The Effectiveness of Core Exercising for Postural Control in Patients with Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

OBJECTIVE Patients with stroke frequently present postural control impairment. This review aimed to assess the effectiveness of core exercising on postural control in patients with stroke. TYPE: Systematic review and meta-analysis. LITERATURE SURVEY Systematic review in the following databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, CINAHL, Scopus, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro). Studies up to July 2019 were included. METHODOLOGY Studies were included if the sample was composed of adults with stroke, the intervention followed a core exercising approach (alone or combined with another intervention), and the study was a randomized controlled trial including at least one measurement related to posture control. Studies were independently screened for inclusion and data were extracted by two researchers, with a third researcher arbitrating any disputes. Study quality was assessed using the Downs and Black scale. SYNTHESIS After screening of 1540 records, a total of 14 studies met the specified inclusion criteria and involved 520 participants. Two studies exhibited "excellent" quality and five exhibited "poor" quality. The meta-analysis was performed with data from the Trunk Impairment Scale (mean difference 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.69 to 1.27; P