Appendix 1. CENTRAL search strategy

Appendix 2. MEDLINE search strategy

MEDLINE (Ovid)
1. cerebrovascular disorders/ or exp basal ganglia cerebrovascular disease/ or exp brain ischemia/ or exp carotid artery diseases/ or exp cerebrovascular trauma/ or exp intracranial arterial diseases/ or exp intracranial arteriovenous malformations/ or exp "intracranial embolism and thrombosis"/ or exp intracranial hemorrhages/ or stroke/ or exp brain infarction/ or stroke, lacunar/ or vasospasm, intracranial/ or vertebral artery dissection/ or exp hypoxia, brain/
2. (stroke$ or post stroke or poststroke or post‐stroke or apoplex$ or cerebral vasc$ or cerebrovasc$ or cva or SAH).tw.
3. ((brain or cerebr$ or cerebell$ or vertebrobasil$ or hemispher$ or intracran$ or intracerebral or infratentorial or supratentorial or middle cerebr$ or mca$ or anterior circulation or basilar artery or vertebral artery) adj5 (isch?emi$ or infarct$ or thrombo$ or emboli$ or occlus$ or hypoxi$)).tw.
4. ((brain$ or cerebr$ or cerebell$ or intracerebral or intracran$ or parenchymal or intraparenchymal or intraventricular or infratentorial or supratentorial or basal gangli$ or putaminal or putamen or posterior fossa or hemispher$ or subarachnoid) adj5 (h?emorrhag$ or h?ematoma$ or bleed$)).tw.
5. exp hemiplegia/ or exp paresis/ or exp aphasia/ or exp gait disorders, neurologic/
6. (hempar$ or hemipleg$ or paresis or paretic or aphasi$ or dysphasi$).tw.
7. exp brain damage, chronic/ or brain injuries/ or exp brain concussion/ or exp brain hemorrhage, traumatic/ or brain injury, chronic/ or diffuse axonal injury/
8. craniocerebral trauma/ or exp head injuries, closed/ or exp intracranial hemorrhage, traumatic/
9. exp brain abscess/ or exp central nervous system infections/ or exp encephalitis/ or exp meningitis/
10. (encephalitis or meningitis or head injur$).tw.
11. exp brain neoplasms/
12. ((brain or cerebr$) adj5 (injur$ or hypoxi$ or damage$ or concussion or trauma$ or neoplasm$ or lesion$ or tumor$ or tumour$ or cancer$ or infection$)).tw.
13. or/1‐12
14. music/ or music therapy/ or singing/ or acoustic stimulation/
15. (music$ or rhythmic$ or melod$ or harmon$).tw.
16. ((auditory or acoustic) adj5 (stimulat$ or cue$)).tw.
17. (sing or sings or singing or singer$ or song$ or chant$ or compose or composing or improvis$).tw.
18. ((vocal or voice) adj5 intonat$).tw.
19. (gait adj5 (puls$ or rhythm$)).tw.
20. or/14‐19
21. 13 and 20
22. Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic/
23. random allocation/
24. Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic/
25. control groups/
26. clinical trials as topic/
27. double‐blind method/
28. single‐blind method/
29. Placebos/
30. placebo effect/
31. cross‐over studies/
32. randomized controlled trial.pt.
33. controlled clinical trial.pt.
34. clinical trial.pt.
35. (random$ or RCT or RCTs).tw.
36. (controlled adj5 (trial$ or stud$)).tw.
37. (clinical$ adj5 trial$).tw.
38. ((control or treatment or experiment$ or intervention) adj5 (group$ or subject$ or patient$)).tw.
39. (quasi‐random$ or quasi random$ or pseudo‐random$ or pseudo random$).tw.
40. ((control or experiment$ or conservative) adj5 (treatment or therapy or procedure or manage$)).tw.
41. ((singl$ or doubl$ or tripl$ or trebl$) adj5 (blind$ or mask$)).tw.
42. (cross‐over or cross over or crossover).tw.
43. (placebo$ or sham).tw.
44. trial.ti.
45. (assign$ or allocat$).tw.
46. controls.tw.
47. or/22‐46
48. 21 and 47
49. exp animals/ not humans.sh.
50. 48 not 49

