Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Acupuncture for schizophrenia.

J Rathbone1, J Xia

  • 1University of Leeds, University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, 15 Hyde Terrace, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK LS2 9LT. jrathbone@cochrane-sz.org

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|October 20, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Retraction notice to "Streamflow calculation for medium-to-small rivers in data scarce inland areas" [Sci. Total Environ. 693 (2019) 33571].

The Science of the total environment·2026
Same author

First Detection of Ultrahigh Energy Emission from Gamma-Ray Binary LS I +61° 303.

Physical review letters·2026
Same author

Evidence of Cosmic-Ray Acceleration up to Sub-PeV Energies in the Supernova Remnant IC 443.

Physical review letters·2026
Same author

[Comparison of the efficacy and safety of 36 000 IU vs. 40 000 IU recombinant human erythropoietin for the treatment of cancer-related anemia: a multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial].

Zhonghua zhong liu za zhi [Chinese journal of oncology]·2026
Same author

[Distribution of potential suitable habitats for <i>Haemaphysalis longicornis</i> in Nanjing City based on the maximum entropy model].

Zhongguo xue xi chong bing fang zhi za zhi = Chinese journal of schistosomiasis control·2026
Same author

Neutron-Multiplicity Measurement in Muon Capture on Oxygen Nuclei in the Gadolinium-Loaded Super-Kamiokande Detector.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Interventions to prevent or cease electronic cigarette use in children and adolescents.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Drugs to improve anaemia, quality of life, and physical function in people with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Interventions for smoking cessation in inpatient psychiatry settings.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Mechanical thromboprophylaxis for preventing intradialytic hypotension in people undergoing maintenance haemodialysis.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Prognostic models for predicting intensive care unit admission or mortality in critically ill adults not yet been admitted to the intensive care unit.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Views and experiences of weight management for people living with mobility‑limiting conditions, intellectual disabilities or severe mental illness: a qualitative evidence synthesis.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
See all related articles

Acupuncture appears safe for schizophrenia treatment, with fewer side effects than antipsychotics. However, current evidence is insufficient to recommend its use due to inadequate study design and participant numbers.

Area of Science:

  • Integrative Medicine
  • Psychiatry
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Acupuncture is a safe intervention with fewer adverse effects compared to antipsychotic drugs.
  • The efficacy of acupuncture for schizophrenia treatment remains unclear, necessitating further research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and related psychoses.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted systematic searches of the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's register up to April 2005.
  • Included randomized controlled trials comparing acupuncture (including electro-acupuncture and laser-acupuncture) against placebo, no treatment, or antipsychotic drugs.
  • Extracted data independently and performed statistical analyses, including relative risk (RR) and weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Five trials were included. Acupuncture monotherapy showed equivocal results for global state and study dropout compared to antipsychotics, but significantly reduced extrapyramidal adverse events (RR 0.05, NNT 2).
  • Combination therapy (acupuncture plus antipsychotics) showed benefits in short-term BPRS scores (WMD -4.31), depression (HAMD: WMD -10.41, NNT 2; ZDS: WMD -24.25), and reduced treatment-emergent adverse events (WMD -0.50), though these findings were based on small, single studies.
  • Overall, results for global state and study dropout were equivocal when comparing combination therapy to antipsychotics alone.

Conclusions:

  • Insufficient evidence exists to recommend acupuncture for schizophrenia treatment.
  • Inadequate participant numbers and blinding in existing studies limit definitive conclusions.
  • More comprehensive, well-designed randomized controlled trials are required to establish the efficacy of acupuncture for schizophrenia.