Treatment of Burning Mouth Syndrome J Clin Med Res • page no. to be assigned sights into the psychopathological mechanisms of BMS and establishment of differential diagnostic criteria are needed in order to develop drugs with improved efficacy and safety profiles for the treatment of BMS [8-10]. This study showed that amisulpride is efficacious in the treatment of BMS, according to the mean reduction in VAS, DAM-D, and HAM-A scores. With regard to the qualitative evaluation of clinical response, the percentage of responders was high. No significant differences were found between de- mographic and clinical variables. Moreover, the demograph- ic and clinical features of our sample were similar to those of other studies, except with regard to sex; in our study, all patients were female [11-13]. Regarding treatment duration, analysis of the studies showed that a long-term treatment (over months) was not necessarily more effective [1, 14]. However, we believe that investigation of the long-term duration of treatment is im- portant in order to generate more reliable results in terms of both clinical outcomes and the possible adverse effects that may occur during the course of extended treatment. Many of the studies reviewed did not follow-up the patient [15]. In this respect, adequate follow-up is needed to guarantee the efficacy of amisulpride therapy. Three limitations of the study need to be noted. First, this study was performed on an open-label basis and with- out placebo control. It should be noted that placebo response rates of up to 50% have been reported in previous studies, and only a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial can determine the true therapeutic profile of amisulpride in the treatment of BMS. Second, whether treatment response is similar in male patients was not determined. Third, the efficacy and tolerability of amisulpride have been tested in short-term observations, but they also need to be investigat- ed in long-term observations. Conclusion Amisulpride is efficacious and well tolerated in the short- term treatment of BMS. It is associated with good compli- ance in the first week of treatment and short response la- tency, and is especially useful at the beginning BMS therapy. However, further studies of this potentially important con- dition are needed and the potential benefits of amisulpride should be confirmed under placebo-controlled conditions. In this sense, it would be interesting to homogenize criteria for expressing the results obtained. References 1. Maltsman-Tseikhin A, Moricca P, Niv D. Burning mouth syndrome: will better understanding yield better management? Pain Pract. 2007;7(2):151-162. 2. Patton LL, Siegel MA, Benoliel R, De Laat A. Manage- ment of burning mouth syndrome: systematic review and management recommendations. 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Com- parative efficacy of SSRIs and amisulpride in burning mouth syndrome: a single-blind study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2002;63(1):38-43. Articles © The authors | Journal compilation © J Clin Med Res and Elmer Press™ | www.jocmr.org