Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25947167›Full record

Trial reportBMC complementary and alternative medicine2015

Electroacupuncture analgesia is associated with increased serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor in chronic tension-type headache: a randomized, sham controlled, crossover trial.

Mônica Chassot, Jairo Alberto Dussan-Sarria, Francislea Cristina Sehn, Alícia Deitos, Andressa de Souza, Rafael Vercelino, Iraci L S Torres, Felipe Fregni, Wolnei Caumo

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
28citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
7.1field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

28 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 46 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Utility of Acupuncture Therapy for Adult Chronic Daily Headache Prophylaxis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2026
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  5. Physical Therapy in Tension-Type Headache: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023
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  8. Acupuncture for the prevention of tension-type headache.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Mônica ChassotPost-Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil. monicachassot@hotmail.com.
Jairo Alberto Dussan-SarriaPost-Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil. jadussans@gmail.com.
Francislea Cristina SehnPost-Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil. francisehn@ibest.com.br.
Alícia DeitosPost-Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil. aliciadeitos@gmail.com.
Andressa de SouzaLaboratory of Pain and Neuromodulation, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre at UFRGS, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2350 - CEP 90035-003 Bairro Rio Branco, Porto, Brazil. andressasz@gmail.com.
Rafael VercelinoPost-Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil. rvercelino@gmail.com.
Iraci L S TorresPost-Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil. iracitorres@gmail.com.
Felipe FregniSpaulding Center of Neuromodulation, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. felipe.fregni@gmail.com.
Wolnei CaumoPost-Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil. caumo@cpovo.net.
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul · BRHarvard University · USHospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre · BR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChronic tension-type headache (CTTH) is characterized by almost daily headaches and central sensitization, for which electroacupuncture (EA) might be effective. The central nervous system (CNS) plasticity can be tracked in serum using the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a neuroplasticity mediator. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that EA analgesia in CTTH is related to neuroplasticity indexed by serum BDNF.

methodsWe enrolled females aged 18-60 years with CTTH in a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled crossover trial, comparing ten EA sessions applied for 30 minutes (2-10 Hz, intensity by tolerance) in cervical areas twice per week vs. a sham intervention. Treatment periods were separated by two washout weeks. Pain on the 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS) and serum BDNF were assessed as primary outcomes.

resultsThirty-four subjects underwent randomization, and twenty-nine completed the protocol. EA was superior to sham to alleviate pain (VAS scores 2.38 ± 1.77 and 3.02 ± 2.49, respectively, P = 0.005). The VAS scores differed according to the intervention sequence, demonstrating a carryover effect (P < 0.05). Using multiple regression, serum BDNF was adjusted for the Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) and the VAS scores (r-squared = 0.07, standard β coefficients = -0.2 and -0.14, respectively, P < 0.001). At the end of the first intervention period, the adjusted BDNF was higher in the EA phase (29.31 ± 3.24, 27.53 ± 2.94 ng/mL, Cohen's d = 0.55).

conclusionEA analgesia is related to neuroplasticity indexed by the adjusted BDNF. EA modulation of pain and BDNF occurs according to the CNS situation at the moment of its administration, as it was related to depression and the timing of its administration.

Indexed as

Acupuncture AnalgesiaElectroacupunctureAdultBrain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorCentral Nervous SystemCross-Over StudiesDepressionFemaleHumansMiddle AgedPain ManagementPain MeasurementTension-Type HeadacheBDNF protein, humanBrain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor

Identifiers

PMID25947167
PMCPMC4429917
OpenAlexW1821168444

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.