Efficacy and Safety of Intradermal Acupuncture for Major Depressive Disorder

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Major Depressive Disorder
• Interventions: Drug: SSRIs; Procedure: SIA; Procedure: AIA

• Registration Number: NCT05605002
• Lead Sponsor: Xiaomei Shao

Brief Summary

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common mental illness that severely affects the health and quality of life of patients. Treatment with acupuncture alone or a combination of appropriate adjuncts has been reported to be significantly effective in reducing the severity of MDD, relieving patients' somatic symptoms and improving sleep. This study will focus on the intradermal acupuncture, which is more convenient, gentler and has longer lasting effects. The aim is to study the efficacy and safety of intradermal acupuncture for MDD, and to preliminarily explore the central nervous mechanisms by which it exerts its therapeutic effects.

Detailed Description

A total of 90 patients with MDD who meet the inclusion criteria will be included in the study. Participants will be randomly assigned 1:1:1 to the waiting list group (patients in this group will be treated with selective 5-hydroxytryptamine reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) only), sham intradermal acupuncture combined with SSRIs (SIA) group and active intradermal acupuncture combined with SSRIs (AIA) group. The study will assess the efficacy and safety of intradermal acupuncture for MDD and examine whether intradermal acupuncture reduces side effects and improves the efficacy of SSRIs for MDD. In addition, the study will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the possible central mechanisms by which intradermal acupuncture exerts its antidepressant effects.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2022-01-01
• Study First Submitted: 2022-08-31
• Status Verified: 2022-11
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-11-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-11-02
• Study First Posted: 2022-11-03
• Last Update Posted: 2022-11-03
• Primary Completion: 2025-12-30
• Study Completion: 2025-12-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 90

Inclusion Criteria

1. Patients diagnosed with MDD according to the International Classification of Disease-10 (ICD-10);
2. Aged between 18 and 60 years (no limitation on gender);
3. No depression-related treatment in the past two weeks, except SSRIs;
4. Patients undergoing MRI and MRS should be right-handed and free of traumatic brain injury, claustrophobia or metal implants;
5. Written informed consent is obtained by the person or guardian.

Exclusion Criteria

1. ICD-10 diagnoses: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, manic episode or other psychotic disorders; alcohol and drug addiction;
2. Significant skin lesions, severe allergic diseases, tumors, and severe or unstable internal diseases involving the cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, or hematological system;
3. Acute suicidal tendency;
4. Allergy to adhesive tape and fear of intradermal acupuncture;
5. Pregnancy and lactation;
6. Mental retardation and difficult to cooperate with doctors.
7. Participating in other clinical trials.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Waiting list group	SSRIs	This group will include 30 patients with MDD who will be treated with oral SSRIs only, the dosage of which will be determined by the psychiatrist. After 6 weeks, patients could choose 6 weeks' intradermal acupuncture treatments free of charge.
SIA+SSRIs group	SSRIs	This group will include 30 patients with MDD who will be treated with sham intradermal acupuncture combined with SSRIs. Acupoints related to MDD will be stimulated by acupuncturists and the dosage of oral SSRIs will be determined by the psychiatrist.
SIA+SSRIs group	SIA	This group will include 30 patients with MDD who will be treated with sham intradermal acupuncture combined with SSRIs. Acupoints related to MDD will be stimulated by acupuncturists and the dosage of oral SSRIs will be determined by the psychiatrist.
AIA+SSRIs group	AIA	This group will include 30 patients with MDD who will be treated with active intradermal acupuncture combined with SSRIs. Acupoints related to MDD will be stimulated by acupuncturists and the dosage of oral SSRIs will be determined by the psychiatrist.
AIA+SSRIs group	SSRIs	This group will include 30 patients with MDD who will be treated with active intradermal acupuncture combined with SSRIs. Acupoints related to MDD will be stimulated by acupuncturists and the dosage of oral SSRIs will be determined by the psychiatrist.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Changes in the Hamilton Depression Scale-17 (HAMD-17) Scores	Baseline, 3 weeks after treatment, 6 weeks after treatment, at 4-week follow-up.	The HAMD scale is the most commonly used in the clinical assessment of depression, including 17 items. The higher the score, the more severe the depression. 0-7 means no depressive symptoms, 8-17 means mild depression, 18-24 was divided into moderate depression, and 25-52 was divided into severe depression.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Changes in the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) Scores	Baseline, 3 weeks after treatment, 6 weeks after treatment, at 4-week follow-up	The standard score is the total of all scores multiplied by 1.25 to the nearest whole number on this scale, which has 20 questions. A standard score below 50 is normal; 50-60 is mild depression; 61-70 is moderate depression; 70 or more is severe depression.
Changes in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Scores	Baseline, 3 weeks after treatment, 6 weeks after treatment, at 4-week follow-up	The PSQI is used to assess the sleep quality of the participant in the last 1 month and consisted of 19 self-rated and 5 other rated items. The higher the score, the worse the sleep quality. Sleep quality is divided into 4 levels according to the total score.
Changes in the Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS) Scores	Baseline, 6 weeks after treatment	The TESS is often used to assess the side effects of drugs. It contains 35 symptom items and 2 total assessment items, including behavioural toxicity, laboratory tests, autonomic nervous system, nervous and cardiovascular system, etc. Each of these symptoms is graded into 5 levels of severity (0-4), with the higher the score the more severe the side effects.
Adverse Events	Up to 10 weeks	Adverse events such as bleeding, haematoma, or unbearable pain caused by the needle, as well as drug-induced nausea, vomiting or dizziness, will all be recorded.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

the Third affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical university; 🇨🇳 Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China