Zhou 2010.

Methods	Parallel design Method of randomisation: randomisation stated, methods unclear Method of concealment: interventions used in the 2 groups were visibly different, so participants and medical staff would be aware of what was being used Blinding: unclear Analysis: no loss to follow‐up
Participants	Location: China Setting: both inpatients and outpatients Number of participants: 128 participants at randomisation and all completed the study (59% male, mean age 57 years) Treatment 1 group (electroacupuncture plus cupping): 64 (56% male, mean age 58 years) Treatment 2 group (medication): 64 (62% male. mean age 56 years) Stroke criteria: ischaemic stroke, criteria unclear Time since stroke onset at randomisation: within 3 years after stroke, mean 6 months Fatigue criteria: SSQOL‐energy < 12 Other entry criteria: within 3 years after stroke, < 70 years old Comparability of groups: unclear
Interventions	Treatment 1 intervention (electroacupuncture plus cupping): electroacupuncture for 30 minutes daily, 10 days as 1 cycle, for 3 cycles with 2‐day intervals between cycles, plus cupping at back for 10 minutes, once every 2 days, for 5 weeks Treatment 2 intervention (medication): oral sertraline (50 mg, daily, for 5 weeks), plus oral compound aminobutyric acid and vitamin E capsules (2 capsules, 3 times per day, for 5 weeks) and oral magnesium gluconate solution (1000 mg/10 mL, containing magnesium 58.6 mg, 3 times per day, for 5 weeks) Treatment duration: 5 weeks Delivered by: rehabilitation therapists or physicians
Outcomes	Time for fatigue assessment: baseline, at the end of 5‐week treatment, at 2‐month follow‐up Primary outcome: SSQOL‐energy at the end of treatment Secondary outcome: SSQOL‐energy at 2‐month follow‐up
Notes	Only people with severe fatigue (SSQOL‐energy subscale < 12) were recruited Funding: no information available
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	High risk	Interventions used in the 2 groups were visibly different, so participants and medical staff would be aware of what was being used
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Not enough information reported
Intention‐to‐treat	Low risk	No loss to follow‐up reported

CDSMP: Chronic Disease Self‐Management Programme
 CIS‐f: Checklist Individual Strength‐fatigue subscale
 CPAP: continuous positive airway pressure
 FSS: Fatigue Severity Scale
 ITT: intention‐to‐treat
 IQR: interquartile range
 MFI‐20: Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory‐20
 MFS: Mental Fatigue Scale
 MRI: magnetic resonance imaging
 PSF: post stroke fatigue
 SAH: subarachnoid haemorrhage
 SD: standard deviation
 SF‐36‐vitality: Short Form‐36 vitality subscale
 SSQOL‐energy: Stroke‐specific Quality of Life‐energy subscale
 TIA: transient ischaemic attack
 VAS‐f: Visual Analogue Scale‐fatigue