Standards For Reporting Interventions In Clinical Trials Of Acupuncture Research Articles

Effects of acupuncture synchronized rehabilitation therapy on upper limb motor and sensory function after stroke: a study protocol for a single-center, 2 × 2 factorial design, randomized controlled trial.

Upper limb function reconstruction has been an important issue in the field of stroke rehabilitation. Due to the complexity of upper extremity dysfunction in stroke patients, the clinical efficacy produced by central or peripheral stimulation alone is limited. For this reason, our group has proposed acupuncture synchronized rehabilitation therapy (ASRT), i.e., simultaneous scalp acupuncture and intradermal acupuncture during rehabilitation. Pre-experiments results showed that this therapy can effectively improve the motor and sensory functions of upper limbs in post-stroke patients, but the clinical efficacy and safety of ASRT need to be further verified, and whether there is a synergistic effect between scalp acupuncture and intradermal acupuncture also needs to be studied in depth. Therefore, we designed a randomized controlled trial to compare the efficacy and safety of different therapies to explore a more scientific "synchronous treatment model." This is a single-center, randomized controlled trial using a 2 × 2 factorial design. We will recruit 136 stroke survivors with upper extremity dysfunction and randomize them into four groups (n = 34). All subjects will undergo routine treatment, based on which the Experimental Group 1: rehabilitation training synchronized with intradermal acupuncture treatment of the affected upper limb; Experimental Group 2: rehabilitation training of the affected upper limb synchronized with focal-side scalp acupuncture treatment, and Experimental Group 3: rehabilitation training synchronized with intradermal acupuncture treatment of the affected upper limb synchronized with focal-side scalp acupuncture treatment; Control Group: rehabilitation training of the affected upper limb only. The intervention will last for 4 weeks, 5 times a week. Both acupuncture treatments will be performed according to the Revised Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA). The primary outcome indicators for this trial are Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity and Somatosensory Evoked Potential. Secondary outcome indicators include Wolf Motor Function Test, Upper Extremity Function Test, revised Nottingham Sensory Assessment Scale, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, and Modified Barthel Index. The incidence of adverse events will be used as the indicator of safety. The study will provide high-quality clinical evidence on whether ASRT improves upper limb motor and sensory function and activities of daily living (ADL) in stroke patients, and determine whether scalp acupuncture and intradermal acupuncture have synergistic effects. https://www.chictr.org.cn/, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry [ChiCTR2200066646].

ACURATE: A Guide for Reporting Sham Controls in Trials Using Acupuncture

ACURATE: A Guide for Reporting Sham Controls in Trials Using Acupuncture

Research status and prospects of acupuncture for autism spectrum disorders.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder and has a predilection for children. Its symptoms, such as lifelong social communication deficits and repetitive sensory-motor behaviors, put a huge burden on the patient's family and society. Currently, there is no cure for ASD, and some medications that can improve its symptoms are often accompanied by adverse effects. Among many complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, acupuncture has shown promising application potential, but after years of practice, it has not been recognized as the preferred CAM therapy for ASD. Therefore, we analyzed and discussed the clinical study reports of acupuncture in the treatment of ASD in the past 15 years from the aspects of study subjects, group setting, intervention modalities, acupoint selection, outcome evaluation, and safety. The data accumulated at present are not sufficient to support the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture in ASD and to justify its use in clinical practice. They provide, however, initial evidence of possible effectiveness and encourage further investigation in order to reach firm conclusions. Based on a comprehensive analysis, we believed that following the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) and Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT), screening the optimal combination of acupoints applying a rigorous scientific study design, and performing the related functional experiments may be the effective way to convincingly test the hypothesis that acupuncture may be beneficial in ASD patients. The significance of this review is to provide a reference for researchers to carry out high-quality clinical trials of acupuncture in the treatment of ASD from the perspective of the combination of modern medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.

