Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40115450›Full record

ArticleTranslational pediatrics2025

Non-invasive brain stimulation for upper extremity dysfunction in children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Yage Zhang, Mengru Zhong, Tingting Peng, Tingting Chen, Simian Cai, Zhaofang Chen, Kaishou Xu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Translational pediatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
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.

Yage Zhang *Department of Rehabilitation, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Mengru Zhong *Department of Rehabilitation, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Tingting PengDepartment of Rehabilitation, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Tingting ChenDepartment of Rehabilitation, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Simian CaiDepartment of Rehabilitation, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Zhaofang ChenDepartment of Rehabilitation, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Kaishou XuDepartment of Rehabilitation, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0639-3488

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are the most commonly used non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques. However, NIBS for upper extremity dysfunction remains unclear in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Thus, we aim to determine safety and effectiveness of NIBS for upper extremity dysfunction in children with CP. Methods: Two reviewers conducted literature search on five databases including PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest, Scopus, and Embase independently. Systematic review and meta-analyses of included studies were conducted. Studies used standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) to calculate pooled effect size between two groups. The statistics I Results: Fifteen studies were included, with seven of which examined rTMS and eight studied tDCS. Total 366 children with CP were included. Changes in Box and Block Test (BBT) of the affected hand changed significantly in post (SMD =0.68; 95% CI: 0.02 to 1.34; P=0.044; I Conclusions: NIBS is safe and well tolerated in children with CP. And current evidence suggests that when safety guidelines are followed, NIBS does not induce seizures in pediatric patients with no history of epilepsy or stable epilepsy. tDCS is effective in improving upper extremity dysfunction such as fine motor function especially hand dexterity, and reducing upper extremity spasticity in children with CP. Due to insufficient studies, the effectiveness of rTMS is uncertain.

Indexed as

Cerebral palsy (CP)non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS)transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)transcranial magnetic stimulationupper extremity

Identifiers

PMID40115450
PMCPMC11921285

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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.