Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39920249›Full record

SynthesisScientific reports2025

A systematic review and meta-analysis of neuromuscular electrical stimulation post-botulinum toxin injection in children with cerebral palsy.

Fu-An Yang, Jie-Ren Mi Le, Chia-Hsiang Lu, Chao-Chun Huang, Hung-Chou Chen

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

5 authors.

Fu-An Yang *Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Jie-Ren Mi Le *Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chia-Hsiang LuDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, No. 291 Zhongjheng Road, Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, 235, Taiwan.
Chao-Chun HuangDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Hung-Chou ChenDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, No. 291 Zhongjheng Road, Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, 235, Taiwan. 10462@s.tmu.edu.tw.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The aim of our study is to investigate whether adjunct neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) therapy improves functional performance outcomes in children with cerebral palsy (CP) who have received botulinum toxin (BTX) injections. We searched the PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Scopus databases for randomized controlled trials studying the effects of NMES after BTX injection in children with CP from database inception to July 3, 2024. Two independent reviewers extracted data, and risks of bias were assessed using the PEDro scale for randomized controlled trials. We included 5 randomized controlled trials in this meta-analysis. NMES treatment following BTX injection resulted in greater functional performance outcomes compared with BTX injections alone (standardized mean difference = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.22 to 0.92). However, NMES following BTX injections did not significantly improve spasticity outcomes (standardized mean difference = 0.28; 95% CI = - 0.21 to 0.76). Despite including only a small number of trials, the present analysis demonstrated that NMES is an effective adjunct to BTX injections for managing CP in children. Further research must be conducted to refine these therapies, ensure better outcomes, and alleviate the burdens faced by individuals with CP.

Indexed as

Botulinum ToxinsCerebral PalsyElectric Stimulation TherapyChildHumansMuscle SpasticityRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeBotulinum ToxinsBotulinum toxinCerebral palsyElectrical stimulationMeta-analysisSpasticity.

Identifiers

PMID39920249
PMCPMC11806032

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Registered trials

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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.