title: A meta-analysis evaluating the effectiveness of two different upper limb hemiparesis interventions on improving health-related quality of life following stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this article is to quantitatively assess the efficacy of different upper limb interventions on health-related quality of life (QOL) in stroke patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two botulinum type A injection (BTX-A) studies and 4 constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) studies were separately combined in a meta-analysis using a fixed effects model. QOL mean scores were extracted and transformed into weighted mean differences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Combined, the BTX-A studies showed no significant improvements in overall health-related QOL. Similarly, a meta-analysis of 4 CIMT studies revealed nonsignificant findings for the domains of activities of daily living, communication, and hand function. A separate meta-analysis of 3 CIMT studies showed a significant increase in strength scores (P = .007); however, sensitivity analysis for this domain due to significant heterogeneity led to a newP value of .078, showing a nonsignificant increase in strength. Further results for memory, mobility, mood, participation, and overall recovery were all nonsignificant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This report did not show these types of upper limb interventions to be effective in improving health-related QOL in the poststroke population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pulman
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Clark-Carter
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010291:Paresis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*