ACURATE: A guide for reporting sham controls in trials using acupuncture

This paper presents the Acupuncture Controls gUideline for Reporting humAn Trials and Experiments (ACURATE) checklist, an extension of The Consolidated Standards for Reporting of Trials (CONSORT) and to be used along with STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) when both real and sham acupuncture needles are used in the study. This checklist focuses on a clear depiction of sham needling procedures to enhance replicability and enable a precise appraisal. We encourage researchers to use ACURATE in trials and reviews involving sham acupuncture to assist reporting of sham acupuncture procedures and the related components.

The effects of acupuncture therapy in migraine: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis.

Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging studies indicated that acupuncture could activate the brain regions in patients with migraine. However, these studies showed inconsistent results. This activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis aimed to investigate the consistent activated change of brain regions between pre- and post-acupuncture treatment in migraineurs. We conducted a literature search in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, the Wanfang Database, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database from their inception to 18 August, 2022, to obtain articles assessing the functional magnetic resonance imaging changes of acupuncture for migraine. Two investigators independently performed literature selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. The methodological quality was assessed with a modified version of the checklist. The reporting quality of interventions among included studies was evaluated by the Revised Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA). Our meta-analysis was conducted according to the GingerALE software. The Jackknife sensitivity analysis was used to assess the robustness of the results. 14 articles were finally included according to the eligible criteria. Regarding the immediate effect of acupuncture on migraine, the ALE meta-analysis demonstrated that the deactivation regions were mainly located in the superior frontal gyrus, and middle frontal gyrus (uncorrected P < 0.001). The ALE meta-analysis of the cumulative effect showed that the activation regions were the thalamus, superior frontal gyrus, posterior lobe of the cerebellum, insula, middle frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, anterior cingulate, and the deactivation brain regions were located in the transverse temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, anterior cingulate, parahippocampal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, and inferior occipital gyrus (uncorrected P < 0.001). Acupuncture could activate multiple brain areas related with the regulation of pain conduction, processing, emotion, cognition, and other brain regions in patients with migraine. In the future, the combination of multiple imaging technologies could be a new approach to deeply investigate the central mechanism of acupuncture for migraine.

The treatment of post-stroke dysarthria with a combination of different acupuncture types and language rehabilitation training: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

This study used a network meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of various different acupuncture types and language rehabilitation training on post-stroke dysarthria (PSD), and examined the possible mechanisms involved. There are often clinical studies comparing the effects of different acupuncture methods on dysarthria after stroke. The efficacy of these methods can be ranked by network meta-analysis. This is necessary for clinical acupoints selection. The results of this study illustrated the comparison of the therapeutic effects of 6 different acupuncture types, which can provide some reference for clinical acupoints selection and research. A comprehensive search for clinical studies related to the use of acupuncture to treat PSD was conducted in eight English and Chinese databases. Patients were divided into six groups based on the acupoints selected, namely, tongue, neck, scalp, body, combination, and traditional acupuncture. The recovery of neurological function in the patients was assessed based on the curative impact and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Cochrane risk bias assessment tool and the STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) criteria. A network meta-analysis was performed using the network-meta package of Stata 15.1 software based on frequency. The heterogeneity test, consistency test, head-to-head mixed comparison, efficacy ranking, and publication bias study were all performed. A total of 47 studies were finally included. There was a total of 4,197 patients in the eligible studies. The model for network meta-analysis proved robust, with minimal heterogeneity and high consistency. Combined acupuncture combined with language rehabilitation training was the most effective in treating dysarthria symptoms, followed by tongue acupuncture (TA) and nape acupuncture (NA). In addition, the combined effect of acupuncture and language training was superior to that of acupuncture alone. In terms of recovery of nerve function, traditional acupuncture and body acupuncture were more effective. To facilitate the recovery of nerve function, increasing the frequency of acupoints is necessary. Combined acupuncture may have the most beneficial healing effect on PSD, followed by acupuncture of the tongue and the nape of the neck. In terms of recovery of nerve function, traditional acupuncture and body acupuncture may have more effective.

Development of Provisional Acupuncture Guidelines for Pelvic Pain in Endometriosis Using an e-Delphi Consensus Process.

Introduction: Growing evidence suggests that acupuncture can improve pelvic pain in women with endometriosis. The treatments used in research vary considerably. It remains unclear which treatment could be recommended for clinical practice. This research project aimed at clarifying how acupuncture could be used when treating this condition. Methods: This research comprised two phases: a systematized literature review to extract acupuncture treatment details from published research, and an e-Delphi study to gain knowledge about details as used by expert acupuncturists. Review: Four databases were searched using predefined eligibility criteria. Data were extracted based on the STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) criteria. e-Delphi: Purposeful sampling from colleagues and international experts. An open first round gathered qualitative data, analyzed with the Framework method. In rounds 2 and 3, experts rated statements to build group consensus, defined as a rating of ≥5 on a 7-point Likert scale by ≥70% of the experts. The strength of agreement was graded using the median score and interquartile range. Results from the literature review and the e-Delphi were compared using the STRICTA items. Results: The literature review (n = 29 unique studies) found a wide range of treatment details with little agreement. The e-Delphi of international experts (n = 20) resulted in agreement on 94 statements (such as key factors for effectiveness); disagreement on a further 29 (such as acupressure); and absence of consensus on 55 statements (such as the number of needle insertions). A comparison of the review and e-Delphi results found little agreement. Conclusions: Details of acupuncture treatment for endometriosis-related pelvic pain were presented. In the absence of acupuncture guidelines for this condition, the researchers of this e-Delphi recommend using the treatment details on which experts agreed as guidance for good practice. The effectiveness of these guidelines should be evaluated in future research. Study registration: Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien, DRKS00022215, June 30, 2020, retrospectively registered.

Comparative analysis of the reporting guidelines on simulated acupuncture in randomized controlled trials of acupuncture

The standardized reports of simulated acupuncture control are conductive to understanding and replicating the control method for researchers and readers. At present, the reporting quality of the simulated control in the clinical research of acupuncture is low and there is not a guideline, specification or standard specifically for the report of simulated acupuncture control. In this article, we compared in-depth the checklists between STRICTA (standards for reporting interventions in clinical trials of acupuncture) and TIDieR-Placebo (a guide and checklist for reporting placebo and sham controls), and assessed their applicability in acupuncture clinical research. The checklist of STRICTA is a particular standard for reporting acupuncture intervention measures, including the items of acupuncture control, especially the reporting of the details in acupuncture control; while, the checklist of TIDieR-Placebo is for the comprehensive reporting of placebo or sham control, covering a wider range of content. It specifies the overall reporting of the placebo control setting, intervention delivery and blindness assessment. Although both of the checklists provide a certain reference for reporting simulated acupuncture, they are not applicable for adequately reporting the simulated acupuncture control. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a specific guideline for reporting simulated acupuncture control so as to improve the reporting quality.

Effects of Acupuncture on Enhancing Muscle Strength: A Systematic Review

A systematic literature search was performed on electronic databases from inception to 2021. The risk of bias was assessed by two reviewers (SB and BL). The PEDro scale was used to assess the methodological quality of the RCTs and the standards for reporting interventions in clinical trials of acupuncture (STRICTA) was used to assess the quality of the acupuncture intervention. This systematic review is reported according to the PRISMA guidelines.

Is Acupuncture Safe and Effective Treatment for Migraine? A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Migraine is a debilitating condition that places a substantial economic burden on society and seriously affects patients' quality of life. Currently, there is no known "cure" for migraines, and pharmacologic treatments or prophylaxis carry many unwanted effects. Acupuncture has been accepted as an alternative treatment. However, its effectiveness is still debated. This is a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCT) that investigate acupuncture safety and efficacy in migraine versus various control groups. We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Cochrane library using keywords: migraines, migraine with aura, migraine without aura, headache, acupuncture, and needling therapy. Two independent reviewers participated in data extraction and assessment. Fifteen randomized controlled trials involving 2,056 participants that met the inclusion criteria were obtained and analyzed. Based on the findings, seven out of 10 trials that compared acupuncture with sham acupuncture showed a more significant reduction in the frequency of migraine attacks and headache intensity. Four studies revealed acupuncture is just as effective and has fewer side effects than any western medicine. Acupuncture can be recommended as an alternative or adjunct to drug treatment for patients suffering migraines. However, further clinical trials that utilized the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) recommendation are still needed to strongly present an evidence-based strategy.

