SynthesisFrontiers in neurology2023
Effects of low-frequency rTMS combined with antidepressants on depression in patients with post-stroke depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in neurology, 2023. 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.
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
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of noninvasive brain stimulation in the treatment of poststroke depression: an overview of systematic reviews.Frontiers in neurologyPooled it
- Clinical Efficacy Study of Escitalopram Combined With Low-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Patients With Post-Ischemic Stroke Depression and Anxiety.Actas espanolas de psiquiatria · 2026Article
- Poststroke anxiety and depression: epidemiology, mechanisms, and management strategies.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Review
- Investigating the Impact of rTMS in Combination With Antidepressant Medications on Residual Symptoms in Acute Depression.Actas espanolas de psiquiatria · 2025Article
- Pilot randomized trial of high- and low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in post-stroke depression with EEG monitoring.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Article
- Research Advances in Multimodal Framework-Based Identification and Therapeutic Management of Post-Stroke Depression via the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the effect of low-frequency (≤1 Hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (low-frequency rTMS) combined with antidepressants on depression and the levels of inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α in patients with post-stroke depression (PSD). Design: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Technology Periodical Database, and Wanfang Database were searched until October 2022 for randomized controlled trials. Participants: Patients with post-stroke depression (PSD) participated in the study. Results: A total of 16 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 1,463 patients with PSD were included. According to the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) quality assessment, three studies received high quality (eight scores) and 13 RCTs received moderate quality (six scores) results. The meta-analysis showed that low-rTMS combined with an antidepressant significantly reduced the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) score and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, reduced IL-6 and TNF-α levels, and improved the MMSE score in PSD compared to an antidepressant alone. Conclusion: The results of this meta-analysis evidenced the efficacy and safety of low-rTMS combined with antidepressants in the treatment of depression in PSD patients. The combined therapy could reduce The depression state and the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α, and enhance the cognitive function of patients. In addition, low-rTMS had fewer adverse effects, proving safety. However, there are shortcomings, such as a lack of long-term follow-up, different intervention sites of low-rTMS, and different intervention frequencies (0.5 or 1 Hz). Thus, in the future, RCTs with a larger sample size and longer-term observation are required to verify the efectiveness of low-rTMS combined therapy on PSD. Meantime, a new meta-analysis could be analysized, which intervention sites and frequency are more effective in treating PSD. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier: CRD42022376845.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.