Network Meta-Analysis of Acupoint Therapies for Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms

23 randomized controlled trials involving 1,384 patients with multiple sclerosis were analyzed to compare eight acupoint stimulation therapies. Ruiou Chen published this supplementary document on figshare in May 2026 under a CC-BY-4.0 license. The analysis ranks interventions for improving neurological function, fatigue, and activities of daily living using Bayesian network meta-analysis.

Use Cases

• Ranking the efficacy of different acupoint therapies based on SUCRA values mentioned in the results
• Comparing treatment effects on fatigue using standardized mean differences (SMD) for FSS scores
• Analyzing improvements in neurological function based on mean differences (MD) for EDSS scores
• Evaluating enhancements in activities of daily living based on mean differences (MD) for Barthel Index scores

Strengths

• Includes data from 23 randomized controlled trials, a substantial number for a meta-analysis
• Analyzes 1,384 patient records, providing a meaningful sample size
• Compares eight distinct acupoint stimulation interventions (e.g., acupuncture, electroacupuncture, moxibustion)
• Uses a Bayesian network meta-analysis methodology, allowing for indirect treatment comparisons

Limitations

• The dataset is a 20.5 KB DOCX file, indicating it is a supplementary document rather than raw trial data
• Row count and column-level documentation are absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• The authors note methodological limitations and clinical heterogeneity in the included studies, suggesting exploratory evidence

Provenance

Source

figshare, author Ruiou Chen

Collection Method

Systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials from eight databases

Time Range

Publications from database inception to August 3, 2025

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-26 07:24:49