Gongora‐Rivera 2006.

Methods	Randomized controlled trial Duration: between November 1999 and January 2001
Participants	Number: 36 enrolled (14 male, 22 female) Inclusion criteria: adults with subarachnoid and intraventricular cysticercosis Exclusion criteria: concurrent disease that contraindicated corticosteroid, albendazole allergy, previous cysticidal or surgical treatment for neurocysticercosis in the previous 3 months, pregnant or lactating women, neurological diseases affecting function, unable to attend for regular follow up, Karnofsky score ≤ 50 points Type of lesion: degenerating, viable, or mixed
Interventions	Group 1. Intravenous dexamethasone: 8 mg every 8 hours for 4 days followed by 15 mg per kg albendazole for 1 day Group 2. Intravenous dexamethasone: 8 mg every 8 hours for 4 days followed by 30 mg per kg albendazole for 1 day
Outcomes	Included in the review: symptom severity score at baseline and 7 days; adverse events associated with treatment Not included in the review: reduction in cyst volume at 90 days
Notes	Location: Mexico Source of funding: not stated
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Adequate sequence generation?	Low risk	Quote: "...a computer‐generated randomization plan" Decision: done
Allocation concealment?	Low risk	Quote: "The code of the two different albendazole doses was available in sealed envelopes and was not opened until the trial completion"
Blinding? All outcomes	Low risk	Quote: "For blinding the pharmaceutical laboratory...provided according to a computer‐generated randomization plan, tablets containing 200 mg or 400 mg albendazole with identical appearance. Neither the patient nor the study staff were aware of treatment assignment" Decision: done
Incomplete outcome data addressed? All outcomes	Low risk	Inclusion of randomized participants in the analysis: 36 randomized, 5 did not compete the study (86%). An intention‐to‐treat analysis was also undertaken with similar results obtained.
Free of selective reporting?	Low risk	No evidence of selective reporting
Free of other bias?	Low risk	No evidence of other bias