Gap finder
Search review questions
Each row is one question a systematic review asked: who, what, compared with what, and which outcome, with the effect it found and how certain that is. Words match anywhere in the field.
1,248 questions in 108 reviews · Stroke
current versionsNo studies 275 · 22%Ungraded 56 · 4.5%Very low 269 · 21.6%Low 349 · 28%Moderate 216 · 17.3%High 83 · 6.7%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
| Question | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Acupuncture vs sham control Death or dependency at end of · patients with acute stroke Acupuncture for acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | OR 0.67 [0.4, 1.12] | 3 studies · 244 participants | Low |
Acupuncture vs sham control Death or institutional care at end of · patients with acute stroke Acupuncture for acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | OR 0.47 [0.23, 0.96] | 2 studies · 145 participants | Low |
Acupuncture vs sham control Changes in global neurological deficit score at end of treatment period · patients with acute stroke Acupuncture for acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 53 participants | Low |
Acupuncture vs sham control Motor function at end of acupuncture treatment period · patients with acute stroke Acupuncture for acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 3 studies · 202 participants | Low |
Acupuncture vs sham control Death within first 2 weeks · patients with acute stroke Acupuncture for acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | OR 1.2 [0.27, 5.26] | 5 studies · 378 participants | Low |
Acupuncture vs sham control Death during whole · patients with acute stroke Acupuncture for acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | OR 0.9 [0.47, 1.72] | 6 studies · 668 participants | Low |
Acupuncture vs sham control Adverse events related to acupuncture · patients with acute stroke Acupuncture for acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | OR 0.58 [0.29, 1.16] | 5 studies · 576 participants | Low |
Acupuncture vs all control (sham and open) Death or dependency at end of · patients with acute stroke Acupuncture for acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | OR 0.67 [0.53, 0.85] | 8 studies · 1436 participants | Very low |
Acupuncture vs all control (sham and open) Death or institutional care at end of · patients with acute stroke Acupuncture for acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | OR 0.78 [0.54, 1.12] | 5 studies · 1120 participants | Low |
Acupuncture vs all control (sham and open) Changes in global neurological deficit score at end of treatment period · patients with acute stroke Acupuncture for acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 12 studies · 1086 participants | Very low |
Acupuncture vs all control (sham and open) Motor function at end of acupuncture treatment period · patients with acute stroke Acupuncture for acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 11 studies · 895 participants | Very low |
Acupuncture vs all control (sham and open) Death within first 2 weeks · patients with acute stroke Acupuncture for acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | OR 0.91 [0.33, 2.55] | 18 studies · 1612 participants | Low |
Acupuncture vs all control (sham and open) Death during whole · patients with acute stroke Acupuncture for acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | OR 1.08 [0.74, 1.58] | 22 studies · 2865 participants | Low |
Acupuncture vs all control (sham and open) Adverse events related to acupuncture · patients with acute stroke Acupuncture for acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 13 studies · 13 participants | Low |
Acupuncture vs sham control Death or dependency at end of · patients with acute stroke Acupuncture for acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | OR 0.71 [0.43, 1.18] | 4 studies · 262 participants | Low |
Intervention NR Death or a poor outcome (median 3‐month · adults with acute stroke Very early versus delayed mobilisation after stroke (2018) · Cochrane | OR 1.08 [0.92, 1.26] | 8 studies · 2542 participants | Moderate |
Intervention NR Death (median 3‐month · adults with acute stroke Very early versus delayed mobilisation after stroke (2018) · Cochrane | OR 1.27 [0.95, 1.7] | 8 studies · 2561 participants | Moderate |
Intervention NR Death or dependence (modified Rankin score 3 to 6; median 3‐month · adults with acute stroke Very early versus delayed mobilisation after stroke (2018) · Cochrane | OR 1.08 [0.92, 1.26] | 8 studies · 2542 participants | Moderate |
Intervention NR Activities of daily living (ADL) (Barthel Index score 0 to 20; lower = 0; median 3‐month · adults with acute stroke Very early versus delayed mobilisation after stroke (2018) · Cochrane | MD 1.94 | 8 studies · 2630 participants | Low |
Intervention NR Subjective Health Status score (Assessment of Quality of Life Score 0 to 1; lower = 0; end of scheduled · adults with acute stroke Very early versus delayed mobilisation after stroke (2018) · Cochrane | MD 0.07 | 1 study · 68 participants | Very low |