Research Trends of Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis on Acupuncture Therapy: A Bibliometric Analysis.

ObjectiveWe aimed to explore the hotspots and frontiers of systematic review/meta-analysis on acupuncture therapy according to bibliometric methods.MethodsSystematic review/meta-analysis articles on acupuncture therapy were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. We used CiteSpace 5.6.R5 to analyze annual publication, categories, countries, institutions, journals, authors, cited references, and keywords through visual maps to explore the research hotspots and trends.ResultsAn analysis of 1189 articles in English showed that the total number of publications continually increased in the last 12 years. General medicine was the most used category, and the country and institution ranking highest in this field were China and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, respectively. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine was the most prolific journal, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was the most cited journal. Myeong Soo Lee was the most productive author, and J.P.T. Higgins ranked first in frequency among the cited authors. In the cited references, the top two were Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA). As for keywords, there were 6 main frontiers including interventions, disease, patient, comparisons, study types, and outcomes. The first disease was pain, while the intervention was electroacupuncture (EA).ConclusionThe present study examined the research trends in systematic reviews and meta-analysis on acupuncture therapy through bibliometric methods and revealed potential future hotspots of research in this field.

Does acupuncture combined with antidepressants have a better therapeutic effect on post-stroke depression? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

To evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with antidepressants in the treatment of post-stroke depression (PSD). The following electronic databases were systematically searched: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Chongqing VIP database. The primary outcome was the Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) score. Two independent investigators screened for eligible clinical trials. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the methodological quality, and RevMan 5.3 was applied for meta-analysis. Thirteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 904 participants were included in the study. The results of this meta-analysis showed that, compared with antidepressants alone, acupuncture combined with antidepressants led to a significant decrease in the HAMD score (mean difference (MD): -3.60, 95% confidence interval (CI): -4.25 to -2.95, P < 0.001), had a better effective rate (risk ratio (RR): 1.33, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.49, P < 0.001) and lower National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores (MD: -2.39, 95% CI: -3.37 to -1.41, P < 0.001), and led to a significant increase in the Barthel index scores (MD: 8.10, 95% CI: 5.25 to 10.94; P < 0.001). Acupuncture combined with antidepressants showed a more favourable effect on the treatment of PSD than antidepressants alone. However, given the limited methodological quality, more high-quality RCTs conducted based on the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) and Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) guidelines are necessary.

Assessment of the Quality of Case Reports in the Journal of Acupuncture Research Using the CARE and STRICTA Guidelines

The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of the case reports in the Journal of Acupuncture Research (JAR). All case reports were retrieved from November 2017 to June 2020. There were 19 case reports included in this assessment based on the case report (CARE) guidelines and case report and standards for reporting interventions in clinical trials of acupuncture (STRICTA) guidelines. The overall quality of reporting was relatively high (83.08% on Case Report guidelines and 77.78% on Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture guidelines), but several crucial items remained substantially underreported, such as identifying as a case report (keywords), patient information and perspective, clinical findings, diagnostic assessment, and intervention information. In 18 out of 19 included case reports of acupuncturerelated interventions, several items remained considerably underreported such as acupuncture regimen variation, depth of needle insertion, response sought, and experience of acupuncturists. In the classification by disease, condition, or syndrome, 13 out of 19 included case reports were for musculoskeletal disorders (68.4%), which is the main clinical medical field of Korean medicine services. The results of this study may help develop more appropriate reporting guidelines for case reports published in JAR.

The effectiveness of acupuncture for pain reduction in delayed-onset muscle soreness: a systematic review.

The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature on acupuncture for delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and report upon study quality and treatment outcomes. Systematic review. Searches were conducted in the following electronic databases from their inception to 31 March 2018: CINAHL, MEDLINE, Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED) and SPORTDiscus. Reference lists of all included studies and relevant reviews were hand-searched for additional studies. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture in DOMS in adults measuring the pre-specified primary outcome (pain) were included. Data were extracted using pre-defined extraction forms and the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) checklist. Quality of studies was evaluated based on the Cochrane risk of bias assessment. Five RCTs investigating laboratory-induced DOMS in the upper limbs with a total sample size of 182 healthy participants were included. Of the included studies, three reported superiority of acupuncture over no treatment in DOMS pain reduction as measured by visual analogue scale, pressure pain threshold or electrical pain threshold, while two studies yielded non-significant results. All studies demonstrated risk of bias in one or more areas, commonly lack of blinding of participants and personnel. There is conflicting to limited evidence to support the effects of acupuncture on the relief of pain associated with DOMS. The findings were confounded by methodological limitations and reporting insufficiency. More rigorous, high-quality, and well-reported RCTs are required to further evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture for DOMS.

Assessment of the quality of reporting in studies of acupuncture for patients with cancer using the STRICTA guidelines.

There has been a burgeoning of research evaluating acupuncture for various symptoms of cancer and the side-effects associated with its treatment. A systematic review was conducted to examine the quality of reporting in published studies of acupuncture in cancer according to the STRICTA (STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture) guidelines. Systematic review of published research of acupuncture for symptoms of cancer and the side-effects associated with its treatment. Databases searched were: Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane (all databases), Scopus, and PubMed from their inception to December 2014. Clinical trials, pilot/feasibility studies, observational studies, and case studies were included. Only full journal papers published in English were included. The quality of reporting was evaluated using STRICTA guidelines. Each included paper was assessed by two independent reviewers, with disagreements adjudicated by a third reviewer. 88 papers were identified which met the inclusion criteria. The median number of STRICTA items reported in trials with a control or comparator arm (n=47) was 14 out of 17 (range 8 to 17, IQR 4). For studies without a control or comparator arm the median was 11 out of a possible 15 (range 5 to 15, IQR 3). Key weaknesses in reporting included details of other components of treatments, and details of the acupuncturist administering treatments. Despite the widespread use of the STRICTA guidelines in acupuncture research, adherence remains poor for a few specific items. Further research is required to explore the reasons why authors fail to report those items, and to develop strategies to improve the adherence to the guidelines.

Acupuncture Treatment for Rotator Cuff Disorder: A Systematic Review

Objectives To systematically explore the effects of acupuncture treatment for rotator cuff disorders and review the clinical trials. Methods We searched 9 electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane central, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information [KISTI], National Digital Science Library [NDSL], Korean studies Information Service System [KISS], Research Information Sharing Service [RISS], Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System [OASIS]) to find randomized controlled trials that used acupunture treatment for rotator cuff disorders. We assessed the designs of the randomized controlled trials and the method of acupuncture treatment according to the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA). The methodological quality of randomized controlled trials were assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias (RoB) tool. Results Total 5 trials were reviewed. 4 out of 5 randomized clinical trials reported meaningful effects of acupuncture treatments compared to control group. However risk of bias seemed high. Conclusions Although the results suggest that acupuncture treatment has favorable effects for rotator cuff disorders, most of the studies included methodologically high risk of bias. Thus, well designed randomized clinical trials which evaluate the effects of acupuncture treatment for rotator cuff disorders should be encouraged. (J Korean Med Rehabil 2018;28(4):11-20)

Clinical Benefits of Acupuncture for the Reduction of Hormone Therapy–Related Side Effects in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review

