Stroke rehabilitation in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Stroke rehabilitation is regarded as an essential component of organized care, therefore withholding treatment is considered unethical in Western trials. Poststroke rehabilitation is not standard in China, and trials with no treatment controls have been possible. We believed aggregation of these data represented a unique opportunity to examine the 'effect size' of this intervention. Aim: The aim of this study was to systematically review randomized controlled trials that compare rehabilitation to standard care after stroke in China. Methods: We searched 24 databases including Wanfangdata (China), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Cochrane Stroke Group Register, and Cochrane Central Regis..