• Mahmoud M Dboba, Nor Azlin Mohd Nordin, Haidzir Manaf, and Hanif Farhan Mohd Rasdi.
• Physiotherapy Program, Centre for Rehabilitation and Special Needs Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2023 Jul 14; 102 (28): e34249e34249.

BackgroundMotor impairment is common after a stroke and directly affects the function and quality of life of stroke survivors. Constraint-induced movement therapy and neuromuscular electrical stimulation are interventions that facilitate functional recovery of the upper extremities of a particular subgroup of stroke survivors. The objective of this study was to summarize the available evidence on the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation combined with constraint-induced movement therapy in patients with stroke.MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive search of published articles in electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, PEDro, Medline (via Ovid), EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, using the following search terms: "stroke"; "upper extremity"; "Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy"; and "Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation." The search included published studies, conferences, and presentations. The article selection, data extraction, and quality evaluation will be conducted independently by 2 reviewers. The 3rd and 4th reviewers will assist in resolving any disagreements that may arise between the 2 reviewers. The risk of bias in the included studies will be assessed using the PEDro scale and Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. Narrative synthesis and meta-analysis will be performed based on the characteristics of the included articles, including the risk of bias (if sufficient information is available).ResultsThis review summarizes the available evidence and could assist therapists in choosing the best treatment for poststroke upper extremity dysfunction.ConclusionThis study will provide the available evidence on the effectiveness of CIMT and NMES on upper extremity function in patients with stroke.Ethics And DisseminationEthical approval is not required because the review will be based on publicly available literature. The findings of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, and updates will be made depending on whether sufficient additional evidence modifies the conclusions of the review. Any changes made to the methods throughout the review will be stated in the article.Systematic Review RegistrationPROSPERO CRD42023415645.Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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