Effects Of Auricular Stimulation Research Articles

Effects of auricular stimulation on weight- and obesity-related parameters: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.

Over the last three decades, the number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using stimulation of auricular vagal sensory nerves by means of electrical stimulation, auricular acupuncture, or acupressure to support weight loss has increased markedly. This systematic review focuses on the effects of auricular stimulation (AS) on anthropometric parameters and obesity-related blood chemistry. The following databases were searched until November 2021: MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), ISI Web of Science, and Scopus Database. Data collection and analysis were conducted by two reviewers independently. Quality and risk assessment of included studies was performed using the risk of bias tool of the Cochrane Handbook, and the meta-analysis of the effect of the most frequently assessed biomarkers was conducted using the statistical software RevMan. The full texts of 1,274 studies were screened; 22 contained data on obesity-related outcomes, and 15 trials with 1,333 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The overall quality of the included trials was moderate. AS significantly reduced body mass index (BMI) (mean difference (MD) = -0.38 BMI points, 95% CI (-0.55 to -0.22), p < 0.0001), weight (MD = -0.66 kg, 95% CI (-1.12 to -0.20), p = 0.005), waist circumference (MD = -1.44 cm, 95% CI (-2.69 to -0.20), p = 0.02), leptin, insulin, and HOMA insulin resistance compared to controls. No significant reduction was found in body fat, hip circumference, ratio of waist/hip circumference, cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, adiponectin, ghrelin, and glucose levels. The AS was safe throughout the trials, with only minor adverse reactions. The study results suggest that a reduction of weight and BMI can be achieved by AS in obese patients; however, the size of the effect does not appear to be of clinical relevance. The effects might be underestimated due to active sham trials. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021231885.

Effect of Auricular Stimulation on Locomotion in Patients With Parkinson's Disease

Effect of Auricular Stimulation on Locomotion in Patients With Parkinson's Disease

Effects of auricular stimulation on obese women: A randomized, controlled clinical trial

Aim of the studyTo investigate the therapeutic effect of different auricular acupoint stimulations on obese women. MethodologyThe subjects who met our inclusion criteria were randomly allocated to receive auricular stimulations by needles or metal beads or sham auricular acupuncture on each ear alternatively at each treatment. The inclusion criteria included body mass index (BMI)>27kg/m2 and taking no weight-control treatments in the two months before and throughout the study. The outcomes evaluated included: physical parameters, biochemical characteristics using blood samples, obesity-related hormone peptides and life quality scores at both baseline and after 4-weeksof treatment for comparison. ResultsThough our results showed no significant differences in any of the outcome measures between the three groups after treatment, but there were significant reductions in body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumferences within the groups receiving needles and metal beads auricular stimulations (p<0.05 and p<0.001, respectively. N=30 in each group). Furthermore, there was a 1.9-unit reduction in insulin-resistance level in the auricular acupuncture group, and a 41.3pg/ml decrease in ghrelin level in the metal beads auricular stimulation group. ConclusionsThe group receiving metal beads auricular stimulation showed a decreasing trend similar to that of the auricular acupuncture group, indicating that metal beads could replace needles when using auricular acupoint stimulation as obesity adjuvant treatment with less adverse effects. Our pilot study obtained findings worthy of further and more in-depth research.

Can the Up-to-date Research in Neurophysiology of the Outer Ear Explain the Therapeutic Effects of Auricular Stimulation?

Clinical reproducible phenomena have to be explained not only by hypothesis but by a real scientific validation. This is the case for auriculotherapy discovered by Paul Nogier [1]. In fact, it could seem strange for a non-specialist medical colleague to accept the idea that it is possible to observe some clinical improvement after a puncture with a needle on the skin of the ear pavilion. The goal of this paper is to try to demonstrate that, at present, we already have enough valid scientific data accessible to justify the clinical use of auriculotherapy for diagnostic as well as therapeutic purposes.

