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. 2021 Nov 3;18:158. doi: 10.1186/s12984-021-00947-8

Table 1.

Subjects characteristics and study design of studies included in the review

Patients characteristics Study design Healthy controls (number) References
Number/sex/age (years) Time since stroke Stroke etiology and location Cross-sectional Longitudinal Observational Interventional Interventions/groups Evaluations schedule (days)
BL 1.FU 2.FU
19/Na/69 ± 10 Acute phase 19 i/10sc, 9c/6r, 13 l ✘ ✘ 0 Nascimbeni et al. [60]
8 m, 8f/58 ± 18  < 1 day 19 i/19c/8r, 8 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 365 20 Delvaux et al. [61]
7 m, 3f/37–80 1–5 days 19i/6sc, 4c/5r, 5 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Freundlieb et al. [62]
12 m, 9f/72 ± 3 1–5 days 16i, 5 h/6sc, 13c, 1na/7r, 14 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Trompetto et al. [37]
7 m, 5f/70 ± 10 5 ± 3 days 12i/3sc, 9c/3r, 9 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 12 Di Lazzaro et al. [63]
8 m, 17f/53 ± 10 5 ± 3 days 25i/18sc, 8c/11r, 14 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Du et al. [27]
14 m, 6f/65 ± 11 5 ± 3 days 20i/sc,c/na ✘ ✘ (1) Anodal tDCS 0 5 33 Sattler et al. [30]
(2) Sham tDCS
48 m, 12f/55 ± 11 5 ± 4 days 60i/46sc, 14c/28r, 33 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Du et al. [64]
15 m, 16f/64 ± 14 6 (1–18) days 31i/14sc, 17c/12r, 19 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 29 Huynh et al. [28]
17 m, 9f/67 ± 13 7 ± 4 days 26i/21sc, 5c/22r, 4 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Volz et al. [65]
39 m, 44f/43–66 8 ± 2 days 83i/na/na ✘ ✘ (1) CIMT 0 14 El Helow et al. [66]
(2) CT
10 m, 6f/69 ± 7 10 days 16i/na/10r, 6 l ✘ ✘ (1) 1 Hz rTMS 0 45 90 Blesneag et al. [67]
(2) Sham rTMS
6/na/18–80 10 ± 3 days 6i/4sc, 2c/4r, 2 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 90 180 Birchenall et al. [68]
6 m, 4f/58 ± 16 10 ± 4 days 10i/4sc, 6c/8r, 2 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 30 180 Swayne et al. [34]
26 m, 14f/58 ± 9 13 ± 5 days 40i/14sc, 26c/22r, 18 l ✘ ✘ (1) Anodal tDCS 0 7 Khedr et al. [69]
(2) Cathodal tDCS
(3) Sham tDCS
10 m, 8f/59 ± 3  < 4 weeks 18i/5sc, 13c/9r, 9 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 13 Bütefisch et al. [70]
24 m, 7f/37 ± 8 14 days 31i/31sc/12r, 19 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 14 28 Prashanta et al. [71]
13 m, 8f/60 ± 12 16 ± 5 days 9i, 12 h/na/16r, 5 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Lee et al. [72]
13 m, 4f/60 ± 10 25 days na/8sc, 8c, 1na/11r, 6 l ✘ ✘ (1) Virtual reality training 0 14 44 Yarossi et al. [73]
10 m, 12f/62 ± 14 27 ± 12 days 18i, 4 h/na/10r, 12 l ✘ ✘ (1) 1 Hz rTMS + AO 0 10 Noh et al. [74]
(2) 1 Hz rTMS
16 m, 8f/64 ± 11 27 ± 7 days 10i, 14 h/24sc/na ✘ ✘ Na 0 90 365 25 Takechi et al. [75]
6 m, 8f/68 ± 10 30 days 14i/7sc, 7c/5r, 7 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 30 Lioumis et al. [76]
8 m, 2f/67 ± 7 30 ± 6 days 2i, 8 h/3sc, 7c/4r, 6 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 10 Cincinelli et al. [77]
6 m, 4f/72 ± 8 30 ± 12 days 9i, 1 h/8sc, 2c/4r, 6 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Lüdemann-Podubecká et al. [78]
10 m, 7f/66 ± 15 31 ± 20 days 14i, 3 h/4sc, 13c/10r, 7 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Veldema et al. [38]
16 m, 12f/62 ± 14 32 ± 15 days na/sc, c/16r, 12 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 28 Platz et al. [79]
13 m, 7f/58 ± 11 34 ± 13 days 20i/11sc, 9c/8r, 12 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Renner et al. [80]
11 m, 4f/55 ± 18 34 ± 9 days 9i, 6 h/12sc, 3c/7r, 7 l, 1na ✘ ✘ Na 0 15 Kim et al. [22]
6 m, 4f/60 ± 6 37 ± 15 days 10i/7sc, 3c/5r, 5 l ✘ ✘ (1) TBS 0 1 10 Khan et al. [81]
(2) NMES
(3) TBS + NMES
11 m, 9f/64 ± 12 37 ± 17 days 15i, 5 h/11sc, 9c/11r, 9 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 90 120 Traversa et al. [82]
9 m, 9f/62 ± 10 38 days 18i/18sc/14r, 4 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 11 Renner et al. [83]
26 m, 14f/63 ± 9 40 ± 24 days 35i, 5 h/14sc, 26c/23r, 17 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Seniòw et al. [84]
6 m, 8f/67 ± 12 43 ± 12 days 11i, 3 h/6sc, 8c/6r, 8 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 14 Brouwer et al. [25]
5 m, 4f/55 (42–68) 43 days 9i/7sc, 2c/3r, 6 l ✘ ✘ (1) PT 0 0 1 Liepert et al. [85]
12 m, 6f/61 ± 12 35–60 days na/10sc, 8c/3r, 16 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 63 20 Cincinelli et al. [26]
2 m, 6f/76 ± 14 52 ± 37 days 4i, 4 h/4sc, 4c/3r, 5 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 60 Matsura et al. [86]
9 m, 9f/70 ± 10 54 ± 44 days na/8sc, 10c/11r, 7 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Veldema et al. [44]
16 m, 8f/50 ± 12 71 ± 39 days 15i, 8 h, 1ih/14sc, 10c/13r, 11 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Tarri et al. [87]
11 m, 6f/64 ± 10 73 ± 15 days na/5sc, 12c/7r, 10 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Cincinelli et al. [88]
5 m, 3f/60 ± 13 83 ± 56 days 8i/8sc/2r, 6 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 8 Liepert et al. [89]
6 m, 3f/62 ± 10 3 ± 1 months 8i, 1 h/5sc, 4c/7r, 2 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 28 9 Grau-Sánchez et al. [90]
26 m, 14f/63 (57–71) 4 (1–59) months 40i, 24sc, 16c/20r, 20 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 24 Kemlin et al. [91]
11 m, 9f/72 ± 13  < 6 months 20i/11sc, 9c/11r, 9 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Schambra et al. [92]
15 m, 6f/62 ± 9  > 6 months 21i/12sc, 9c/6r, 15 l ✘ ✘ Na 0
38 m, 10f/63 ± 12 5 ± 4 months 48i/22sc, 23c, 3na/na ✘ ✘ (1) 1 Hz rTMS + iTBS 0 28 120 Wang et al. [45]
(2) iTBS + 1 Hz rTMS
(3) sham
13/na/58 ± 4 3–9 months 13i/na/na ✘ ✘ Na 0 14 28 Sawaki et al. [123]
26/na/58 ± 4  > 3 months 26i/na/na ✘ ✘ (1) 3–9 months since stroke 0 14 134 Sawaki et al. [93]
(2) > 12 months since stroke
Patients characteristics Study design Evaluations schedule (days) Healthy controls (number) References
Number/sex Time since stroke Stroke etiology and location Cross-sectional Longitudinal Observational Interventional Groups BL 1.FU 2.FU
17 m, 7f/61 ± 13 6 ± 12 months 24i/10sc, 14c/17r, 7 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Theilig et al. [94]
26 m, 16f/59 ± 11 7 ± 6 months na/na/28r, 14 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Chervyakov et al. [95]
41 m, 13f/63 ± 13 8 ± 2 months 35i, 19 h/35sc, 19c/na ✘ ✘

(1) 1 Hz rTMS + iTBS

(2) sham rTMS + iTBS

(3) 1 Hz rTMS + sham iTBS

(4) sham rTMS + sham iTBS

 0 14 28 Sung et al. [96]
17 m, 9f/64 ± 12 6–18 months Na/26sc/12r, 14 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 20 Pennisi et al. [97]
36/na/66 ± 7  > 6 months 36i/sc, c/na ✘ ✘ Na 0 Borich et al. [24]
5 m, 7f/26–75 14 ± 9 months Na (6sc, 6c/6r, 6 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Bastings et al. [40]
13 m, 9f/64 ± 9 17 ± 7 months 22i/3sc, 19c/8r, 14 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Cakar et al. [23]
6 m, 4f/56 ± 11 17 ± 15 months 7i,3 h/na/4r, 6 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Shiner et al. [31]
6 m, 3f/52 ± 9 18 ± 6 months 9i/9sc/9 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Braun et al. [98]
6 m, 4f/61 ± 8 6–48 months na/na/na ✘ ✘ Na 0 10 Cruz Martínez et al. [99]
6 m, 1f/66 ± 9 23 ± 13 months 5i, 2 h/5sc, 2c/2r, 5 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 21 Chouinard et al. [100]
7 m, 6f/69 ± 8 23 ± 16 months 10i, 3 h/13sc/4r, 9 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Ackerley et al. [101]
13 m, 7f/53 ± 14 27 ± 18 months 20i/na/8r, 12 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Takeuchi et al. [35]
10 m, 2f/57 ± 12 28 ± 30 months 12i/12sc/10r, 2 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Bestmann et al. [41]
15 m, 6f/54 ± 12 29 ± 38 months na/8sc, 13c/9r, 12 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Stinear et al. [33]
7 m, 3f/59 ± 15 30 ± 25 months na/na/6r, 4 l ✘ ✘ (1) OT 0 28 58 Koski et al. [21]
15 m, 5f/59 ± 9 6–74 months na/12sc, 8c/9r, 11 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 28 Amangual et al. [124]
2 m, 4f/58 ± 15 31 ± 38 months 6i/3sc, 3c/1r, 5 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Talelli et al. [102]
13 m, 3f/64 (41–81) 33 (12–86) months 16i/na/2r, 14 l ✘ ✘

