Table 1.
Characteristics of the included studies
| References | Patients (N) | Patient age [years; mean (range)] | Intervention | Comparison treatment | Study design | Patients improving on intervention [n/N] | Patients improving on comparison treatment [n/N] | Side effects | Follow-up period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niki et al. [26] | 24 | 69 (65–77)a | Lidocaine 8 % m. |
Placebo | R, D-B, C-O | 19/24 | 3/24 | No serious side effects | 7 days |
| Shehata et al. [22] | 24 | 46 (27–72) | BTX type A 100 U s.c. |
Placebo | R, S-B, C | 6.5-point decrease on VAS score | 0.3-point decrease on VAS score | Transitory side effects of facial asymmetry (40 %), haematoma, itching and pain at injection site | 12 weeks |
| Zúñiga et al. [23] | 36 | 65 (SD 13.5) | BTX type A 50 U s.c. |
Placebo | R, D-B, C | VAS score 4.9 | VAS score 6.63 | No severe adverse events | 3 months |
| Wu et al. [24] | 42 | 57 (30–88) | BTX type A 75 U s.c. |
Placebo | R, D-B, C | 15/22 | 3/20 | Short-term facial asymmetry (23 %) and transient oedema | 12 weeks |
| Shaikh et al. [14] | 21 | 65 (32–84) | Lamotrigine 400 mg |
CBZ 1200 mg | R, N-B, C-O | 13/21 | 19/21 | Skin rash (LTG: 38 %, CBZ: 10 %), headache (LTG: 29 %, CBZ: 83 %), dizziness (LTG: 21 %, CBZ: 42 %); under 25 %: mental distress (both groups), altered taste sensation and pyretic feeling (LTG group), nausea (CBZ group) | 83 days |
| Kanai et al. [25] | 24 | 63 (42–80) | Sumatriptan 3 mg s.c. |
Placebo | R, S-B, C-O | 20/24 | 1/24 | Fatigue (42 %) and nausea (17 %) | 7 days |
| Kanai et al. [27] | 25 | 63 (44–85) | Lidocaine 8 % i.n. |
Placebo | R, S-B, C-O | 23/25 | 1/25 | Transient local irritation (68 %) | 7 days |
| Zakrzewska et al. [15] | 14 | 60 (44–75) | Lamotrigine 200–400 mg |
Placebo | R, D-B, C-O | 10/13 | 8/14 | Dizziness (38 %), constipation, nausea and somnolence (23 %) | 31 days |
| Kondziolka et al. [21] | 47 | 61 (26–85) | Proparacaine hydrochloride 0.5 % eye drops |
Placebo | R, D-B, P-G | 6/25 | 5/22 | None | 30 days |
| Fromm et al. [17] | 11 | 52 (41–83) | Tizanidine 12 mg |
Placebo | R, D-B, C-O | 8/10 | 4/10 | Dizziness or fatigue (tizanidine: 18 %) | 3 months |
| Lechin et al. [20] | 48 | 60 (48–68) | Pimozide 4–12 mg |
CBZ 300–1200 mg | R, D-B, C-O | 48/48 | 27/48 | Physical and mental retardation, hand tremors or memory impairment (pimozide: 83 %), lethargy, rash, abnormal full blood count or liver function (CBZ: 46 %) | 8 weeks |
| Lindström and Lindblom [19] | 12 | 64 (41–78) | Tocainide 20 mg/kg |
CBZ | R, D-B, C-O | 9/12 | 10/12 | Nausea, paraesthesia or skin rash (tocainide: 25 %) | 2 weeks |
| Vilming et al. [16] | 12 | 60 (47–72) | Tizanidine 18 mg |
CBZ 900 mg | R, D-B, P-G | 1/6 | 4/6 | Not described | 9 days |
| Fromm et al. [18] | 10 | 64 (36–77) | Baclofen 40–80 mg |
Placebo | R, D-B, C | 7/10 | 1/10 | Ataxia, lethargy, fatigue, nausea | 1 week |
| Nicol [10] | 44 | 61 (34–81) | CBZ 100–2400 mg |
Placebo | R, D-B, C-O | 15/20 | 6/7 | Drowsiness, stomach complaints, constipation, rash | 46 months |
| Kilian and Fromm [11] | 42 | 52 (36–83) | CBZ 400–1000 mg |
Placebo | R, D-B, C-O | 24/24 | 0/24 | Vertigo (47 %), drowsiness (44 %) | 36 months |
| Rockliff and Davis [12] | 9 | 65 (37–81) | CBZ 600 mg |
Placebo | R, D-B, C-O | 8/9 | 0/9 | Nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, headache | 10 months |
| Campbell et al. [13] | 70 | 59 (20–84) | CBZ 300–800 mg |
Placebo | R, D-B, C-O | 58 % | 26 % | Giddiness, drowsiness, rash | 4 weeks |
BTX botulinum toxin, C controlled, CBZ carbamazepine, C-O crossover, D-B double-blind, i.n. intranasal application, LTG lamotrigine, m. mucosal application, N-B non-blind, P-G parallel-group, R randomized, S-B single-blind, s.c. subcutaneous application, SD standard deviation, VAS Visual Analogue Scale
aMedian (25th–75th percentiles)