Deng 2012
| Methods | RCT | |
| Participants | Recruited from the community. Study conducted in the USA Inclusion criteria: poststroke duration of at least 5 months, at least 10 degrees of active dorsiflexion/plantar flexion at the paretic ankle, ability to understand the tasks, ability to ambulate 30 metres Exclusion criteria: indwelling devices incompatible with MRI Age, years: telerehabilitation (Track) group mean = 51.4 (SD 11.5), telerehabilitation (Move) group mean = 58 (SD 13.4) Gender: track group 38% male; Move group 100% male Time poststroke: track group median 66 months; Move group median 16.5 months |
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| Interventions | Both groups received telerehabilitation. The aim of the intervention was to practice ankle movements. Training was completed on a laptop using customised tracking software without direct supervision by the therapist. Both groups performed 180 repetitions for 20 days. Regular teleconferencing using Skype occurred between the therapist and the participant, and the computer automatically emailed daily records to the laboratory computer to allow monitoring of performance Telerehabilitation intervention (Track group): tracking software provided feedback and an accuracy score Telerehabilitation intervention (Move group): tracking software showed a sweeping cursor representing the movement; however did not provide the target or response or an accuracy score |
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| Outcomes | Timing of outcome assessment: baseline and post‐intervention Measures: gait analysis, 10‐metre walk test, fMRI |
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| Notes | ||
| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Low risk | Electronically generated randomisation list |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Not clearly reported |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Blinded outcome assessors |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Attrition reported with reasons and similarities between groups |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Unclear risk | No access to protocol |
| Other bias | High risk | Small sample size |