Article type
Year
Abstract
Objective: To systematically handsearch key Chinese medical journals in the field of neurology in order to identify randomized controlled trials.
Methods: Seven Chinese journals in which we thought we might find RCTs relevant to neurology were handsearched (Chinese J of Neurology and Psychiatry 1956-1996, Chinese J of Nervous, and Mental Diseases 1983-1996, Chinese J of Geriatrics 1982-1996, J of Stroke and Neurological Diseases 1984-1996, J of Clinical Neurology 1992-1996, J of Brain and Neurological Diseases 1995-1996, Chinese J of Pharmacoepidemiology 1994-1996). We identified RCTs according to the Medline definition.
Results: A total of 166 RCTs (0.76% of the 12,578 articles) relevant to neurological diseases have been identified: 116 in stroke, 13 in peripheral nervous diseases, 9 in migraine, 6 in dementia, 4 in encephalitis, 2 in myasthenia gravis, 1 in multiple sclerosis, 1 in acute myelitis, 1 in Parkinson's disease, 1 in epilepsy, and 12 in other diseases. The interventions assessed were: Western medicine (110 studies), herbal medicine (28), physiotherapy (24), surgical treatment (4). SampIe size varied from 16 to 1042 patients.
Discussion: We have identified 166 RCTs from only a small part of the relevant Chinese literature. This ACC study reinforces the value of searching foreign language journals in order to identify randomized controlled trials.
Methods: Seven Chinese journals in which we thought we might find RCTs relevant to neurology were handsearched (Chinese J of Neurology and Psychiatry 1956-1996, Chinese J of Nervous, and Mental Diseases 1983-1996, Chinese J of Geriatrics 1982-1996, J of Stroke and Neurological Diseases 1984-1996, J of Clinical Neurology 1992-1996, J of Brain and Neurological Diseases 1995-1996, Chinese J of Pharmacoepidemiology 1994-1996). We identified RCTs according to the Medline definition.
Results: A total of 166 RCTs (0.76% of the 12,578 articles) relevant to neurological diseases have been identified: 116 in stroke, 13 in peripheral nervous diseases, 9 in migraine, 6 in dementia, 4 in encephalitis, 2 in myasthenia gravis, 1 in multiple sclerosis, 1 in acute myelitis, 1 in Parkinson's disease, 1 in epilepsy, and 12 in other diseases. The interventions assessed were: Western medicine (110 studies), herbal medicine (28), physiotherapy (24), surgical treatment (4). SampIe size varied from 16 to 1042 patients.
Discussion: We have identified 166 RCTs from only a small part of the relevant Chinese literature. This ACC study reinforces the value of searching foreign language journals in order to identify randomized controlled trials.