title: Effects of cranial electrotherapy stimulation on preoperative anxiety, pain and endocrine response.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) is used as a treatment for depression and anxiety, and as an adjunctive intervention for pain management. This prospective study investigated whether CES could decrease preoperative anxiety, the injection pain of rocuronium, postoperative pain and stress hormone levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female patients undergoing thyroidectomy were randomly assigned to two groups, to receive either no pretreatment (control group) or CES pretreatment. Anxiety score, withdrawal response on rocuronium injection, and pain scores at 1, 4, 12 and 24 h post surgery were evaluated. Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), cortisol and glucose levels were measured. Patients were blinded to the treatment condition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty patients entered the study (n = 25 per group). Anxiety score and withdrawal responses during rocuronium injection were significantly reduced in the CES group compared with the control group. Pain score was significantly lower in the CES group than in the control group, 1 h and 4 h post surgery. There were no significant differences in ACTH, cortisol and glucose levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CES pretreatment appears to reduce the level of preoperative anxiety, injection pain of rocuronium and postoperative pain. However, CES pretreatment did not affect stress hormone responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Se-Hwa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Woon-Young
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chang-Hyung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Too-Jae
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Yoon-Sook
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jae-Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young-Cheol
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000732:Androstanols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy*; D001786:Blood Glucose; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D004703:Endocrine System; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D000077123:Rocuronium; D012886:Skull; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000732:Androstanols; D001786:Blood Glucose; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D000077123:Rocuronium
keywords: Adrenocorticotrophic hormone; anxiety; cortisol; cranial electrotherapy stimulation; postoperative pain