Effectiveness of noninvasive brain stimulation for patients with central poststroke pain: a systematic review and meta analysis of randomized controlled trials

Key Points

• NIBS may provide analgesic benefits for central poststroke pain, but lacks efficacy for psychosocial outcomes.
• Analyses of randomized controlled trials suggest stimulation methods like M1 stimulation and tDCS aid pain relief.
• Larger, well-structured trials are needed to assess stimulation-specific efficacy for CPSP.
• These findings highlight the potential of NIBS, yet call for further research to understand its broader therapeutic role.