Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36685449›Full record

ArticleHeliyon2023

Transcranial direct current stimulation with virtual reality versus virtual reality alone for upper extremity rehabilitation in stroke: A meta-analysis.

Jiahao Meng, Zeya Yan, Feng Gu, Xinyu Tao, Tao Xue, Dan Liu, Zhong Wang

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Heliyon, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 18% 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

8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Combined noninvasive brain stimulation virtual reality for upper limb rehabilitation poststroke: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2024
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Article
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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

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Jiahao MengDepartment of Neurosurgery and Brain and Nerve Research Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215006, China.
Zeya YanDepartment of Neurosurgery and Brain and Nerve Research Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215006, China.
Feng GuDepartment of Neurosurgery and Brain and Nerve Research Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215006, China.
Xinyu TaoDepartment of Neurosurgery and Brain and Nerve Research Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215006, China.
Tao XueDepartment of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China.
Dan LiuHealth Management Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215006, China.
Zhong WangDepartment of Neurosurgery and Brain and Nerve Research Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215006, China.
Soochow University · CNCapital Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Stroke is one of the most prevalent diseases. Motor impairment in patients with stroke frequently affects the upper extremities. Several randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have tried to prove whether or not the combination of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with virtual reality (VR) is superior to VR alone for upper extremity rehabilitation. Methods: We searched Embase, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library database, and Clinicaltrials.gov for relevant RCTs published before June 10, 2022. The results were analyzed by using standard mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: We pooled 120 patients from 4 RCTs. There were no significant improvements in the Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity scale (SMD = 0.51; 95% CI, -0.04 to 1.06), the Box and Block Test (SMD = 0.42; 95% CI, -0.02 to 0.86), and the Modified Ashworth Scale after the combined treatment of tDCS and VR. But tDCS combined with VR could enhance the Barthel Index scores in patients with stroke compared to VR alone (SMD = 0.49; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.94). Conclusions: The combination of tDCS and VR can improve the quality of daily living in patients with stroke. No more satisfactory efficacy has been demonstrated in terms of upper extremity function. However, we observe a distinct trend toward significance in some outcomes.

Indexed as

StrokeTranscranial direct current stimulationUpper extremity rehabilitationVirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID36685449
PMCPMC9849940
OpenAlexW4313334045

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.