Acupuncture for blepharospasm: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Abstract Background Blepharospasm is a disorder inducing bilateral eyelid closure due to irregular muscle contraction. Oral medications or surgical interventions currently still hardly achieve a great therapeutic effect. Acupuncture is indicated effective in improving blepharospasm, but its efficacy has not been comprehensively elucidated as a therapy, so a systematic evaluation on acupuncture for blepharospasm is desirable. Methods All randomised controlled trials related to acupuncture for blepharospasm will be screened from 9 databases, including 5 English databases (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica Database) and 4 Chinese databases (CNKI, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China Wanfang Database, and VIP Database). The primary outcomes include degree of blepharospasm, scores of BFM, UDRS, JRC, BSS, BDS, and BSDI. The incidence of adverse events will be also considered. Two reviewers will screen studies, extract data and assess the quality. Review Manager software 5.4.1 (provided by Cochrane, London, United Kingdom) will be used to assess risk of bias and synthesize data synthesis. Discussion Our study will investigate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treating blepharospasm, providing a summary to contribute to application of acupuncture. Systematic review registration: CRD42020222489, registered on Dec 24, 2020.