Table 1.
Summary of results of studies included in the review. Controlled studies are shaded in the table, all other studies are RCTs
| Treatment | Number of patients | Outcomes investigated | Any effect | Overall effect | Validity score (Maximum 20) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behavioural | |||||
| CBT60 | 60 | PH; PS; QOL | + | + | 18 |
| CBT48 | 270 | PH; PS; QOL | + | + | 16 |
| CBT47 | 60 | PH; PS; QOL | + | + | 15 |
| CBT29 | 69 | PH; QOL | + | + | 16 |
| CBT + DLE61 | 90 | PH; PS; LAB; QOL | + | = | 13 |
| Rehab62 | 47 | PH; QOL | + | + | 9 |
| Rehab63 | 130 | PH; PS; QOL | + | + | 8 |
| Rehab64 | 97 | PH; PS; QOL | + | = | 7 |
| CBT54 | 65 | PH; PS; QOL | = | = | 3 |
| CBT/rehab49 | 56 | PH; QOL | + | = | 2 |
| CBT65 | 44 | PH; PS; QOL | = | = | 1 |
| GET & Fluoxetine34 | 136 | PH; PS; QOL | + | = | 17 |
| GET32 | 66 | PH; PS; LAB; QOL | + | + | 17 |
| GET33,53 | 148 | PH; PS; QOL | + | + | 17 |
| GET31 | 61 | PS; PH; LAB | + | + | 9 |
| GET30 | 49 | PH | + | + | 9 |
| Immunological | |||||
| Immunoglobulin50 | 71 | PH | + | + | 16 |
| Immunoglobulin66 | 30 | PH; LAB; QOL | = | = | 15 |
| Immunoglobulin67 | 49 | PS; QOL | + | = | 13 |
| Immunoglobulin68 | 99 | PH; PS; LAB; QOL | = | = | 13 |
| Staphylococcus toxoid36 | 98 | PH | + | + | 14 |
| Staphylococcus toxoid69 | 28 | PS; QOL | + | = | 9 |
| Alpha interferon70 | 30 | LAB; QOL | + | = | 11 |
| Interferon71 | 20 | PH | = | = | 6 |
| Acyclovir51 | 27 | PH; PS; LAB; QOL | − | = | 15 |
| Ampligen72 | 92 | RU; PH; PS | + | + | 12 |
| Terfenadine73 | 30 | PH; QOL | = | = | 12 |
| Gancyclovir74 | 11 | PH | = | = | 4 |
| Inosine pranobex35 | 16 | PH; LAB; QOL | + | = | 6 |
| Pharmacological | |||||
| Hydrocortisone75 | 32 | PH; QOL | + | = | 18 |
| Hydrocortisone76 | 70 | PH; PS; QOL | = | = | 14 |
| Hydrocortisone38 | 120 | PH; LAB | + | = | 2 |
| Hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone39 | 80 | PH; PS; LAB; QOL | = | = | 14 |
| Fludrocortisone77 | 100 | PH; PS; LAB; QOL | = | = | 18 |
| Fludrocortisone78 | 25 | PH; PS; QOL | = | = | 16 |
| Topical nasal corticosteroids40 | 28 | PH | = | = | 3 |
| Moclobemide79 | 90 | PH; PS; LAB; QOL | = | = | 19 |
| Fluoxetine80 | 107 | PH; PS; QOL | = | = | 12 |
| Selegiline81 | 25 | PH; PS; QOL | + | = | 11 |
| Galantamine hydrobromide37 | 434 | PH; PS | = | = | 15 |
| Galanthamine hydrobromide82 | 49 | PH; PS; QOL | = | = | 9 |
| Oral NADH83 | 26 | QOL | + | + | 12 |
| Pharmacological | |||||
| Oral NADH84 | 20 | PH | = | = | 3 |
| Clonidine85 | 10 | PS | = | = | 12 |
| Phenelzine86 | 24 | PH; PS; QOL | = | = | 10 |
| Sulbutiamine87 | 326 | PH; QOL | = | = | 10 |
| Dexamphetamine88 | 20 | PH; QOL | + | = | 8 |
| Growth hormone89 | 20 | PH | = | = | 5 |
| Melatonin90 | 30 | PH; PS | + | + | 5 |
| Complementary / Alternative | |||||
| Homeopathy41 | 103 | PH | + | = | 17 |
| Any homeopathic remedy42 | 64 | QOL | = | = | 6 |
| Massage therapy91 | 20 | PH; PS; LAB | + | + | 9 |
| Osteopathy92 | 58 | PH; PS; QOL | = | = | 0 |
| Supplements | |||||
| General supplements93 | 53 | PH | = | = | 10 |
| General supplements94 | 42 | PH; QOL | = | = | 10 |
| General supplements95 | 12 | PH | = | = | 6 |
| Essential fatty acids*44 | 63 | LAB; QOL | + | + | 17 |
| Essential fatty acids*46 | 50 | PS; QOL | = | = | 16 |
| Magnesium45 | 34 | PH; PS; LAB; QOL | + | + | 15 |
| Liver extract96 | 15 | PH; PS; QOL | = | = | 10 |
| Acetyl-L-carnitine and propionyl-L-carnitine43 | 90 | PH; PS | + | + | 10 |
| Pollen extract97 | 22 | PH; PS; QOL; LAB | = | = | 9 |
| Acclydine and amino acids98 | 90 | PH; LAB | + | = | 3 |
| Medicinal mushrooms99 | 70 | PH | = | = | 3 |
| Other interventions | |||||
| Combination100 | 72 | PH | + | + | 19 |
| Combination101 | 71 | QOL | = | = | 3 |
| Combination102 | 52 | PS; QOL | + | = | 2 |
| Low sugar, low yeast diet | 57 | PH; PS | = | = | 11 |
| (Hobday et al., unpublished data) | |||||
| Buddy/mentor103 | 12 | PH; PS; QOL | + | = | 4 |
| Group therapy104 | 14 | PH; QOL | = | = | 1 |
+, positive effect of treatment; −, negative effect of treatment; =, no effect of treatment; rehab, rehabilitation; DLE, dialyzable leukocyte extract
Outcome codes: PH, physical; PS, psychological; LAB, laboratory and physiological; QOL, quality of life and general health; RU, resource use. Outcomes which showed a significant difference between intervention and control groups are highlighted in bold
*
Essential fatty acids (both studies) were 36mg gamma-linoleic acid (GLA), 17mg eicosapentanoic acid (EPA), 11mg docosahexanoic acid (DHA), 255mg linoleic acid (LA), plus 10 IU vitamin E