[Systematic evaluation on clinical literature related with treatment of Parkinson's disease with traditional Chinese medicine].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the quality of scientific research design of clinical literature related with treatment of Parkinson's disease with traditional Chinese medicine, so as to objectively evaluate the therapeutic effect of TCM.


METHODS
According to principles of evidence-based medicine, clinical epidemiology/design measurement evaluation (DME), the "Table of Systematic Evaluation of Quality and Information Collection for TCM Clinical Research Literature" were established and used to evaluate clinical control trial literature related with treatment of Parkinson's disease with TCM published during 1979 to 2000.


RESULTS
The method of randomization was not described in 66.7% of the literature. Although randomized design was declared in 33.3 %, problems or mistakes of randomized allocation still existed in them. No record about the state of dropped out or absconded cases in follow-up study and without any record of samples screening presented in all literature. There were some problems of key links concerning samples' homogeneity, outcome indexes selection, conclusion deduction and so on, which could also influence the quality and reliability of randomized controlled trials.


CONCLUSIONS
Methodological design of clinical research of TCM on Parkinson's disease should be strengthened.
Yang
Zhi-min
ZM
Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Clinical Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou University of TCM, Guangzhou (510120). yangyo@163.net
Tang
Xiang-jiang
XJ
Lao
Ying-rong
YR
D000328:Adult; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D012107:Research Design
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal