Table 1.

Search strategy for electronic databases

1. exp Stroke/ 2. stroke.mp. 3. cerebrovascular diseas$.mp. 4. cerebral vascular diseas$.mp. 5. cerebral vascular accident$.mp. 6. cerebrovascular accident$.mp. 7. (hemipleg$ or hemipar$).mp. 8. 6 or 4 or 1 or 3 or 7 or 2 or 5 9. exp Physical Therapy Modalities/ 10 physiotherapy.mp. 11. physical therapy.mp. 12. 11 or 10 or 9 13. randomized controlled trial.pt. 14. controlled clinical trial.pt. 15. randomised controlled trials.sh. 16. random allocation.sh. 17. double-blind method.sh. 18. single-blind method.sh. 19. 18 or 16 or 13 or 17 or 12 or 15 or 14 20. clinical trial.pt. 21. exp Clinical Trial/ 22. ((singl$ or doubl$ or treb$ or trip$) adj25 (blind$ or mask$)).ti, ab. 23. (clin$ adj25 trial$).ti, ab. 24. placebo$.ti, ab. 25. placebo.sh. 26. random$.ti, ab. 27. research design.sh. 28. 27 or 25 or 21 or 26 or 20 or 22 or 24 or 23 29. comparative study.sh. 30. exp Evaluation Studies/ 31. follow up studies.sh. 32. (contro$ or prospectiv$ or volunteer$).ti, ab. 33. 32 or 30 or 31 or 29

34. 33 or 28 or 19 35. exercis$.mp. 36. exercis$.sh. 37. exp Exercise/ 38. functional strength train$.mp. 39. activities of daily living.mp. 40. neuro facilitation.mp. 41. bobath therap$.mp. 42. motor relearn$.mp. 43. rehabilitation.mp. 44. rehabilitation.sh. 45. exp Rehabilitation/ 46. restoration of function$.mp. 47. 35 or 39 or 40 or 36 or 41 or 38 or 42 or 46 or 45 or 37 or 43 or 44 48. intensit$.mp. 49. intensit$.sh. 50. frequenc$.sh. 51. frequenc$.mp. 52. duration.mp. 53. duration.sh. 54. dose.mp. 55. dosage.mp. 56. amount.mp. 57. quantit$.mp. 58. how much.mp. 59. dos$.mp. 60. dosing.mp. = .doses.mp. 62. amounts.mp. 63. 63. 50 or 53 or 57 or 61 or 51 or 58 or 48 or 59 or 52 or 60 or 56 or 49 or 62 or 54 or 55 64. 64. 8 and 63 and 34 and 12 and 47

Abbreviations

mp = title, original title, abstract, name of substance word, subject heading word