The reporting quality and risk of bias of randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for migraine: Methodological study based on STRICTA and RoB 2.0

Tingting Lu; Cuncun Lu; Huijuan Li; Xin Xing; Xiuxiu Deng; Xiuxia Li; Yongfeng Wang; Junqiang Niu; Yali Liu; Kehu Yang

doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102433

The reporting quality and risk of bias of randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for migraine: Methodological study based on STRICTA and RoB 2.0

Complement Ther Med. 2020 Aug:52:102433. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102433. Epub 2020 Jun 10.

Authors

Tingting Lu¹, Cuncun Lu¹, Huijuan Li¹, Xin Xing², Xiuxiu Deng³, Xiuxia Li¹, Yongfeng Wang⁴, Junqiang Niu⁵, Yali Liu⁶, Kehu Yang⁷

Affiliations

¹ Evidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China.
² Evidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China; Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China.
³ Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
⁴ Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China.
⁵ First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
⁶ Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Medicine, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
⁷ Evidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China. Electronic address: kehuyangebm2006@126.com.

PMID: 32951707
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102433

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the reporting quality and risk of bias of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture for migraine, to facilitate and improve the quality of RCTs of acupuncture for migraine.

Methods: The Cochrane Library, PubMed and EMBASE were searched from inception to June 11, 2019 using a comprehensive search strategy. The reporting quality and risk of bias of included RCTs were independently evaluated by two investigators using STRICTA and RoB 2.0. Any disagreement was resolved by a third investigator.

Results: A total of 28 eligible RCTs were published in 24 academic journals from 1994 to 2018. Based on STRICTA, four sub-items including "details of other interventions'' (1/28, 4 %), "setting and context of treatment" (9/28, 32 %), "the extent to which treatment was varied" (11/28, 39 %), and "number of needle insertions per subject per session" (13/28, 46 %), showed low reporting quality. A total of 32 different outcomes were reported in 28 RCTs, and based on RoB 2.0, nine (9/28, 32 %) RCTs were judged to be high RoB, three of which were owing to deviations from intended interventions; 11(11/28, 39 %) RCTs elicited some concerns; and eight (8/28, 29 %) RCTs were low RoB for their outcomes.

Conclusions: The reporting quality and risk of bias of RCTs of acupuncture for migraine remain suboptimal. Therefore, all stakeholders should make a contribution to improve the quality of RCTs of acupuncture for migraine using STRICTA and RoB 2.0, while not limiting this approach solely to studies on migraine, using STRICTA and RoB 2.0 tools.

Keywords: Acupuncture; Migraine; Reporting quality; Risk of bias; RoB 2.0; STRICTA.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Acupuncture Therapy / methods*
Bias
Humans
Migraine Disorders / therapy*
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / standards*
Research Design / standards*
Research Report / standards*