Is acupuncture effective and safe for prophylaxis of vestibular migraine?: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis

BACKGROUND: Increasing studies indicate that acupuncture can be used for treating vestibular migraine (VM), but current evidence remains inconclusive. Thus, this protocol aims to evaluate the evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for VM prophylaxis by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: Studies will be retrieved by searching electronic databases from their inception to December 2020, including EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese BioMedical Literature Database (CBM), and Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP). Eligible randomized controlled trials involving acupuncture for VM prophylaxis will be included. Study screening, data collection, and assessment for risk of bias will be executed by 2 independent reviewers. Meta-analyses will be conducted, followed by subgroup analysis if significant heterogeneity is detected. Sensitivity analysis and summary of the strength of the evidence will also be performed. RESULTS: The results of the present systematic review and meta-analysis will verify the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for VM prophylaxis. CONCLUSION: This review will determine the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on VM prophylaxis. The findings are expected to verified whether acupuncture can be an alternative treatment for VM prophylaxis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Given that a systematic review and meta-analysis will not involve private information of individuals, ethical approval is not required. Relevant results and findings will be submitted to an academic journal for peer reviews. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020202588.