Background: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has gained attention for its potential effectiveness in treating depression beyond its initial use for PTSD. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy of EMDR in treating depression and to identify the variables influencing its effectiveness. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across databases, including MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE, covering studies up to January 2023. A total of 521 studies were screened, and 25 studies with 1042 participants (522 EMDR, 520 control) met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The inclusion criteria involved randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing EMDR to control conditions such as usual care or waitlist groups, with outcomes focused on changes in depression symptoms. Results: The results show that EMDR had a significant effect on reducing depression symptoms (Hedges’ g = 0.75), with moderate heterogeneity being observed. The meta-regression indicated that the severity of depression was a significant predictor of EMDR’s effectiveness, with greater effects in severe cases. Additionally, the systematic review analyzed and evaluated various theoretical models and related studies that explain how EMDR works for the treatment of depression, reporting on neurobiological models proposed in previous research. Conclusions: This study confirms that EMDR is effective in treating depression, particularly in severe cases, and highlights its potential as a non-pharmacological intervention. However, this study highlights the need for more standardized research and long-term evaluations to assess EMDR’s lasting impact. Integrating EMDR into multimodal treatment plans and primary care, especially for treatment-resistant depression, could significantly improve patient outcomes.

Background: Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) have gained attention as a potential therapy for reducing depressive symptoms. However, the evidence remains inconsistent. This meta-analysis aims to assess the overall efficacy of EFT in treating depressive symptoms and explore moderators influencing its effectiveness. Methods: A meta-analysis of 18 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted, with depressive symptom reduction as the primary outcome. Meta-regression explored moderators such as the EFT format, duration, age, and depression severity. Results: The analysis showed a significant overall effect size of 1.268 for EFT in reducing depressive symptoms. A moderator analysis revealed that group-based EFT interventions were more effective than individual ones, and participants with moderate depression experienced the greatest benefits. Additionally, shorter interventions were found to be highly effective. Conclusions: EFT effectively reduces depressive symptoms, particularly in group settings and for those with moderate depression. Shorter, well-structured interventions may enhance treatment efficiency. Further studies should explore long-term effects and broader applications.

Background/Objectives: Spasticity is a common and disabling sequela of stroke that limits voluntary movement and functional recovery. Vibration therapy (VT) has been proposed as a non-invasive neuromodulatory intervention, but the existing studies report inconsistent outcomes due to methodological heterogeneity. This study aimed to evaluate the overall effectiveness of VT in reducing post-stroke spasticity and to identify optimal stimulation parameters via meta-analytic and meta-regression approaches. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Standardized effect sizes (Hedges’ g) were calculated based on the within-group pre–post changes and compared across the groups. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses explored seven potential moderators, including the vibration frequency, amplitude, and time since stroke onset. Results: Thirteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving whole-body or focal vibration interventions in stroke populations were included. Vibration therapy significantly reduced spasticity, yielding a moderate overall effect size (Hedges’ g = −0.50; 95% CI: −0.65 to −0.34; p < 0.001). The greatest treatment effects were observed when VT was applied during the late subacute to early chronic phase (6–12 months post-stroke), with low-frequency (<20 Hz) and low-amplitude (≤0.5 mm) stimulation. The frequency, amplitude, and stroke onset emerged as significant moderators (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Vibration therapy is an effective and clinically meaningful intervention for post-stroke spasticity, particularly when delivered with low-intensity parameters during the optimal recovery window. These findings support the development of individualized VT protocols and provide evidence to guide future rehabilitation strategies.

Background/Objectives: Light therapy has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological treatment for depressive symptoms. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effectiveness of light therapy specifically for depressive symptoms in elderly populations, with a focus on how different light intensities and spectra influence treatment outcomes. Methods: A systematic search targeting studies on light therapy for depressive symptoms in older adults was performed across multiple databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, and EMBASE, covering studies from database inception until July 2024. A total of 565 records were identified, with 461 studies remaining after removing duplicates. Following the screening of titles and abstracts, 54 studies underwent full-text review, resulting in the inclusion of 22 studies with a total of 1290 participants (687 in the intervention group and 603 in the control group). Results: The overall effect size for light therapy on depressive symptoms was moderate (Hedges’ g = 0.525, p < 0.001). Higher light intensities (10,000 lux and above) demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness compared to lower intensities. White light had the most substantial effect, while bluish light showed moderate efficacy. Significant heterogeneity was observed across studies (I² = 80.459%), indicating variability in treatment outcomes based on study design, intensity, and light spectrum. Conclusions: This meta-analysis confirms that light therapy is an effective treatment for reducing depressive symptoms in older adults, particularly at higher intensities and with specific light spectra such as white light. Given the heterogeneity in results, future research should focus on optimizing treatment parameters to enhance clinical outcomes within this population.

