of evidence-based medicine · 2024Article
- Acupuncture for acute ischemic stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Integrative medicine research · 2024Review
- Analysis of online prescription patterns in Chinese patients with sequelae of cerebral infarction: a real-world study.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of post-stroke depression: A study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.PloS one · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
17 authors at 8 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundStroke is a major cause of death or long-term disability worldwide. Many patients with stroke receive integrative therapy consisting of Western medicine (WM) and routine rehabilitation in conjunction with Chinese medicine (CM), such as acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. However, there is no available evidence on the effectiveness of the combined use of WM and CM interventions in stroke rehabilitation.
aimsThe purpose of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the results of all individual studies to assess the combined use of CM and WM in stroke rehabilitation compared with WM only.
methodsThe Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines were followed. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched. The included outcomes were dependency, motor function, depression and swallowing function. Subgroup analysis was performed, and publication bias was assessed using funnel plots. SUMMARY OF REVIEW: 58 studies and 6339 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis revealed that combined therapy comprising both acupuncture and WM had a superior effect on improving dependency and swallowing function compared with standard WM therapy alone. Potential superiority of combined therapy comprising CM and WM in improving depression compared with standard WM therapy was also found.
conclusionsOur results indicate that the combined use of CM and WM could be more efficacious in stroke rehabilitation compared with the use of WM therapy alone. However, most studies were short in duration (2 to 4 weeks) and prone to different types of biases, which prevents making any conclusion regarding the long-term effects and raises concerns regarding true efficacy in context of high likelihood of Hawthorn bias. So, more randomised controlled trials with more rigorous design and longer duration of treatment and follow-up need to be conducted to compare WM alone versus WM and CM combined. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020152050.
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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.