Table 1 Characteristics of included randomized controlled trials

tDCS

Grecco et al.,2015

20(11/9)

8.5 ± 1.37

II(n = 7); III(n = 13)

Diplegic:20

Fajardo et al.,2022

24(12/12)

5.25 ± 2.08

II(n = 4); III(n = 14)

IV(n = 6)

Hemiplegic:9

Diplegic:15

Grecco et al.,2014a

24(7/17)

7.9 ± 2.57

II(n = 16); III(n = 8)

Spastic:24

Elsadany et al.,2019

40 (-/-)

7.73 ± 1.08

I /II (-/-)

Diplegic:40

Radwan et al.,2023

40(23/17)

8.53 ± 1.53

I(n = 26); II(n = 4)

Diplegic:40

Grecco et al.,2017

6(3/3)

7.17 ± 2.14

I(n = 2); II(n = 4)

Ataxic:6

Duarte et al.,2014

24(-/-)

7.95 ± 1.74

I(n = 5); II(n = 13);

III(n = 6)

Hemiplegic:5

Diplegic:19

Lazzari et al.,2017

20(14/6)

7.45 ± 2.05

I(n = 10); II(n = 5);

III(n = 5)

NI

Grecco et al.,2014b

20(-/-)

7.50 ± 1.64

I(n = 6); II(n = 8);

III(n = 6)

Hemiplegic:7

Diplegic:13

Lazzari et al.,2015

12(-/-)

4–12

I/II/III (-/-/-)

NI

Grecco et al.,2023

30(-/-)

9.9 ± 1.74

I(n = 9); II(n = 14);

III(n = 7)

Hemiplegic:13

Diplegic:17

rTMS

Valle et al.,2007

17(8/9)

9.08 ± 3.17

NI

Quadraplegic:17

Dadashi et al.,2019

4(-/-)

4–14

II(n = 3); IV(n = 1)

Hemiplegic:4

Marzbani et al.,2018

4(-/-)

9 ± 3

NI

Hemiplegic:4

Mahgoub et al.,2021

30(16/14)

10.55 ± 3.39

NI

Hemiplegic:30

He et al.,2024

31(23/8)

6.94 ± 2.69

I(n = 11); II(n = 16);

III(n = 4)

Hemiplegic:31