Background/Objectives: Gait dysfunction is a major contributor to disability and reduced quality of life in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Although pharmacological treatments and exercise-based rehabilitation programs provide partial improvement, residual gait dysfunction often persists. Given these limitations, there has been growing interest in non-pharmacological and non-invasive strategies such as vibration therapy (VT). However, previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses have yielded inconsistent findings, largely summarizing the presence or absence of treatment effects without clarifying the clinical or therapeutic conditions under which VT may be most effective. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically review and synthesize evidence on the efficacy of VT for improving gait in PD and to identify clinical and therapeutic factors influencing treatment outcomes. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library was conducted with no restrictions on the search period, including studies published up to July 2025. Eligible studies included randomized and quasi-experimental clinical trials that evaluated the effects of VT on gait-related outcomes in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Data extraction followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, and the risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 and ROBINS-I tools. Multilevel random-effects meta-analyses were conducted to estimate pooled effect sizes for gait outcomes, and meta-regression and subgroup analyses were performed based on disease stage, medication status, and vibration parameters. Results: A total of 14 studies (11 randomized and 3 non-randomized) were included. The pooled analysis showed that VT significantly improved gait performance in PD (Hedges’ g = 0.270, 95% CI: 0.115–0.424; 95% PI: −0.166–0.705). The sensitivity analysis restricted to randomized controlled trials yielded a comparable significant effect (g = 0.316, 95% CI: 0.004–0.628). Greater benefits were observed in patients with higher clinical severity, while the moderating effect of levodopa dosage was not significant. Optimal effects were identified with frequencies of 51–100 Hz, session durations ≤3 min, and 2–3 sessions per week. Improvements were evident in gait speed, cycle, and magnitude, whereas no consistent effects were observed for freezing of gait or gait variability. Conclusions: VT yields small but statistically significant improvements in fundamental gait parameters in Parkinson’s disease, particularly under optimized stimulation conditions and in individuals with greater disease severity. Although the pooled effect was modest and the certainty of evidence was rated as very low according to GRADE, these findings cautiously support the potential of vibration-based interventions as a supportive, non-pharmacological, and non-invasive adjunct within broader rehabilitation programs, rather than as a stand-alone treatment.

Background/Objectives: Activities of daily living (ADL) are critical for independence after stroke, yet many survivors remain functionally limited. Vibration therapy (VT), including whole-body and focal modalities, has been proposed as an adjunct to enhance recovery, but effects on ADL remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the overall effectiveness of VT on ADL and to identify moderating factors. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Thirteen controlled trials (12 RCTs, 1 nRCT) involving VT in stroke were included. Standardized mean differences (Hedges’ g) were synthesized using random-effects models. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses examined moderators such as session number, vibration parameters, stroke stage, and ADL subdomains. Risk of bias was assessed with RoB 2 and ROBINS-I. Results: VT produced a small but significant effect on ADL (Hedges’ g = 0.19; 95% CI: 0.06–0.33; p = 0.008), though significance was lost after adjustment for publication bias. Heterogeneity was moderate (I² = 34%). Session number was the only significant moderator (p = 0.045), explaining ~24% of variance, with the greatest benefit in the 13–24 session range (g = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.05–0.63). Subgroup analysis showed improvement in physical function/mobility (g = 0.32; p = 0.048), but not in self-care or quality-of-life outcomes. Other parameters were not significant moderators. Conclusions: VT confers modest benefits for ADL after stroke, particularly in mobility-related domains. Session number appears clinically important, with 13–24 sessions suggesting an optimal dose window.