Gigli 1988.

Methods	RCT, cross‐over
Participants	Total randomised: 26 Age range of patients = 11.7 to 18.3 Patients were divided into 2 groups according to seizure type and severity Group I: 6 patients had secondary generalised epilepsy and 9 patients had partial epilepsy with or without secondary generalisation Group II: 7 patients had secondary generalised epilepsy and 4 had partial epilepsy with or without secondary generalisation 3 patients had slight mental retardation, 7 had moderate mental retardation, 15 patients had serious mental retardation Number of concomitant AEDs were not specified, however, patients were maintained on the drugs they were taking prior to the start of the study Baseline period = 3 months, each cross‐over leg = 3 months, washout period = 3 months
Interventions	Flunarizine versus placebo
Outcomes	Primary efficacy variable not stated. Alterations in seizure frequency were recorded together with behavioural observations In group I additional data were obtained, in patients with the ability to respond, on AEDs, EEG, attention test (Toulouse modified)
Notes	Numbers used in data analysis = 26
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Does not say how patients were randomised
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Insufficient information
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Although it states that the trial was blinded, there is insufficient information regarding how blinding was achieved
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Although it states that the trial was blinded, there is insufficient information regarding how blinding was achieved
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	No participants withdrew from the study
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	Insufficient information
Other bias	Unclear risk	Insufficient information