The Efficacy and Cerebral Mechanism of Intradermal Acupuncture for Major Depressive Disorder

Summary

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is highly prevalent, affecting nearly 4% of the global population. Pharmacotherapy is the frontline treatment recommended by the guideline, but it also has some limitations such as delayed onset, inadequate response, and drug resistance. Intradermal acupuncture (IA) is a method of using short indwelling needles retained under the skin to produce continuous stimulation for long-term efficacy. It has been reported that IA combination medication appears to be more valuable than medication alone in the treatment of MDD, however, there is a lack of high-quality clinical evidence.While several studies have proposed that manual or electroacupuncture can improve MDD symptoms by modulating brain networks, the cerebral mechanism of IA as superficial acupuncture for MDD has not been reported. Hence, investigators designed a multicentre randomized controlled trial to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of IA for MDD and preliminarily explore the potential therapeutic mechanisms for IA by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) .

Conditions

• Major Depressive Disorder

Interventions

DRUG

SSRI

SSRIs antidepressants, including fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, citalopram, etc., will be administered at oral doses determined by the psychiatrist. Once daily for the duration of the trial.

DEVICE

SIA

This study will select 4 acupoints (all taken bilaterally) commonly used to treat MDD, namely Taichong (LR3), Neiguan (PC6), Sanyinjiao (SP6) and Shenmen (HT7). The SIA will use the same size, colour and material as the AIA with a thin silicone pad in the middle instead of the needle body. SIA will be attached to the acupoints and retained for 72 hours, removed and rested for one day. A total of 10 sessions will be performed over a period of 6 weeks.

DEVICE

AIA

This study will select 4 acupoints (all taken bilaterally) commonly used to treat MDD, namely Taichong (LR3), Neiguan (PC6), Sanyinjiao (SP6) and Shenmen (HT7). Depending on acupoints' location, a φ0.20\*1.5mm or φ0.20\*1.2mm AIA will be selected. Press the AIA to insert it vertically into the acupoint and retain it in the skin. AIA will be retained for 72 hours with a day's rest after removal. During the period of needle retention, participants will be instructed to press the AIA 3-4 times a day for approximately 1 minute each time, with as much stimulation as the patient can tolerate, at intervals of approximately 4 hours. A total of 10 sessions will be performed over a period of 6 weeks.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Zhejiang Provincial Tongde Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• First People's Hospital of Hangzhou

  collaborator OTHER

• The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University

  collaborator OTHER

• Xiaomei Shao

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Xiaomei Shao, Ph.D · The Third Affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-11-01

Primary Completion

2024-01-01

Completion

2024-01-01

Countries

• China

Study Locations