[Observation on effective characteristics of acupuncture combined with medicine on depression of different syndrome types].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate and analyze the clinical therapeutic effect and characteristics of acupuncture combined with medicine on depression of different syndrome types.


METHODS
Eighty cases of depression were dividede into liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency group (group A, 35 cases), deficiency of both heart and spleen group (group B, 21 cases) and yang deficiency of both spleen and kidney group (group C, 24 cases) according to the syndrome differentiation. They were all treated with acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Yintang (EX-HN 3), Sishen-cong (EX-HN 1), Neiguan (PC 6) etc. and oral administration of 5-HT selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) tablets. The Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) and self-made syndrome differentiation symptoms evaluation scale were adopted to evaluate the therapeutic effect.


RESULTS
After treatment of 4 weeks, the total effective rate of 91.4% in group A and of 90.5% in group B, both were superior to that of 87.5% in group C (P < 0.01,P<0. 05). There was a significant difference in comparison of HAMD scores between the group A and group C after treatment of 4 weeks (P < 0.05). The symptom scores of syndrome differentiation in all three groups were obviously decreased after 1 week, 2 weeks and 4 weeks treatment compared with those before treatment (all P < 0.001), the symptom scores of group C had significant differences compared with the group A and group B after treatment of 2 weeks (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The reducing scores rate of the group A had singificant differences compared with the group B and the group C after treatment of 4 weeks (both P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Acupuncture combined with SSRI has better therapeutic effect on depression of liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency type. The syndrome differentiation symptoms evaluation scale is more exact and sensitive to evaluate the clinical therapeutic effect of TCM treatment.
Laboratory of Integrated Acupuncture and Medicine, Nanjing University of TCM, Nanjing 210029, China. nj_drwang@163.com
Xin-jun
XJ
Wang
Ling-ling
LL
Wang
Hui-fen
HF
Qiao
Jian-bing
JB
Li
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors