Characteristics of each comparison included in the present meta-analysis (studies listed alphabetically)
| Study | Total N | Age (years) | Gender | Rx onset post-stroke (month) | Stroke type | Affected hemisphere | Initial impairment | Recovery stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolognini et al18 | 14 | 46.7 | 9 F, 5 M | 35.2 | 12 I, 2 H | 8 L, 6 R | 26.0/66 (FMA) | Chronic |
| Celnik et al19 | 9 | 55.3 | 4 F, 5 M | 55.7 | 9 I | 5 L, 4 R | 62.0/66 (FMA) | Chronic |
| Di Lazzaro et al25 | 20 | 64.8 | 7 F, 13 M | 0.1 | 20 I | 12 L, 8 R | 5.9/42 (NIHSS) | Acute |
| Fusco et al20 | 11 | 58.4 | 6 F, 5 M | 1.0 | 11 I | 6 L, 5 R | 24.7/66 (FMA) | Subacute |
| Geroin et al21 | 30 | 62.7 | 7 F, 23 M | 26.4 | 30 I | NA | 79.9/100 (ESS) | Chronic |
| Hesse et al22 | 96 | 65.0 | 37 F, 59 M | 1.0 | 96 I | 51 L, 45 R | 8.0/66 (FMA) | Subacute |
| Khedr et al23 | 40 | 58.3 | 14 F, 26 M | 1.0 | 40 I | 18 L, 22 R | 10.7/42 (NIHSS) | Subacute |
| Kim et al24 | 18 | 57.8 | 5 F, 13 M | 1.0 | 18 I | 9 L, 9 R | 37.2/66 (FMA) | Subacute |
| Lefebvre et al26 | 18 | 61.0 | 6 F, 12 M | 31.2 | 16 I, 2 H | 8 L, 10 R | 7.1/25 (PPT) | Chronic |
| Lefebvre et al27 | 19 | 65.0 | 3 F, 16 M | 62.4 | NA | 14 L, 5 R | 7.4/25 (PPT) | Chronic |
| Lindenberg et al28 | 20 | 58.8 | 5 F, 15 M | 35.4 | 20 I | 13 L, 7 R | 39.0/66 (FMA) | Chronic |
| Mortensen et al33 | 16 | 63.1 | 7 F, 9 M | 30.2 | NA | 8 L, 8 R | 15.5/25 (SIS, hand) | Chronic |
| Nair et al29 | 14 | 55.8 | 5 F, 9 M | 30.5 | 14 I | 8 L, 6 R | 30.5/66 (FMA) | Chronic |
| Rocha et al34 | 21 | 58.4 | 6 F, 15 M | 29.4 | NA | 11 L, 10 R | 49.1/66 (FMA) | Chronic |
| Sattler et al32 | 20 | 65.2 | 6 F, 14 M | 0.2 | 20 I | NA | 48.0/66 (FMA) | Acute |
| Wu et al30 | 90 | 47.6 | 21 F, 69 M | 6.0 | 53 I, 37 H | 43 L, 47 R | 10.0/66 (FMA) | Chronic |
| Zimerman et al31 | 12 | 58.3 | 6 F, 6 M | 30.0 | 12 I | 5 L, 7 R | 64.0/66 (FMA) | Chronic |
ESS, European Stroke Scale; F, female; FMA, Fugl-Meyer Assessment (upper extremity); H, haemorrhagic; I, ischaemic; L, left; M, male; NA, not available; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; PPT, Purdue Pegboard Test; R, right; Rx, treatment group; SIS, Stroke Impact Scale V.3.0.