scholarly journals Effects of Acupuncture on the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in Chronic Insomnia Patients: A Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengyong Liu ◽  
Shiyu Zheng ◽  
Wenzhong Wu ◽  
Xiaoqiu Wang ◽  
Shan Qin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background : Acupuncture, as an important component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been widely applied in the treatment of chronic insomnia in China,while there is no clinical study related to its therapeutic mechanism. Methods/design : A single-center, single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial will be conducted at Jiangsu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. A total of 60 patients will be registered.Eligible participantswill be randomly divided into acupuncture group and shamacupuncture group (n = 30 cases in each group). Patients in both groups will be treated once every other day, 3 times per week for 4 weeks.The primary outcome measures are Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ATCH), Corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), and cortisol (CORT). Secondary outcome measures are Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Discussion : This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effects of acupuncture on chronic insomnia by using PSQI, ISI, and FSS. The mechanism of acupuncture on CIPs will be preliminarily discussed by analyzing the changes in concentrations of CRH, ACTH, and CORT before and after treatment.

Trials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengyong Liu ◽  
Shiyu Zheng ◽  
Wenzhong Wu ◽  
Xiaoqiu Wang ◽  
Shan Qin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Acupuncture, as an important component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been widely applied in the treatment of chronic insomnia in China, while there is no clinical study related to its therapeutic mechanism. Methods/design A single-center, single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial will be conducted at Jiangsu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. A total of 60 patients will be registered. Eligible participants will be randomly divided into acupuncture group and sham acupuncture group (n = 30 cases in each group). Patients in both groups will be treated once every other day, three times per week for 4 weeks. The primary outcome measures are Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ATCH), corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), and cortisol (CORT). Secondary outcome measures are Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Discussion This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effects of acupuncture on chronic insomnia by using PSQI, ISI, and FSS. The mechanism of acupuncture on CIPs will be preliminarily discussed by analyzing the changes in concentrations of CRH, ACTH, and CORT before and after treatment. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trials Register, ChiCTR1800020298.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhe Xue ◽  
Zhen Huang ◽  
Shu-li Cheng ◽  
Xi-hong Wang ◽  
Xuan Zhou ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Depression is one of the most frequent and severe psychiatric conditions. Many chemical drugs to treat depression are associated with adverse reactions and have shortcomings. Traditional Chinese medicine is of great significance in the prevention and treatment of depression. Xiaoyao pills has achieved good results in clinical application, which has the advantages of quick effect and no obvious adverse reactions. The aim of our study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoyao pills on mild to moderate depression patients with syndrome of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency.Methods: This study is a multi-center, double-blinded, randomized and placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 108 participants will be assigned to three groups: Xiaoyao pill group taking Xiaoyao pills twice daily for 4 weeks, placebo group taking placebos twice daily for 4 weeks and normal group without taking any drug. The primary and secondary outcome measures are the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Syndrome Scale. The assessment is at baseline(before treatment initiation), 1 week, 2 weeks 4 weeks after the first treatment. Exploratory outcome is also assessed to explore the mechanism of Xiaoyao pills at baseline and 4 weeks.Discussion: The results from this study will provide clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of Xiaoyao pills in patients with mild to moderate depression with syndrome of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency.Trial registration: International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register: ISRCTN12746343. Registered on September 25, 2020.