Appendix 3. Embase search strategy

1   stroke/ or cerebrovascular disease/ or exp basal ganglion hemorrhage/ or exp brain hematoma/ or exp brain hemorrhage/ or exp brain infarction/ or exp brain ischemia/ or exp carotid artery disease/ or cerebral artery disease/ or exp cerebrovascular accident/ or exp cerebrovascular malformation/ or exp intracranial aneurysm/ or exp occlusive cerebrovascular disease/ or stroke patient/ or stroke unit/
2   (stroke$ or post stroke or poststroke or post‐stroke or apoplex$ or cerebral vasc$ or cerebrovasc$ or cva or SAH).tw.
3   ((brain or cerebr$ or cerebell$ or vertebrobasil$ or hemispher$ or intracran$ or intracerebral or infratentorial or supratentorial or middle cerebr$ or mca$ or anterior circulation or basilar artery or vertebral artery) adj5 (isch?emi$ or infarct$ or thrombo$ or emboli$ or occlus$ or hypoxi$)).tw.
4   ((brain$ or cerebr$ or cerebell$ or intracerebral or intracran$ or parenchymal or intraparenchymal or intraventricular or infratentorial or supratentorial or basal gangli$ or putaminal or putamen or posterior fossa or hemispher$ or subarachnoid) adj5 (h?emorrhag$ or h?ematoma$ or bleed$)).tw.
5   hemiparesis/ or hemiplegia/ or paresis/ or exp aphasia/ or dysphasia/ or exp neurologic gait disorder/
6   (hempar$ or hemipleg$ or paresis or paretic or aphasi$ or dysphasi$).tw.
7   brain injury/ or acquired brain injury/ or brain concussion/ or brain contusion/ or brain damage/ or brain stem injury/ or cerebellum injury/ or diffuse axonal injury/ or postconcussion syndrome/ or traumatic brain injury/ or brain hypoxia/ or head injury/
8   central nervous system infection/ or exp brain infection/ or exp meningitis/
9   exp brain tumor/
10   (encephalitis or meningitis or head injur$).tw.
11   ((brain or cerebr$) adj5 (injur$ or hypoxi$ or damage$ or concussion or trauma$ or neoplasm$ or lesion$ or tumor$ or tumour$ or cancer$ or infection$)).tw.
12   or/1‐11
13   exp music/ or music therapy/ or musician/ or singing/ or auditory stimulation/
14   (music$ or rhythmic$ or melod$ or harmon$).tw.
15   ((auditory or acoustic) adj5 (stimulat$ or cue$)).tw.
16   (sing or sings or singing or singer$ or song$ or chant$ or compose or composing or improvis$).tw.
17   ((vocal or voice) adj5 intonat$).tw.
18   (gait adj5 (puls$ or rhythm$)).tw.
19   or/13‐18
20   12 and 19
21   Randomized Controlled Trial/
22   Randomization/
23   Controlled Study/
24   control group/
25   clinical trial/ or phase 1 clinical trial/ or phase 2 clinical trial/ or phase 3 clinical trial/ or phase 4 clinical trial/ or controlled clinical trial/
26   Crossover Procedure/
27   Double Blind Procedure/
28   Single Blind Procedure/ or triple blind procedure/
29   placebo/
30   (random$ or RCT or RCTs).tw.
31   (controlled adj5 (trial$ or stud$)).tw.
32   (clinical$ adj5 trial$).tw.
33   ((control or treatment or experiment$ or intervention) adj5 (group$ or subject$ or patient$)).tw.
34   (quasi‐random$ or quasi random$ or pseudo‐random$ or pseudo random$).tw.
35   ((control or experiment$ or conservative) adj5 (treatment or therapy or procedure or manage$)).tw.
36   ((singl$ or doubl$ or tripl$ or trebl$) adj5 (blind$ or mask$)).tw.
37   (cross‐over or cross over or crossover).tw.
38   (placebo$ or sham).tw.
39   trial.ti.
40   (assign$ or allocat$).tw.
41   controls.tw.
42   or/21‐41
43   20 and 42
44   (exp animals/ or exp invertebrate/ or animal experiment/ or animal model/ or animal tissue/ or animal cell/ or nonhuman/) not (human/ or normal human/ or human cell/)
45   43 not 44

Appendix 4. CINAHL search strategy

Database: CINAHL ‐ Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature, 1982 to June 2015; EBSCO

1. (MH "Cerebrovascular Disorders") OR (MH "Basal Ganglia Cerebrovascular Disease+") OR (MH "Carotid Artery Diseases+") OR (MH "Cerebral Ischemia+") OR (MH "Cerebral Vasospasm") OR (MH "Intracranial Arterial Diseases+") OR (MH "Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis") OR (MH "Intracranial Hemorrhage+") OR (MH "Stroke") OR (MH "Vertebral Artery Dissections") or (MH "Hypoxia, Brain")

2. (MH "Stroke Patients") OR (MH "Stroke Units")

3. TI ( stroke or poststroke or post‐stroke or cerebrovasc* or brain vasc* or cerebral vasc or cva or apoplex or SAH ) or AB ( stroke or poststroke or post‐stroke or cerebrovasc* or brain vasc* or cerebral vasc or cva or apoplex or SAH )

4. TI ( stroke or poststroke or post‐stroke or cerebrovasc* or brain vasc* or cerebral vasc or cva or apoplex or SAH ) or AB ( stroke or poststroke or post‐stroke or cerebrovasc* or brain vasc* or cerebral vasc or cva or apoplex or SAH )

5. TI ( ischemi* or ischaemi* or infarct* or thrombo* or emboli* or occlus* ) or AB ( ischemi* or ischaemi* or infarct* or thrombo* or emboli* or occlus* )

6. S6. S4 and S5

7. TI ( brain* or cerebr* or cerebell* or intracerebral or intracranial or subarachnoid ) or AB ( brain* or cerebr* or cerebell* or intracerebral or intracranial or subarachnoid )

8. TI ( haemorrhage* or hemorrhage* or haematoma* or hematoma* or bleed* ) or AB ( haemorrhage* or hemorrhage* or haematoma* or hematoma* or bleed* )

9. S7 and S8

10. (MH "Hemiplegia") or (MH "Aphasia+") OR (MH "Gait Disorders, Neurologic+")

11. TI ( hemipleg* or hemipar* or paresis or paretic or aphas* or dysphas*) or AB ( hemipleg* or hemipar* or paresis or paretic or aphas* or dysphas*)

12. (MH "Brain Damage, Chronic") OR (MH "Brain Injuries") OR (MH "Brain Concussion+")

13. (MH "Head Injuries")

14. (MH "Central Nervous System Infections+") OR (MH "Encephalitis+") OR (MH "Meningitis+") OR (MH "Meningoencephalitis+")

15. (MH "Brain Neoplasms+")

16. TI (encephalitis or meningitis or head injur*) or AB (encephalitis or meningitis or head injur*)

17. TI ((brain or cerebr*) N5 (injur* or hypoxi* or damage* or concussion or trauma* or neoplasm* or lesion* or tumor* or tumour* or cancer* or infection*))

18. AB ((brain or cerebr*) N5 (injur* or hypoxi* or damage* or concussion or trauma* or neoplasm* or lesion* or tumor* or tumour* or cancer* or infection*))

19. S1 OR S2 OR S3 OR S6 OR S9 OR S10 OR S11 OR S12 OR S13 OR S14 OR S15 OR S16 OR S17 OR S18

20. (MH "Music") OR (MH "Music Therapy (Iowa NIC)") OR (MH "Music Therapy") OR (MH "Performing Artists") OR (MH "Singing") OR (MH "Performing Arts") OR (MH "Acoustic Stimulation")

21. TI (music* or rhythmic* or melod* or harmon*) or AB (music* or rhythmic* or melod* or harmon*)

22. TI ((auditory or acoustic) N5 (stimulat* or cue*)) or AB ((auditory or acoustic) N5 (stimulat* or cue*))

23. TI (sing or sings or singing or singer* or song* or chant* or compose or composing or improvis*) or AB (sing or sings or singing or singer* or song* or chant* or compose or composing or improvis*)

24. TI ((vocal or voice) N5 intonat*) or AB ((vocal or voice) N5 intonat*)

25. TI (gait N5 (puls* or rhythm*)) or AB (gait N5 (puls* or rhythm*))

26. S20 OR S21 OR S22 OR S23 OR S24 OR S25

27. PT randomized controlled trial or clinical trial

28. (MH "Random Assignment") or (MH "Random Sample+")

29. (MH "Crossover Design") or (MH "Clinical Trials+") or (MH "Comparative Studies")

30. (MH "Control (Research)") or (MH "Control Group")

31. (MH "Factorial Design") or (MH "Quasi‐Experimental Studies") or (MH "Nonrandomized Trials")

32. (MH "Placebo Effect") or (MH "Placebos")

33. (MH "Clinical Research") or (MH "Clinical Nursing Research")

34. (MH "Community Trials") or (MH "Experimental Studies") or (MH "One‐Shot Case Study") or (MH "Pretest‐Posttest Design+") or (MH "Solomon Four‐Group Design") or (MH "Static Group Comparison") or (MH "Study Design")

