ReviewSleep medicine: X2025
Comparative efficacy of sodium oxybate versus placebo on improvement of nighttime sleep in adult patients with narcolepsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Review in Sleep medicine: X, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Narcolepsy, a central hypersomnolence disorder, disrupts sleep regulation. Sodium oxybate, a CNS (central nervous system) depressant, is widely used as a treatment, but there are surprisingly very few rigorous studies comparing its effectiveness to placebo in adults. Objectives: To measure the comparative efficacy of sodium oxybate at a dosage regimen of 9 g versus placebo in improving nighttime sleep quality, reducing nocturnal arousals and sleep stage shifts, and enhancing the overall refreshed nature of sleep in adult patients with narcolepsy. Methods: The methodology included a literature review of PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Clinicaltrials.gov, retrieving 53 randomized controlled trials (RCT) after removing 14 duplicates. Four studies met the criteria for gauging the efficacy of sodium oxybate compared to placebo in the adult population with narcolepsy. The primary efficacy outcome was improved sleep quality, whereas secondary outcomes were reduced nocturnal arousals and sleep stage shifts with an overall refreshed sleep nature. Analyses used RevMan 5.3 software, and SMD (standardized mean differences) with 95 % CI (confidence intervals) were calculated. Risk and publication biases were measured with Cochrane risk of bias tools and Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software. Evidence certainty was measured using GRADEpro. Results: Four RCT involving 1079 participants were analyzed for said outcomes, and relevant forest plots were generated. Statistical analysis showed a substantial improvement in sleep quality [SMD = 0.74(95%Cl:0.53,0.95; p < 0.00001; I Conclusions: The results showed that sodium oxybate considerably improved the quality of nocturnal sleep, resulting in substantial restorative advantages as well as a decrease in nocturnal arousals and sleep stage transitions. Significant results with low heterogeneity and p-values <0.05, showing consistent effects, were obtained from the analysis. However, overall reliability may be impacted by a high risk of bias in one study.
Identifiers
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Registered trials
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.