[Effects of acupoint specificity on claustrophobia]

To observe the effectiveness of acupuncture on claustrophobia, and to explore the effects of acupoint specificity on claustrophobia.

This was an evaluator-blinded randomized controlled trial. One hundred and sixty patients who presented with claustrophobia during magnetic resonance imaging examination were randomized into an acupoint group, a non-acupoint group, a sham-acupoint group and a blank group, 40 cases in each one. The patients in the acupoint group were treated with acupuncture at Zhaohai (KI 6), Taichong (LR 3), Lingdao (HT 4), Neiguan (PC 6), Shenmen (HT 7), Danzhong (CV 17), Baihui (GV 20) and Fengchi (GB 20). The patients in the non-acupoint group were treated with acupuncture at points 0.5 cun next to the acupoints above. The patients in the sham-acupoint group were treated with acupuncture at acupoints not closely correlated to claustrophobia in corresponding segment. All the acupuncture was given once. No treatment was used in the blank group. The state anxiety questionnaire (S-AI) was observed in all the patients at the end of MRI examination before and after treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared among four groups.

Compared before treatment, the S-AI score was reduced in the acupoint group, non-acupoint group and sham-acupoint group after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01); the differences of S-AI score before and after treatment in the blank group were not statistically significant (P>0.05). After treatment, the S-AI scores in the acupoint group, non-acupoint group and sham-acupoint group was lower than that in the blank group (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the differences of S-AI score were higher than that in the blank group (P<0.01). The S-AI score in the acupoint group was lower than that in the non-acupoint group and sham-acupoint group (P<0.05), and the difference of S-AI score was higher than those in the non-acupoint group and sham-acupoint group (P<0.05). The difference of S-AI score in the non-acupoint group was higher than that in sham-acupoint group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 92.5% (37/40) in the acupoint group, which was significantly superior to 25.0% (10/40) in the non- acupoint group, 17.5% (7/40) in the sham-acupoint group and 5.0% (2/40) in the blank group (P<0.05, P<0.01).

Acupuncture showes superior effect on claustrophobia, and its tranquilizing effect may be related with acupoint specificity.