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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Sep 22.
Published in final edited form as: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Mar 16;(3):CD007938. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007938.pub2
Methods Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over, no enrichment
Gabapentin titrated to maximum of 1800 mg daily over 5 days, then stable dose for remainder of 3-week treatment period; 2-week washout then cross-over
Participants Complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (IASP criteria for diagnosis). N = 58, mean age 44 years, 17% women. Pain duration before treatment > 3/10, initial pain intensity 6. 3/10
46 patients completed both periods, with 12 excluded from analysis because they withdrew at some stage. Analysis performed only on complete data sets
Interventions Gabapentin 1800 mg daily
Placebo
Usual analgesics continued without dose changes
Outcomes Much improved (per protocol)
Adverse events
Withdrawals
Notes Oxford Quality Score: R = 2, DB = 2, W = 1, Total = 5
Risk of bias
Item Authors’ judgement Description
Allocation concealment? Yes “closed envelopes containing assignments were prenumbered and kept at the pharmacy”
Blinding?
All outcomes
Yes “identical placebo capsules”
Incomplete outcome data addressed?
Efficacy
No Analysis performed on completers
Size
Efficacy
No Only 46 in final analysis
Study duration
Efficacy
Unclear 3-week period
Outcomes reported Unclear Much improved