The study identifies a research gap in the field

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the stated research gap and limitations and future work of the source papers, classified as general, spanning 3 journals.

Supporting evidence — 3 representative gaps

• Acupuncture combined with rehabilitation robot for recovery of hemiplegia after ischemic stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (2026) · Frontiers in Neurology · doi

  The study identifies a research gap in the field of rehabilitation strategies for post-stroke limb dysfunction. The study notes that conventional rehabilitation methods have limitations, including imprecise intensity modulation and limited patient engagement. The study suggests that the combined therapy of acupuncture and rehabilitation robots may address this research gap.

  generalstated research gap
  Keywords: study identifies research gap field rehabilitation strategies post-stroke
• Acupuncture Treatment for Post-Stroke Aphasia at Harvest City Therapy Center in Bogor (2026) · Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Sains · doi

  2. After Therapy: After six sessions of acupuncture therapy, the patient's communication skills showed improvement. She began to express simple words better, understand instructions better, and respond more quickly and consistently. Furthermore, her social interactions also improved, as evidenced by better eye contact and more active engagement in communication. In addition, improved communication skills after repeated therapy were also reported in a systematic study that acupuncture as an adjunct therapy had a positive effect on aphasia rehabilitation (Zhang et al., 2021). From a TCM perspective, therapeutic success indicates the smooth flow of Qi and Xue and the reduction of Tan obstruction. Meanwhile, from a modern neurological perspective, these effects are associated with increased neuroplasticity, reactivation of neural networks, and enhanced connectivity between language areas in the brain (Li et al., 2015; Zhang et al., 2021). Thus, acupuncture can be viewed as a complementary therapy that has a strong theoretical basis in both TCM and modern medicine. 2360 CONCLUSION The study on acupuncture care for elderly patients with post-stroke aphasia at Harvest City Therapy House, Bogor, found that after six therapy sessions there was noticeable improvement in communication abilities, including clearer pronunciation of simple words, better comprehension of instructions, faster and more consistent responses, and enhanced social interaction reflected in increased eye contact and active engagement. These outcomes suggest that acupuncture may serve as a promising complementary therapy to support recovery of communication function in post-stroke aphasia. Based on these findings, it is recommended that practitioners consider integrating the applied acupuncture protocol (REN-23, HT-5, DU- 20, and EX-HN1 with tonification and reduction techniques) into clinical practice while continuing individualized evaluation of patient responses; future research should involve larger sample sizes, control groups, and longer follow-up periods, including randomized controlled trials comparing acupuncture alone, speech therapy alone, and combined interventions to strengthen evidence of efficacy. It is also recommended that families support ongoing therapy alongside conventional rehabilitation and home-based communication practice, while policymakers consider the inclusion of acupuncture as a complementary therapy within national health coverage for post-stroke rehabilitation to improve patient outcomes and quality of life. REFERENCE Baldwin, J. N., Napier, S., Neville, S., & Wright-St Clair, V. A. (2018). Impacts of older people’s patient and public involvement in health and social care research: A systematic review. Age and Ageing, 47(6), 801–809. Chen, Z., Zhang, D., Liu, C., Wang, H., Jin, X., Yang, F., & Zhang, J. (2024). Traditional Chinese medicine diagnostic prediction model for holistic syndrome differentiation based on deep learning. Integrative Medicine Research, 13(1), 101019. De Coninck, L., Declercq, A., Bouckaert, L., Vermandere, M., Graff, M. J. L., & Aertgeerts, B. (2021). Perspectives of older adults with a chronic condition on functioning, social participation and health: A qualitative study. BMC Geriatrics, 21(1), 418. Fitri, F. I., Rambe, A. S., Effendy, E., Kadri, A., Prawiroharjo, P., Lubis, I. N. D., Surbakti, K. P., Amin, M. M., Rusda, M., & Gustianingsih. (2025). A narrative review of primary progressive aphasia and stroke aphasia: Clinical and linguistic perspectives in the Indonesian context. Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports, 12(1), 20. Hebert, D., Lindsay, M. P., McIntyre, A., Kirton, A., Rumney, P. G., Bagg, S., Bayley, M., Dowlatshahi, D., Dukelow, S., & Garnhum, M. (2016). Canadian stroke best practice recommendations: Stroke rehabilitation practice guidelines, update 2015. International Journal of Stroke, 11(4), 459–484. Kementerian Kesehatan Republik Indonesia. (2023). Indonesian health survey (SKI 2023).

  generallimitationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: therapy acupuncture stroke communication aphasia patient better social rehabilitation zhang practice health complementary medicine post
• AWARENESS OF THE PROMOTING APHASIA COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVENESS TECHNIQUE AMONG PRACTICING SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS IN KERALA (2026) · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · doi

   Future studies can include a larger sample size from different states of India.  Research can be conducted to evaluate the practical implementation of PACE therapy in clinical settings.  Comparative studies can be carried out between clinicians and newly practicing experienced regarding PACE awareness.  Training programs and workshops on functional communication approaches can be developed and evaluated for effectiveness. REFERENCES 1. Aten, J. L. Functional communication treatment in aphasia rehabilitation. Clinical Aphasiology, 1994; 22: 85-96. 2. Beeson, P. M., & Robey, R. R. Evaluating single- subject treatment research: Lessons learned from the aphasia literature. Neuropsychology Review, 2006; 16(4): 161–169. 3. Carlomagno, S. Pragmatic approaches to aphasia therapy. Whurr Publishers, 1994. 4. Chapey, R. (Ed.). Language intervention strategies in aphasia and related neurogenic communication disorders (5th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008. 5. Collins, M. communication Clinical Aphasiology, 1986; 16: 157–167.

  generalfuture workevidence 5/5
  Keywords: communication aphasia clinical pace therapy functional approaches treatment aphasiology future include larger sample size different

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