Effects of auricular stimulation on feeding-related hypothalamic neuronal activity in normal and obese rats

It is known that auriculotherapy occasionally affects dramatic body weight reduction for obese patients, although the physiological and anorexigenic functions are not clear. Effects of auricular stimulation on feeding-related lateral (LHA) and ventromedial (VMH) hypothalamic neuronal activity in normal and experimental (hypothalamic and dietary) obese rats were investigated. The LHA and/or VMH neuronal activity were recorded from feeding-related regions in Wistar SPFNAF male and experimental (hypothalamic and dietary) obese rats, anesthetized with urethane-chloralose, under stereotaxic coordination. Recording was through 3 M KCI glass microelectrodes, while stimulating the ipsilateral vagal innervated region of the auricle. This is equivalent to the cavum conchae in the human, and was identified by resistance less than 10–50 kπ The stimulating electrode was a stainless steel ear acupuncture (0.12 x 2.0 mm). The latency of potentials evoked in the LHA by unilateral stimulation of a specific site in the ear was 28.1 ± 3.3 ms (8–92, n = 41). LHA neuronal activity was depressed 45.6% ( n = 12, p < 0.01, and VMH activity was excited (60.5%, n = 18, p < 0.01. The auricular acupuncture stimulation clearly modulates feeding-related hypothalamic neuronal activity of experimental (both hypothalamic and dietary) obese rats. These auricle acupuncture stimulation effects were correlated to the degree of obesity. In conclusion, the results suggest that auricular acupuncture stimulation may not reduce appetite, but is more likely concerned with satiation formation and preservation. Thus, auricular acupuncture should be more effective on obese rats than on normal rats.

Does hypothalamic neuronal activity modulate by the auricular stimulation on experimental obese rats?

It has been known that an auriculotherapy occasionally affected dramatic body weight reduction for obese patients, although its physiological and anorexigenic functions are not clear. Effects of auricular st imulation on feeding related lateral (LHA) and ventromedial (VMH) hypothalamic neuronal activity in the normal and experimental ( hypothalamic and dietary ) obese rats were investigated. The LHA and/or VMH neuronal activity were recorded from feeding related region , on the Wistar SPF/VAF male and experimental (hypothalamic and dietary) obese rats, anesthetized with urethane-chloralose, under stereotaxic co-ordination. Recording was through 3M-KCI micro-glass electrode, while stimulating the ipsilateral vagal innervated region of the auricle. This is equivalent to the cavum conchae in human, and was identified by resistance less than 10-50 kilo-ohm. The stimulating electrode was a stainless-steel ear acupuncture (0.12 x 2.0 mm). Results showed that the latency of potentials evoked in the LHA by unilateral stimulation of a specific site in the ear, was 28.1+/-3.3 ms (8-92, n=41). LHA neuronal activity was suppressed ( 45.6%, n=12, p<0.01), and VMH activity was excited ( 60.5%, n=18, p<0.01). The auricular acupuncture stimulation can clearly modulated feeding related hypothalamic neuronal activity of experimental, both hypothalamic and dietary, obese rats. These auricle acupuncture stimulation effects were correlated to the degree of obesity. In conclusion, the results suggest that auricular acupuncture stimulation may not reduced appetite reducing, but is more likely to be concerned with satiation formation and preservation. Thus, auricular acupuncture should be more effective onobese rats than on normal rats.

The inhibitory action of calcitonin on food intake and neuronal activities of lateral hypothalamic chemosensitive neurons in rats

It is known that auriculotherapy occasionally affects dramatic body weight reduction for obese patients, although the physiological and anorexigenic functions are not clear. Effects of auricular stimulation on feeding-related lateral (LHA) and ventromedial (VMH) hypothalamic neuronal activity in normal and experimental (hypothalamic and dietary) obese rats were investigated. The LHA and/or VMH neuronal activity were recorded from feeding-related regions in Wistar SPFNAF male and experimental (hypothalamic and dietary) obese rats, anesthetized with urethane-chloralose, under stereotaxic coordination. Recording was through 3 M KCI glass microelectrodes, while stimulating the ipsilateral vagal innervated region of the auricle. This is equivalent to the cavum conchae in the human, and was identified by resistance less than 10–50 kπ The stimulating electrode was a stainless steel ear acupuncture (0.12 x 2.0 mm). The latency of potentials evoked in the LHA by unilateral stimulation of a specific site in the ear was 28.1 ± 3.3 ms (8–92, n = 41). LHA neuronal activity was depressed 45.6% (n = 12, p < 0.01, and VMH activity was excited (60.5%, n = 18, p < 0.01. The auricular acupuncture stimulation clearly modulates feeding-related hypothalamic neuronal activity of experimental (both hypothalamic and dietary) obese rats. These auricle acupuncture stimulation effects were correlated to the degree of obesity. In conclusion, the results suggest that auricular acupuncture stimulation may not reduce appetite, but is more likely concerned with satiation formation and preservation. Thus, auricular acupuncture should be more effective on obese rats than on normal rats.