Table 1. Characteristics of the studies included in the meta-analysis.

Author, year	Patient Characteristics, Sample Size	Intervention Onset period	Duration of trial period	Time point	Outcomes
Yang Guoliang, 2011[20]	Source:96 patients diagnosed with Stroke (G1 = 48, male: 26, female: 22; G2 = 48, male: 29, female: 19); Mean age (SD): G1 = 58.29 y (9.33); G2 = 58.91 y (8.67)	G1:conventional rehabilitation, 6.59 d (3.31); G2:SET combined with conventional rehabilitation, 6.27 d (3.08)	two times per day for 8 weeks, 45 min every time	8weeks	1.BI; 2.FMA (Lower limb); 3. 6m walking speed; 4.PASS
Sun zengxin, 2012[21]	Source: 40 patients diagnosed with Stroke (G1 = 20, male: unclear, female: unclear; G2 = 20, male: unclear, female: unclear); Mean age (SD): G1 = 58.29 y (9.33); G2 = 58.91 y (8.67)	G1:conventional rehabilitation, 8.95m (2.038); G2:SET, 9.25 m (1.86)	0.5 min five times a week for 2 weeks	2weeks	1. 10m walking speed; 2.Extending forward from the upper limbs; 3.standing time of one suffering leg; 4.TIS
Cai chen, 2012[22]	Source: 80 patients diagnosed with Stroke (G1 = 40, male: 26, female: 14; G2 = 40 male: 28, female: 12; Mean age (SD): G1 = 64.3 y (2.4); G2 = 62.8 y(4.7)	G1:conventional rehabilitation,12.51 d (2.4); G2:SET combined with conventional rehabilitation, 12.24 d (2.7)	two times per day, 6 days a week for 8 weeks, 40 min every time	8 weeks	1.FMA (Lower limb); 2. 10 m walking speed; 3.Holden
Fu jianming, 2012[23]	Source: 20 patients diagnosed with Stroke (G1 = 10, male: 7, female: 3; G2 = 10, male: 5, female: 5; Mean age (SD): G1 = 61.1 y (4.9); G2 = 60.5 y(5.2).	G1: conventional rehabilitation, 99.0 d (6.2); G2: SET combined with conventional rehabilitation, 98.0 d (5.8).	0.5 hour five times a week for 8 weeks.	8 weeks	1.BBS; 2.FMA
Gu shaohua, 2013[24]	Source: 24 patients diagnosed with Stroke (G1 = 12, male: 7, female: 5; G2 = 12, male: 9, female: 3; Mean age(SD): G1 = 58.8 y (8.4); G2 = 60.3 y(7.9).	G1:conventional rehabilitation, 52.9 d (7.8); G2:SET combined with conventional rehabilitation, 55.8 d (8.1)	0.5 hour class five times a week for 4 weeks.	4 weeks	1.BBS; 2.FMA (Lower limb); 3. 10 m walking speed; 4. FAC
Li ziqiang 2013[25]	Source: 80 patients diagnosed with Stroke (G1 = 40, male: 24, female: 16; G2 = 40, male: 23, female: 17; Mean age (SD): G1 = 58.00 y (17.52); G2 = 60.00 y (16.97).	G1:conventional rehabilitation, unclear; G2:SET combined with conventional rehabilitation, unclear	Two times per day for 2 weeks, 50 min every time.	2 weeks	1.BBS; 2.FMA; 3.BI.
Park,J.H.2014[18]	Source: 40 patients diagnosed with Stroke (G1 = 20, male: 13, female: 7; G2 = 20, male: 11, female: 9; Mean age (SD): G1 = 48.65 y (12.81); G2 = 51.15 y (14.81).	G1: conventional rehabilitation, 12.75 m (9.6); G2: SET, 14.10 m (11.40)	30 min three times a week for 8 weeks.	8 weeks	1.SA; 2.SL
Lee, J.S. 2014[19]	Source: 20 patients diagnosed with Stroke (G1 = 10, male: unclear, female: unclear; G2 = 10, male: unclear, female: unclear; Mean age (SD): G1 = 62.50 y (8.48); G2 = 63.40 y (4.94)	G1:conventional rehabilitation, more than 24 m; G2:SET, more than 24 m	30 min three times a week for 4 weeks	4 weeks	1.BBS; 2.FICSIT-4; 3.TUG; 4.BioRescue score; 5.EMG
Hu chuan, 2015[26]	Source: 60 patients diagnosed with Stroke (G1 = 30, male: 21, female: 9; G2 = 30, male: 22, female: 8; Mean age (SD): G1 = 59.13 y (9.23); G2 = 58.36 y (10.41)	G1:conventional rehabilitation, 3.63m (1.17); G2: SET combined with conventional rehabilitation, 3.92m (1.04)	30 min six times a week for 4 weeks	4 weeks	1.BBS; 2.FMA (Lower limb)

Abbreviations G: Group; G1 = control group; G2 = experimental group; SD: Standard deviation; y: year; m: month; BBS: Berg Balance scale; FMA: Fugl–Meyer Assessment; EMG: Surface electromyography; TUG: Timed Up & Go; FICSIT-4: Frailty and Injuries Cooperative Studies of Intervention Technique; SA: sway area; SL: sway length; BI: Barthel Index; FAC: functional ambulation category; Holden: Holden walking function classification; TIS: Trunk impairment scale; PASS: the Postural Assessment Scale for stroke patients.