Effect of Acupuncture on Psychological Factors and Serum Ghrelin Levels in Patients with Functional Dyspepsia / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effect of acupuncture on the mental health score and serum ghrelin levels in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD).Methods Sixty-eight FD patients were randomized to treatment and control groups, 34 cases each. The treatment group received acupuncture and the control group took domperidone tablets orally. The TCM symptom score and the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) subscores were recorded and serum ghrelin levels were measured in the two groups before and after treatment.Results There were statistically significant pre-/post- treatment differences in the TCM symptom score and serum ghrelin level in the two groups (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant post-treatment difference in the TCM symptom score between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05). There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in the SCL-90 somatization, obsessive- compulsive disorder, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety and psychotic factor subscores in the treatment group (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant pre-/post-treatment difference in the somatization subscore in the control group (P<0.05). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in the interpersonal sensitivity, depression and anxiety subscores between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05). In FD patients there was a negative correlation of the ghrelin level with the SCL-90 somatization, obsessive-compulsive disorder, interpersonal sensitivity, depression and anxiety subscores (P<0.05).Conclusions Acupuncture can reduce the clinical symptomsand psychological problems in FD patients. Its mechanism of action may be related to raising serum ghrelin levels.