Complementary Medicine Research最新文献

Introduction: Various aspects of yoga have been researched for their psychological benefits, yet the neurological mechanisms underlying physical yoga postures (asana) remain inadequately explored due to limitations in prior neuroimaging techniques. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been established as an important region of interest concerning psychological health. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize changes in the PFC before, during, and after asana by applying the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) mobile neuroimaging technique.

Methods: Twenty-seven healthy adults completed two 6-min, task-independent resting states before and after a 23-min asana routine. With the fNIRS device positioned on the frontal region of the skull, PFC activity was measured during each asana and resting state. The block design involved alternating between three active postures and one control posture. Each active posture was performed for 30 s and repeated 8 times, while the control posture was held during inter-trial intervals lasting 25-30 s. Across the session, this block design resulted in a total of 24 active blocks (8 repetitions of each active posture) and 25 baseline blocks (control posture intervals).

Results: All three active asanas significantly increased PFC activity versus baseline, particularly in the right PFC. Furthermore, analysis of short-term changes in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) revealed a significant decrease, primarily in the left medial PFC, a key region of the default mode network (DMN), an area known to exhibit heightened activity in individuals suffering from depression and anxiety.

Conclusion: This study provides neurological insight into the effects of yoga asana and supports fNIRS for assessing movement-based practices in real-world settings.

In the article "Commonality Analysis of High-Quality Acupuncture Clinical Trial Articles" [Complement Med Res. 2025;32:314-325; https://doi.org/10.1159/000547403] by Ou et al., the equal contribution of Silin Ou and Ming Dong as co-first authors was inadvertently omitted in the published version.Silin Ou and Ming Dong contributed equally to this work and are co-first authors.

Introduction: Dizziness and vertigo are prevalent reasons for medical consultation, stemming from various benign and pathological conditions. Although traditional treatments are available, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches are increasingly sought by patients for almost all diseases. This study aimed to investigate the use of CAM approaches in individuals with and without vertigo/dizziness and to compare the results.

Methods: The study enrolled 208 participants, 104 of them had complaints of vertigo/dizziness (patient group) and the remaining were without such symptoms (control group). Participants were queried about used CAM approaches, and study participants underwent vestibular assessment.

Results: It was revealed that there was a significant higher prevalence of herbal supplement usage among individuals with vertigo/dizziness complaints compared to without vertigo/dizziness. However, no significant differences were found in the usage of other CAM approaches between the groups. Among CAM users in the patient group, the majority did not aim to alleviate vertigo/dizziness symptoms.

Conclusions: This study contributes to understanding CAM utilization patterns among vertigo/dizziness patients and underscores the importance of further research to explore the efficacy and safety of CAM approaches in managing these symptoms. Future studies should take into account socioeconomic and sociocultural factors affecting the use of CAM approaches and should aim to evaluate the effectiveness of specific CAM approaches in the treatment of vertigo/dizziness.

Background: Despite the potential cognitive benefits of ginseng, evidence of its effects on cognitive function remains limited. We aimed to evaluate the association between ginseng and cognitive function in individuals with cognitive or memory impairment including those with subjective memory impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease through a systematic review and meta-analysis of recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods: We searched six databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Korean Studies Information Service System (KISS), Research Information Sharing Service (RISS), and ScienceON, for RCTs investigating the effects of ginseng on cognitive function up to April 26, 2024. Two independent researchers assessed the methodological quality and risk of bias of the extracted studies. Data were presented as the mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI), and a subgroup analysis was performed based on ginseng dosage.

Results: Eight studies were included in this meta-analysis. The results suggested that ginseng may have a potential effect on cognitive improvement. Ginseng consumption showed a significant effect on increasing Mini-Mental State Examination scores (MD = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.03, 1.32; p = 0.04; I2 = 66%). For Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale, a significant reduction in scores was observed in both the total (MD = -1.10; 95% CI: -1.82, -0.38; p = 0.003; I2 = 0%) and low-dose groups (MD = -1.09; 95% CI: -1.96, -0.22; p = 0.01; I2 = 0%).

Conclusion: Ginseng consumption was found to be beneficial for changes in certain cognitive function-related indicators. However, further research is required to determine the long-term effects of ginseng based on dosage.

Background: The increasing prevalence of myopia among Chinese children and adolescents, especially at younger ages, has emerged as a significant concern in recent years. Pre-myopia is a key period for myopia prevention and control in children and adolescents. Previous studies suggested auricular acupressure (AA) therapy might offer a viable approach to prevent and slow down myopia progression. Nonetheless, these studies lack robust, high-quality, large-scale, multi-center evidence to conclusively support such assertions. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and economic benefits of AA therapy in preventing myopia in Chinese children aged 6-12 years with pre-myopia.

Methods: The single-blind, multi-center, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial will involve 318 pre-myopic children from 20 different centers across China. After recruitment, these participants will be randomly assigned to two groups (the AA group and the control group) at a 1:1 ratio. The AA group will receive auricular point sticking therapy along with health education for a period of 24 weeks, while the control group will be provided the sham AA treatment and routine health education. The assessments of outcomes will be conducted at the start of this study, and then after 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks. The primary outcome is the change in spherical equivalent refraction at various follow-up times. The secondary outcomes include the number of myopia cases, uncorrected visual acuity, axial length, corneal curvature radius, accommodation amplitude, retinal and choroidal thickness, and eye behavior management. In addition, the cost-effectiveness analysis will be used as the evaluation index for economic assessment.

Discussion: The results of this research will provide evidence on the efficacy, safety, and economic benefits of AA therapy in preventing myopia among children aged 6-12 years with pre-myopia in China.

