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Parasympathomimetic drugs for the treatment of salivary gland dysfunction due to radiotherapy

Overview of attention for article published in Cochrane database of systematic reviews, October 2015
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  • In the top 25% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (90th percentile)
  • Above-average Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (55th percentile)

Mentioned by

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1 blog
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14 X users
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7 Wikipedia pages

Citations

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37 Dimensions

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174 Mendeley
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Title
Parasympathomimetic drugs for the treatment of salivary gland dysfunction due to radiotherapy
Published in
Cochrane database of systematic reviews, October 2015
DOI 10.1002/14651858.cd003782.pub3
Pubmed ID
Authors

Andrew N Davies, Jo Thompson

Abstract

This is an updated version of the original Cochrane review on parasympathomimetic drugs for the treatment of salivary gland dysfunction due to radiotherapy (published in Issue 3, 2007). Salivary gland dysfunction is a predictable side effect of radiotherapy to the head and neck region. Pilocarpine hydrochloride (a choline ester) is licensed in many countries for the treatment of radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction. Other parasympathomimetics have also been used 'off licence' in the treatment of this condition. To determine the efficacy and tolerability of parasympathomimetic drugs in the treatment of radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction (specifically radiation-induced xerostomia). For this update, we ran searches of the Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL 2015, Issue 6), MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL in July 2015. We checked the reference lists of retrieved articles for additional studies, contacted experts in the field for unpublished and ongoing trials, and contacted relevant pharmaceutical companies for unpublished and ongoing trials. The selection criteria for the review were: 1) randomised controlled trials; 2) people suffering from radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction; 3) people treated with parasympathomimetic drugs; and 4) assessable data available on primary outcome measure. The two review authors independently collected data from the full-text version of relevant papers including: 1) citation details; 2) participants; 3) interventions; 4) assessments; 5) outcomes (that is efficacy, tolerability); and 6) quality issues.Due to a lack of appropriate data, we were unable to perform a meta-analysis. In the original review, three studies, including a total of 298 participants, fulfilled the inclusion criteria. All three studies involved the use of pilocarpine hydrochloride. We have included no additional studies in the update of the review; we have excluded eight additional studies.The data suggest that pilocarpine hydrochloride is more effective than placebo and at least as effective as artificial saliva. The response rate was 42% to 51%. The time to response was up to 12 weeks. The overall side effect rate was high, and side effects were the main reason for withdrawal (6% to 15% of participants taking 5 mg three times a day had to withdraw). The side effects were usually the result of generalised parasympathomimetic stimulation (for example sweating, headaches, urinary frequency, vasodilatation). Response rates were not dose dependent, but side effect rates were dose dependent. There is limited evidence to support the use of pilocarpine hydrochloride in the treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia. Currently, there is little evidence to support the use of other parasympathomimetic drugs in the treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia. Available studies suggest that approximately half of patients will respond, but side effects can be problematic. The conclusions of the update are the same as the conclusions of the original review, since no new relevant studies have been published in the interim.

X Demographics

X Demographics

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 174 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Chile 2 1%
France 1 <1%
Unknown 171 98%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Master 33 19%
Student > Bachelor 22 13%
Student > Ph. D. Student 15 9%
Researcher 12 7%
Student > Doctoral Student 10 6%
Other 26 15%
Unknown 56 32%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 68 39%
Nursing and Health Professions 15 9%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 6 3%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 4 2%
Psychology 3 2%
Other 15 9%
Unknown 63 36%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 18. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 31 July 2020.
All research outputs
#2,024,418
of 25,457,858 outputs
Outputs from Cochrane database of systematic reviews
#4,289
of 11,842 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#27,904
of 289,843 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Cochrane database of systematic reviews
#127
of 288 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,457,858 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 92nd percentile: it's in the top 10% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 11,842 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 38.9. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 65% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 289,843 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 90% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 288 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 55% of its contemporaries.