Table 3.
Summary of study results for efficacy
| Author, Year, Reference number | Armstrong and Ernst 2001 [18] | Walach et. al. 2001 [19] | Pintov et. al. 2005 [20] | Halberstein et. al. 2007 [3] |
| Country | United Kingdom | Germany | Israel | United States |
| Study design | RCT | Cross-over RCT | RCT | RCT |
| Risk of bias | High (loss to follow up 55%) | High (inadequate randomization) | High (loss to follow up 42.5%) | Low |
| Number of patients | 100 | 61 | 40 | 111 |
| Loss to follow-up | 55% | 9.8% | 42.5% | None |
| Study population | Students with examination anxiety | Students with examination anxiety registered to take at least two exams, two weeks apart | Children with clinical diagnosis of any subtype of ADHD | Nursing students with examination anxiety |
| Patient age (range and/or average, in years) | Not reported | 28 | 7–11 | 25.6 (18–49) |
| Indication for BFR | Examination anxiety | Examination anxiety | ADHD | Examination anxiety |
| Intervention | 1–4 doses of Five Flower Remedy (Rescue Remedy) per day Prunus cerasifera, Clematis vitalba, Impatiens glandulifera, Helianthemum and Ornithogalum umbellatum |
At least 4 drops of a combination of 10 BFRs per day: Impatiens, mimulus, gentian, chestnut bud, rock rose, larch, cherry plum, white chestnut, scleranthus and elm | 4 drops of five flower BFR 4 times per day: Prunus cerasifera, Clematis vitalba, Impatiens glandulifera, Helianthemum and Ornithogalum umbellatum | Four drops of Rescue Remedy every 20 minutes over 3 hours: Prunus cerasifera, Clematis vitalba, Impatiens glandulifera, Helianthemum and Ornithogalum umbellatum |
| Control | Placebo | Placebo | Placebo | Placebo |
| Duration of treatment | 7 days | 4 weeks (two weeks before first exam and two weeks before second exam) | 3 months | 3 hours |
| Main outcome measures | State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) | German Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI-G) | Conner's scale | State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) for Adults, S-Anxiety subscale |
| Results | No significant difference in State anxiety score (on the night before examination most likely to cause anxiety) between experimental and placebo groups – 51.5 in BFR group, 54.4 in placebo group (P = 0.834) | No significant difference between experimental and placebo group for mean reduction in test anxiety: 5.25 in BFR group, 7.69 in placebo group (P = 0.55) | No significant difference in mean Conner's scores between experimental and placebo group before (16.59 in BFR group, 17.12 in placebo group) or after (11.90 in BFR group, 13.58 in placebo group) treatment (P not reported). | No significant difference in STAI S-Anxiety subscale between treatment and placebo groups. |
RCT : (randomised controlled trial)