ArticlePloS one2026
Creative arts therapies for stroke patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Healing beyond the physical: Ethical approaches to emotional support in post-stroke recovery.African journal of disability · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionStroke is a leading cause of long-term disability and mortality worldwide. Survivors can experience a range of physical and emotional challenges, often leading to depression, anxiety, and a poorer quality of life. Creative arts therapies (CATs), an umbrella term encompassing music, art, dance/movement, drama, and creative writing therapies, have increasingly been explored in stroke survivor populations as interventions to improve psychological outcomes. Qualitative analysis suggests these therapies can be helpful, but the exact efficacy of CATs in stroke rehabilitation, as well as the optimal intervention types and treatment protocols, has yet to be established. This systematic review and meta-analysis plans to evaluate the effect of CATs on depression, anxiety, and quality of life among adults recovering from stroke.
methodsThis protocol has been prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD420251237926). Eligible studies will include primary quantitative research involving creative arts interventions. Searches will be conducted in Medline, Embase, and PsycInfo from inception to December 2025. Two reviewers will independently screen records, extract data, and assess study quality and the certainty of the evidence using the RoB 2, ROBINS-I, and GRADE tools. Restricted maximum likelihood random-effects meta-analyses of Cohen's d effect sizes and risk ratios will be performed to calculate pooled effect sizes for each outcome. Subgroup analyses will explore moderators such as the effect of study design, intervention type, session frequency, and patient setting. DISSEMINATION OF
resultsResults will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication, conference presentations, and clinical networks to inform evidence-based guidelines on the use of CATs in multidisciplinary stroke care.
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Registered trials
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