Work

Acupuncture for the anxiety and depression in Parkinson disease: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Year: 2025

Type: review

Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Parkinson disease (PD) is characterized by motor symptoms as the main clinical manifestation. Emotional symptoms such as anxiety and depression are often closely related to the severity of the disease in Parkinson disease patients. Acupuncture therapies have shown effective effects on PD's motor and emotional symptoms. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in improving anxiety and depression in PD patients and compare the effectiveness of different acupuncture therapies. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted across 7 databases to identify randomized controlled trials on acupuncture to improve anxiety and depression in PD patients, from inception to July 1, 2023. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and cross-checked the information. The outcome measures included Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores, Self-Rating Depression Scale scores, and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale scores. Data analysis was performed using STATA 17.0 software for network meta-analysis, RevMan 5.4 for pairwise meta-analysis, and Cochrane Handbook 5.1 for assessing the risk of bias. RESULTS: This study included 26 randomized controlled trials, involving 2153 PD patients with anxiety or depression. The network meta-analysis results showed that the combination of acupuncture and Western medicine had better efficacy in improving Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores, and Self-Rating Depression Scale scores compared to other treatments. And acupuncture combined with traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine had better efficacy in improving SAS scores than western medicine alone. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that acupuncture combined with western medicine may be considered a feasible treatment option for PD patients with anxiety or depression. However, because of limitations in the quality of the literature, further validation of this conclusion is warranted through future studies.

Source: Medicine

DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000042136

Authors: Huihui Zhou, Han Zhong, Wenqiang Ying, Zhoujing Li, Yongchao Nie, Bo Zhang

Institutions: Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Language: English

Topic: Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies

Subfield: Complementary and alternative medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,950