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. 2020 Jul 17;2020(7):CD005331. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005331.pub3

Aamir 2012.

Study characteristics
Methods Study design: randomised controlled trial
Study grouping: parallel group
Duration of study: 9 weeks
Randomisation method: lottery method
Allocation concealment method: no information
Blinding of outcome assessors: no information
Adequate power (evidence of power calculation): no information
Check of blinding: no information
Participants Baseline characteristics
Intervention
  • n: 9

  • Duration of symptoms: max 6 months


Control
  • n: 9

  • Duration of symptoms: max 6 months


Overall
  • n: 18

  • Age (mean): 22.22 (SD 2.7) years

  • Sex (% woman): 83.3%

  • Ethnicity: 16 (88.8%) rural

  • Marital status currently married, n (%): 14 (77.7%)

  • Educational status: 6 (33.3%) primary, 10 (55.5%) secondary and 4 (11.1%) had higher secondary level. 2 (11.1%) were working and 16 (88.8%) were not working or were house wives


Inclusion criteria: people diagnosed with conversion disorder (having pseudo seizures only) as per ICD‐10 criteria thoroughly investigated having no comorbid psychiatric or physical illness and whose total duration of illness was not > 6 months, of both sexes, aged 18 to 50 years.
Exclusion criteria: all dissociative (conversion) disorders other than fits (pseudo seizures), aged < 18 years and > 50 years and those who did not consent.
Pretreatment: no statistically significant differences at baseline between groups
Interventions Intervention characteristics
Intervention
  • Description: behavioural therapy, 15 sessions (7 inpatients and 8 follow‐ups) + training of carers for 1 week.

  • Length of treatment: 9 weeks

  • Longest follow‐up after end of treatment: none

  • Comedications/other treatments while in the study: inpatient SC for 1 week


Control
  • Description: routine TAU (pharmacotherapy) and were observed by the psychiatrists at outpatient department.

  • Length of treatment: unclear

  • Longest follow‐up after end of treatment: none

  • Comedications/other treatments while in the study: none

Outcomes Number of weekly seizures
  • Outcome type: continuous

  • Direction: lower is better

  • Data value: endpoint


Mental stateanxiety (HADS)
  • Outcome type: continuous

  • Data value: change from baseline

  • Notes: HADS subscale Anxiety


Mental statedepression (HADS)
  • Outcome type: continuous

  • Notes: HADS – subscale Depression


Dropout
  • Outcome type: dichotomous

  • Data value: endpoint

Notes  
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Quote: "They were than randomly assigned to the behavior therapy (n=9) and control group (n=9) by lottery method."
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Nothing information provided.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes Unclear risk The control was commented on. It was unclear with the intervention group, and the personnel.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes Unclear risk No information provided.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes Unclear risk All data were reported, including dropout rates. The distribution of dropout was similar across groups (1 vs 3), but the reasons for dropout were not specified, neither was the time point for dropout.
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Unclear risk No protocol provided.
Other bias Low risk No other apparent sources of bias.