Importance. Acupuncture can help reduce unpleasant side effects associated with endocrine therapy for breast cancer. Nevertheless, comprehensive evaluation of current evidence from randomized controlled trials(RCTs) is lacking. Objective. To estimate the efficacy of acupuncture for the reduction of hormone therapy-related side effects in breast cancer patients. Evidence review. RCTs of acupuncture in breast cancer patients that examined reductions in hormone therapy–related side effects were retrieved from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases through April 2016. The quality of the included studies was evaluated according to the 5.2 Cochrane Handbook standards, and CONSORT and STRICTA (Revised Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture) statements. Intervention. Interventions included conventional acupuncture treatment compared with no treatment, placebo, or conventional pharmaceutical medication. Major outcome measures were the alleviation of frequency and symptoms and the presence of hormone therapy–related side effects. Findings/Results. A total of 17 RCTs, including a total of 810 breast cancer patients were examined. The methodological quality of the trials was relatively rigorous in terms of randomization, blinding, and sources of bias. Compared with control therapies, the pooled results suggested that acupuncture had moderate effects in improving stiffness. No significant differences were observed in hot flashes, fatigue, pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, Kupperman index, general well-being, physical well-being, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and interleukin (IL). Conclusions. Acupuncture therapy appears to be potentially useful in relieving functional stiffness. However, further large-sample trials with evidence-based design are still needed to confirm these findings.

Acupuncture Treatment for Post-Stroke Dysphagia: An Update Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

To explore the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in patients with post-stroke dysphagia by an update meta-analysis. Potentially eligible RCTs aimed to evaluate the effects of acupuncture vs. non-acupuncture treatments, such as rehabilitation training or routine medication on the swallowing difficulty after stroke were searched from PubMed, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and other database from the earliest record to June 2016. Patient demographics, regimens for acupuncture, type of controls, methods of randomization, and measurements of the clinical symptoms of dysphagia were retrieved. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of effective rate of dysphagia was calculated after intervention performed following admission. Subgroup analyses and a metaregression analysis were performed to describe the heterogeneity. Twenty-nine RCTs comprising 2,190 patients were included. The included studies had a medium quality grade based on the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) and Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) checklist. Acupuncture therapy provided a higher effective rate compared with nonacupuncture treatments [RR=1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25 to 1.43]. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses suggested that acupuncture intensity and measurement method were main sources of heterogeneity and resulted in a significant difference for pooled effect size. No severe adverse events were documented in these RCTs. Our meta-analysis provides a new evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treatment to post-stroke dysphagia in short-term compared with rehabilitation or medication. More high-quality and large-scale research studies are needed.

Analyzation of expressive elements for clinical RCT of acupuncture and moxibustion:taking peptic ulcer as an example

To explore the expressive elements for the clinical randomized controlled trials of acupuncture and moxibustion so as to provide reference for them, taking peptic ulcer as an example. Sixty-six papers from 1996 to 2015 were collected in domestic and overseas databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WANFANG, VIP, China Biology Medicine (CBM), PubMed, Web of Science, Sciencedirect, Springer, Wiley. The expression qualities were evaluated according to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) and the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture(STRICTA). We consider that the reports are not sound, especially their preface, trial design and intervention.

The Current Status of Quality of Reporting in Acupuncture Treatment Case Reports: An Analysis of the Core Journal in Korea.

Objectives The present study aimed to evaluate the overall quality of case reports concerning acupuncture treatment in Korea. Methods We selected a representative Korean journal and retrieved eligible case reports on acupuncture treatment published from 2009 to 2015. We assessed the quality of reporting based on CAse REport (CARE) and STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) guideline checklists. Results A total of 93 eligible case reports of acupuncture treatment were identified among the 107 articles screened. Overall quality of reporting in the case reports was generally acceptable (75.4% on CARE, 67.7% on STRICTA), but several crucial items remained substantially underreported. Conclusions Endorsement of the CARE and STRICTA guidelines is needed to improve the completeness of reporting. Our findings will be helpful in developing a more appropriate reporting guideline for case reports in acupuncture treatment.