Trial reportPloS one2026
Effects of deconstructed Tai Chi step training combined with conventional rehabilitation on lower limb function in brunnstrom stage III stroke patients: A randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo evaluate whether a deconstructed Tai Chi stepping protocol adapted for patients with Brunnstrom Stage III stroke, when combined with conventional rehabilitation, improves lower limb motor function, walking ability, and joint mobility compared with conventional rehabilitation plus limb synergy training.
methodsIn this assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial, 52 patients with subacute stroke (Brunnstrom Stage III, ≤ 6 months post-stroke) were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to an experimental group (conventional rehabilitation plus adapted Tai Chi stepping training) or a control group (conventional rehabilitation plus limb synergy training). Both interventions were delivered 5 days per week for 8 weeks. Fifty participants completed the study and were included in the final per-protocol analysis (25 per group). Outcomes were assessed at baseline and after intervention. The primary outcomes were the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Lower Extremity (FMA-LE) and Holden Walking Function Classification. Secondary outcomes were hip, knee, and ankle range of motion (ROM).
resultsBoth groups improved after treatment, with greater improvement observed in the experimental group. FMA-LE scores increased by 5.6 ± 1.5 points in the experimental group and 1.8 ± 0.8 points in the control group (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.32). In addition, 92% (23/25) of participants in the experimental group achieved Holden Grades II-III compared with 60% (15/25) in the control group (p < 0.001). The experimental group also showed larger gains in joint ROM, including hip flexion (+19.9° vs. + 4.2°), knee external rotation (+9.9° vs. + 3.7°), and ankle dorsiflexion (+7.6° vs. + 1.3°) (all p < 0.001).
conclusionDeconstructed Tai Chi stepping training combined with conventional rehabilitation was associated with greater improvement in lower limb motor function, walking ability, and joint mobility than conventional rehabilitation plus limb synergy training in patients with Brunnstrom Stage III stroke. This stage-specific protocol may represent a practical adjunct to stroke rehabilitation, although confirmation in larger trials is still needed. CLINICAL
trial registrationInternational Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Registry (ITMCTR; a WHO ICTRP Primary Registry), registration number ITMCTR2025000972.
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.