Liu 2003.

Study characteristics
Methods	Study design: RCT Method of randomisation: not stated
Participants	Number of participants: n = 120 Inclusion criteria: "There were 120 hemiplegic patients with cerebral apoplexy from July 2000 to February 2001 (not counting those with serious heart, lung, kidney, and stomach complication and disturbance of consciousness). We made a diagnosis according to WHO standards after using CT or MRI head diagnosing without exception"
Interventions	(1) Rehabilitation group (n = 60) "All the 120 patients were treated according to endoneurological routine. On this basis we made recovery training for the rehabilitation group using modern technology. In accordance with patients condition, we took appropriate recovery measures (PT, OT), such as favourable limb position in bed, particular passive movement, healthy limb active movement and sick limb movement with the help of the healthy, sitting position balancing training, dressing and eating, speaking and ADL training" "The rehabilitation group started to accept the treatment in 3‐5 days after attack when the patients had been conscious, vital signs had been smooth, nervous signs had not advanced within 48 hours" The individual components delivered are listed in Table 6. Based on the individual components, this intervention is categorised as comprising functional task training, musculoskeletal intervention (active) and musculoskeletal intervention (passive) Length of intervention period: 15 days Number of sessions and length of individual sessions: "four times a day, 30 minutes at every turn" Intervention provider: not stated (2) Control group (n = 60) No intervention The individual components delivered are listed in Table 6. Based on the individual components, this intervention is categorised as comprising no intervention Length of intervention period: no intervention Number of sessions and length of individual sessions: no intervention Intervention provider: no intervention This study was classified as intervention (functional task training, musculoskeletal (active), musculoskeletal (passive)) versus no treatment (Table 7)
Outcomes	Measures of Independence in ADL: Barthel Index Measures of motor function: Fugl‐Meyer Assessment State time points when outcomes were assessed: "we evaluated from the very beginning of treatment and on the fifteenth day of treatment"
Notes	Abstract only
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	No information provided
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	No information provided
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	No information provided
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	No dropouts described
Free of systematic differences in baseline characteristics of groups compared?	Low risk	Reported baseline demographics (age, gender and type of stroke) similar between the two groups. Baseline measures (‘pretreatment’) FMA and BI scores for the two groups are comparable
Did authors adjust for baseline differences in their analyses?	Low risk	No information provided
Other bias	Unclear risk	No information provided