| Methods |
Design: Randomised controlled trial, parallel groups.
Randomisation: Random allocation to experimental and control group.
Dropouts: None reported. |
| Participants |
Experimental: n = 43, 28 male. Mean age 71.61 (SD 10.14) years. Mean time after stroke 3.32 (SD 2.47) days.
Control: n = 43, 24 male. Mean age 69.34 (SD 12.06) years. Mean time after stroke 3.09 (SD 2.56) days.
Study criteria: (1) acute cerebral infarction; (2) disease course of 1‐7 days. |
| Interventions |
Duration: 4 weeks.
Experimental:
Category = 12.
Electroacupuncture once a day, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. Stimulation delivered in successive waves at 1mA for 20 minutes. All experimental participants also received the control intervention.
Control:
Conventional treatment and active and/or passive functional exercise.
Comparison: Electrostimulation vs no treatment. |
| Outcomes |
Baseline measurement: Before treatment.
Outcome measurement: After 4 weeks treatment.
Included outcomes: (1) Fugl‐Meyer Assessment; (2) Barthel Index.
Other outcomes: (1) Chinese Stroke Scale. |
| Notes |
|
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Allocation concealment? |
Unclear risk |
B ‐ Unclear |
