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Updated: Jul 4, 2026
A Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Technique for Inducing Post-stroke Depression in Rats
Published on: May 22, 2019
Effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for post-stroke depression: protocol for an umbrella review of
Mali Zhang1, He Tian1, Yuandi Yang1
1Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, China.
Background:
Post-stroke depression (PSD) is one of the most common neuropsychiatric complications following stroke, affecting approximately one-third of patients and substantially impairing functional recovery, quality of life, and survival. Pharmacological therapies, although commonly used, are limited by adverse effects and potential drug-drug interactions. Non-pharmacological interventions have gained increasing attention as safer alternatives, and numerous systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been published. However, their conclusions remain inconsistent due to methodological variability, heterogeneity, and overlapping evidence. To date, no umbrella review has comprehensively synthesized this evidence.
Objective:
To comprehensively synthesize evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses regarding the effectiveness and safety of non-pharmacological interventions for post-stroke depression (PSD).
Methods:
This umbrella review will be conducted in accordance with PRISMA-P guidelines. A comprehensive search will be conducted for systematic reviews and meta-analyses evaluating non-pharmacological interventions, either as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy, for the treatment of post-stroke depression (PSD). The following databases will be searched from inception to December 2025: MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), Web of Science, CINAHL, and the major Chinese literature databases (CNKI, WanFang, VIP, SinoMed). No language restrictions will be applied. Search strategies will combine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and free-text terms tailored to each database. Reference lists of included reviews will also be screened, and the search will be updated before the final analysis to ensure inclusion of the most recent evidence.
Conclusion:
This study will provide the first umbrella review of non-pharmacological interventions for PSD. By applying rigorous methodological tools, it aims to deliver a comprehensive and methodologically robust synthesis of current evidence, support clinical decision-making, and identify priorities for future research.
Systematic Review Registration:
This protocol was submitted for registration with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) on September 17, 2025 (registration number: CRD420251149507).
