Assessor- and participant-blinded, randomized controlled trial of dense cranial electroacupuncture stimulation plus body acupuncture for neuropsychiatric sequelae of stroke.

AIM: Acupuncture has benefits in the rehabilitation of neuropsychiatric sequelae of stroke. This study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of dense cranial electroacupuncture stimulation plus body acupuncture (DCEAS+BA) in treating poststroke depression (PSD), functional disability, and cognitive deterioration. METHODS: In this assessor- and participant-blinded, randomized controlled trial, 91 stroke patients who initially had PSD were randomly assigned to either DCEAS+BA (n = 45) or minimum acupuncture stimulation as controls (n = 46) for three sessions per week over 8 consecutive weeks. The primary outcome was baseline-to-end-point change in score of the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Secondary outcomes included the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale for depressive symptoms, the Barthel Index for functional disability, and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment for cognitive function. RESULTS: DCEAS+BA-treated patients showed strikingly greater end-point reduction than MAS-treated patients in scores of the three symptom domains. The clinical response rate, defined as an at least 50% baseline-to-end-point reduction in 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score, was markedly higher in the DCEAS+BA-treated group than that of controls (40.0% vs 17.4%, P = 0.031). Incidence of adverse events was not different in the two groups. Subgroup analysis revealed that DCEAS+BA with electrical stimulation on forehead acupoints was more apparent in reducing Barthel-Index-measured disability than that without electrical stimulation. CONCLUSION: DCEAS+BA, particularly with electrical stimulation on forehead acupoints, reduces PSD, functional disability, and cognitive deterioration of stroke patients. It can serve as an effective rehabilitation therapy for neuropsychiatric sequelae of stroke.

Acupuncture and herbal moxibustion for the treatment of 'BiQiu' (allergic rhinitis symptoms) in a Hong Kong Chinese medicine clinic: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common disease. No evidence is available for the clinical application of acupuncture and moxibustion for the management of AR symptoms in Hong Kong. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture with or without herbal moxibustion on relieving AR symptoms in the Hong Kong population. METHODS: A single-centre, randomized, assessor-blinded, controlled trial with three parallel arms (acupuncture alone, acupuncture combined with herbal moxibustion treatment and waitlist) was designed. Groups with acupuncture treatment received treatment 3 times per week for a total of 12 sessions in 4 weeks. Acupuncture combined with herbal moxibustion treatment group received herbal moxibustion once per week for a total of 4 sessions over 4 weeks in addition to acupuncture treatment. Participants in the waitlist group received no treatment. All patients received advice on healthy lifestyle, diet, and exercise. RESULTS: Ninety-six subjects were recruited and allocated randomly (1:1:1) into three study groups. Compared to the waitlist group, both treatment groups demonstrated statistically significant decreases in TNSS and RQLQ at the end of treatment as well as after follow-up period (all P < 0.01). However, there was no statistically differences between these two treatment groups. There was no difference in the change of total IgE levels among study groups before or after the treatment. Only one patient reported adverse effects with herbal moxibustion treatment, and no adverse effects were found in others. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports that acupuncture could help relieve AR symptoms, but no evidence on additional treatment effect of herbal moxibustion was found.Trial registration ChiCTR-INR-16010047 registered on November 25, 2016.