SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Stroke
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1639425
Value of temporal muscle thickness in predicting outcomes of stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Provisionally accepted
- the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine, and International School of Medicine, International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu, China
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Objective: This systematic review examined if temporal muscle thickness (TMT) as a surrogate marker of sarcopenia was a predictor of outcomes after stroke. Methods: We explored the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases till 18th January 2025 for studies reporting stroke prognosis based on baseline TMT. Pooled analyses examined associations with post-stroke mortality, functional outcomes, and dysphagia. Meta-regression was conducted using baseline NIHSS and TMT values as moderators. Results: Nine studies were available. Meta-analysis showed that low TMT was associated with a statistically significant increase in the risk of post-stroke mortality (OR: 1.42 95% CI: 1.03, 1.96 I2=43%). A pooled analysis of five studies showed that there was a tendency for good functional outcomes with high TMT (OR: 1.24 95% CI: 1.00, 1.54 I2=75%). But the results were non-significant. Two studies showed that baseline TMT was significantly associated with an increased risk of dysphagia. Meta-regression did not identify significant moderating effects. Conclusion: Preliminary evidence suggests that lower TMT is associated with higher mortality after stroke, while associations with functional recovery remain inconclusive. Current limitations, including heterogeneity and lack of sex-specific analyses, preclude routine clinical use. Further standardized and patient-level research is warranted.
Keywords: Sarcopenia, Stroke, Skeletal muscle thickness, Mortality, dysphagia, functional outcomes
Received: 02 Jun 2025; Accepted: 24 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Fang, Wang, Sheng and Qiu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Min Fang, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine, and International School of Medicine, International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu, China
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