Randomized controlled trial of electro-acupuncture for autism spectrum disorder
Virginia C N Wong1, Wen-Xiong Chen
1Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. vcnwong@hku.hk
Insights
Electro-acupuncture shows promise for improving specific functions in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This short-term treatment enhanced language comprehension and self-care abilities in children with ASD.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Integrative Medicine
Background:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) presents complex developmental challenges.
- Current interventions for ASD have varying degrees of efficacy and accessibility.
- Novel therapeutic approaches are needed to address core ASD symptoms and improve quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and compliance of short-term electro-acupuncture (EA) in children diagnosed with ASD.
- To compare the effects of EA with sham electro-acupuncture (SEA) in a pediatric ASD population.
- To identify specific functional domains improved by EA treatment in children with ASD.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial was conducted.
- Children with ASD were assigned to either an EA group (n=30) or an SEA group (n=25).
- Intervention involved 12 sessions over four weeks, with outcomes assessed using WeeFIM, PEDI, Leiter-R, CGI-I, ABC, RFRLS, RDLS, and parental reports.
Main Results:
- The EA group demonstrated significant improvements in language comprehension (WeeFIM) and self-care (PEDI) compared to the SEA group.
- Parental reports indicated significant enhancements in social initiation, receptive language, motor skills, and attention span in the EA group.
- Over 70% of children tolerated acupuncture well, with mild side effects such as minor bleeding or irritability reported in a small percentage.
Conclusions:
- A brief, four-week course of electro-acupuncture can effectively improve specific functional abilities in children with ASD.
- EA therapy shows particular benefit for enhancing language comprehension and self-care skills.
- The treatment appears safe and generally well-tolerated by children with ASD, suggesting its potential as a complementary therapy.
Objective:
To study the efficacy, safety, and compliance of short-term electro-acupuncture for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Design:
Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, clinical trial.
Subjects And Methods:
Children with ASD were randomly assigned to an electro-acupuncture (EA) group (n=30) or a sham electro-acupuncture (SEA) group (n=25) matched by age and severity of autism. The EA group received electro-acupuncture for selected acupoints while the SEA group received sham electro-acupuncture to sham acupoints. A total of 12 EA and SEA sessions over four weeks were given. Primary outcome measures included Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM), Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised (Leiter-R), and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scale. Secondary outcome measures consisted of Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), Ritvo-Freeman Real Life Scale (RFRLS), Reynell Developmental Language Scale (RDLS), and a standardized parental report. Data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test.
Results:
There were significant improvements in the language comprehension domain of WeeFIM (p=0.02), self-care caregiver assistant domain of PEDI (p=0.028), and CGI-I (p=0.003) in the EA group compared to the SEA group. As for the parental report, the EA group also showed significantly better social initiation (p=0.01), receptive language (p=0.006), motor skills (p=0.034), coordination (p=0.07), and attention span (p=0.003). More than 70 percent of children with ASD adapted to acupuncture easily, while eight percent had poor acupuncture compliance. Mild side effects of minor superficial bleeding or irritability during acupuncture were observed.
Conclusion:
A short, four-week (12 sessions) course of electro-acupuncture is useful to improve specific functions in children with ASD, especially for language comprehension and self-care ability.
