title: A single-blind investigation of four auricular needle puncture configurations.
abstract: In order to identify an appropriate needle puncture control for clinical trials of acupuncture we conducted a study in which ten cocaine dependent subjects rated local and systemic effects of four auricular needle puncture configurations (a) sites commonly used for addiction; (b) sites proximate to addiction specific sites; (c) sites not specific for cocaine addiction; and (d) sites in the helix. Subjects received one treatment per day on four successive days. The addiction specific sites were rated highest on local effects; proximal sites a common control were rated highest on systemic effects. A majority of patients ranked the addiction specific sites as the most preferred treatment and the helix points as the least preferred. Results suggest that needle insertion into proximate and non-specific sites may be too active for use as controls; helix regions may be more suitable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Margolin
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Avants
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Birch
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Kosten
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D003042:Cocaine; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D004423:Ear / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine