Is More Better? Using Metadata to Explore Dose–Response Relationships in Stroke Rehabilitation

Databases were searched to find randomized controlled trials that were not dosage matched for total time scheduled for therapy. Regression models were used to predict improvement during therapy as a function of total time scheduled for therapy and years after stroke.

Overall, treatment groups receiving more therapy improved beyond control groups that received less (g=0.35; 95% confidence interval, 0.26-0.45). Furthermore, increased time scheduled for therapy was a significant predictor of increased improvement by itself and when controlling for linear and quadratic effects of time after stroke.