ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on post stroke depres- sion (PSD) after lacunar infarction (LI).Methods Seventy-five PSD patients with lacular infarction were recruited and randomly divided into a control group and an EA group.All patients were treated with Fluoxetine,in addition to EA treat- ment in the EA group.Then all patients were evaluated using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD),the Chinese stroke scale (CSS) and the Barthel Index (BI).The evaluations were carried out at 0,14 and 28 days.Results Depression symptoms (DSs) in the EA group were improved by day 14 of the treatment,and their HAMD scores had decreased.DSs in both groups had improved significantly by day 28,and the HAMD scores in the EA group were then significantly lower than those in the control group.Improvements in neurological impairment and in the activities of daily living were observed earlier in the EA group.Conclusion The combination of EA and Fluoxetine is helpful for PSD with complex patho- genesis and clinical symptoms.Therapeutic effects are enhanced and side effects are reduced.