35. TI (random* or RCT or RCTs) or AB (random* or RCT or RCTs)

36. TI ( singl* or doubl* or tripl* or trebl* ) or AB ( singl* or doubl* or tripl* or trebl* )

37. TI ( blind* or mask*) or AB ( blind* or mask* )

38. S36 and S37

39. TI ( crossover or cross‐over or placebo* or control* or factorial or sham ) or AB ( crossover or cross‐over or placebo* or control* or factorial or sham )

40. TI ( clin* or controlled or intervention* or compar* or experiment* or preventive or therapeutic ) or AB ( clin* or controlled or intervention* or compar* or experiment* or preventive or therapeutic )

41. TI trial* or AB trial*

42. S40 and S41

43. TI (assign* or allocat*) or AB (assign* or allocat*)

44. TI trial

45. ( TI (quasi‐random* or quasi random* or pseudo‐random* or pseudo random*) ) OR ( AB (quasi‐random* or quasi random* or pseudo‐random* or pseudo random*) )

46. S27 OR S28 OR S29 OR S30 OR S31 OR S32 OR S33 OR S34 OR S35 OR S38 OR S39 OR S42 OR S43 OR S44 OR S45

47. S19 AND S26 AND S46

Appendix 5. PsycINFO search strategy

Database: PsycINFO (Ovid); 1806 to June Week 1 2015

1     cerebrovascular disorders/ or cerebral hemorrhage/ or exp cerebral ischemia/ or cerebrovascular accidents/ or subarachnoid hemorrhage/
2     (stroke$ or post stroke or poststroke or post‐stroke or apoplex$ or cerebral vasc$ or cerebrovasc$ or cva or SAH).tw.
3     ((brain or cerebr$ or cerebell$ or vertebrobasil$ or hemispher$ or intracran$ or intracerebral or infratentorial or supratentorial or middle cerebr$ or mca$ or anterior circulation or basilar artery or vertebral artery) adj5 (isch?emi$ or infarct$ or thrombo$ or emboli$ or occlus$ or hypoxi$)).tw.
4     ((brain$ or cerebr$ or cerebell$ or intracerebral or intracran$ or parenchymal or intraparenchymal or intraventricular or infratentorial or supratentorial or basal gangli$ or putaminal or putamen or posterior fossa or hemispher$ or subarachnoid) adj5 (h?emorrhag$ or h?ematoma$ or bleed$)).tw.
5     hemiparesis/ or hemiplegia/ or exp aphasia/
6     (hempar$ or hemipleg$ or paresis or paretic or aphasi$ or dysphasi$).tw.
7     traumatic brain injury/ or brain damage/ or brain concussion/ or exp head injuries/
8     exp meningitis/ or exp encephalitis/ or intracranial abscesses/
9     brain neoplasms/
10     (encephalitis or meningitis or head injur$).tw.
11     ((brain or cerebr$) adj5 (injur$ or hypoxi$ or damage$ or concussion or trauma$ or neoplasm$ or lesion$ or tumor$ or tumour$ or cancer$ or infection$)).tw.
12     or/1‐11
13     exp music/ or music therapy/ or musicians/ or singing/ or tempo/ or music perception/ or musical ability/ or exp rhythm/ or music education/ or exp auditory stimulation/
14     (music$ or rhythmic$ or melod$ or harmon$).tw.
15     ((auditory or acoustic) adj5 (stimulat$ or cue$)).tw.
16     (sing or sings or singing or singer$ or song$ or chant$ or compose or composing or improvis$).tw
17     ((vocal or voice) adj5 intonat$).tw.
18     (gait adj5 (puls$ or rhythm$)).tw.
19     or/13‐18
20     12 and 19
21     clinical trials/ or treatment effectiveness evaluation/ or placebo/
22     (random$ or RCT or RCTs).tw.
23     (controlled adj5 (trial$ or stud$)).tw.
24     (clinical$ adj5 trial$).tw.
25     ((control or treatment or experiment$ or intervention) adj5 (group$ or subject$ or patient$)).tw.
26     (quasi‐random$ or quasi random$ or pseudo‐random$ or pseudo random$).tw.
27     ((control or experiment$ or conservative) adj5 (treatment or therapy or procedure or manage$)).tw.
28     ((singl$ or doubl$ or tripl$ or trebl$) adj5 (blind$ or mask$)).tw.
29     (cross‐over or cross over or crossover).tw.
30     (placebo$ or sham).tw.
31     trial.ti.
32     (assign$ or allocat$).tw.
33     controls.tw.
34     or/21‐33
35    20 and 34

