Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42700160›Full record

SynthesisPhysiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapy2026

The Impact of Upper Extremity Rehabilitation on Fatigue in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review.

Gizem Şekercan, Ecem Karanfil Akbaş, Yeliz Salcı

Abstract readSystematic ReviewReview
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

3 authors.

Gizem ŞekercanFaculty of Health Sciences, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Kocaeli Health and Technology University, Kocaeli, Turkey.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0181-6488
Ecem Karanfil AkbaşFaculty of Health Sciences, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Çankırı Karatekin University, Çankırı, Turkey.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2439-9234
Yeliz SalcıFaculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3728-7194

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough numerous interventions have been investigated to alleviate fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), evidence regarding the effects of upper extremity rehabilitation on fatigue remains limited.

objectiveThe objective of this review was to evaluate and synthesize the available evidence on the effects of upper extremity rehabilitation interventions on fatigue in PwMS.

methodsThis review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines and was prospectively registered in the PROSPERO database. A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus was performed up to August 2026. Studies were eligible if they investigated the effects of upper extremity rehabilitation interventions on fatigue in PwMS. The risk of bias of randomized controlled trials was assessed using the Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2), and the certainty of the evidence was appraised using the GRADE methodology.

resultsNine studies including 250 participants (136 intervention, 114 control) met the inclusion criteria. The included studies evaluated a range of technology-assisted, exercise-based, home-based, and task-oriented upper extremity rehabilitation approaches, with some interventions incorporating more than one therapeutic or technological component. Fatigue outcomes were measured using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). Risk of bias was low in three randomized controlled trials, with some concerns in two and high in two; among the two crossover studies, one was rated as low risk and one as high risk. GRADE assessment showed low certainty of evidence for studies using the FSS and very low certainty for those using the MFIS, indicating an overall low certainty of the available evidence.

conclusionsThe available evidence is insufficient to draw definitive conclusions regarding the effects of upper extremity rehabilitation on fatigue in PwMS. Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are required.

Indexed as

Exercise TherapyFatigueMultiple SclerosisUpper ExtremityHumansfatiguemultiple sclerosisrehabilitationupper extremity

Identifiers

PMID42700160
PMCPMC13546000

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.