Table 1 Characteristics of included trials (n = 6)
Trial | Study design | Participants | Sample size | Age (in years) | Gender (M/F) | Primary outcome measures | Secondary outcome measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dehem et al. [39] | Randomized, controlled, cross-over double-blind study | Chronic stroke patients | 21 | Age range: 36–81 years (mean 60.5) | 15/6 | BBT and Purdue Pegboard tests | – |
Edwards et al. [40] | Double-blinded, randomized controlled trial | Chronic ischemic stroke patients > 6-month post-injury | 82 | Age range: 42–90 years (mean 67.8) | Not reported | Change in upper-limb impairment: FM-UE Functional change: the Wolf Motor Function Test | Functional change: BI and SIS |
Mazzoleni et al. [3] | Randomized, sham-controlled trial | Subacute stroke subjects, ischemic and haemorrhagic | 24 | Age range 42–88 (mean age 72.63 ± 10.78 years) | 7/17 | Upper limb evaluation: FM-EU, MAS/w, MI, and BBT | – |
Mazzoleni et al. [41] | A single-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial | Subacute stroke patients (25 ± 7 days from stroke onset time) | 40 | CG—68.74 ± 15.85 (24–88) EG—67.50 ± 16.30(18–86) | Not reported | FMAS-UE, MAS/w, MI, and BBT | – |
Straudi et al. [36] | Double-blinded exploratory RCT pilot study | First stroke-ischemic or hemorrhagic | 23 | Mean age EG—52.7 CG—64.3 | 12/11 | FMAS-UE, BBT, MAL | – |
Triccas et al. [4] | Double-blinded randomised controlled |  > 2 week post-stroke | 23 | Age range 37–83 (mean age 63.4 years) | 14/9 | FMAS-UE | ARAT, MAL, SIS |