Trial reportPloS one2012
Dense cranial electroacupuncture stimulation for major depressive disorder--a single-blind, randomized, controlled study.
Trial report in PloS one, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. It is linked to 5 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 23 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
An Assessor-Blinded, Randomised Controlled Trial of Acupuncture to Prevent Chemobrain in Breast Cancer Patients
A Multisite, Assessor-blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial of Acupuncture for Post-stroke Depression
Combining Acupuncture and Acupressure for Dementia Elderly: an Assessor-blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial
Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) and Dense Cranial Electroacupuncture Stimulation (DCEAS) for Psychiatric Sequelae and Related Biomarkers in Women Victims of Domestic Violence: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Dense Cranial Electroacupuncture Stimulation Plus Body Acupuncture for Adolescents With Psychological Distress: a Randomized Controlled Trial With Observations on Salivary Oxytocin and Cortisol Changes
Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Research in nursing & health · 2023Pooled it
- Acupuncture for depression.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018Pooled it
- Sham Electroacupuncture Methods in Randomized Controlled Trials.Scientific reports · 2017Pooled it
- Acupuncture for older adults with dementia in residential care homes: an assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial.Age and ageing · 2026Trial
- Acupuncture for chemotherapy-associated insomnia in breast cancer patients: an assessor-participant blinded, randomized, sham-controlled trial.Breast cancer research : BCR · 2023Trial
- Electroacupuncture analgesia is associated with increased serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in chronic tension-type headache: a randomized, sham controlled, crossover trial.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2015Trial
- A pilot controlled trial of a combination of dense cranial electroacupuncture stimulation and body acupuncture for post-stroke depression.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2014Trial
- Electroacupuncture Plus Auricular Acupressure for Chemotherapy-Associated Insomnia in Breast Cancer Patients: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.Integrative cancer therapiesTrial
- Combining electroacupuncture and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for psychiatric disorders in women victims of domestic violence: An assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial.General psychiatry · 2026Article
- Electrical acupoint stimulation for psychiatric sequelae in women victims of domestic violence: study protocol for an assessor-blind randomized controlled trial.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2025Article
- Long-term electroacupuncture and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation differentially slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease in AppAlzheimer's research & therapy · 2025Article
- Article
- Article
- Effectiveness and Safety of Electroacupuncture for Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2022Review
- Transcutaneous Electrical Cranial-Auricular Acupoint Stimulation vs. Escitalopram for Patients With Mild-to-Moderate Depression (TECAS): Study Design for a Randomized Controlled, Non-inferiority Trial.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
- Trends of Acupuncture Therapy on Depression From 2011 to 2020: A Bibliometric Analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2021Review
- Electroacupuncture on Trigeminal Nerve-Innervated Acupoints Ameliorates Poststroke Cognitive Impairment in Rats with Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion: Involvement of Neuroprotection and Synaptic Plasticity.Neural plasticity · 2020Article
- Effect of Electroacupuncture and Counseling on Sub-Threshold Depression: A Study Protocol for a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2020Article
- Effect of Acupuncture on the Motor and Nonmotor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease--A Review of Clinical Studies.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2016Review
- Electroacupuncture prevents cognitive impairments by regulating the early changes after brain irradiation in rats.PloS one · 2015Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPrevious studies suggest that electroacupuncture possesses therapeutic benefits for depressive disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine whether dense cranial electroacupuncture stimulation (DCEAS) could enhance the antidepressant efficacy in the early phase of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD).
methodsIn this single-blind, randomized, controlled study, patients with MDD were randomly assigned to 9-session DCEAS or noninvasive electroacupuncture (n-EA) control procedure in combination with fluoxetine (FLX) for 3 weeks. Clinical outcomes were measured using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), Clinical Global Impression-severity (CGI-S), and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) as well as the response and remission rates.
resultsSeventy-three patients were randomly assigned to n-EA (n = 35) and DCEAS (n = 38), of whom 34 in n-EA and 36 in DCEAS group were analyzed. DCEAS-treated patients displayed a significantly greater reduction from baseline in HAMD-17 scores at Day 3 through Day 21 and in SDS scores at Day 3 and Day 21 compared to patients receiving n-EA. DCEAS intervention also produced a higher rate of clinically significant response compared to n-EA procedure (19.4% (7/36) vs. 8.8% (3/34)). The incidence of adverse events was similar in the two groups.
conclusionsDCEAS is a safe and effective intervention that augments the antidepressant efficacy. It can be considered as an additional therapy in the early phase of SSRI treatment of depressed patients.
trial registrationControlled-Trials.com ISRCTN88008690.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.