Evaluation of the reporting quality of randomized controlled trials on acupuncture for migraine over the past five years by the CONSORT statement and STRICTA

Objective To evaluate the reporting quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture for migraine. Methods Four databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VJIP from January 2012 to April 2017 were searched electronically, and only English and Chinese articles were included. Two reviewers independently included the literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. We assessed the quality of these reports according to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting of Trials (CONSORT) statement and STandards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA). Results Finally 18 RCTs were included. Regarding the CONSORT statement, 15(83.33%) RCTs described the baseline demographic and clinical characteristics in each group. Only 8 (44.44%) studies mentioned how the random sequence was generated. 10(55.56%) RCTs described the concealment in detail. Only 10(55.56%) RCTs used blinding. Only 6(33.33%) RCTs reported how the sample size was calculated. According to the items in STRICTA, 8(44.44%) reported acupuncture response, and 11(61.11%) mentioned the depths of insertion. There were only 5 RCTs (27.78%) that reported the background of the acupuncture practitioners and the duration of their training. Conclusion The RCTs of acupuncture for migraine meeting the criteria of the CONSORT statement and STRICTA still have room for improvement. Promoting the use of the CONSORT statement and STRICTA would help to improve the reporting quality of acupuncture related research, and hence to elucidate the scientific understanding of acupuncture. Key words: Migraine disorders; Acupuncture; Evaluation studies; Randomized controlled trial