title: [Acupuncture for treatment of depressive neurosis: a multi-center randomized controlled study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture on depressive neurosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  With a multi-center randomized controlled study, 440 cases were randomly divided into an acupuncture group, a prozac group, a non-acupoint needling group. In the acupuncture group, Hegu (LI 4) and Taichong (LR 3) were selected, and the Prozac group were treated with administration of 20 mg/d and the non-acupoint needling group were treated with needling the points deviating from the acupoints. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by HAMD score reduction rate, and Asberg's anti-depressant side-effect rating scale (SERS) and severe adverse reaction were used for safety evaluation, and the data were analyzed with ITT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total effective rate was 86. 4% in the acupuncture group, which was better than 59.1% in the non-acupoint needling group and 72.7% in the prozac group; HAMD score in the acupuncture group was similar to that in the Prozac group, which was better than that in the non-acupoint needling group; the SERS scores in the acupuncture group and the non-acupoint needling group were significantly lower than that in the Prozac group, with no severe side-effects found for acupuncture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture is an effective and safe therapy for depressive neurosis; therapeutic effect of acupuncture on depressive neurosis possibly is better than or similar to that of Prozac, but with less side-effects.
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture Department of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of TCM, Guangzhou 510120, China. Drfwb63@21cn.com
authors.forename: Wen-bin
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Xao-ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li-xing
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Yan-sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chun-zhi
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Ying-wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chang-rong
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Hong-lai
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged