Effect of Acupuncture plus Medication on HAMD, SDS and H-P-O Axis in Perimenopausal Depression Patients / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective By observing the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plusBu Shen Jie Yu Qing Xin decoction (herbal decoction for tonifying kidney, anti-depression and clearing heart fire) in treating perimenopausal depression, to discuss about the effect of acupuncture plus medication on Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) and hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (H-P-O) axis in perimenopausal depression patients.Method By following a completely randomized design, sixty perimenopausal depression patients were divided into a Chinese medication group (Bu Shen Jie Yu Qing Xin decoction) with 30 cases, and an acupuncture-medication group (acupuncture plusBu Shen Jie Yu Qing Xin decoction) with 30 cases, to receive 12-week treatment in total. The HAMD and SDS were estimated prior to the treatment and in the 4th, 8th and 12th weeks; the serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), prolactin (PRL), and progesterone (P) contents were detected before and after the treatment.Result Acupuncture plus medication and Chinese medication alone were both effective in treating perimenopausal depression, and the therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture plus medication was superior to that of Chinese medication alone (P0.05). After 12-week treatment, the contents of FSH and LH declined significantly in both groups (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the contents of E2 and T increased significantly in the acupuncture-medication group (P<0.01,P<0.05). The decrease of FSH and LH, and the increase of E2 were more significant in the acupuncture-medication group (P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion Acupuncture plus medication can improve the symptoms of perimenopausal depression, and it takes a faster action than Chinese medication alone. Acupuncture plus medication can mitigate 7 items in HAMD, while Chinese medication can improve anxiety, insight, sleep and despair. Acupuncture plus medication can produce a more significant efficacy in improving anxiety, insight, sleep, diurnal-nocturnal, obstruction, and body weight compared to Chinese medication. For perimenopausal depression, acupuncture plus medication can correct the endocrine disorder and improve depression state by down-regulating the levels of FSH and LH, and up-regulating the contents of E2 and T to improve the function of H-P-O axis.