Electroacupuncture for Major Depression: A Pilot Study

University Of Pittsburgh At Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Major depression is a common and serious mental illness. It is associated with a markedly lower quality of life, significant functional impairment, and premature death due to suicide or comorbid physical illness. Over the past 50 years, effective and safe treatments for major depression have been developed, including antidepressant pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, and electroconvulsive therapy. However, many Americans who suffer from a depressive disorder either do not accept to receive one of these conventional treatments or do not complete an adequate course of treatment. A growing number of Americans with depression are choosing to be treated with complementary and alternative therapies. Acupuncture, in particular, is increasingly being used to treat depression even though only limited data support its safety and efficacy. The proposed pilot study builds upon the complementary expertise of a group of investigators of conventional antidepressant treatments and a group of practitioners of alternative medicine. It will use a randomized parallel-group design to compare the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of electroacupuncture (EA) and sham electroacupuncture (SA) for the treatment of major depression. Over a 15-month period, 60 adult outpatients with a major depressive disorder of mild or moderate severity (as defined by the DSM-IV) will be randomized to either 12 sessions of EA or SA to be provided over 6 weeks. Safety and symptomatic improvement (as measured with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) will constitute the primary outcome measures. Tolerability and functional improvement will constitute secondary outcome measures. The data generated by this pilot project will be used to support the feasibility of conducting, and inform the design of, a large multicenter study comparing the efficacy of two forms of acupuncture with a conventional treatment for depression.