Xiong Dian-zhang, Liu Ling-ling
People's Hospital of Yichun, Yichun 336000, China.
Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2010 Apr;35(2):134-7.
To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) in combination with small dose of clozapine on clinical symptoms of refractory schizophrenia patients so as to evaluate its validity and security.
Eighty schizophrenia patients were randomized into medication group and EA + medication group (n=40/group). Patients of medication group were treated with conventional oral administration of clozapine (50-100 mg/d to 200-500 mg/d, for 8 weeks) and those of EA + medication group treated by EA of Baihui(GV 20) and bilateral Taiyang (EX-HN 5) and oral administration of clozapine (50 mg/d to 100-150 mg/d). EA was given to the patients, 3 times a week for 8 weeks. Scores of the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) and the Untoward Effect Symptom Scale (TESS) were used to assess the therapeutic effect.
Following treatment, PANSS scores for positive symptoms and the common psychiatric symptoms of the medication and EA + medication groups all decreased evidently from the 2rd week on (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and those of the negative symptoms reduced obviously from the 4th week on (P < 0.05). Comparison between two groups showed no significant differences in PANSS scores for positive and negative symptoms and the common psychiatric symptoms after the treatment (P > 0.05). But TESS score of EA+ medication group was evidently lower than that of medication group (P < 0.01), suggesting an apparently fewer untoward effects in EA + medication group. Of the two 40 cases in medication and EA+ medication groups, 6 (15%) and 5 (12.5%) were cured, 8 and 8 (20%) experienced marked improvement in their symptoms, 17 (42.5%) and 16 (40%) had an improvement, 9 (22.5%) and 11 (27.5%) failed, with the effective rates being 77.5% and 72.5% separately.
Both medication and EA+ medication can improve refractory schizophrenia patients'clinical symptoms, but the later has fewer untoward effects.