(1) CIMT

(2) control

 0 10 Wittenberg et al. [103]
12 m, 8f/61 ± 6 38 ± 38 months Na/na/6r, 14 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Milot et al. [104]
15 m, 3f/67 ± 2 40 ± 6 months Na/12sc, 6c/5r, 13 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 17 Guder et al. [42]
7 m, 5f/60 ± 11 40 ± 25 months Na/6sc, 6c/4r, 8 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 12 Liepert et al. [105]
17 m, 13f/65 ± 9 40 ± 27 months Na/8sc, 21c/17r, 13 l ✘ ✘

(1) PT

(2) RMV + PT

 0 7 14 Marconi et al. [106]
17 m, 6f/56 ± 14 43 ± 63 months 23i/23sc/15r, 8 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Thickbroom et al. [36]
50 m, 32f/68 (42–90) 43 (5–227) months 82i/na /82 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 90 270 Edwards et al. [20]
6 m, 3f/40 ± 5 44 ± 8 months 9i/2sc, 7c/1r, 8 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Conforto et al. [107]
11 m, 8f/66 ± 11 45 ± 36 months 19i/13sc, 6c/11r, 8 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Palmer et al. [16]
4 m, 5f/57 ± 17 50 ± 41 months 9i/sc, c/5r, 4 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Von Lewinski et al. [108]
8 m, 4f/62 ± 10 51 ± 30 months 12i/12c/6r, 6 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Carey et al. [109]
8 m, 5f/66 ± 10 52 ± 39 months 13i/13sc/7r, 6 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 12 Gray et al. [110]
50 m, 20f/60 ± 12 57 ± 63 months i, h/na/38r, 32 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Kuppuswamy et al. [111]
8 m, 3f/66 ± 9 57 ± 52 months 9i, 2 h/5sc, 6c/3r, 8 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Cassidy et al. [112]
4 m, 6f/62 ± 12 4.8 ± 5.5 years 10i/7sc, 3c/6r, 4 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 14 28 Restemeyer et al. [113]
11 m, 1f/71 ± 9 5.0 ± 4.4 years na/1sc, 11c/7r, 5r ✘ ✘ Na 0 16 Mooney et al. [114]
10 m, 8f/62 ± 12 5.1 ± 1.0 years 18i/10sc, 8c/8r, 10 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 18 Buetefisch et al. [115]
10 m, 4f/48–91 5.1 ± 3.8 years 14i/na/na ✘ ✘ Na 0 Silverstein et al. [32]
17 m, 10f/61 ± 8 5.6 ± 4.0 years na/27sc/14r, 13 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Takeuchi et al. [116]
10 m, 3f/57 ± 10 5.9 ± 4.7 years 13i/10sc, 3c/2r, 11 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 40 194 Liepert et al. [117]
19 m, 5f/65 ± 9 6.0 ± 5.1 years na/14sc, 8c/na ✘ ✘ Na 0 11 Mang et al. [43]
14 m, 6f/62 ± 14 6.2 ± 2.7 years 20i/13sc, 7c/12r, 8 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Werhahn et al. [39]
9 m, 4f/66 ± 9 6.2 ± 3.6 years na/8sc, 4c/6r, 7 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Miller et al. [29]
26 m, 6f/61 ± 8 6.8 ± 3.5 years 20i, 12 h/na/12r, 20 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 Liu et al. [118]
6 m, 2f/59 ± 9 7.3 ± 7.5 years na/6sc, 2c/4r, 4 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 28 Liepert et al. [119]
22 m, 5f/61 ± 8 7.6 ± 2.3 years 17i, 10 h/na/9r, 18 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 15 Liu et al. [120]
6 m, 8f/62 ± 16 8.0 ± 11.3 years 9i, 5 h/7sc, 7c/8r, 6 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 14 Brouwer et al. [25]
11 m, 5f/59 ± 10 10.0 ± 6.0 years na/na/6r, 10 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 9 Lewis et al. [121]
5 m, 5f/16 ± 6 16 ± 6 years na /sc, c/4r, 6 l ✘ ✘ Na 0 8 Berweck et al. [122]

AO, action observation; c, cortical involvement; BL, baseline; CIMT, constraint induced movement therapy; f, female; h, hemorrhagic; Hz, hertz; I, ischemic; iTBS, intermittent theta burst stimulation; l, left; m, male; na, not available, not applicable; NMES, neuromuscular electrical stimulation; OT, occupational therapy; PT, physiotherapy; r, right; RMV, repeated muscle vibration; rTMS, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; sc, subcortical; tDCS, transcranial direct current stimulation; (i)TBS, (intermittent) theta burst stimulation; 1. FU, first follow-up; 2. FU, second follow-up