Theta-stimulation for the treatment of motor function and daily activity ability in the lower extremities of stroke patients:a meta-analysis

Hu Xin; Wan Haili; Du Liang; Li Yongjie; Xia Yuan

doi:10.12307/2026.616

Abstract：OBJECTIVE:A meta-analysis was conducted to systematically evaluate the effect of intermittent theta-burst stimulation on improving lower limb motor function,balance function,and daily activity ability in stroke patients. METHODS:A comprehensive search was conducted on randomized controlled trials on intermittent theta-burst stimulation for stroke treatment,with a cutoff date of November 2024,from major bibliographic databases including Cochrane Library,Scopus,PubMed,Embase,ProQuest,Web of Science,CNKI,China Biomedical Literature Database,VIP,and WanFang databases.The inclusion criteria were met by trials that administered intermittent theta stimulation to the cerebellum/M1,with the experimental group receiving this stimulation and the control group receiving routine rehabilitation treatment.The meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 and Stata 16.0. RESULTS:A total of 12 articles with 444 patients were included in the meta-analysis,which demonstrated that intermittent theta-burst stimulation can enhance the Fugl-Meyer score of the lower extremities in patients following stroke[WMD=2.87,95%confidence interval(CI)(1.77,3.98),P<0.000 01]and the Berg Balance Scale score[WMD=5.79,95%CI(3.80,7.79),P<0.000 01]and Modified Barthel Index[WMD=6.32,95%CI(4.02,8.44),P<0.000 01].Subgroup analysis revealed that when compared with 600 pulses,1 200 stimulation pulses yielded a more pronounced enhancement in lower limb Fugl-Meyer scores[WMD=4.31,95%CI(2.91,5.71),P<0.000 01],the Berg Balance Scale score[WMD=8.12,95%CI(5.27,10.98),P<0.000 01]and the Modified Barthel Index[WMD=8.50,95%CI(6.55,10.45),P<0.000 01]. CONCLUSION:Intermittent theta-burst stimulation has been demonstrated to enhance lower limb motor ability,balance function,and daily living ability scores in patients who have experienced a stroke.Among the various forms of intermittent theta stimulation,1 200-pulse intermittent theta stimulation has been shown to yield the most significant improvements in lower limb motor ability,balance function,and daily living ability.