Efficacy and safety of scalp acupuncture for poststroke depression: A meta-analysis and systematic review

Poststroke depression (PSD) is a common clinical poststroke complication that adversely affects cognitive and physical function rehabilitation. Scalp acupuncture (SA) can significantly improve somatic dysfunction and emotional disorder in stroke patients. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of SA in the treatment of PSD.

We conducted a comprehensive search of multiple electronic databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Internet, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wan Fang Data Knowledge Service Platform, and China Biology Medicine databases until December 20, 2022, to identify randomized controlled trials investigating the efficacy of SA in the treatment of PSD. Two independent researchers screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias in the included studies based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. We performed a meta-analysis of the eligible literature using RevMan 5.4.1 and Stata 15.0 software.

This study comprised a total of 14 randomized controlled trials, 10 of which used SA and 4 of which used SA in combination with electroacupuncture therapy. The results of the meta-analysis revealed that the effective rate of the SA group was significantly higher than that of the Western medicine group (relative risk = 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.02, 1.16], P = .008). Moreover, compared to the Western medicine group, the SA group demonstrated significant improvements in Hamilton depression scale scores (mean difference = -2.29, 95% CI [-3.88, -0.70], P = .005) and neurological function deficit scores (mean difference = -3.06, 95% CI [-5.91, -0.21], P = .04). Additionally, the SA group has a lower incidence of adverse events than the western medicine group (relative risk = 0.12, 95% CI [0.05, 0.29], P < .00001).

SA has superior efficacy and safety compared to Western medicine for PSD. These findings suggest that SA could be a promising alternative treatment for the assessed condition. Due to the limited number and quality of the included literature, the above conclusions must be confirmed by additional high-quality research.