Intervention NR Any complication: participants who experience at least one complication (median 3‐month · adults with acute stroke Very early versus delayed mobilisation after stroke (2018) · Cochrane | OR 0.88 [0.73, 1.06] | 6 studies · 2778 participants | Low |
Intervention NR Length of acute hospital stay (days) · adults with acute stroke Very early versus delayed mobilisation after stroke (2018) · Cochrane | MD 1.44 | 8 studies · 2551 participants | Low |
Electromechanical and robotic assisted training vs all other intervention Activities of daily living at the end of intervention phase Measures of activities. Scale from: ‐infinity to infinity. · people with stroke Electromechanical and robot‐assisted arm training for improving activities of daily living, arm function,… (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 24 studies · 957 participants | High |
Electromechanical and robotic assisted training vs all other intervention Activities of daily living at the end of intervention phase: subgroup analysis comparing acute and chronic phase ‐ Participants treated in the acute and subacute phase of their stroke (within 3 months) Measures of activities. Scale from: ‐infinity... · people with stroke Electromechanical and robot‐assisted arm training for improving activities of daily living, arm function,… (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 13 studies · 532 participants | High |
Electromechanical and robotic assisted training vs all other intervention Activities of daily living at the end of intervention phase: subgroup analysis comparing acute and chronic phase ‐ Participants treated in the chronic phase (more than 3 months) Measures of activity. Scale from: ‐infinity to infinity. · people with stroke Electromechanical and robot‐assisted arm training for improving activities of daily living, arm function,… (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 11 studies · 425 participants | High |
Electromechanical and robotic assisted training vs all other intervention Arm function at the end of intervention phase Upper Extremity Fugl‐Meyer Assessment (UE‐FM). Scale from: ‐infinity to infinity. · people with stroke Electromechanical and robot‐assisted arm training for improving activities of daily living, arm function,… (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 41 studies · 1452 participants | High |
Electromechanical and robotic assisted training vs all other intervention Arm muscle strength at the end of intervention phase Measures of arm muscle strength. Scale from: ‐infinity to infinity. · people with stroke Electromechanical and robot‐assisted arm training for improving activities of daily living, arm function,… (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 23 studies · 826 participants | High |
Electromechanical and robotic assisted training vs all other intervention Acceptability: drop‐outs during intervention period Numbers of dropouts and adverse events · people with stroke Electromechanical and robot‐assisted arm training for improving activities of daily living, arm function,… (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 45 studies · 1619 participants | High |
Blood pressure‐lowering drugs (BPLDs) vs placebo or no treatment Recurrent stroke of any type · patients with a history of TIA or stroke Blood pressure‐lowering treatment for preventing recurrent stroke, major vascular events, and dementia in… (2018) · Cochrane | RR 0.81 [0.7, 0.93] | 8 studies · 35110 participants | Moderate |
Blood pressure‐lowering drugs (BPLDs) vs placebo or no treatment Time to recurrent stroke · patients with a history of TIA or stroke Blood pressure‐lowering treatment for preventing recurrent stroke, major vascular events, and dementia in… (2018) · Cochrane | HR 0.82 [0.65, 1.03] | 3 studies · 26889 participants | High |
Blood pressure‐lowering drugs (BPLDs) vs placebo or no treatment Major vascular event (composite of non‐fatal stroke, non‐fatal myocardial infarction, or death from any vascular cause) · patients with a history of TIA or stroke Blood pressure‐lowering treatment for preventing recurrent stroke, major vascular events, and dementia in… (2018) · Cochrane | RR 0.9 [0.78, 1.04] | 4 studies · 28630 participants | High |
Blood pressure‐lowering drugs (BPLDs) vs placebo or no treatment Myocardial infarction · patients with a history of TIA or stroke Blood pressure‐lowering treatment for preventing recurrent stroke, major vascular events, and dementia in… (2018) · Cochrane | RR 0.9 [0.72, 1.11] | 6 studies · 34747 participants | High |
Blood pressure‐lowering drugs (BPLDs) vs placebo or no treatment Vascular death · patients with a history of TIA or stroke Blood pressure‐lowering treatment for preventing recurrent stroke, major vascular events, and dementia in… (2018) · Cochrane | RR 0.85 [0.76, 0.95] | 6 studies · 34747 participants | High |
