Abstract
BackgroundRecently, a number of studies conducted and published in China have suggested that traditional Chinese medicine compound recipe (TCMCR) may be beneficial in the treatment of experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of TCMCR in TBI model with weight drop method to provide robust evidence on the effects of TCMCR and to determine whether TCMCR can be recommended for routine treatment or considered as a standard treatment for TBI.MethodsWe identified eligible studies by searching five electronic databases on April 1, 2014, and pooled the data using the random-effects model. Results were reported in terms of standardized mean difference (SMD). We also calculated statistical heterogeneity, evaluated the studies’ methodological quality and investigated the presence of publication bias.ResultsTotally, 187 relevant publications were searched from databases, 25 of which met our inclusion criteria. The overall methodological quality of the most studies was poor, and there was evidence of statistical heterogeneity among studies along with small-study effects. Meta-analysis showed statistically significant effects indicating that TCMCR has a beneficial effect on TBI.ConclusionsDespite the limitations, we concluded that TCMCR may reduce brain water content, improve BBB permeability, and decrease TNF-α/NO expression after experimental TBI in terms of overall efficacy. However, our review also indicates that more well-designed and well-reported animal studies are needed.
Highlights
A number of studies conducted and published in China have suggested that traditional Chinese medicine compound recipe (TCMCR) may be beneficial in the treatment of experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI)
It is uncertain whether robust evidence exists on the effects of TCMCR or whether TCMCR can be recommended either for routine treatment or considered as a standard treatment for TBI
Through screening titles and abstracts, 68 were excluded because they were not published in peer-reviewed journals, TCMCR was not administered orally, or traditional Chinese medicine injection/a single Chinese herb medicine was administered in the treatment group
Summary
A number of studies conducted and published in China have suggested that traditional Chinese medicine compound recipe (TCMCR) may be beneficial in the treatment of experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI). A number of studies conducted and published in China have suggested that TCMCR may be beneficial in TBI treatment and rehabilitation [7,8,9,10,11]. It is uncertain whether robust evidence exists on the effects of TCMCR or whether TCMCR can be recommended either for routine treatment or considered as a standard treatment for TBI. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of TCMCR in treating TBI has not yet been investigated in experimental animal studies
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