Trials ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhe Xue ◽  
Zhen Huang ◽  
Shu-li Cheng ◽  
Xi-hong Wang ◽  
Xuan Zhou ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Depression is one of the most frequent and severe psychiatric conditions. Many chemical drugs to treat depression are associated with adverse reactions and have shortcomings. Traditional Chinese medicine is of great significance in the prevention and treatment of depression. Xiaoyao pills has achieved good results in clinical application, which has the advantages of quick effect and no obvious adverse reactions. The aim of our study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoyao pills on mild to moderate depression patients. Methods This study is a multi-centre, double-blinded, randomized and placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 108 participants are assigned to three groups: Xiaoyao pill group taking Xiaoyao pills twice daily for 4 weeks, placebo group taking placebos twice daily for 4 weeks and normal group without taking any drug. The primary and secondary outcome measures are the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Syndrome Scale. The assessment is at baseline (before treatment initiation), 1 week, 2 weeks 4 weeks after the first treatment. Exploratory outcome is also assessed to explore the mechanism of Xiaoyao pills at baseline and 4 weeks. Discussion The results from this study will provide clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of Xiaoyao pills in patients with mild to moderate depression with syndrome of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ISRCTN12746343. Registered on September 25, 2020.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Congcong Zeng ◽  
Zhengzhong Yuan ◽  
Xiaoqiong Pan ◽  
Jizhou Zhang ◽  
Jiahui Zhu ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction: The outbreak of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and associated COVID-19 disease in late December 2019 has led to a global pandemic. It directly leads to high morbidity and mortality, but also results in a devastating effect on the global economy. Unfortunately, there are no effective therapies or vaccines for it. Hence, we designed a randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Traditional Chinese Medicine for treating patients with COVID-19.Methods and analysis: This is an open-label, multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial. One hundred and twelve patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 will be randomly assigned to the experimental or the control group in an equal ratio. The patients in control group will accept routine supportive clinically care including the therapies of anti-viral, anti-bacterial and ameliorating the related symptoms, while patients in the experimental group will be asked to take traditional Chinese medicine depending on the different stages of the disease for consecutive 14 days in addition to supportive care. All data will be gathered at baseline and on days 3, 7, 10 and 14. The primary outcome measures will be the time of Reverse Transcription PCR testing of respiratory tract sample turns to be negative. Secondary outcome measures will include Murray lung injury score, MuLBSTA score and TCM ( Traditional Chinese Medicine ) Syndrome Scoring System. A laboratory test will be taken before and after treatment to assess the safety of TCM.Discussion: The study may help to identify the the efficacy and safety of Traditional Chinese Medicine in treating COVID-2019.Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000030759.Registered on March 13th 2020-Retrospectively registered, http://www.chictr.org.cn/.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xun Gong ◽  
Wei-Xiang Liu ◽  
Xiao-Po Tang ◽  
Jian Wang ◽  
Jian Liu ◽  
...  

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used successfully to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Qingre Huoxue treatment (Qingre Huoxue decoction (QRHXD)/Qingre Huoxue external preparation (QRHXEP)) is a therapeutic scheme of TCM for RA. To date, there have been few studies comparing the efficacy and safety of QRHXD and conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) for the treatment of active RA. This was investigated in a multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial involving 468 Chinese patients with active RA [disease activity score (DAS)-28 > 3.2] treated with QRHXD/QRHXEP (TCM group), methotrexate plus hydroxychloroquine [Western medicine (WM) group], or both [integrative medicine (IM) group]. Patients were followed up for 24 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the change in DAS-28 from baseline to 24 weeks. The secondary outcome measures were treatment response rate according to American College of Rheumatology 20, 50, and 70% improvement criteria (ACR-20/50/70) and the rate of treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02551575). DAS-28 decreased in all three groups after treatment (p < 0.0001); the score was lowest in the TCM group (p < 0.05), while no difference was observed between the WM and IM groups (p > 0.05). At week 24, ACR-20 response was 73.04% with TCM, 80.17% with WM, and 73.95% with IM (based on the full analysis set [FAS], p > 0.05); ACR-50 responses were 40.87, 47.93, and 51.26%, respectively, (FAS, p > 0.05); and ACR-70 responses were 20.87, 22.31, and 25.21%, respectively, (FAS, p > 0.05). Thus, treatment efficacy was similar across groups based on ACR criteria. On the other hand, the rate of TRAEs was significantly lower in the TCM group compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). Thus, QRHXD/QRHXEP was effective in alleviating the symptoms of active RA—albeit to a lesser degree than csDMARDs—with fewer side effects. Importantly, combination with QRHXD enhanced the efficacy of csDMARDs. These results provide evidence that QRHXD can be used as an adjunct to csDMARDs for the management of RA, especially in patients who experience TRAEs with standard drugs.Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCTNCT025515.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
WenJing Huang ◽  
De Jin ◽  
Xiang Meng ◽  
Fan Yang ◽  
Yu-jiao Zheng ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Presently, the efficacy of drug treatments for diabetic retinopathy (DR) is not satisfactory. This study is designed to provide evidence that a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation delays the development of DR. Methods: This study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group, multicenter clinical trial, consisting of 384 participants to be randomized in a 1:1 ratio in the treatment and control groups, and receive a basic treatment. Furthermore, the treatment and control groups will be administered the TangWang prescription and the placebo, respectively, each at a dose of one bag twice a day. The study period will last for 48 weeks. The primary outcome measure will be the changes in the degree of retinal microvascular lesions before and after treatment. The secondary outcome will be changes in the degree of hemangioma, microvascular bleeding, microvascular leakage, macular edema, and vision. All statistical tests will be two-sided, and a P < 0.05 will be considered statistically significant. Discussion: We hypothesize that the patients with DR will benefit from TangWang prescription, and in addition to the central random system and platform of dynamic information collection, the patients’ conditions will be monitored and the data collected for analysis. If successful, this study will provide evidence that the TCM formulation delays the development of DR. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03025399. Registered on January 19 2017. Keywords: Diabetic retinopathy, TangWang prescription, randomized controlled trial, traditional Chinese medicine


