Mind–body exercise ranked highest for cognition after stroke in a review
A network meta-analysis compared exercise categories in stroke populations, but its abstract does not provide effect sizes or uncertainty around the reported ranking.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The review ranked mind–body exercise highest for cognitive improvement after stroke, followed by exercise combined with cognitive training. This ranking summarizes comparisons across included trials; it does not establish the size of any advantage or identify the best approach for an individual. The abstract also leaves the content and duration of the exercise programs unspecified.
No effect estimates, confidence intervals, cognitive assessment scales or evidence-quality ratings are provided in the abstract. Without these details, the certainty and practical importance of the ranking cannot be assessed.
How the comparison was made
The analysis combined direct comparisons from trials with indirect comparisons across the evidence network. Its conclusion therefore draws on more than head-to-head testing, and the abstract does not distinguish which comparisons directly supported the top ranking.
What the outcome does and does not show
The review’s question concerned cognitive function after stroke. The abstract does not describe changes in everyday independence or other recovery outcomes, so a favorable cognitive ranking should not be expanded into a claim about overall rehabilitation.
The original publication
Optimal exercise therapy to improve cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly patients with stroke: A systematic review with pairwise and network meta-analyses.
Duan XL, Xiong Q, Chen JW
Geriatr Nurs · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40834441
- Record checked
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