Nanyang Technological University

Brain-computer interface training significantly improves upper-limb motor function after stroke, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of 35 randomized controlled trials involving 1,188 participants, published in Frontiers in Neurology on September 3, 2026. Pooled data showed mean improvements of 4.55 points on the Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), 3.90 points on the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) and 8.53 points on the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT), but the effect depended heavily on the comparator: a mean difference of 6.70 against usual care versus only 1.97 against sham-contingent controls. Twenty-two trials reported multi-level neuroplastic changes, though the evidence was insufficient to explain the mechanisms of recovery.