Acknowledgments to reviewers of World Journal of Methodology

We acknowledge our sincere thanks to our reviewers.Many reviewers have contributed their expertise and time to the peer review,a critical process to ensure the quality of our World Series Journals.Both the editors of the journals and authors of the manuscripts submitted to the journals

A summary of the evidence and evaluation of the effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions for mild cognitive impairment

Objective: To summarize and evaluate the evidence of guidelines and systematic reviews(SRs) of nonpharmacological interventions for mild cognitive impairment(MCI) to support the development of future guidelines and clinical decisions for MCI patients.Methods: Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network(SIGN), National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence(NICE), American Academy of Neurology(AAN), Registered Nurses Association of Ontario(RNAO), Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, CNAHL, VIP, China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), and Wanfang Database were searched for relevant publications, including guidelines and SRs, from January 2014 to March 2019. Two authors independently screened articles, extracted data, and assessed the publications for adherence to the inclusion criteria. Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation(AGREE II) was used to assess the quality of the guidelines, and Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews(AMSTAR 2) was used to assess the quality of SRs. In addition, the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation(GRADE) approach was used to evaluate the quality of outcomes.Results: Thirty-two articles were retrieved, including 1 guideline and 31 SRs. Fourteen SRs of physical exercise for MCI, six articles describing cognitive interventions, four articles describing acupuncture, and seven articles assessing dietary interventions(including four articles employing a Mediterranean diet, one article using vitamin B supplementation, and two articles assessing the effects of tea, coffee, and caffeine) were included. The quality of the articles was very low for 4(13%), low for 10(32%), and moderate for 17(55%).Conclusions: Based on the evidence available to date, nonpharmacological interventions may improve the current cognitive function of persons with MCI. In particular, physical exercise, cognitive interventions, and acupuncture exerted promising effects. However, due to the limited number and quality of the included publications, additional high-quality reviews are needed to further confirm.

Methological Quality of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses on Acupuncture for Stroke: A Review of Review

Objective： To assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses regarding acupuncture intervention for stroke and the primary studies within them. Methods： Two researchers searched Pub Med, Cumulative index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, ISI Web of Knowledge, Cochrane, Allied and Complementary Medicine, Ovid Medline, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang and Traditional Chinese Medical Database to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses about acupuncture for stroke published from the inception to December 2016. Review characteristics and the criteria for assessing the primary studies within reviews were extracted. The methodological quality of the reviews was assessed using adapted Oxman and Guyatt Scale. The methodological quality of primary studies was also assessed. Results： Thirty-two eligible reviews were identified, 15 in English and 17 in Chinese. The English reviews were scored higher than the Chinese reviews（P=0.025）, especially in criteria for avoiding bias and the scope of search. All reviews used the quality criteria to evaluate the methodological quality of primary studies, but some criteria were not comprehensive. The primary studies, in particular the Chinese reviews, had problems with randomization, allocation concealment, blinding, dropouts and withdrawals, intent-to-treat analysis and adverse events. Conclusions： Important methodological flaws were found in Chinese systematic reviews and primary studies. It was necessary to improve the methodological quality and reporting quality of both the systematic reviews published in China and primary studies on acupuncture for stroke.