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Alpha lipoic acid in burning mouth syndrome – a randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial
Author(s) -
Cavalcanti Desirée Rosa,
Da Silveira Fernando Ricardo Xavier
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of oral pathology and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.887
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1600-0714
pISSN - 0904-2512
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0714.2008.00735.x
Subject(s) - placebo , medicine , visual analogue scale , randomized controlled trial , burning mouth syndrome , oral administration , gastroenterology , anesthesia , pathology , alternative medicine
The burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic condition characterized by oral burning pain in the absence of clinical abnormalities and without established therapy. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of alpha lipoic acid (ALA) in the management of BMS symptoms through a randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial. Methods: Thirty‐eight patients (34 women and four men, median age 62.9 years, range 36–78) were included and 31 completed the study. The patients were randomized into two cycles of treatment: one with alpha lipoic acid and one with placebo both administered in identical capsules. These cycles were separated by a washout period of 20 days. The oral symptoms and the treatment response were assessed using a 100‐mm visual analog scale before and after each cycle and the global perceived effect score, using a 5‐point scale after each treatment cycle. Results: The level of reduction on burning was significant for both treatments (paired t ‐test: P < 0.05; rp = 0.011; ral < 0.001). Considering the two cycles together, 22 patients reported at least some improvement after ALA use and 23 patients after placebo. Conclusions: Comparison of the oral assessment scores of the two cycles failed to demonstrate the effectiveness of ALA over placebo ( t ‐test: P > 0.05; r = 0.75).