Efficacy and Safety of Botulinum Toxin Type A for Limb Spasticity after Stroke: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Table 2

Subgroup analysis for upper limb spasticity.

Outcomes	Factors	Groups	SMD and 95% CI	P value	Heterogeneity (%)	P value for heterogeneity	P value for meta-regression
Muscle tone	Publication year	Before 2010	-0.76 (-1.04 to -0.48)	<0.001	31.0	0.192	0.909
		2010 or after	-0.77 (-1.10 to -0.43)	<0.001	71.9	0.007
	Mean age (year)	≥ 55.0	-0.80 (-1.10 to -0.50)	<0.001	69.7	0.003	0.528
		< 55.0	-0.70 (-0.96 to -0.44)	<0.001	0.0	0.598
	Percentage male (%)	≥60.0	-0.87 (-1.12 to -0.62)	<0.001	42.4	0.096	0.011
		<60.0	-0.59 (-0.86 to -0.32)	<0.001	30.0	0.232
	Time since event (months)	≥24.0	-0.69 (-0.87 to -0.50)	<0.001	26.1	0.220	0.006
		<24.0	-0.93 (-1.42 to -0.44)	<0.001	50.5	0.109
	Follow-up duration (weeks)	4	-0.98 (-1.28 to -0.68)	<0.001	65.8	0.005	0.231
		6	-0.83 (-1.17 to -0.49)	<0.001	20.0	0.287
		8	-0.87 (-1.15 to -0.59)	<0.001	0.0	0.710
		12	-0.62 (-0.83 to -0.42)	<0.001	0.0	0.538
		> 12	-0.55 (-1.30 to 0.20)	0.152	69.0	0.040
	Study quality	High	-0.81 (-1.02 to -0.60)	<0.001	53.4	0.023	0.079
		Low	-0.15 (-0.86 to 0.56)	0.685	0.0	0.444
Active upper limb function	Publication year	Before 2010	0.63 (-0.16 to 1.42)	0.116	64.2	0.095	0.049
		2010 or after	0.22 (-0.27 to 0.71)	0.379	-	-
	Mean age (year)	≥ 55.0	0.49 (-0.08 to 1.07)	0.093	70.0	0.036	-
		< 55.0	-	-	-	-
	Percentage male (%)	≥60.0	0.22 (-0.27 to 0.71)	0.379	-	-	0.049
		<60.0	0.63 (-0.16 to 1.42)	0.116	64.2	0.095
	Time since event (months)	≥24.0	0.49 (-0.08 to 1.07)	0.093	70.0	0.036	-
		<24.0	-	-	-	-
	Follow-up duration (weeks)	4	0.55 (0.28 to 0.83)	<0.001	0.0	0.685	0.015
		6	1.11 (0.46 to 1.77)	0.001	72.5	0.026
		12	0.19 (-0.24 to 0.63)	0.375	0.0	0.833
	Study quality	High	0.60 (-0.11 to 1.30)	0.096	81.1	0.022	0.239
		Low	0.11 (-0.79 to 1.01)	0.811	-	-
Physician global assessments	Publication year	Before 2010	0.72 (0.42 to 1.01)	<0.001	0.0	0.396	0.098
		2010 or after	0.42 (0.24 to 0.61)	<0.001	0.0	0.962
	Mean age (year)	≥ 55.0	0.54 (0.34 to 0.74)	<0.001	10.1	0.349	0.638
		< 55.0	0.44 (0.12 to 0.76)	0.008	-	-
	Percentage male (%)	≥60.0	0.56 (0.20 to 0.92)	0.002	44.5	0.165	0.900
		<60.0	0.50 (0.29 to 0.71)	<0.001	0.0	0.591
	Time since event (months)	≥24.0	0.51 (0.35-0.67)	<0.001	0.0	0.457	-
		<24.0	-	-	-	-
	Follow-up duration (weeks)	4	0.86 (0.45 to 1.26)	<0.001	75.4	0.007	0.002
		6	1.16 (0.62 to 1.71)	<0.001	71.0	0.016
		12	0.49 (0.28 to 0.71)	<0.001	0.0	0.750
	Study quality	High	0.50 (0.34 to 0.66)	<0.001	2.4	0.393	0.449
		Low	0.87 (-0.08 to 1.82)	0.073	-	-
Disability assessment scale	Publication year	Before 2010	-0.32 (-0.44 to -0.20)	<0.001	0.0	0.732	0.561
		2010 or after	-0.26 (-0.43 to -0.09)	0.003	0.0	0.335
	Mean age (year)	≥ 55.0	-0.33 (-0.44 to -0.21)	<0.001	0.0	0.737	0.377
		< 55.0	-0.22 (-0.42 to -0.02)	0.030	0.0	0.480
	Percentage male (%)	≥60.0	-0.26 (-0.43 to -0.09)	0.003	0.0	0.335	0.561
		<60.0	-0.32 (-0.44 to -0.20)	<0.001	0.0	0.732
	Time since event (months)	≥24.0	-0.30 (-0.40 to -0.20)	<0.001	0.0	0.641	0.649
		<24.0	-0.46 (-1.15 to 0.23)	0.191	-	-
	Follow-up duration (weeks)	4	-0.33 (-0.63 to -0.03)	0.030	59.2	0.118	0.119
		6	-0.42 (-0.49 to -0.34)	<0.001	0.0	0.461
		12	-0.30 (-0.40 to -0.20)	<0.001	0.0	0.641
	Study quality	High	-0.30 (-0.40 to -0.20)	<0.001	0.0	0.756	-
		Low	-	-	-	-