Beeinflusst Akupunktur die autonom kardiale Regulation bei Patienten mit leichten depressiven Episoden oder Angststörungen?

Abstract

We undertook this study to evaluate the effects of needle acupuncture on cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) function in patients with minor depression or anxiety disorder. Patients (n = 36) were randomly distributed into a verum acupuncture (VA) group (needles were applied at classical acupuncture points, e. g. He7, Pe6, Du20, Bl62, Ex6) or a placebo (PL) group (needles were applied only epidermal at non-acupuncture points). Both groups underwent standardized measurements of the 5-minute resting heart rate variability (HRV), which were performed before the first and after the 9th acupuncture session of an acupuncture series, and also three times (before the start and 5, respectively, 15 minutes after needle application) during the third acupuncture session. Demographic data between the VA and PL group did not differ. Before the start of acupuncture there were also no significant differences in HRV data between these groups. Compared to PL the VA group showed a significant decrease of the mean resting heart rate both, 5 and 15 minutes after needle application, combined with a trend towards an increase of the high frequency (HF; 0.15 - 0.4 Hz) and a decrease of the low frequency (LF; 0.04 - 0.15 Hz) spectral power. The latter effects resulted in an overall significant decrease of the mean LF/HF ratio in VA compared to PL treated patients. This pattern of findings suggests that in patients with minor depression or anxiety only verum acupuncture 1.) leads to a relative increase of cardiovagal modulation of heart rate and 2.) facilitates the physiological regulatory ANS function in response to alterations of external or internal environment. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Clinical Teleacupuncture between China and Austria Using Heart Rate Variability in Patients with Depression

“…In the third paper from 2001, Sakai et al [16] included HRV in a general concept of behavioural health services, and the authors reported HRV as a useful parameter. In 2003, Agelink et al [17] also undertook a study to evaluate the effects of needle acupuncture on cardiac autonomic nervous system function in patients with minor depression or anxiety disorders. In contrast to our 22 patients, the 36 patients from that group were randomly distributed into a verum acupuncture group and a placebo group.…”

Biomedical Teleacupuncture between China and Austria Using Heart Rate Variability—Part 2: Patients with Depression

“…Figure 3). In the study by Agelink et al [19], this effect was only significant in verum acupuncture in patients with minor depression or anxiety. Therefore, a relative increase of cardiovagal modulation of heart rate and physiological regulatory effects due to acupuncture stimulation could be detected in the present study, which confirms the results of other authors [19], although the acupuncture schemes were different (He.7 Shenmen and PC7 Neiguan [19] versus PC5 Jianshi [2] and GV20 Baihui (this study)).…”

“…In the third paper in 2001, Sakai et al [18] included HRV in a general concept of behavioural health services, and the authors reported HRV as a useful parameter. In 2003, Agelink et al [19] also undertook a study to evaluate the effects of needle acupuncture on cardiac autonomic nervous system function in patients with minor depression or anxiety disorders. In contrast to our 33 patients, the 36 patients from that group were randomly distributed into a verum acupuncture group and a placebo group.…”

Quality of life, sense of coherence and experiences with three different treatments in patients with psychological distress in primary care: a mixed-methods study

“…Acupuncture has been seen as a complex but tolerable non-pharmacological intervention [34]. The effects of acupuncture on psychological distress are not fully understood, but according to studies [67,68], these symptoms generally depend on disorders of the autonomic cardiac control system, with excess sympathetic and reduced parasympathetic regulation. General mental health improvement depends on multiple factors, including acupuncture’s anxiety-relieving effects [41,44], which are of the greatest value [67,68]; moreover, the clinical effects on the autonomic nervous system have been confirmed [69,70].…”

“…The effects of acupuncture on psychological distress are not fully understood, but according to studies [67,68], these symptoms generally depend on disorders of the autonomic cardiac control system, with excess sympathetic and reduced parasympathetic regulation. General mental health improvement depends on multiple factors, including acupuncture’s anxiety-relieving effects [41,44], which are of the greatest value [67,68]; moreover, the clinical effects on the autonomic nervous system have been confirmed [69,70]. The relationship between the autonomic cardiac control system and acupuncture could help to explain the mechanism of acupuncture’s effects on treating psychological distress [71], and in the relationship between SOC and cardiac autonomic activity, a higher SOC score was positively correlated with parasympathetic regulation [72].…”