Effects of electroacupuncture on anxiety and depression in unmarried patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome: secondary analysis of a pilot randomized controlled trial
https://doi.org/10.1136/acupmed-2017-011615
Article Information
Volume: 37 issue: 1, page(s): 40-46
Article first published online: March 7, 2019; Issue published: February 1, 2019
Zhi Wang1, Haoxu Dong1, Qing Wang2, Lina Zhang3, Xiaoke Wu3, Zhongming Zhou4, Li Yang5, Dongmei Huang5
1Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
2Department of Rehabilitation Center of Wuhan Puren Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
4Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hubei Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China
5Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Corresponding Author:
Dongmei Huang, Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. Email: hdmjcr@qq.com
Abstract
Objective:
To evaluate the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) for the treatment of anxiety and depression in unmarried patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) by secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.
Methods:
A prospective pilot randomized controlled trial of unmarried women with PCOS was conducted from November 2012 to March 2016. Participants were assigned to the acupuncture group (receiving EA for 16 weeks) or the control group (receiving sham acupuncture for 16 weeks), with 27 patients in each group. The pre-specified primary outcomes and all secondary outcomes, with the exception of serum levels of neurotransmitters including norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (AD), serotonin (5-HT) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), will be reported separately. Additional outcome measures selected for this secondary analysis included anxiety and depression scale scores (Zung-SAS and Zung-SDS), 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) scale scores, PCOS Quality of Life (PCOSQOL) scale scores and Chinese Quality of Life (CHQOL) scale scores.
Results:
After the16-week intervention, an increase in serum NE and reduction in 5-HT were observed in the acupuncture group (P=0.028 and P=0.023, respectively). The serum level of GABA decreased in both groups after the interventions (both P<0.001). However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in the levels of any neurotransmitters (p>0.05). After EA treatment, SAS and SDS scores were decreased in the acupuncture group (P=0.007 and P=0.027, respectively) and were lower than those of the control group (P=0.003 and P=0.004, respectively). The SF-36 domain scores for mental health, vitality, social functioning, general health and health transition, the total CHQOL scores, and the infertility problems and body hair domains of the PCOSQOL improved significantly after EA (P<0.05).
Conclusion:
EA appears to improve symptoms of anxiety/depression and quality of life in PCOS patients and may influence serum levels of NE and 5-HT. These findings should be interpreted with caution, given the secondary nature of the outcome measures reported herein.