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingshuai Li ◽  
Junwen Han ◽  
ying Zhang ◽  
Ji Wang ◽  
Jiangming He ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) caused pandemic all over the world. As more and more patients gradually are recovering from Covid-19, they still have some symptoms like short of breath, cough, and phlegm. how to improve their quality of life and shorten the rehabilitation time is still no widely recognized clinical program. In this study, we designed Xiao Tan San Jie (XTSJ) Granule based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory and assess its efficiency and safety during rehabilitation stage of Covid-19 patients. Method/Design: This study is a 12-week, randomized, double-blinded, controlled, clinical trial that will include 132 Covid-19 patients. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to XTSJ granule group or placebo group. Participants will receive 28 days treatment. The primary outcome assessment is scores of lung CT scan at week 2 and week 4. The secondary outcome assessment includes pulmonary function test, scores of Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of Covid-19 symptoms, Scores of Qi Deficiency and Phlegm Stasis syndrome scale, Scores of St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) at week 2 and week 4. Discussion: In TCM theory XTSJ granule has a regulate effect on respiratory function, lung infection, cough and phlegm which has the potential treatment effect on COVID19 patients. This study will provide initial evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of XTSJ granule for Covid-19 patients in rehabilitation stage. Trial registration: This study was prospectively registered on Chinese Clinical Trial Registry( number: ChiCTR2000031672). Registration date: April 6,2020.


Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuoran Kuang ◽  
◽  
Xiaoyan Li ◽  
Jianxiong Cai ◽  
Yaolong Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective To assess the registration quality of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinical trials for COVID-19, H1N1, and SARS. Method We searched for clinical trial registrations of TCM in the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) on April 30, 2020. The registration quality assessment is based on the WHO Trial Registration Data Set (Version 1.3.1) and extra items for TCM information, including TCM background, theoretical origin, specific diagnosis criteria, description of intervention, and outcomes. Results A total of 136 records were examined, including 129 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) and 7 H1N1 influenza (H1N1) patients. The deficiencies in the registration of TCM clinical trials (CTs) mainly focus on a low percentage reporting detailed information about interventions (46.6%), primary outcome(s) (37.7%), and key secondary outcome(s) (18.4%) and a lack of summary result (0%). For the TCM items, none of the clinical trial registrations reported the TCM background and rationale; only 6.6% provided the TCM diagnosis criteria or a description of the TCM intervention; and 27.9% provided TCM outcome(s). Conclusion Overall, although the number of registrations of TCM CTs increased, the registration quality was low. The registration quality of TCM CTs should be improved by more detailed reporting of interventions and outcomes, TCM-specific information, and sharing of the result data.


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