SynthesisAge and ageing2023
The effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on hospitalised adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Synthesis in Age and ageing, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 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
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- Current status and research gaps of neuromodulation in the rehabilitation of knee osteoarthritis: a scoping review.Frontiers in neurologyPooled it
- Effect of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Older Critically Ill Patients in the ICU: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Critical care explorations · 2025Trial
- Feasibility within-subject RCT of neuromuscular electrical stimulation; an Intervention to Maintain and improve neuroMuscular function during period of Immobility (IMMI).European geriatric medicine · 2025Trial
- Sarcopenia and Muscle Dysfunction in Older Adults with Burn Injuries: An Integrated Clinical Perspective.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Cramp Threshold Frequency and Pain in Adults with Nocturnal Leg Cramps: An EMG-Based Assessment: Randomized Controlled Trial.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Impact of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Biological Markers in Critically Ill Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Critical care research and practice · 2026Review
- Relationship between muscle quality index and urinary incontinence among U.S. population: evidence from NHANES 2011 to 2014.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025Article
- Five days of bed rest in young and old adults: Retainment of skeletal muscle mass with neuromuscular electrical stimulation.Physiological reports · 2024Article
- Skeletal muscle dysfunction with advancing age.Clinical science (London, England : 1979) · 2024Review
- Skeletal muscle immobilisation-induced atrophy: mechanistic insights from human studies.Clinical science (London, England : 1979) · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
introductionNeuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a treatment to prevent or reverse acquired disability in hospitalised adults. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of its effectiveness.
methodWe searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health (CINAHL) and the Cochrane library. Inclusion criteria: randomised controlled trials of hospitalised adult patients comparing NMES to control or usual care. The primary outcome was muscle strength. Secondary outcomes were muscle size, function, hospital length of stay, molecular and cellular biomarkers, and adverse effects. We assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. We used Review Manager (RevMan) software for data extraction, critical appraisal and synthesis. We assessed certainty using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation tool.
resultsA total of 42 papers were included involving 1,452 participants. Most studies had unclear or high risk of bias. NMES had a small effect on muscle strength (moderate certainty) (standardised mean difference (SMD) = 0.33; P < 0.00001), a moderate effect on muscle size (moderate certainty) (SMD = 0.66; P < 0.005), a small effect on walking performance (moderate certainty) (SMD = 0.48; P < 0.0001) and a small effect on functional mobility (low certainty) (SMD = 0.31; P < 0.05). There was a small and non-significant effect on health-related quality of life (very low certainty) (SMD = 0.35; P > 0.05). In total, 9% of participants reported undesirable experiences. The effects of NMES on length of hospital stay, and molecular and cellular biomarkers were unclear.
conclusionsNMES is a promising intervention component that might help to reduce or prevent hospital-acquired disability.
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.