Fasmer OB, Liao H, Huang Y, Berle JØ, Wu J, Oedegaard KJ, Wik G, Zhang Z. A naturalistic study of the effect of acupuncture on heart-rate variability.
J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2011;
5:15-20. [PMID:
22309903 DOI:
10.1016/j.jams.2011.11.002]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2011] [Revised: 08/22/2011] [Accepted: 08/29/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
To study the effect of acupuncture on heart rate variability (HRV) by using linear and non-linear methods of analysis.
METHODS
40 patients were recruited consecutively, including patients with insomnia, stomachache, diarrhea, dizziness, cervical syndrome, lower back pain, gonarthritis, peripheral facial paralysis, post-traumatic organic brain syndrome and urinary retention. Different acupoint prescriptions were used, according to the textbook for 5-years' education on traditional Chinese medicine specialty, which is used in Chinese Universities. HRV was recorded before, during, and after acupuncture.
RESULTS
Acupuncture substantially reduced variability, causing a 41% reduction in the standard deviation. Using a Fourier analysis, the variances both in the low frequency (LF) and the high frequency (HF) ranges were markedly reduced, but the LF/HF ratio (an indication of sympatho-vagal balance) was not altered. The HR was unchanged. The sample entropy, which is a measure of the complexity of time series, was significantly increased (+35%).
CONCLUSIONS
Acupuncture produced a pattern of changes different from that seen in pathological conditions, where increased variability and reduced complexity is expected.
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