Table 3.

Summary of methodological quality of evidence according to GRADE.

Certainty assessment							Number of patients		Effect		Certainty	Importance
Number of studies	Study design	Risk of bias	Inconsistency	Indirectness	Imprecision	Other considerations	MT + NMES	Control	Relative (95% CI)	Absolute (95% CI)
Walking speed
6	Randomized trials	Seriousa	Not serious	Not serious	Not serious	None	100	99	–	SMD 0.67 higher (0.26 higher to 1.07 higher)	⨁⨁⨁◯ Moderate	IMPORTANT
Berg balance scale
3	Randomized trials	Seriousa	Not serious	Not serious	Seriousb	None	49	48	–	SMD 0.72 higher (0.31 higher to 1.13 higher)	⨁⨁◯◯ Low	IMPORTANT
Modified ashworth scale
3	Randomized trials	Seriousa	Seriousc	Not serious	Seriousb	None	52	51	–	SMD 0.4 lower (1.05 lower to 0.26 higher)	⨁◯◯◯ Very low	IMPORTANT
Gait parameter: cadence
2	Randomized trials	Seriousa	Not serious	Not serious	Seriousb	None	25	25	–	SMD 0.59 higher (0.02 higher to 1.16 higher)	⨁⨁◯◯ Low	IMPORTANT
Gait parameter: step length
2	Randomized trials	Seriousa	Not serious	Not serious	Seriousb	None	25	25	–	SMD 0.94 higher (0.35 higher to 1.53 higher)	⨁⨁◯◯ Low	IMPORTANT
Gait parameter: stride length
2	Randomized trials	Seriousa	Not serious	Not serious	Seriousb	None	25	25	–	SMD 0.95 higher (0.36 higher to 1.54 higher)	⨁⨁◯◯ Low	IMPORTANT

CI: confidence interval; SMD: standardized mean difference.

^aAll studies that did not involve participant and therapist blinding because of specific treatment characteristics.

^bAll studies with a small sample size and a wide confidence interval.

^cThe heterogeneity is high, and I² = 63%.