Appendix 6. LILACS search strategy

((music*) or (rhythmic stimul*) or (auditory stimulat*) or (rhythmic cue*) or (auditory cue*) or (acoustic stimulat*) or (acoustic cue*) or sing or sings or singing or song* or compose or composing or improvis*) AND (brain or cerebrovascular or cerebral or stroke or hemiplegia or paresis or aphas* or dysphas*)

Appendix 7. AMED search strategy

Database: AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine) (Ovid)1985 to June 2015

1     cerebrovascular disorders/ or cerebral hemorrhage/ or cerebral infarction/ or cerebral ischemia/ or cerebrovascular accident/ or stroke/
2     (stroke$ or post stroke or poststroke or post‐stroke or apoplex$ or cerebral vasc$ or cerebrovasc$ or cva or SAH).tw.
3     ((brain or cerebr$ or cerebell$ or vertebrobasil$ or hemispher$ or intracran$ or intracerebral or infratentorial or supratentorial or middle cerebr$ or mca$ or anterior circulation or basilar artery or vertebral artery) adj5 (isch?emi$ or infarct$ or thrombo$ or emboli$ or occlus$ or hypoxi$)).tw.
4     ((brain$ or cerebr$ or cerebell$ or intracerebral or intracran$ or parenchymal or intraparenchymal or intraventricular or infratentorial or supratentorial or basal gangli$ or putaminal or putamen or posterior fossa or hemispher$ or subarachnoid) adj5 (h?emorrhag$ or h?ematoma$ or bleed$)).tw.
5     hemiplegia/ or aphasia/
6     (hempar$ or hemipleg$ or paresis or paretic or aphasi$ or dysphasi$).tw.
7     head injuries/ or brain injuries/ or brain concussion/ or brain disease/ or brain neoplasms/ or encephalitis/ or meningitis/
8     (encephalitis or meningitis or head injur$).tw.
9     ((brain or cerebr$) adj5 (injur$ or hypoxi$ or damage$ or concussion or trauma$ or neoplasm$ or lesion$ or tumor$ or tumour$ or cancer$ or infection$)).tw.
10     or/1‐9
11     music/ or music therapy/
12     (music$ or rhythmic$ or melod$ or harmon$).tw.
13     ((auditory or acoustic) adj5 (stimulat$ or cue$)).tw.
14     (sing or sings or singing or singer$ or song$ or chant$ or compose or composing or improvis$).tw.
15     ((vocal or voice) adj5 intonat$).tw.
16     (gait adj5 (puls$ or rhythm$)).tw.
17     or/11‐16
18     10 and 17

Appendix 8. CAIRSS search strategy

1. Brain injur? [as a phrase] OR head injur? [as a phrase] OR skull fracture [as a phrase]
2. Brain damage [as a phrase] OR cerebral trauma [as a phrase] OR brain neoplasm? [as a phrase]
3. Brain tumor? [as a phrase] OR cereb? tumor? [as a phrase] OR brain infarction [as a phrase]
4. cerebrovascular disorder? [as a phrase] OR brain ischemia [as a phrase] OR cerebrovascular accident [as a phrase]
5. intracranial hemorrhage? [as a phrase] OR stroke OR poststroke
6. post‐stroke [as a phrase] OR cva OR cereb? Thrombosis [as a phrase]
7. brain thrombosis [as a phrase] OR brain embolism [as a phrase]
8 hemiplegi? OR paresis OR paretic
9. Aphasi? OR dysphasi?

Appendix 9. ProQuest Digital Dissertations search strategy

ab((music) OR (rhythmic auditory stimulation) OR (acoustic stimulation) OR (rhythmic auditory cueing) OR (therapeutic instrumental) OR (melodic intonation) OR (vocal intonation) OR (therapeutic singing) OR (songwriting)) AND ab((stroke OR head OR brain OR intracranial OR cerebrovascular))

Appendix 10. ClinicalTrials.gov search strategy

(music OR singing OR song OR songs OR (rhythmic auditory stimulation) OR (rhythmic auditory cueing) OR (acoustic stimulation) OR (acoustic cueing) OR melody OR melodic OR vocal) AND (stroke OR head OR brain OR intracranial OR cerebrovascular) | Interventional Studies

Appendix 11. Current Controlled Trials search strategy

music OR (music therapy)