Clinical Observation on the FANG's Scalp Acupuncture Combined with Timing Auricular Point Pressing Therapy in the Treatment of Insomnia Patients with Maintenance Hemodialysis / 广州中医药大学学报

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of FANG's scalp acupuncture combined with timing auricular point pressing therapy in the treatment of insomnia patients with maintenance hemodialysis(MHD).Methods A total of 70 patients with insomnia on MHD were randomly divided into observation group and control group,with 35 patients in each group.Both groups were given conventional treatment,the control group was given oral use of Estazolam Tablets on the basis of conventional treatment,and the observation group was given FANG's scalp acupuncture combined with timing auricular point pressing therapy.Both groups were treated for a total of 4 weeks of treatment.After 1 month of treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated,and the changes in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)score and the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form(KDQOL-SF)score,as well as the scores of the Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD)and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA),were observed in the patients of the two groups before and after treatment.The changes in hemoglobin(Hb),serum creatinine(Scr),and blood urea nitrogen(BUN)levels were compared before and after treatment between the two groups,and the safety of the two groups was evaluated.Results(1)After treatment,the PSQI and KDQOL-SF scores of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving PSQI and KDQOL-SF scores,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the HAMD and HAMA scores of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving HAMD and HAMA scores,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,the Hb,Scr,BUN levels of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving Hb,Scr,BUN levels,and the differences were all statistically significant(P＜0.05).(4)The total effective rate was 77.14%(27/35)in the observation group and 62.86%(22/35)in the control group.The efficacy of the observation group was superior to that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(5)Comparison of the incidence of adverse reactions in the two groups of patients,the difference was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion FANG's scalp acupuncture combined with timing auricular point pressing therapy in the treatment of insomnia patients with MHD can effectively improve the sleep quality of patients and alleviate anxiety and depression,so as to improve the quality of life of patients,with remarkable efficacy.

Comparison of Electroacupuncture and Mild-Warm Moxibustion on Brain-Gut Function in Patients with Constipation-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and mild-warm moxibustion (Mox) therapies for constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (C-IBS) patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty C-IBS patients were assigned to 2 groups by simple randomized method, i.e. EA group (30 cases) and Mox group (30 cases). Both EA and Mox treatments were performed on bilateral Tianshu (ST 25) and Shangjuxu (ST 37) for 30 min each time, 6 times per week, for 4 consecutive weeks. The gastrointestinal symptoms and psychological symptoms of the two groups were scored before and after treatment. The effects on the corresponding functional brain areas, namely the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insular cortex (IC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) were observed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the Mox group, greater improvements in abdominal distension, defecation frequency, diffificulty in defecation and stool features were observed in the EA group (all P<0.01), both Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores were signifificantly decreased in the EA group (all P<0.01). Finally, decreased activated voxel values were observed in the ACC, right IC and PFC brain regions of EA group with 150 mL colorectal distension stimulation (P<0.05 or P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Both EA and Mox could signifificantly improve some of the most intrusive symptoms of C-IBS patients, and EA was more effective than Mox. The therapeutic effect of these two therapies might through modulating of the brain-gut axis function. (Registration No. ChiCTRTRC-11001349).</p>

Comparison of electroacupuncture and moxibustion on brain-gut function in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: A randomized controlled trial / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and moxibustion therapies on patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (D-IBS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 60 D-IBS patients were randomly allocated to the EA group (30 cases) and moxibustion group (30 cases). Before and after treatment, the gastrointestinal symptoms and psychological symptoms were scored by Visual Analogue Scale, Bristol Stool Form Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD); the expressions of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 5-HT3 receptor (5-HT3R), and 5-HT4 receptor (5-HT4R) in the sigmoid mucosal tissue were measured by immunohistochemical staining. Additionally, the effects on the functional brain areas of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insular cortex (IC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) were observed by functional magnetic resonance imaging.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with before treatment, both EA and moxibustion groups reported significant improvements in abdominal pain and abdominal bloating after treatment (P<0.01 or P<0.05). The moxibustion group reported greater improvements in defecation emergency, defecation frequency, and stool feature than the EA group (P<0.01). Both HAMA and HAMD scores were significantly decreased in the moxibustion group than in the EA group (P<0.01). Both groups demonstrated significantly reduced expressions of 5-HT, 5-HT3R and 5-HT4R in the colonic mucosa after treatment (P<0.01), with a greater reduction of 5-HT in the moxibustion group (P<0.05). Finally, decreased activated voxel values were observed in the left IC, right IC and PFC brain regions of patients in the moxibustion group under stimulation with 150 mL colorectal distension after treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while in the EA group only PFC area demonstrated a reduction (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Moxibustion can significantly improve the symptoms of D-IBS, suggesting that moxibustion may be a more effective therapy than EA for D-IBS patients.</p>

Anti-depression effect of acupunctrue and moxibustion based on SSRIs medication / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To verify the anti-depression effect of acupuncture and moxibustion based on the medication with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty cases of depression were randomly divided into an acupuncture-moxibustion-medication group (25 cases), an acupuncture-medication group (25 cases) and a medication group (30 cases). SSRIs medication was administered in all of the three groups. Complementarily, in acupuncture-moxibustion-medication group, the needling technique of qi conduction in the Governor Vessel was applied to Baihui (GV 20), Fengfu (GV 16), Dazhui (GV 14), etc. Additionally, mild moxibustion was added at Dazhui (GV 14) and Baihui (GV 20). In acupuncture-medication group, acupuncture for qi conduction in the Governor Vessel was only adopted. Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) was used for the evaluation of the total score, the score of each factor before and after treatment separately, and the therapeutic effects were observed among 3 groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with medication group, the scores of the factors as retardation, sleep, and anxiety/somatization, as well as the total score were all apparently improved in the other two groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with acupuncture-medication group, the scores of sleep and cognition factors as well as the total score in HAMD were much improved in acupuncture-moxibustion-medication group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The remarkable effective rates were 100.0% (25/25), 84.0% (21/25) and 56.7% (17/30) in the three groups separately, in which, the result in acupuncture-moxibustion-medication group was superior to acupuncture-medication group (P < 0.05), and the results of these two groups were superior to medication group (both P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Either acupunctrure or moxibustion has a definite anti-depression effect based on SSRIs medication, but the coordination of acupuncture and moxibustion achieves a superior efficacy as compared with simple acupuncture therapy.</p>