Systematic Review of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Post-Stroke Motor Recovery

34 articles were included in this umbrella review assessing the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on limb motor impairment after stroke. The review evaluated literature quality using PRISMA 2020, AMSTAR 2, and GRADE systems, finding evidence quality ranging from high to very low. It concludes TMS positively impacts upper limb function, walking ability, and activities of daily living, though methodological limitations constrain the strength of conclusions.

Use Cases

• Analyze the distribution of PRISMA 2020 scores (mean 22.44, range 17.5-26) across the 34 included articles to assess reporting completeness.
• Investigate the correlation between AMSTAR 2 quality ratings (2 high, 1 moderate, 6 low, 25 very low) and reported outcome measures like ARAT or FMA-UE scores.
• Examine the body of evidence grades from the GRADE system (4 high, 29 moderate, 42 low, 46 very low) for conclusions on TMS efficacy in upper limb function recovery.

Strengths

• Includes 34 systematic reviews and meta-analyses, providing a broad synthesis of existing evidence.
• Applies three established assessment frameworks (PRISMA 2020, AMSTAR 2, GRADE) for structured quality and evidence evaluation.
• Reports specific outcome measures such as ARAT and FMA-UE scores for analyzing TMS impact on upper limb function.

Limitations

• The underlying evidence is constrained by low methodological quality, with 25 of 34 studies rated 'very low' by AMSTAR 2.
• The dataset is a 34.4 KB document containing review metadata and scores, not raw patient-level or trial data for direct analysis.
• Evidence bodies are predominantly low quality, with 88 out of 121 GRADE assessments rated low or very low.

Provenance

Source

figshare, authored by Xiaoduo Yao.

Collection Method

Umbrella review reassessing systematic reviews and meta-analyses using PRISMA 2020, AMSTAR 2, and GRADE methodologies.

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated March 2026.

Geography

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