Effects on female depression treated with the combined therapy of acupuncture and the five-element music therapy / 中国针灸

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical effects and safety on female depression treated with the combined therapy of acupuncture and the five-element music therapy.@*METHODS@#A total of 120 female patients with depression were randomized into an electroacupuncture (EA) group, an acupuncture group, a five-element music therapy group and a group of the combined therapy of acupuncture and the five-element music therapy (combined therapy group), 30 cases in each one. In the EA group, the electric stimulation of acupuncture was applied at Baihui (GV 20), Shenting (GV 24), Neiguan (PC 6), Shenmen (HT 7), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Taichong (LR 3), with disperse-dense wave, 10 Hz/50 Hz, and 0.5 ms in wavelength. The needles were retained for 30 min. In the acupuncture group, the acupoints were same as the EA group, but without electric stimulation. In the five-element music therapy group, the music of tune was adopted in the treatment. In the combined therapy group, the acupuncture treatment and the five-element music therapy were same as the acupuncture group and the five-element music therapy group, in which the music therapy was followed after acupuncture treatment. The treatment was given once a day, at 2 days of interval after every 5 treatments in a week, totally for 8 weeks. The Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) before and after treatment and the treatment emergent symptom scale (TESS) after treatment were observed in each group. The clinical effects and safety were compared among the groups.@*RESULTS@#The total effective rate was 86.7% (26/30) in the combined therapy group, better than 66.7% (20/30) in the EA group, 63.3% (19/30) in the acupuncture group and 53.3% (16/30) in the five-element music therapy group (<0.01, <0.05). After treatment, HAMD and HAMA scores were all reduced obviously in the patients of the 4 groups (all <0.01), and the scores in the combined therapy group were lower than the other 3 groups (all <0.01). The TESS score in the combined therapy group was lower than the other 3 groups (all <0.01) and the score in the five-element music therapy group was lower than the EA group and the acupuncture group (both <0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#In the female patients, the combined treatment with acupuncture and the five-element music therapy obviously reduces the severity of depression and anxiety, as well as the adverse reactions. The effects are better than the simple application of EA, acupuncture or music therapy.