Table 1

Study methods for included randomised controlled trials

Study name	Study duration	Country	Blinding	Intervention	Comparator	Daily dose of nicergoline (mg)
Arrigo et al7	14 weeks	Italy	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	60
Battaglia et al8	6 months	Italy	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	60
Battaglia et al9	6 months	Italy	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Ergot mesylates	60
Battaglia et al10	12 months	Italy	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	60
Bes et al11	24 months	France	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	60
Bossi12	–	Italy	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Buflomedil	8
Brola13	1 month	Poland	Single-blind	Nicergoline	Pentoxifylline	30
Cascone et al14	1 month	Italy	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	15
Colombeau and Ballanger15	15 days	France	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	40
Crook16	6 months	USA	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	60
Dubreuil17	1 month	France	Double-blind	Nicergoline	GBE	NR
Felisati et al18	3 months	Italy	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	60
Forette et al19	3 weeks	France	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	30
Gessner et al20	12 weeks	Germany	Double-blind	Nicergoline	GBE	15
Herrmann21	6 months	Germany	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	60
Kugler and Meurer-Krull22	6 months	Germany	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Dihydroergotamine	30
Lu23	12 weeks	China	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Aniracetam	60
Marolda et al24	20 days	Italy	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Eburnamonine	15–20
Materna25	12 weeks	Germany	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Flunarizine	10–30
Nakashima et al26	6 months	Japan	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Imidapril	15
Nappi et al27	12 months	Italy	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	60
Nishiyama et al28	4 weeks	Japan	Open-label	Nicergoline	Placebo	45
Pilkowska et al29	3 months	Poland	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	60
Pogliani 197930	3 months	Germany	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	15
Ronchi et al31	6 days	Italy	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo
Saletu et al32	8 weeks	Austria	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	30–60
Setyopranoto et al33	–	Indonesia	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	60
Winblad et al34	6 months	Europe	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Placebo	60
Zucconi and Terzi Bolaffio35	1 month	Italy	Double-blind	Nicergoline	Dihydroergotoxine	2 intramuscular

GBE, ginkgo biloba extract; NR, not reported.