Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39869761›Full record

Trial reportRevista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S P2025

Ear acupuncture with laser and needles in the treatment of anxiety in university students: a randomized clinical trial.

Ana Paula da Silva Lemos, Bárbara Guimarães Lourenço, Érika de Cássia Lopes Chaves, Luana Vieira Toledo, Tânia Couto Machado Chianca, Caroline de Castro Moura

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialComparative Study
In one paragraph

Trial report in Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S P, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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

6 authors.

Ana Paula da Silva LemosUniversidade Federal de Viçosa, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Viçosa, MG, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0001-9676-4408
Bárbara Guimarães LourençoUniversidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Medicina e Enfermagem, Viçosa, MG, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0003-2417-8666
Érika de Cássia Lopes ChavesUniversidade Federal de Alfenas, Escola de Enfermagem, Alfenas, MG, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-2346-5359
Luana Vieira ToledoUniversidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Medicina e Enfermagem, Viçosa, MG, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0001-9527-7325
Tânia Couto Machado ChiancaUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Enfermagem Básica, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-8313-2791
Caroline de Castro MouraUniversidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Medicina e Enfermagem, Viçosa, MG, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0003-1224-7177

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo compare the effectiveness of ear acupuncture with laser and needles in the treatment of anxiety in university students in the post-pandemic context of Covid-19, as well as to evaluate the possible symptoms or adverse reactions triggered by the interventions.

methodRandomized clinical trial carried out with 126 university students, allocated to the "Needle" (control) and "Laser" (experimental) groups. Five ear acupuncture sessions were performed. Assessments were performed before, after the end of treatment and seven days later (follow up), through the State Anxiety Inventory and the measurement of heart and respiratory rates. The Generalized Estimating Equations were used.

resultsThere was a reduction in anxiety levels in both groups, between the initial and final assessments, and initial and follow up. There was no difference between the groups in the final and follow up. Heart rate decreased in the Needle group between the final and follow up, and initial and follow up assessments; the Laser group remained constant over time and the groups did not differ from each other between the end and follow up. There was no change over time in respiratory rate in either group and they did not differ from each other in the final and follow up assessments. There was a higher occurrence of adverse reactions in the group that received the intervention with needles, despite the mild intensity.

conclusionBoth interventions were effective in reducing anxiety levels in university students. Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry RBR-8cxnvr2.

Indexed as

Acupuncture, EarAnxietyCOVID-19Laser TherapyStudentsAdultFemaleHumansMaleNeedlesTreatment OutcomeUniversitiesYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID39869761
PMCPMC11773684

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.