[Impacts of acupuncture and moxibustion on outcome indeices of depression patients' subjective reports].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the clinical efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion on depression in view of the outcome indicators of the patient subjective reports.


METHODS
One hundred and sixty-three cases of depression being in compliance with the inclusive standards were randomized into a soothing-liver and regulating-mind group, an acupoint-shallow-puncturing group and a non-acupoint-shallow-puncturing group. In the soothing-liver and regulating-mind group, the conventional acupuncture was applied to the four-gate points [Hegu (LI 4) and Taichong (LR 3)], Baihui (GV 20) and Yintang (EX-HN 3), the direct moxibustion with moxa cone was applied to the four-flower points [Geshu (BL 17), Danshu (BL 19)]. Finally, the intradermal needling was used at Xinshu (BL 15) and Ganshu (BL 18). In the acupoint-shallow-puncturing group, the acupoints selected were same as those in the soothing-liver and regulating-mind group. But the needle insertion was shallower and the time of moxibustion was shorter. In the non-acupoint-shallow-puncturing group, the spots that were 10 mm lateral to those acupoints in the soothing-liver and regulating-mind group were selected. The operation was same as that in the acupoint-shallow-puncturing group. The treatment was given twice a week in three groups. Totally, 12 weeks of treatment were required. The score of symptom checklist 90 (SCL-90), the self-report symptom inventory was observed before treatment, 1 month and 3 months after treatment separately so as to assess the corresponding short-term, mid-term and long-term efficacies of the program of acupuncture and moxibustion for soothing the liver and regulating the mind.


RESULTS
In each time-point after treatment, for the scores of somatization, obsessive-compulsive symptom, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, paranoid ideation, psychoticism and the other 8 dimensionalities, in comparison between the soothing-liver and regulating-mind group and the non-acupoint-shallow-puncturing group, the differences were significant statistically (all P < 0.05). For the scores of depression, anxiety and hostility, in comparison between the soothing-liver and regulating-mind group and the acupoint-shallow-puncturing group, the differences were significant statistically (all P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Acupuncture and moxibustion can improve the scores of SCL-90 scale for the patients with depression. The outcome indicators of the patient subjective reports can accurately assess the clinical efficacy.
Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of TCM, Guangzhou 510120, China.
Ling
L
Fan
Wen-Bin
WB
Fu
Neng-Gui
NG
Xu
Jian-Hua
JH
Liu
Li
L
Fan
Ai-Hua
AH
Ou
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009071:Moxibustion; D012647:Self-Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult