A Phase I-II study in the use of acupuncture-like transcutaneous nerve stimulation in the treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia in head-and-neck cancer patients treated with radical radiotherapy.

Purpose: Recent studies have suggested that acupuncture may improve radiation-induced xerostomia with an increase in the median salivary flow rate and sustained symptom relief. An acupuncture-like transcutaneous nerve stimulation method (Codetron) without invasive needles was developed to mimic acupuncture treatment. This Phase I-II study examined the effectiveness of Codetron in treating radiation-induced xerostomia.

Reporting of clinical details in randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for the treatment of migraine/headaches and nausea/vomiting.

Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of reporting of clinical details in a selected sample of 30 randomized control trials (RCT) on acupuncture efficacy for the treatment of migraine/headaches (n = 11) and for nausea/vomiting (n = 19). Additional goals included the assessment of the quality of randomization of the trials, and the assessment of the degree of reporting of information about the outcome measures used in each trial.

Methods: A checklist of 50 clinical details selected on the basis of a previous survey was used to evaluate the degree of reporting of information about patients, practitioners, diagnosis, and acupuncture treatments presented in each RCT.

The reporting of clinical acupuncture research: what do clinicians need to know?

Unlabelled: It is presently unknown what the real impact of clinical acupuncture research on practitioners is, or what kind of specific information clinicians need to find on a published paper in this field.

Objectives: To develop a pilot survey instrument to evaluate clinicians' information needs when reading acupuncture research papers, and then to use it to assess the relative importance that specific clinical details may have for clinicians when reading papers on the areas of acupuncture treatment for migraine/headaches and nausea/vomiting.

Methods: The survey instrument consisted of a list of 50 clinical details grouped in four areas: practitioners, patients, diagnostic procedures, and acupuncture treatment.