SynthesisFrontiers in neurology2025
Comparative effectiveness of multiple different non-pharmacologic interventions for post-stroke constipation: a Bayesian network meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07751224 (Effectiveness of Auricular Acupuncture for Post-Stroke Constipation), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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.
Effectiveness of Auricular Acupuncture for Post-Stroke Constipation: A Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- New-onset constipation at acute stage after stroke: incidence, risk factors, and impact on stroke rehabilitation.Frontiers in neurologyArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Post-stroke constipation (PSC) is a common complication among stroke patients, with a positive correlation to stroke severity. Straining during defecation in constipated patients can increase intracranial pressure, posing a high risk for secondary strokes, negatively impacting prognosis, disease progression, and contributing to the development of depression and anxiety. Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs), including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and rehabilitation approaches, have been explored due to challenges in advancing Western medical treatments. However, the optimal treatment remains unclear, necessitating guidance for clinical practice. This research employs Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) to identify the most effective NPIs for improving clinical outcomes and alleviating constipation in post-stroke patients. Methods: We conducted a NMA of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the relative efficacy of eight NPIs for PSC: acupuncture therapy (AT), acupoint catgut embedding (ACE), auricular therapy (ART), moxibustion (MT), abdominal massage (AM), point application (PA), physiotherapy (PT), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The primary outcome was the clinical effective rate (CER), and the secondary outcome was the Constipation Scoring System (CCS). To establish a comparative hierarchy of interventions, surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) values were calculated, representing the probability of relative efficacy across treatments. Results: A comprehensive literature review identified 53 clinical studies with 5,813 participants to evaluate the relative efficacy of eight NPIs. ACE ranked highest for both CER and CCS (SUCRA = 94.7, 97.8%), followed by PT (88.4, 81.7%). In contrast, ART and AM ranked lower, indicating relatively less efficacy compared with other interventions. Conclusion: Acupoint catgut-embedding (ACE) may represent a potentially superior non-pharmacological intervention for improving clinical outcomes and reducing constipation severity in post-stroke patients. Physiotherapy (PT) also demonstrated favorable efficacy, ranking second in both clinical outcomes. However, further high-quality, multicenter clinical trials are needed to validate and refine these findings.
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