Journal of Evidence-based Integrative Medicine最新文献

ObjectiveThis review synthesizes current evidence on the efficacy of acupuncture in managing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in cancer patients, focusing on its mechanisms, clinical applications, and future research directions.MethodsThis narrative review synthesizes and critically appraises findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), meta-analyses, and preclinical studies, evaluating acupuncture's impact on pain relief, neurological function, and quality of life. Key databases were searched for studies published up to 2024.ResultsNineteen RCTs (n = 1174) demonstrated significant improvements in CIPN symptoms with acupuncture, particularly in reducing neuropathic pain (eg, via endogenous opioid modulation) and enhancing sensory function (eg, BDNF-mediated neuroplasticity). Optimal protocols involved 2-3 sessions/week for 4-12 weeks, targeting acupoints such as ST36 and LI4. Acupuncture outperformed pharmacotherapy (eg, duloxetine) in safety and patient-reported outcomes.ConclusionAcupuncture is a promising adjunctive therapy for CIPN, offering multimodal mechanisms and clinical benefits. Standardization of protocols and further high-quality RCTs are needed to strengthen evidence and guide integration into oncology care.

Background/ObjectivesHarp music has long been used for comfort and healing, yet its neural mechanisms remain unclear. This study examined how major and minor harp sounds influence frontal alpha activity, mood, and reaction times, with a focus on depression-related individual differences.MethodsParticipants listened to 3-min major and minor harp excerpts while EEG alpha activity was recorded. Subjective ratings of arousal, stress, comfort, and mood were assessed, followed by auditory and visual reaction-time tasks.ResultsIndividuals with lower depression scores showed marked frontal alpha suppression during harp listening, which was associated with faster auditory reaction times. Those with higher depression scores exhibited consistently lower frontal alpha power with minimal modulation by harp sounds.ConclusionsFrontal alpha suppression during harp listening may reflect enhanced auditory attentional processing in individuals with lower depression levels. These findings suggest that depression-related traits shape neural responsiveness to harp music and should be considered when evaluating its therapeutic potential.

Artemisia sieberi (Asteraceae) is a grey, dwarf, dry woolly shrub, locally known as "Shih" in Arab countries, with significant medicinal properties due to its content of up to 160 active compounds with anti-cancer activity. A. sieberi has been investigated for its potential effects in various cancer types, including breast cancer. The aim of this systematic review is to examine the in vitro evidence on the potential activity of A. sieberi extracts against breast cancer, specifically in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. A search of PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar electronic databases was conducted for studies published from inception to 2024, following PRISMA guidelines and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews. The search strategy applied was ((Artemisia sieberi) AND (anti-breast cancer)). The Quality Assessment Tool (QUIN tool) was used to assess the risk of bias for in vitro studies. Six in vitro experimental studies were included. These studies suggested that A. sieberi extracts may exert anti-breast cancer effects via multiple mechanisms, including apoptosis induction, cell growth inhibition, and gene expression modulation. However, the anticancer potential of A. sieberi against breast cancer has been explored only at a preliminary in vitro level. Future research should evaluate different A. sieberi extracts across diverse breast cancer cell lines, particularly treatment-resistant types such as triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), and extend to in vivo and clinical investigation.

This pilot study examines the impact of guided imagery hypnotherapy (GIH) on symptoms of job-related burnout in medical professionals. Nine adults (eight female) involved in direct medical care in the region of San Diego, California participated in eight consecutive weekly GIH sessions. Subjective measures of burn-out, compassion, and self-compassion were recorded roughly one week before the start of the hypnotherapy series (baseline session zero) and after the first, fourth, and final GIH sessions. Resting state electroencephalographic data (EEG) was also recorded at each of these measurement times. Additionally, EEG was recorded for the duration of the hypnotherapy protocol during sessions one, four, and eight. Two sets of frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) scores were computed for each participant. First, for each session, FAA was derived from the cleaned, preprocessed EEG recorded for the full duration of the GIH protocol. Additionally, FAA was computed from segments of EEG centered on eleven key events associated with hypnosis and visualization during the protocol. Linear mixed model analysis revealed a reliable increase in self-compassion and a decrease in emotional exhaustion across the four measurement times. Further, a reliable shift toward left over right hemispheric dominance, indicated by increases in FAA, was observed both across and within sessions, suggesting an evolution toward approach-related self-regulation at short and longer time scales. These outcomes indicate the promising potential of GIH for alleviating symptoms of job-related burnout and improving self-regulation in response to challenging work situations.

BackgroundTacca chantrieri (Andre), or the black bat flower, is commonly found in Southeast Asia; however, its effects on immunity have not been studied. This study aimed to investigate the effects of T. chantrieri crude extract on CD4+ T cell phenotypes and on the phagocytosis and oxidative burst of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in the elderly (ex-vivo). Its ability to inhibit opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria was also evaluated.MethodsT chantrieri crude extract was obtained by ethanolic extraction. A total of eight elderly (age ≥65 years) were enrolled in the study. Investigations used flow cytometric analysis. Antimicrobial effects were explored by agar well diffusion and minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) testing.ResultsCD4+ T cell proportion significantly decreased at the 100 μg/ml concentration (p = 0.015). CD4+NKG2D+ T cells decreased at all concentrations (50, 100, 200, 300 μg/ml). Regarding PMNs, phagocytosis and oxidative burst in the treated group were significantly increased at 15 min compared with the untreated group (p = 0.039 and 0.015, respectively). Regarding antimicrobial effect, 100 mg/ml crude extract inhibited Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria sicca, and Acinetobacter lwoffii. MIC values were 1.23, 3.70, 33.33, and 100 mg/ml, respectively.ConclusionsThis work reports preliminary findings of immunity promotion in the elderly following treatment with T. chantrieri crude extract. In future, the extract may be developed into a natural herb product or a form of alternative medicine for immune status enhancement, as well as a potential antimicrobial agent, particularly in the elderly.

