Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29510461›Full record

ArticleMuscle & nerve2018

Mexiletine for muscle cramps in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A randomized, double-blind crossover trial.

Björn Oskarsson, Dan Moore, Tahseen Mozaffar, John Ravits, Martina Wiedau-Pazos, Nicholas Parziale, Nanette C Joyce, Ross Mandeville, Namita Goyal, Merit E Cudkowicz and 3 more

Open access · greenAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Muscle & nerve, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
29citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
4.1field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

29 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 54 citations in OpenAlex.

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  6. Metabolomic analyses of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, muscle cramps, and TJ-68 treatment.Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 7 institutions in 1 country.

Björn OskarssonUniversity of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1725-9866
Dan MoorePacific Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.
Tahseen MozaffarUniversity of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
John RavitsUniversity of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.
Martina Wiedau-PazosUniversity of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Nicholas ParzialeUniversity of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Nanette C JoyceUniversity of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9717-5058
Ross MandevilleUniversity of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.
Namita GoyalUniversity of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
Merit E CudkowiczMassachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Michael WeissUniversity of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Robert G MillerPacific Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.
Craig M McDonaldUniversity of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.
University of California, Davis · USCalifornia Pacific Medical Center · USUniversity of California, Irvine · USUniversity of California, Los Angeles · USUniversity of San Diego · USMassachusetts General Hospital · USUniversity of Washington · US

Funding

University of California Health Participation in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C)UL1TR001414 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI COOPER, DAN M, VILAIN, ERIC J. · 2015 to 2023
$35.1M
UC DAVIS CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE CENTER: BPCAUL1RR024146 · NCRR · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · PI BERGLUND, LARS F · 2006 to 2011
$27.0M
UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science CenterUL1TR000002 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · PI BERGLUND, LARS F · 2012 to 2015
$12.2M
UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science CenterKL2TR000134 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · PI BERGLUND, LARS F · 2012 to 2015
$3.1M
NCATS NIH HHS KL2 TR000134NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR000002NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001414NCRR NIH HHS UL1 RR024146
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMore than 90% of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients have muscle cramps, but evidence-based treatments have not been available.

methodsA multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial of mexiletine 150 mg twice daily was conducted in ALS patients requesting treatment of symptomatic muscle cramps.

resultsMuscle cramp frequency was reduced in 18 of 20 patients; 13 reductions were attributed to treatment (P < 0.05). The average reduction, based on t tests, was 1.8 cramps per day (a reduction from 5.3 with placebo to 3.5 with mexiletine). The estimated reduction of cramp severity was 15 units on a 100-unit scale (P = 0.01) from a baseline average of 46. No effect on fasciculations was noted. One patient discontinued the study because of dizziness, and another patient discontinued the study to start open-label mexiletine therapy. No serious adverse event occurred. DISCUSSION: Mexiletine is a well tolerated and effective medication for controlling the symptom of muscle cramps in ALS. Muscle Nerve, 2018.

Indexed as

amyotrophic lateral sclerosisfasciculationsMuscle crampneuromuscularquality of life

Identifiers

PMID29510461
PMCPMC6126993
OpenAlexW2790928325

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.