SynthesisFrontiers in neurology2026
Combined noninvasive brain stimulation and acupuncture for post-stroke motor recovery: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in neurology, 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
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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.
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Who cites it
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: Stroke is highly prevalent among older adults, and age-related reductions in neuroplastic reserve may limit motor recovery. This systematic review and network meta-analysis aimed to compare and rank the effects of noninvasive brain stimulation combined with acupuncture on post-stroke motor recovery, spasticity, balance, and activities of daily living (ADL). Methods: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, CNKI, SinoMed, Wanfang, and CQVIP were searched from inception to July 1, 2026. Randomized controlled trials evaluating noninvasive brain stimulation, including TMS-based NIBS or transcranial direct current stimulation, combined with acupuncture or electroacupuncture were included. Pairwise and frequentist random-effects network meta-analyses were performed. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool, and confidence in network estimates was evaluated using CINeMA. Results: Forty-six randomized controlled trials involving 4,080 participants were included. Combined interventions generally showed greater effects than single-modality therapies or conventional rehabilitation, although heterogeneity was substantial. In the network meta-analysis, both TMS-based NIBS plus acupuncture and tDCS plus acupuncture showed favorable ranking probabilities across several outcomes. tDCS plus acupuncture ranked highly for FMA total, FMA-UE, and ADL, whereas TMS-based NIBS plus acupuncture ranked favorably for FMA-LE, spasticity, and balance. Differences between the two combined regimens were generally not statistically significant. CINeMA indicated moderate, low, or very low confidence across network estimates, with no high-confidence evidence. Conclusion: Combined noninvasive brain stimulation and acupuncture may provide additional benefits for post-stroke motor and functional recovery. However, current findings should be interpreted cautiously because of substantial heterogeneity, sparse evidence for some intervention nodes, risk-of-bias concerns, and limited confidence in several network estimates. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251051398, Identifier: CRD420251051398.
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