XL Acupuncture Clinic

杏林针灸诊所

900 N San Antonio Road, #103
Los Altos, CA 94022

ph: 650 868 6632

XL@XLacupuncture.com

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Anxiety & Depression

Laser acupuncture for depression: A randomised double blind controlled trial using low intensity laser intervention.

Quah-Smith I, Smith C, Crawford JD, Russell J.

Source

School of Psychiatry University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: quahsmith@gmail.com.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Trials of acupuncture for the treatment of depression have produced mixed results. We examined the effectiveness of laser acupuncture compared with placebo acupuncture for the treatment of major depression.

METHODS:

A randomised, double blinded, placebo controlled trial was conducted in Sydney, Australia. Participants aged 18-50 years with DSM-IV major depressive disorder were eligible to join the study. Forty-seven participants were randomised to receive laser acupuncture or placebo laser at acupoints LR14, CV14, LR8, HT7 and KI3. The intervention was administered twice a week for 4 weeks and once a week for another four weeks, for a total of 12 sessions. The primary outcome assessed the change in severity of depression using the Hamilton-Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), and secondary outcomes assessed the change in severity of depression using the Quick Inventory for Depression-Self Reporting (QID-SR), the Quick Inventory for Depression-Clinician (QIDS-CL), with outcomes assessed at eight weeks. The treatment response (greater than 50% improvement in HAM-D) and remission (HAM-D<8) were analysed.

RESULTS:

At eight weeks participants showed greater improvement in the active laser group on the primary and clinician-rated secondary outcome measures (HAM-D (mean 9.28 (SD 6.55) vs. mean 14.14 (SD 4.78 p<0.001); QIDS-CL (mean 8.12 (SD 6.61 versus 12.68 (mean SD 3.77)) p<0.001). The self-report QIDS-SR scores improved in both groups but did not differ significantly between the groups. In the active laser group, QIDS-SR scores remained significantly lower than baseline at 3 months follow-up. Response rates (active laser, placebo laser) on ITT (intention to treat) analyses were 72.0% and 18.2% (p<0.001), respectively. Remission rates on ITT analyses (active laser, placebo laser) were 56.0% and 4.5% (p<0.001). Transient fatigue was the only adverse effect reported.

LIMITATIONS:

There was no follow-up for the placebo group at one and 3 months.

CONCLUSION:

Laser acupuncture showed a clinically and statistically significant benefit with reducing symptoms of depression on objective measures.

 

BMC Complement Altern Med. 2012 Dec 14;12:255. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-12-255.

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation for the treatment of depression: a study protocol for a double blinded randomized clinical trial.

Rong PJ, Fang JL, Wang LP, Meng H, Liu J, Ma YG, Ben H, Li L, Liu RP, Huang ZX, Zhao YF, Li X, Zhu B, Kong J.

Source

Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China. rongpj@hotmail.com

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Depressive disorders are the most common form of mental disorders in community and health care settings. Unfortunately, the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is far from satisfactory. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a relatively new and promising physical treatment for depressive disorders. One particularly appealing element of VNS is the long-term benefit in mood regulation. However, because this intervention involves surgery, perioperative risks, and potentially significant side effects, this treatment has been limited to those patients with treatment-resistant depression who have failed medication trials and exhausted established somatic treatments for major depression, due to intolerance or lack of response.This double-blinded randomized clinical trial aims to overcome these limitations by introducing a novel method of stimulating superficial branches of the vagus nerve on the ear to treat MDD. The rationale is that direct stimulation of the afferent nerve fibers on the ear area with afferent vagus nerve distribution should produce a similar effect as classic VNS in reducing depressive symptoms without the burden of surgical intervention.

DESIGN:

One hundred twenty cases (60 males) of volunteer patients with mild and moderate depression will be randomly divided into transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation group (tVNS) and sham tVNS group. The treatment period lasts 4 months and all clinical and physiological measurements are acquired at the beginning and the end of the treatment period.

DISCUSSION:

This study has the potential to significantly extend the application of VNS treatment for MDD and other disorders (including epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and morbid obesity), resulting in direct benefit to the patients suffering from these highly prevalent disorders. In addition, the results of this double-blinded clinical trial will shed new light on our understanding of acupuncture point specificity, and development of methodologies in clinical trials of acupuncture treatment.

 

J Affect Disord. 2012 Dec 15;142(1-3):115-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2012.04.008. Epub 2012 Jul 26.

Randomized non-invasive sham-controlled pilot trial of electroacupuncture for postpartum depression.
Chung KF, Yeung WF, Zhang ZJ, Yung KP, Man SC, Lee CP, Lam SK, Leung TW, Leung KY, Ziea ET, Taam Wong V.

Source

Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China. kfchung@hkucc.hku.hk

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Postpartum depression affects 10-15% of mothers. Although acupuncture was efficacious for major depressive disorder in pregnancy and in women outside the perinatal period, there has been no randomized controlled study on the feasibility, tolerability, and efficacy of acupuncture for postpartum depression.

METHODS:

This was a randomized, subject- and assessor-blind, parallel-group, sham-controlled trial. Twenty women within six months postpartum with DSM-IV-diagnosed major depressive disorder of mild severity, defined as a 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS(17)) score of 12 to 19, were randomly assigned to either electroacupuncture or non-invasive sham acupuncture two sessions weekly for four weeks.

RESULTS:

There was significant reduction in HDRS(17) score from baseline to 4-week posttreatment in both groups, with an effect size 1.4 and 1.8 for electroacupuncture and sham acupuncture, respectively. Improvement was observed as early as two weeks after commencing acupuncture. The response and remission rate in the electroacupuncture group at 4-week posttreatment was 33% and 44%, respectively; for the sham acupuncture group, it was 60% and 50%, respectively. There was no significant between-group difference in all outcome measures, including the HDRS(17), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Clinical Global Impression, and Sheehan Disability Scale. Treatment credibility, success of blinding, and adverse events were similar between groups.

LIMITATION:

Small sample size and high attrition rate. No waiting list observation group.

CONCLUSION:

Both electroacupuncture and non-invasive sham acupuncture were effective for postpartum depression. Further studies utilizing larger sample size, better recruitment strategies, and home-based acupuncture treatment are warranted.





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900 N San Antonio Road, #103
Los Altos, CA 94022

ph: 650 868 6632

XL@XLacupuncture.com