Table 1.
Methodological quality of the included articles.
| 1* | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Total Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akbar et al. [35] | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | 5 |
| Arntzen et al. [36] | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | 7 |
| Sandroff et al. [37] | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | 5 |
| Sosnoff et al. [38] | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | 6 |
| Callesen et al. [39] | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | 7 |
| Correale et al. [40] | N | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | 6 |
| Uszynski et al. [41] | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | 7 |
| Learmonth et al. [42] | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | 6 |
| Manca et al. [43] | N | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | 7 |
| Medina-Perez et al. [44] | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | 5 |
| Braendvik et al. [45] | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6 |
| Pau et al. [46] | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | 6 |
Items: 1* = eligibility criteria (it is not taken into account for the final score); 2 = random allocation; 3 = concealed allocation; 4 = baseline comparability; 5 = blind subjects; 6 = blind therapists; 7 = blind assessors; 8 = adequate follow-up; 9 = intention-to-treat analysis; 10 = between group comparisons; 11 = point estimates and variability; Y = yes; N = no.