Swedish University strarts clinical trial of Auricular Acupuncture as an add-on Treatment for Symptoms of Anxiety

Photo by Katherine Hanlon

Uppsala University is starting a new clinical trial of Auricular Acupuncture as an add-on Treatment for Symptoms of Anxiety.

Mental illness is very common in todays' society, and it is the most common cause for sick leave in Sweden. Affective diseases, such as different states of anxiety and depression, are the two most common conditions of mental illness that has been reported by different workplaces in Sweden. Pharmacological treatment of anxiety using benzodiazepines, tends to be long, and it may lead to substance dependence, as well as severe side effects such as increased anxiety levels, cognitive impact and psychomotor effects. The Swedish Council on Health Technology Assessment (SBU) have identified that there are scientific knowledge gaps that needs to be filled regarding the mental illness care, such as anxiety. There is a need for evaluations of non-pharmacological, complementary treatments as well as research with a high methodological quality.

Acupuncture is a nonpharmacological treatment method based on complementary medicine, for which interest has increased over the last years. It has, to some extent, been introduced in the ordinary health care system. Auricular acupuncture (AA) is a branch of acupuncture where needles are inserted in different areas in the outer ears AA has been used to treat anxiety as well as vid depression and post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) among veterans. A standardised insertion pattern, defined as the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) protocol, is normally practised, and it has also been used to treat insomnia. Evaluations has shown that AA according to the NADA-protocol has a calming effect and seem to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression and to some extent, also sleeping difficulties. The aim of this study is to study and evaluate effects of AA as an add-on treatment to treatment as usual (TaU) within affective outpatient care for patients suffering from symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The aim of this study is to study and evaluate effects of AA as an add-on treatment to treatment as usual (TaU) within affective outpatient care regarding:

• Anxiety/depression: is the treatment symptom relieving?
• Does it change the participants' intake addictive drugs (i.e. benzodiazepines)?
•  Sleep: Is there some improvement in any sleep disorders that are linked to the basic problem?
• Do the treatment effects persist 6 months after the treatment has ended?

The clinical trial started in January 2, 2020 and will continue throughout January 2023.

The patients that can be enrolled into this study include:

• men and women aged 18 – 75
• diagnosis within the anxiety syndrome area
• post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) with mixed symptoms of anxiety and depression (F.309.28).

The contacts and locations are the Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.

For more details: https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT04654884