Blood pressure‐lowering drugs (BPLDs) vs placebo or no treatment Death by any cause · patients with a history of TIA or stroke Blood pressure‐lowering treatment for preventing recurrent stroke, major vascular events, and dementia in… (2018) · Cochrane | RR 0.98 [0.91, 1.05] | 8 studies · 35110 participants | Moderate |
Blood pressure‐lowering drugs (BPLDs) vs placebo or no treatment Dementia · patients with a history of TIA or stroke Blood pressure‐lowering treatment for preventing recurrent stroke, major vascular events, and dementia in… (2018) · Cochrane | RR 0.88 [0.73, 1.06] | 2 studies · 6671 participants | High |
Mirror therapy vs all other interventions: primary and secondary outcomes Motor function at the end of intervention phase: all outcome measures Mirror therapy for improving motor function after stroke (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 36 studies · 1173 participants | Moderate |
Mirror therapy vs all other interventions: primary and secondary outcomes Motor impairment at the end of intervention phase: all outcome measures Mirror therapy for improving motor function after stroke (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 39 studies · 1292 participants | Moderate |
Mirror therapy vs all other interventions: primary and secondary outcomes Fugl‐Meyer Assessment upper extremity at the end of intervention phase Mirror therapy for improving motor function after stroke (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 28 studies · 898 participants | Low |
Mirror therapy vs all other interventions: primary and secondary outcomes Activities of daily living at the end of intervention phase: all studies Mirror therapy for improving motor function after stroke (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 19 studies · 622 participants | Moderate |
Mirror therapy vs all other interventions: primary and secondary outcomes Pain at the end of intervention phase: all studies Mirror therapy for improving motor function after stroke (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 6 studies · 248 participants | Low |
Mirror therapy vs all other interventions: primary and secondary outcomes Pain at the end of intervention phase after excluding studies with CRPS Mirror therapy for improving motor function after stroke (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 4 studies · 176 participants | Moderate |
Mirror therapy vs all other interventions: primary and secondary outcomes Visuospatial neglect at the end of intervention: all studies Mirror therapy for improving motor function after stroke (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 5 studies · 175 participants | Low |
Intervention NR Case fatality at the end of · patients with acute ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke Antibiotic therapy for preventing infections in people with acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | RR 1.03 [0.87, 1.21] | 8 studies · 4422 participants | High |
Intervention NR Poor functional outcome at the end of · patients with acute ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke Antibiotic therapy for preventing infections in people with acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | RR 0.99 [0.89, 1.1] | 7 studies · 4332 participants | Moderate |
Intervention NR Number of infections at the end of · patients with acute ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke Antibiotic therapy for preventing infections in people with acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | RR 0.71 [0.58, 0.88] | 7 studies · 4317 participants | High |
Intervention NR Number of UTIs at the end of · patients with acute ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke Antibiotic therapy for preventing infections in people with acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | RR 0.4 [0.32, 0.51] | 6 studies · 4257 participants | High |
Intervention NR Number of pneumonias at the end of · patients with acute ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke Antibiotic therapy for preventing infections in people with acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | RR 0.95 [0.8, 1.13] | 6 studies · 4257 participants | High |
Intervention NR Occurrence of elevated body temperature · patients with acute ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke Antibiotic therapy for preventing infections in people with acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 2 participants | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Rate of serious adverse events · patients with acute ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke Antibiotic therapy for preventing infections in people with acute stroke (2018) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Intervention NR Stroke and other systemic embolic events · people with atrial fibrillation deemed eligible for long‐term anticoagulant treatment Factor Xa inhibitors versus vitamin K antagonists for preventing cerebral or systemic embolism in patients… (2018) · Cochrane | OR 0.89 [0.82, 0.97] | 13 studies · 67477 participants | High |