Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Studies had to adequately describe methods, but otherwise no inclusion criteria were reported for study design.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies of interventions incorporating one or more pharmacological agents were eligible for the review, whether or not the intervention also included behavioural, cognitive or similar approaches. The interventions used in the included studies included carbamazepine, antidepressants, antipsychotics, cardiovascular agents, cholinergic agents, dopamine antagonists, botulinum toxin, and a combination of an anti-anxiety and an antidepressant agent.
Participants included in the review
Participants were required to be people with developmental stuttering (not acquired, adult-onset, neurogenic or psychogenic). No further details of the participants were reported.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Studies of interventions intended to have a clinical effect on the participant’s daily life or beyond the setting of the study were eligible for the review, whether or not beyond-clinic measurements were reported. The included studies were assessed against four outcomes criteria: frequency of stuttering reduced to 5%; frequency maintained at 5% or less for at least 6 months; improvement in any social, emotional or cognitive (SEC) variable; and improvement in any SEC variable from pre-treatment to a point at least 6 months after introduction of the drug.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
It appears that at least two reviewers were involved in assessing studies for relevance.