Trial reportArthritis research & therapy2016
The 5-HT1A receptor agonist buspirone improves esophageal motor function and symptoms in systemic sclerosis: a 4-week, open-label trial.
Trial report in Arthritis research & therapy, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02363478 (Long Term Effect of Buspirone on Esophageal Function and Esophageal Symptoms in Patients With Systematic Sclerosis), which is not on this map. Cited by 29 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Long Term Effect of Buspirone on Esophageal Function and Esophageal Symptoms in Patients With Systematic Sclerosis (SSc)
Who cites it
29 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 53 citations in OpenAlex.
- Esophageal and Oropharyngeal Dysphagia: Clinical Recommendations From the United European Gastroenterology and European Society for Neurogastroenterology and Motility.United European gastroenterology journal · 2025Guideline
- The role of high-resolution manometry in the assessment of upper gastrointestinal involvement in systemic sclerosis: a systematic review.Clinical rheumatology · 2020Pooled it
- Gastrointestinal Disorders in Scleroderma.Gastroenterology · 2026Review
- PPI-Refractory GERD in Systemic Sclerosis Is Driven by Distinct Esophageal and Gastric Motility Abnormalities.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- The application of Chicago classification 4.0 in esophageal motility disorders of scleroderma: a case-control study in China.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Expert recommendations for the management of refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease in systemic sclerosis: A report from the World Scleroderma Foundation (WSF) Gastrointestinal "Ad hoc committee".Journal of scleroderma and related disorders · 2026Article
- Abnormal Esophageal Scintigraphy Associates With a Distinct Clinical Phenotype in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis.ACR open rheumatology · 2025Article
- Managing gastrointestinal manifestations in systemic sclerosis, a mechanistic approach.Expert review of clinical immunology · 2024Review
- Systemic sclerosis gastrointestinal dysmotility: risk factors, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management.Nature reviews. Rheumatology · 2023Review
- Esophageal Manifestations of Dermatological Diseases, Diagnosis and Management.Current treatment options in gastroenterology · 2022Article
- Management of scleroderma gastrointestinal disease: Lights and shadows.Journal of scleroderma and related disorders · 2022Review
- Esophageal Motility Disorders: Current Approach to Diagnostics and Therapeutics.Gastroenterology · 2022Review
- Esophageal Dysfunction in Systemic Sclerosis: An Update.Rheumatology and therapy · 2021Review
- A practical approach to the evaluation and management of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with systemic sclerosis.Best practice & research. Clinical rheumatology · 2021Review
- Gastrointestinal manifestations of systemic sclerosis: An updated review.World journal of clinical cases · 2021Review
- Esophageal manifestation in patients with scleroderma.World journal of clinical cases · 2021Review
- Management of Ineffective Esophageal Hypomotility.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2021Review
- Managing gastrointestinal complications in patients with systemic sclerosis.Current treatment options in gastroenterology · 2020Article
- An update on the pharmacotherapeutic options and treatment strategies for systemic sclerosis.Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy · 2020Review
- Non-acid Reflux: When It Matters and Approach to Management.Current gastroenterology reports · 2020Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAcute administration of the oral 5-HT1A receptor agonist buspirone, which is commonly used as an anxiolytic drug, may improve compromised lower esophageal sphincter function. In an open-label trial we assessed the effects of buspirone on esophageal motor function and symptoms in patients with esophageal involvement associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc).
methodsThirty consecutive patients with SSc and symptomatic esophageal involvement, despite treatment with proton pump inhibitors, underwent high resolution manometry and chest computed tomography for assessment of motor function and esophageal dilatation, respectively. Regurgitation, heartburn, dysphagia, and chest pain severity was subjectively scored by visual analog scales. Manometric parameters (primary endpoint) and symptom severity (secondary endpoint) were re-examined after 4-week daily administration of 20 mg buspirone. Other medications remained unchanged.
resultsEight patients did not complete the trial because of buspirone-associated dizziness (n = 2), or nausea (n = 2), or reluctancy to undergo final manometry. In the remaining 22 patients lower esophageal sphincter (LES) resting pressure increased from 7.7 ± 3.9 to 12.2 ± 4.6 mmHg (p = 0.00002) after buspirone administration; other manometric parameters did not change. Statistical analysis revealed negative correlation between individual increases in resting LES pressure and supra-aortic esophageal diameter (r = -0.589, p = 0.017), suggesting a more beneficial effect in patients with less severely affected esophageal function. Heartburn and regurgitation scores decreased at 4 weeks compared to baseline (p = 0.001, and p = 0.022, respectively).
conclusionOur findings warrant more conclusive evaluation with a double-blind controlled study; however, buspirone could potentially be given under observation for objective improvement in all patients with SSc who report reflux symptoms despite undergoing standard treatment.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02363478 Registered: 21-02-2014.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.