TY - JOUR
T1 - Electroacupuncture for tapering off long-term benzodiazepine use
T2 - A randomized controlled trial
AU - Yeung, Wing Fai
AU - Chung, Ka Fai
AU - Zhang, Zhang Jin
AU - Zhang, Shi Ping
AU - Chan, Wai Chi
AU - Ng, Roger Man Kin
AU - Chan, Connie Lai Wah
AU - Ho, Lai Ming
AU - Yu, Branda Yee Man
AU - Chau, Janet Ching Sum
AU - Lau, Novella Chi Ling
AU - Lao, Li Xing
N1 - Funding Information:
This work is supported by the Health and Medical Research Fund of Food and Health Bureau, Hong Kong SAR (HMRF No. 12133661), the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The sponsor had no role in the study design, analysis, interpretation, or manuscript writing of this study.
Publisher copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
PY - 2019/2
Y1 - 2019/2
N2 - Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of using electroacupuncture as an adjunct treatment in enhancing the benzodiazepine cessation rate in long-term benzodiazepine users. Methods: This was a randomized, assessor- and subject-blinded, controlled trial. One hundred and forty-four long-term benzodiazepine users were randomly assigned to receive either electroacupuncture or placebo acupuncture (a sham itervention using non-invasive placebo needles) combined with a gradual benzodiazepine tapering schedule for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the cessation rate of benzodiazepine use. Subjects were assessed on their benzodiazepine usage, benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms, insomnia severity, and anxiety and depressive symptoms at baseline, week 6 and week 16. Results: The cessation rates of the electroacupuncture and placebo acupuncture groups at 12 weeks post-treatment were 9.17% and 10.83%, respectively. Both groups showed a reduction in benzodiazepine usage by a self-completed drug record at week 16 (compared to baseline: electroacupuncture group −40.23% versus placebo acupuncture group −48.76%). However, no significant between-group differences were found in the benzodiazepine cessation rate, reduction in benzodiazepine usage, and other secondary measures across all the study time points. Conclusions: Electroacupuncture showed a similar cessation rate in benzodiazepine use to that of non-invasive placebo acupuncture in long-term users during a 4-week gradual tapering schedule. The evidence did not support advantages of electroacupuncture over non-invasive placebo acupuncture on reducing insomnia, anxiety, depression, or other withdrawal symptoms during the gradual tapering schedule. Despite a 40% decrease in the benzodiazepine usage in both groups, the effects may be attributed to the non-specific effects of acupuncture.
AB - Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of using electroacupuncture as an adjunct treatment in enhancing the benzodiazepine cessation rate in long-term benzodiazepine users. Methods: This was a randomized, assessor- and subject-blinded, controlled trial. One hundred and forty-four long-term benzodiazepine users were randomly assigned to receive either electroacupuncture or placebo acupuncture (a sham itervention using non-invasive placebo needles) combined with a gradual benzodiazepine tapering schedule for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the cessation rate of benzodiazepine use. Subjects were assessed on their benzodiazepine usage, benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms, insomnia severity, and anxiety and depressive symptoms at baseline, week 6 and week 16. Results: The cessation rates of the electroacupuncture and placebo acupuncture groups at 12 weeks post-treatment were 9.17% and 10.83%, respectively. Both groups showed a reduction in benzodiazepine usage by a self-completed drug record at week 16 (compared to baseline: electroacupuncture group −40.23% versus placebo acupuncture group −48.76%). However, no significant between-group differences were found in the benzodiazepine cessation rate, reduction in benzodiazepine usage, and other secondary measures across all the study time points. Conclusions: Electroacupuncture showed a similar cessation rate in benzodiazepine use to that of non-invasive placebo acupuncture in long-term users during a 4-week gradual tapering schedule. The evidence did not support advantages of electroacupuncture over non-invasive placebo acupuncture on reducing insomnia, anxiety, depression, or other withdrawal symptoms during the gradual tapering schedule. Despite a 40% decrease in the benzodiazepine usage in both groups, the effects may be attributed to the non-specific effects of acupuncture.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85057326851&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.11.015
DO - 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.11.015
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 30504097
AN - SCOPUS:85057326851
SN - 0022-3956
VL - 109
SP - 59
EP - 67
JO - Journal of Psychiatric Research
JF - Journal of Psychiatric Research
ER -
