SynthesisBMC complementary and alternative medicine2018
Optimizing acupuncture treatment for dry eye syndrome: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04056221 (Effects of Acupuncture on Xerostomia and Xerophthalmia in Sjögren's Syndrome), which is not on this map. Cited by 31 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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.
Effects of Acupuncture on Xerostomia and Xerophthalmia in Sjögren's Syndrome: a Randomized, Double-blinded Clinical Trial
Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 110 citations in OpenAlex.
- Auricular Acupressure for Dry Eye Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2023Pooled it
- Effect of Acupuncture Treatment on the Ocular Pain, Mental State and Ocular Surface Characteristics of Patients with Dry Eye Disease: A Non-Randomized Pilot Study.Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2024Trial
- Trial
- Laser Acupuncture Improves Tear Film Stability in Patients with Dry Eye Disease: A Two-Center Randomized-Controlled Trial.Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) · 2021Trial
- Safety and efficacy of biodegradable microneedle acupuncture for dry eye: A multicenter, randomized, active-controlled pivotal trial.Integrative medicine research · 2026Article
- A Network Meta-Analysis Comparing the Efficacy Differences of Different Acupuncture and Sodium Hyaluronate Eye Drops in the Treatment of Dry Eye Disease.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
- Acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure for dry eye: a SPIRIT-guided protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Mechanism of periocular acupuncture in alleviating dry eye neuropathic pain via regulation of the "periocular acupoint-trigeminal ganglion-ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleus" pathway.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Intradermal Acupuncture for Moderate to Severe Dry Eye Disease: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of pharmacopuncture · 2025Article
- Mechanisms of acupuncture in the treatment of dry eye disease: narrative review of experimental studies.International ophthalmology · 2025Review
- An Evidence-Based Narrative Review of Scleral Hypoxia Theory in Myopia: From Mechanisms to Treatments.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- A Review of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome: Mechanisms, Efficacy, and Clinical Implications.International journal of general medicine · 2025Review
- Effectiveness of an Acupuncture Steam-Warming Eye Mask on Dry Eye Disease in Visual Display Terminal Users: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Effect of Acupuncture on Tear Proteomics in Patients with Video Display Terminal-Related Dry Eye.Journal of proteome research · 2024Article
- Article
- Interventions for Dry Eye: An Overview of Systematic Reviews.JAMA ophthalmology · 2024Article
- Electroacupuncture for mild-to-moderate dry eye: study protocol for a multicentre, randomised, single-blind, sham-controlled trial.BMJ open · 2023Article
- Optimal acupuncture protocol improving symptoms of typical dry eye syndrome: meta-analysis and systematic review.Heliyon · 2023Article
- Severe Adverse Events of Periocular Acupuncture: A Review of Cases.Korean journal of ophthalmology : KJO · 2023Review
- Research on equity of medical resource allocation in Yangtze River Economic Belt under healthy China strategy.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn a former meta-analysis review, acupuncture was considered a potentially effective treatment for dry eye syndrome (DES), but there were heterogeneities among the outcomes. We updated the meta-analysis and conducted subgroup analysis to reduce the heterogeneity and suggest the most effective acupuncture method based on clinical trials.
methodsWe searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in 10 databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTAL, AMED, SCOPUS, CNKI, Wangfang database, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS), Koreamed, J-stage) and searched by hand to compare the effects of acupuncture and artificial tears (AT). We also conducted subgroup analysis by (1) method of intervention (acupuncture only or acupuncture plus AT), (2) intervention frequency (less than 3 times a week or more than 3 times a week), (3) period of treatment (less than 4 weeks or more than 4 weeks), and (4) acupoints (BL1, BL2, ST1, ST2, TE23, Ex-HN5). The Bucher method was used for subgroup comparisons.
resultsNineteen studies with 1126 patients were included. Significant improvements on the Schirmer test (weighted mean difference[WMD], 2.14; 95% confidence interval[CI], 0.93 to 3.34; p = 0.0005) and break up time (BUT) (WMD, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.79 to 1.18; p < 0.00001) were reported. In the subgroup analysis, acupuncture plus AT treatment had a weaker effect in BUT but a stronger effect on the Schirmer test and a better overall effect than acupuncture alone. For treatment duration, treatment longer than 1 month was more effective than shorter treatment. With regard to treatment frequency, treatment less than three times a week was more effective than more frequent treatment. In the acupoint analysis, acupuncture treatment including the BL2 and ST1 acupoints was less effective than treatment that did not include them. None of those factors reduced the heterogeneity.
conclusionsAcupuncture was more effective than AT in treating DES but showed high heterogeneity. Intervention differences did not influence the heterogeneity.
Indexed as
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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.