Introduction: Mechanical neck pain (MNP) and mechanical low back pain (MLBP) can have a negative impact on the quality of life of patients and may be associated with high levels of disability. Magnetic field therapy has been used in the treatment of various diseases. This study was conducted to assess the effects of static magnetic field therapy generated by neodymium magnets in patients with MNP and MLBP.

Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, crossover study, patients with MNP and MLBP were randomly assigned to either the magnetic band or sham band treatment groups. After the initial 2-week phase (with participants randomly assigned to either treatment or sham control), both groups underwent a 1-week washout period. Subsequently, the groups were swapped and proceeded with a second 2-week phase. Visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (ODI), Neck Disability Index (NDI), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to evaluate the patients' pain severity, functional disability, sleep quality, and levels of depressive symptoms, respectively.

Results: Of the 30 subjects, 17 (56.7%) had MLBP, whereas 13 (43.3%) had MNP. Magnetic band treatment (MBT) resulted in a significant decrease in the VAS score (p < 0.001) in all patients. MBT led to a significant decrease in the ODI score (p = 0.009) in patients with MLBP. A significant decrease in the NDI score was found in MBT (p < 0.001) in patients with MNP. The improvement in ISI and PHQ-9 scores was also significantly higher in MBT (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: For patients with MNP and MLBP who have not experienced sufficient benefits from conventional treatments, neodymium magnets can be considered as an alternative treatment option due to their significant properties.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent condition that significantly affects work productivity and quality of life. Despite advancements in treatment, LBP continues to pose a global health challenge, with increasing research on manipulative therapy as a non-invasive treatment option. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global research trends in manipulative therapy for LBP.

Summary: This study utilized the Web of Science Core Collection database to analyze global research dynamics on manipulative therapy for LBP from 1998 to 2023. A total of 2,879 articles were identified and analyzed using CiteSpace software, revealing key research trends, leading countries, and influential contributors. The analysis demonstrated that research on manipulative therapy for LBP has been steadily increasing, particularly between 2019 and 2021. The USA, the Netherlands, and Denmark were among the leading countries in this field. Core research concepts identified through keyword co-occurrence analysis include "low back pain," "manipulative therapy," and "spinal manipulation."

Key messages: Manipulative therapy for LBP is a growing field with increasing global interest, particularly between 2019 and 2021. The USA, Netherlands, and Denmark are leading contributors to the research, with notable academic collaborations. Future research should focus on comparative treatment effectiveness, safety assessments, and mechanistic analyses to further validate the role of manipulative therapy in LBP management.

Introduction: The popularity of yoga practice is steadily increasing. Previous studies have highlighted numerous beneficial effects of yoga. The present study aimed to investigate gratitude as a mediator of the relationship between yoga and well-being. Additionally, we examined the role of the involvement in yoga philosophy.

Methods: A total of 344 yoga practitioners aged between 19 and 87 years completed an online survey. Yoga practice was operationalized via the frequency of practice in days per week. The Yoga Immersion Scale was used to measure the respondents' involvement in yoga philosophy.

Results: We found positive associations between yoga frequency and well-being and between gratitude and well-being. There was no evidence for the hypothesized mediating effect of gratitude. Furthermore, yoga immersion did neither moderate the direct relationship between yoga and well-being nor the indirect relationship via gratitude; however, significant correlations between yoga immersion and gratitude and between yoga immersion and well-being were found.

Conclusion: The results underscore the relevance of yoga immersion for yoga practice, but at the same time, new questions arise, particularly concerning the role of gratitude. Future research is needed to further gain a better understanding of these relationships.

Introduction: Breast cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among female cancers globally. Hot flashes are among the most bothersome complications in women with breast cancer. Acupuncture is a common complementary approach for cancer worldwide. Here we aimed to determine the differential effect between acupuncture and sham acupuncture on hot flashes among breast cancer patients.

Methods: Eight English and Chinese databases through 10 October 2024, such as PubMed, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, etc., were searched to identify the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about acupuncture relative to sham control treating breast cancer patients experiencing hot flashes. Outcomes included hot flash frequency per day, hot flash severity score, quality of life related to hot flashes, response rate. Continuous variables and categorical ones were expressed as standardized mean difference (SMD) or MD, and risk ratio (RR), with 95% confidence interval (CI), respectively, for meta-analysis. Sensitivity analysis and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) of evidence were conducted additionally.

Results: Eight RCTs involving 493 participants were included. Relative to sham control, acupuncture was significantly more efficacious in improving the quality of life of breast cancer patients experiencing hot flashes (165 participants, SMD [95% CI]: -1.01 [-1.99, -0.03], I2 = 88%, p = 0.04) at the end of treatment, as well as at follow-up of over 3 months (59 participants, MD [95% CI]: -3.38 [-4.83, -1.93]). With respect to response rate, acupuncture achieved a higher rate versus sham acupuncture (118 subjects, RR [95% CI]:2.66 [1.63, 4.36], I2 = 0, p < 0.0001). Sensitivity analysis solely supported the statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of response rate (RR [95% CI]: 2.14 [1.03, 4.44]) or 3.20 [1.64, 6.23]). As for frequency and hot flash severity, no difference was noted between groups. GRADE of evidence showed low to very low quality.

Conclusions: Acupuncture reached a significantly higher response rate compared to sham control in breast cancer patients with hot flashes, whereas its efficacy on the quality of life showed inconsistency. Given significant heterogeneity and low quality of evidence, future large-sample-size and high-quality RCTs are warranted.