Acupuncture combined with cranial electrotherapy stimulation on generalized anxiety disorder: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture combined with cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) on generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).@*METHODS@#A total of 200 patients with GAD were randomized into an acupuncture+CES group, an acupuncture group, a CES group and a medication group, 50 cases in each one. In the medication group, patients were treated with tandospirone citrate tablet orally, 10 mg after breakfast, lunch and dinner respectively. In the CES group, CES was adopted by SCS brain electromedical instrument, 60 min each time, once a day. In the acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied to Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Yintang (GV 29), Shenting (GV 24), etc., 30 min each time, once a day. In the acupuncture+CES group, CES was adopted before acupuncture. Treatment of sixty days was required in the 4 groups. Before and after treatment, the scores of Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), World Health Organization's quality of life questionnaire-brief version (WHOQOL-BREF) and treatment emergent symptom scale (TESS) were observed, the clinical effect was evaluated, and the relapse of anxiety during follow-up of 1 year after treatment was recorded in the 4 groups.@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the scores of HAMA after treatment were decreased (@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture combined with CES can effectively relieve the symptoms in patients with GAD, improve the quality of life, reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions and the relapse rate, and its clinical effect is obviously superior to the western medication, the simple application of acupuncture or CES.

Protective Effect of Dihuang Yinzi on Cerebral Ischemia-reperfusion Injury in Rats and Its Mechanism / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To explore the protective effect and the preliminary mechanism of Dihuang Yinzi on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats. Method: The middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was established. Totally 90 SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups:sham operation group, model group, nimodipine group (0.01 g·kg-1) and high, medium, low-dose Dihuang Yinzi groups (38.80, 19.40, 9.70 g·kg-1), with 20 rats in each group.The modified neurological severity score (mNSS) was assayed at the 7th, 14th, 28th days after operation, and the volume of cerebral infarction, pathological changes of brain tissue, the BrdU positive cells and mRNA levels of Notch1, Jagged1 and Hes1 in subventricular zone(SVZ)were observed respectively by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC) stain, htorylin eastin(HE) stain, immunofluorescence technique and reverse transcriphase polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR) methods at the 28th day after the operation. Result: The mNSS on the 7th, 14th, 28th days of high, medium-dose Dihuang Yinzi groups and nimodipine group were significantly lower than that of model group(PPth day, the percentage of cerebral infarction volume in brain tissue volume of high, medium-dose Dihuang Yinzi groups and nimodipine group were smaller than that of model group(Pth day, the BrdU positive cells in SVZ of the above 3 groups were significantly higher than model group(PPPth day, the mRNA levels of Notch1, Jagged1 and Hes1 of high, medium-dose Dihuang Yinzi groups and nimodipine group were significantly higher than those of model group(PPPPConclusion: Dihuang Yinzi can improve the nerve function defect of MCAO rat model, and reduce the volume of cerebral infarction and the pathological changes of brain tissue, thus playing a protective role in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury rats. Its mechanism may be related to the activation of the Notch signaling pathway, and the up-regulation of expressions of Notch1, Jagged1 and Hes1 mRNA, thus promoting the proliferation of NSCs.

Observation on clinical efficacy of depression treated with the alliance of acupuncture and medication / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the differences in the clinical efficacy on depression in comparison among the alliance of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, simple herbal medicine and flupentixol and melitracen tablets.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two hundred and twenty-seven cases were randomized into a Chinese medicine group(75 cases), an acupuncture + medication group(78 cases) and a western medicine group(74 cases). In the Chinese medicine group, Shugan Jianwei Anshen Decoction was prescribed, in which Radix Bupleuri and Radix Paeoniae Alba were the monarch herbs, one dose a day. In the acupuncture + medication group, on the basic treatment of Chinese medicine, acupuncture was combined every day at Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Shenmen (HT 7), Lingdao (HT 4), Daling (PC 7), Laogong (PC 8), Yongquan (KI 1), etc. In the western medicine group, deanxit was taken orally, 1 tablet after getting up in the morning and after lunch respectively. The treatment lasted for 8 weeks in the three groups. The change of Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) score and clinical efficacy were observed before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In 8 weeks of treatment, in the acupuncture + medication group, 19 cases were cured, 35 cases were markedly effective, 14 cases were effective and 10 cases failed, the effective rate was 87.2%; in the western medicine group, 11 cases were cured, 32 cases were markedly effective, 18 cases were effective and 13 cases failed, the effective rate was 82.4%; in the Chinese medicine group, 5 cases were cured, 14 cases were markedly effective, 35 cases were effective and 21 cases failed, the effective rate was 72.0%. HAMD assessment was done in 8 weeks of treatment, which was (5.71 +/- 4.32) scores in the acupuncture + medication group, (6.09 +/- 3.78) scores in the western medicine group and (9.24 +/- 3.49) in the Chinese medicine group, the differences were significant in the Chinese medicine group compared with the western medicine group and the acupuncture + medication group (both P < 0.05). The differences in the scores after treatment were not significant statistically between the acupuncture + medication group and the western medicine group (both P > 0.05), but the cured and markedly effective rate in the acupuncture + medication group was superior to that in the western medicine group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The alliance of acupuncture and medication achieves the definite efficacy on depression, characterized as less adverse reactions and better safety.</p>

Early clinical features of severe peripheral facial paralysis and acupuncture strategies / 中国针灸

In order to have a good grasp of rules of acupuncture for severe peripheral facial paralysis, the early clinical features of severe peripheral facial paralysis (Bell's palsy) are studied and analyzed from the aspect of injury level, injury degrees, clinical syndromes and symptoms; consequently, the treatment strategies with acupuncture are proposed. The severe peripheral facial paralysis is an important research area in clinic trials which verifies the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment.

Some problems in the literature of acupuncture treatment of peripheral facial paralysis and suggestions / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To raise some problems in the literature of acupuncture and moxibustion for treatment of peripheral facial paralysis and improving suggestions.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The CHKD system was used to search out 817 papers of acupuncture for treatment of peripheral facial paralysist, which were reviewed, organized and summarized.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the literature of acupuncture for treatment of peripheral facial paralysis, insufficient understanding in the relative information of clinical data, naming of intractable facial paralysis, differentiation between of the sequelae and complications, the criteria or cproblems in the literature and so on were found.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There are some common and representative problems in these papers of acupuncture for treatment of peripheral facial paralysis, which may result in incorrect opinion about the theory and clinical study of acupuncture for treatment of peripheral facial paralysis. Sufficiently considering and resolving the above problems can not only improve the quality of the papers on acupuncture for treatment of peripheral facial paralysis as a whole, but also have active influence on both treatment and diagnosis of this disease.</p>

Programme of criteria for clinical evaluation and assessment of therapeutic effects of peripheral facial paralysis / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish perfect criteria for clinical evaluation and assessment of therapeutic effects of peripheral facial paralysis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>With reference to relative evaluating criteria, and in combination with self-characteristics of TCM and functional characteristics of facial nerves, and via clinical repeated investigation and control evaluation, put forward a scale for peripheral facial nerve rating, criteria for facial nerve grading, criteria of syndrome types and criteria of assessment of therapeutic effects.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Clinical preliminary determination indicated that the assessment contents were characterized by rational reference, convenience and objectiveness.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The program can used as criteria for clinical evaluation and assessment of therapeutic effects, but it needs support of clinical effectiveness and determination of confidence, and multi-central studies.</p>