ObjectiveIn Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), syndrome differentiation is considered to be an essential diagnostic process for tailoring Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) treatments to individual patients. We conducted a meta-epidemiological study to evaluate the potential impact of syndrome differentiation on improving effect estimates in randomized controlled trials (RCTs).Study Design and SettingSeven databases were searched to identify systematic reviews (SRs) published between 2021 and 2022 that pooled RCTs evaluating CHM treatment effects or side effects. Meta-epidemiological analyses were conducted using a two-step approach. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the disease category, outcome nature, and funding.ResultsWe included 137 SRs comprising 2,064 RCTs. The results demonstrated small and statistically nonsignificant differences in both treatment effects (ROR: 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86 to 1.00, P = .04 for binary outcomes; dSMD: -1.44, 95% CI: -3.95 to 1.08, P = .26 for continuous outcomes) and side effects (ROR: 1.13, 95% CI: 0.66 to 1.92, P = .66) between RCTs that incorporated syndrome differentiation and those did not. Subgroup analysis showed RCTs of gastrointestinal disease that incorporated syndrome differentiation exhibited a larger magnitude of side effects than that did not. For binary outcomes, subgroup analyses of RCTs of circulatory diseases or those reporting subjective outcomes showed that syndrome differentiation led to a statistically significantly smaller treatment effect.ConclusionIndividualizing CHM treatments through syndrome differentiation provide no significant evidence of improvement in TCM practice outcomes in RCTs. Furthermore, subgroup analyses suggest that syndrome differentiation may be associated with a smaller treatment effect among RCTs of CHM for circulatory diseases and a possible trend toward increased side effects in patients with gastrointestinal diseases.

BackgroundAromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia (AIA) is a frequent adverse effect of endocrine therapy in breast cancer survivors, often leading to treatment modification or discontinuation. Non-pharmacological interventions have been proposed to manage AIA, but evidence remains fragmented.ObjectiveTo synthesize recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions for AIA.MethodsA systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science identified RCTs published between 2010 and 2025 assessing non-pharmacological strategies for AIA. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, data extraction, and quality appraisal using standardized criteria.ResultsEight RCTs met inclusion criteria, encompassing interventions such as acupuncture, structured exercise (aerobic, resistance, and Pilates), progressive relaxation, and neuromuscular taping. Acupuncture produced clinically meaningful reductions in pain intensity (mean differences 0.9-1.1 points on the Brief Pain Inventory), while exercise programs yielded moderate improvements in pain, function, and quality of life. Relaxation and taping interventions demonstrated smaller or less consistent effects. No eligible trials evaluated occupational therapy-based interventions.ConclusionsAcupuncture and structured exercise show the strongest evidence of benefit for managing AIA, though overall methodological quality remains moderate. Further well-designed trals with standardized outcomes and longer follow-up are needed to guide clinical implementation and to explore underrepresented approaches such as occupational therapy.

Perineural invasion (PNI) is an important factor leading to the recurrence of pancreatic cancer (PanCa). The NGF-TrkA pathway is related to PNI progression. Ganoderma spore lipid (GSL) is a drug with anti-cancer properties. In this study, we find out whether GSL can prevent PNI of PanCa by inhibiting NGF-TrkA pathway. In vitro, wound healing assays, transwell-based assays and three-dimensional tumor-nerve cell co-culture system showed that GSL significantly inhibited the migration and invasion capacity of PanCa cells. Inhibiting the NGF-TrkA pathway is considered an effective approach for treating PanCa. We showed that GSL effectively inhibited NGF-TrkA pathway via immunofluorescence assays and western blotting analysis. The supplement of recombinant NGF reversed the GSL inhibitory effect on the migration and invasion of PANC-1. In vivo, a sciatic nerve invasion animal model was constructed using BALB/c mice. GSL significantly suppressed tumor growth and suppressed the expression of TrkA, NGF, and vimentin and upregulated the level of the epithelial marker E-Cadherin. Moreover, GSL reduced the expression of S100 and PGP9.5. These findings suggested that GSL effectively inhibited the PNI of PanCa cells by downregulating the NGF-TrkA pathway, which may provide a new adjuvant for PanCa treatment.

Modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors in Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) contribute to chronic inflammation characterized by elevated pro-inflammatory mediators and constitutively activated immune cells. Chronic inflammation in T2D leads to perturbations in metabolism, resulting in altered immuno-metabolic axis and further vascular complications. Hence, reducing inflammation by targeting modifiable risk factors such as adiposity, sedentary lifestyle and psychological stress in T2D may facilitate efficient clinical management. Yoga has been shown to improve glucose metabolism, reduce psychological stress, and decrease obesity, hence we sought to review the role of Yoga on cellular mechanisms regulating the immuno-metabolic axis in T2D. Elevated levels of inflammatory mediators such as IL-1b, IL-6, TNF-a, and CRP contributing to insulin resistance are reduced upon practicing Surya Namaskara, Pranayama, and meditation and further improved glycemic index in T2D individuals. Specific Asanas and Pranayama significantly decreased adipokines including leptin, adiponectin, and vaspin in subjects with high BMI, triglycerides and HOMA-IR values, and concomitantly reduced inflammation. Bidirectional activation of inflammatory mediators and stress hormones including epinephrine, catecholamines and cortisol manifesting in diabetes are also reduced upon practising meditation and Yoga. Yoga practices such as Pranayama, Asanas and Mudras improve insulin sensitivity, contribute to weight management, mitigate stress levels in T2D, and maintain immuno-metabolic homeostasis.