title: The effect of acupuncture on working memory and anxiety.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate whether acupuncture can improve memory and reduce anxiety.
  
  
  METHODS
  A two-group, randomized, single-blind study involving 90 undergraduate university students was conducted from January to December of 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) form Y-1 (State Anxiety, SA) and Y-2 (Trait Anxiety, TA). Then, each subject lay on a treatment table for 20 minutes. The acupuncture group had needles inserted into select acupoints; control subjects did not. Subjects then completed the STAI form Y-1 again, after which they completed the Automated Operation Span Task (AOSPAN) - a computerized test of working memory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Performance on the AOSPAN and the STAI scores were the main measures of the outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The acupuncture group scored 9.5% higher than the control group on the AOSPAN Total Correct Score (65.39 vs. 59.9, p=0.0134), and committed 36% fewer math errors (2.68 vs. 4.22, p=0.0153). Acupuncture subjects also reported lower SA after intervention than control subjects (26.14 vs. 29.63, p=0.0146).
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China; National University of Health Sciences, Lombard, IL, USA. Electronic address: JasonBussell@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bussell
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: acupuncture; anxiety; automated operation span task; state-trait anxiety inventory; working memory