Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35527577›Full record

SynthesisNeuroRehabilitation2022

Does acupuncture therapy improve language function of patients with aphasia following ischemic stroke? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Bomo Sang, Shizhe Deng, Jingbo Zhai, Ting Hao, Bifang Zhuo, Chenyang Qin, Menglong Zhang, Xiaofeng Zhao, Zhihong Meng

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in NeuroRehabilitation, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 13% 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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
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

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Bomo SangDepartment of Clinical Acupuncture, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Shizhe DengDepartment of Clinical Acupuncture, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Jingbo ZhaiInstitute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Ting HaoDepartment of Clinical Acupuncture, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Bifang ZhuoDepartment of Clinical Acupuncture, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Chenyang QinDepartment of Clinical Acupuncture, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Menglong ZhangDepartment of Clinical Acupuncture, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Xiaofeng ZhaoDepartment of Clinical Acupuncture, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Zhihong MengDepartment of Clinical Acupuncture, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · CNTianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAphasia is one of the most common complications in patients with ischemic stroke. Studies have shown that acupuncture can improve the symptoms of aphasia patients. However, the effect of acupuncture on language function in patients with ischemic stroke is still controversial.

objectiveThis study aimed to critically assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for aphasia following ischemic stroke.

methodsPubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science Core Collection, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Digital Periodicals, and Chinese Science and Technology Periodicals database were searched. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that met the criteria were included.

resultsMeta-analyses showed that mean difference in change of auditory comprehension score (MD = 7.71, 95% CI: 1.83 to 13.59, P = 0.01), spontaneous speech (MD = 2.77, 95% CI: 0.59 to 4.95, P = 0.01), repetition score (MD = 14.48, 95% CI: 11.04 to 17.91, P < 0.00001) and naming score (MD = 14.60, 95% CI: 11.33 to 17.88, P < 0.00001) measured by WAB scale were statistically significant. Subgroup analyses demonstrated that there were statistically significant mean differences in four items of WAB scale in patients with sub-acute stroke, and no statistically significant differences in patients with acute stroke.

conclusionThe present study suggests that acupuncture may improve the language function of patients with aphasia following ischemic stroke, especially during the sub-acute phase. However, due to insufficient sample sizes and information on the safety, more high-quality RCTs are still needed.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyAphasiaIschemic StrokeStrokeHumansLanguageAcupunctureaphasiaischemic strokespeech therapysystematic review

Identifiers

PMID35527577
PMCPMC9535561
OpenAlexW4225405879

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.