Clinical Trial: Is Acupoints Sensation Necessary for Acu-TENS to Elicit Physiological Changes in Healthy Subjects?

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Unknown status
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Is Acupoints Sensation Necessary for Acu-TENS to Elicit Physiological Changes in Healthy Subjects?

Brief Summary: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners believe that health can be maintained if the body has a balanced ying-yang or the qi flows in correct strength and quality along the meridians.Stimulation of the acupoints such as by acupuncture can awaken and modulate qi in the channels and is able to regulate and restore yin-yang balance.However, there are some drawbacks associated with acupuncture which may limit its applications. These include transmission of infectious disease, pneumothorax and other problems associated with organ punctures, cardiac tamponade, and broken needles with remnants migrating to other locations.Studies have shown that when TENS is applied over acupoints (Acu-TENS), it is effective in reducing dyspnoea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,facilitate early haemodynamic recovery after open-heart surgery,relieve labor pain,increase in blood β-endorphin level,reduce blood pressure changes in normal healthy subjects and decrease airway resistance.Despite these promising results, how Acu-TENS works still remain unclear.This study aimed to investigate the effects of Acu-TENS over Hegu (LI4) and Quichi (LI4) on the autonomic nervous system activities and to investigate whether the subject could experience distinct sensation as deqi.

Detailed Summary:

Eligibility criteria: Normal healthy subjects who were naïve to Acu-TENS and able to read Chinese.

Outcome Measures: Heart rate, Mean arterial blood pressure, Heart rate variability


Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Current Primary Outcome: Heart rate variability [ Time Frame: One month after the intervention ]

Three ECG electrodes will beapplied over left and right clavicles and left upper quadrant of abdomen respectively and then connect to a digital patient monitor device (Mindray PM-8000 Express Patient Monitor, Bio-Medical Electricity, Hamburg, Germany). The ECG signals will be transferred to the PowerLab 16/30 (ADInstruments Pty Ltd. NSW, Australia) for data acquisition and analysis of the HRV.


Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome: Heart rate [ Time Frame: One month after the study ]

Three ECG electrodes will be applied over left and right clavicles and left upper quadrant of abdomen respectively and then connect to a digital patient monitor device (Mindray PM-8000 Express Patient Monitor, Bio-Medical Electricity, Hamburg, Germany). The heart rate (HR) will be measured.


Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Dates:
Date Received: February 11, 2013
Date Started: February 2013
Date Completion: August 2013
Last Updated: March 2, 2013
Last Verified: March 2013