Acupuncture for cancer-related insomnia: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Background: Acupuncture has been demonstrated to be a safe and effective treatment for insomnia in patients without cancer. A lack of evidence, however, supports its application in the treatment of cancer-related insomnia (CRI).

Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy as well as safety of acupuncture for alleviating insomnia in patients with cancer.

Influence of the quickness and duration of De Qi on the analgesic effect of acupuncture in primary dysmenorrhea patients with a cold and dampness stagnation pattern.

Objective: To investigate the influence of the quickness and duration of De Qi (or Qi arrival) on the analgesic effect of acupuncture in primary dysmenorrhea patients with a cold and dampness stagnation pattern.

Methods: Sixty-eight patients were randomly assigned to the De Qi group (deep needling with thick needles and manipulation, n = 17) or the non-De Qi group (shallow needling with thin needles and no manipulation, n = 51). Both groups underwent needling at Sanyinjiao (SP 6) for 30 min.

[Progress of fMRI-based research in recent 10 years].

Objective: The research regarding the central mechanism of acupuncture (arrival of ) based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in recent 10 years was analyzed to summarize existing research achievements and experience.

Methods: The literature regarding fMRI-based research published from January of 2007 through December of 2016 in CNKI and PubMed databases was collected. The research content and methods, including research design, inclusion criteria, acupoint selection and evaluation, were analyzed.

A review of the methods used for subjective evaluation of De Qi.

De Qi refers to a series of sensations experienced when acupuncture is performed at acupoints. De Qi comprises needling sensations felt by the patient, and the sensations perceived by the acupuncturist. Classical Traditional Chinese Medicine theory states that De Qi is closely related to curative effect.

[Analgesic Effect of Induced by Needling at Sanyinjiao (SP 6) Acupoint on Primary Dysmenorrheal Patients with Cold Damp Stagnation Syndrome].

Objective: To observe the analgesic effect of induced by needling at Sanyinjiao (SP 6) on primary dysmenorrheal (PD) patients with cold damp stagnation syndrome (CDSS).

Methods: A total of 64 PD patients with CDSS experiencing abdominal pain (≥40 mm in visual analogue scale ，VAS) were randomly assigned into -expectation(DE) group(＝15) and no--expectation(NDE) group(＝49). On the first day of abdominal pain attack, bilateral SP 6 were punctured respectively with thicker needles with deeper insertion for -expectation patients and thin filiform needles with shallow insertion for no--expectation patients.

[Effects of needling depth on clinical efficacy of lumbar disc herniation: a systematic review].

Objective: To evaluate the effects of needling depth on clinical efficacy of lumbar disc herniation (LDH).

Methods: Ten electronic databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Wanfang Database, MEDLINE, CENTRAL, CINAHL PLUS, AMED, Embase, PsycINFO, and 6 registry platforms of clinical trials were searched. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the effect of needling depth on clinical efficacy of LDH were collected; in addition, the reference lists of the studies included were hand searched.

[Impact of on acupoint effects in patients with primary dysmenorrhea:a systematic review of randomized controlled trials].

The effects of (arrival of ) on acupoint effects in patients with primary dysmenorrhea (PD) were evaluated.Ten literature databases,including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI),VIP Database,Wanfang Database,Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM),Cochrane Library CENTRAL,MEDLINE,Embase,AMED, CINAHL Plus,PsycINFO were selected.In addition,5 registers of ongoing trials,the reference lists of included articles and grey literature website OpenGrey were added.

[Efficacy of filiform needle manipulation on primary dysmenorrhea:a systematic review].

The paper is a systematic review on the efficacy of acupuncture manipulation on primary dysmenorrhea. Ten medical literatures database at home and abroad were retrieved, including CNKI, VIP, CBM, WANFANG, MEDLINE, Cochrane, CENTRAL, CINAHL PLUS, EMBASE, AMED and PsycINFO, as well as 6 clinical trial registration platforms. All of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on primary dysmenorrhea treated with different acupuncture manipulations were collected.

Immediate analgesic effect of needling acupoints (bilateral De Qi vs unilateral De Qi) on primary dysmenorrhea: a multi-center, randomized, controlled trail.

Objective: To analyze the effect of needling acupoints (bilateral vs unilateral) with De Qi using data collected from 501 primary dysmenorrhea (PD) patients participating in multi-center, randomized, controlled trail.

Methods: De Qi was defined as at least one of the feelings in soreness, numbness, fullness or heaviness at the acupoints when stimulated with needles. The 501 patients were grouped in 3 groups in terms of De Qi or not De Qi in one side (unilateral) or both sides (bilateral) of the body: bilateral De Qi group, unilateral De Qi group, and non-De Qi group.

[Clinical Trials for Observing the Influence of Acupuncture Needle-stimulation Induced Sharp Pain on Curative Effect in Primary Dysmenorrhea Patients].

Objective: To observe the influence of acupuncture needle stimulation-induced sharp pain on the curative effect of acupuncture therapy for primary dysmenorrhea (PD) patients with cold damp stagnation syndrome (CDSS).

