KM Science Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Department of Neuropsychiatry, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
BMJ Open. 2023 Jun 22;13(6):e070389. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070389.
The emotional freedom technique (EFT) is an acupuncture-based psychotherapy that combines tapping on acupoints with cognitive reframing. EFT has been previously shown to have potential for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, further clinical evidence and underlying mechanisms of EFT are yet to be fully explored. This proposed clinical trial aims to examine the effect of EFT on patients with PTSD compared with the waitlist (WL) and active controls.
This study was designed as a randomised, assessor-blinded, three-arm clinical MRI study. A total of 120 eligible patients with PTSD will be recruited and randomised into EFT, written exposure therapy (WET) or WL groups. EFT and WET will be applied once a week for 5 weeks. For patients in the WL group, EFT will be performed after 12 weeks. PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms and quality of life will be evaluated. Assessments will be conducted at baseline (week 0), post-treatment (week 6) and follow-up (week 12). Structural and functional brain images and recording videos of facial expressions to emotional stimuli will be obtained before and after treatment. Sixty participants without lifetime traumatic experiences will be enrolled as healthy controls. The primary objective of the study is to compare the change from baseline in the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale after treatment (week 6) between EFT and WL groups and between EFT and WET groups.
Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital. The research findings will be shared at national and international conferences and will be published in peer-reviewed journals.
Clinical Research Information Service KCT0007360 https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do/21974.
情绪自由技术（EFT）是一种基于针灸的心理治疗方法，它将穴位敲击与认知重构相结合。EFT 先前已被证明对治疗创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）具有潜力。然而，EFT 的进一步临床证据和潜在机制仍有待充分探索。本研究旨在与候补组（WL）和活性对照相比，研究 EFT 对 PTSD 患者的影响。
本研究设计为随机、评估者盲、三臂临床 MRI 研究。共招募 120 名符合条件的 PTSD 患者，并随机分为 EFT、书面暴露疗法（WET）或 WL 组。EFT 和 WET 将每周进行一次，共进行 5 周。对于 WL 组的患者，EFT 将在 12 周后进行。将评估 PTSD 症状、抑郁、焦虑、躯体症状和生活质量。评估将在基线（第 0 周）、治疗后（第 6 周）和随访（第 12 周）进行。在治疗前后（治疗前和治疗后）将获得结构和功能脑图像以及对情绪刺激的面部表情录像。招募 60 名无终身创伤经历的参与者作为健康对照组。研究的主要目的是比较治疗后（第 6 周）EFT 与 WL 组之间以及 EFT 与 WET 组之间的临床医生管理 PTSD 量表基线变化。
该研究已获得庆熙大学韩医医院机构审查委员会的伦理批准。研究结果将在国内外会议上分享，并将在同行评议期刊上发表。
临床研究信息服务 KCT0007360 https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do/21974。
