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STUDY PROTOCOL article

Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Translational Neuroscience
Volume 18 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1443834

The neural effects of acupuncture for stroke: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis based on fMRI

Provisionally accepted
Shaojie Cai Shaojie Cai 1Yihao Zhou Yihao Zhou 1Siyu Yang Siyu Yang 1*Yichang Liu Yichang Liu 1*Yixiao Han Yixiao Han 1*Dongyan Wang Dongyan Wang 2*Shuai Shi Shuai Shi 2*
  • 1 Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
  • 2 Second Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Stroke is one of the most common causes of death and is the main cause of persistent and acquired disability in adults worldwide. Acupuncture is recommended by the World Health Organization as an alternative and complementary strategy for stroke treatment. However, the mechanism of the neural effects of acupuncture on stroke is still lacking a uniform conclusion. The purpose of this study is to clarify the neural effects of acupuncture for stroke from the perspective of neuroimaging. Methods: Seven databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database, Wan-Fang Data, and Chinese Biomedical Database, will be searched comprehensively according to the search strategy. All of them will be retrieved from the date of database establishment to December 31, 2023. All randomized controlled trials and observational studies will be considered for inclusion. The risk of bias will be assessed by the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Functional imaging of the whole brain in the resting functional state will be the primary outcome. A meta-analysis of primary outcome will be performed using Seed-based D Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images software. The data will be synthesized using a random effects model. Meta-analysis of other clinical data will be performed using RevMan 5.3 software. Publication bias will be assessed through funnel plots. Reports will adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Conclusion: This study will aggregate the results of independent studies to provide overall evidence for the neural effects of acupuncture for stroke. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42024500306.

    Keywords: Stroke, Acupuncture, Neural effects, Systematic review, Meta-analysis, protocol

    Received: 04 Jun 2024; Accepted: 28 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Cai, Zhou, Yang, Liu, Han, Wang and Shi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Siyu Yang, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
    Yichang Liu, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
    Yixiao Han, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
    Dongyan Wang, Second Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
    Shuai Shi, Second Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.