Methods: A total of 87 PD patients with CDSS experiencing abdominal pain (> or =40 mm in visual analogue scale, VAS) were randomly asigned to deqi-expectation group and no-deqi-expectation group which were further divided into deqi-expectation + sharp pain (n = 31), deqi-expectation + no-sharp pain (n = 12), no-deqi-expectation + sharp pain (n = 17), no-deqi-expectation + no- sharp pain (n =27) groups. On the first day of abdominal pain attack, bilateral Sanyinjiao (SP 6) were punctured respectively with thicker needles with deeper insertion for deqi-expectation patients and thin filiform needles with shallow insertion for no-deqi-expectation patients.

[How to determine the qi arrival and its strength in clinical research].

Qi arrival is the meridian qi response to acupuncture stimulation. Through analyzing the relevant concepts of qi arrival and summarizing the general understanding of it in clinic and on the basis of the collection of the relevant literature at home and abroad on the determination of qi arrival and its strength, the characteristics are analyzed on the present method and the method for the determination of qi arrival and its strength is discussed in terms of the results in the needling sensation scale. It is believed that the needling sensation and its strength can be used to determine whether the qi is arrived or not and its strength.

[Analysis on regulating deqi in the ancient works of the late dynasties].

From the time of Neijing (Internal Classic) and Nanjing (Classic of Medical Problems) till the end of Qing dynasty, the medical scholars of each dynasty had taken the recognition of deqi as the subject in the stud- ies. Through the historical analysis, the content of regulating deqi was further understood in relevant ancient liter- ature. By checking the ancient works of acupuncture in each dynasty till the end of Qing dynasty, in reference to the evidences in over 10 works, such as Zhenjiu Dacheng (Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) , Zhenjing Zhinan (Instruction of Acupuncture Canon), Zhenjiu Daquan, and in association with the academic views of acupuncture masters in modern time, it was discovered that the medical scholars after the time of Neijing and Nanjing had enriched the understandings of deqi, such as the connection of cold and heat reaction, radiation to the affected site, reinforcing and reducing purpose in qi regulation.

Applications of pain-related evoked potentials and short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials in acupuncture research: a narrative review.

Objective: To review and discuss the Chinese and English literature on the use of pain-related evoked potentials (PREP) and short-latency somatosensory EP (SLSEP) in acupuncture research.

Methods: China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database and MEDLINE were searched for the following key words: acupuncture and PREP or SLSEP.

Results: Thirty-seven articles were included in the review.

[Our viewpoints on Deqi in the later ages after birth of classical works "The Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic" and "Canon of Difficult Medical Problems"].

In our previous paper, we analyzed "Deqi" in book Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic) and Nanjing (Canon of Difficult Medical Problems) from "Zhishen"(Treating mentality) and Tiaoqi (Regulating qi). In the present paper, the authors discuss the connotations of "Deqi" and related events in the later ages of the abovementioned two classic books to the later stage of the Qing Dynasty when involves about 20 classical works as Zhenjiu Dacheng ( The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion), Zhenjing Zhinan (Guide to the classics of Acupuncture), Zhenjiu Daquan (A Complete Works of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) etc. from 1) close association between "Deqi" and patients' mental activity; 2) how to wait for arrival of qi if the needling does not induce "Deqi" for the time being; 3) how to identify "qi-arrival" and then, performing suitable manipulations; 4) Deqi and shallow- or deep-needling; 5) putting more emphasis on patients' feeling and reactions, rather than the practitioners perception beneath the needle which is described in book Huangdi Neijing; and 6) not withdrawing the acupuncture needles if qi does not arrive.

[Design and establishment of modern literature database about acupuncture Deqi].

A search on acupuncture Deqi was conducted using four Chinese-language biomedical databases (CNKI, Wan-Fang, VIP and CBM) and PubMed database and using keywords "Deqi" or "needle sensation" "needling feeling" "needle feel" "obtaining qi", etc. Then, a "Modern Literature Database for Acupuncture Deqi" was established by employing Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition, introducing the contents, data types, information structure and logic constraint of the system table fields. From this Database, detailed inquiries about general information of clinical trials, acupuncturists' experience, ancient medical works, comprehensive literature, etc.

[Remarks on the relationship between deqi and effect of acupuncture].

Acupuncturists have always paid high attention to deqi (needling sensation) in clinical. However, relationship between deqi and curative effect has not been elucidated yet. In order to have a further understanding on effect of deqi on clinical effect, through study on literature associated with deqi since the establishment of People's Republic of China in 1949, it is held that various factors can influence therapeutic effect of acupuncture treatment, including whether needling sensation appears or not, the speed of deqi, the intensity of deqi, different types of sensations as well as propagated sensation along meridians (PSM).

An exploratory survey of deqi sensation from the views and experiences of chinese patients and acupuncturists.

Deqi sensation is believed to be important in clinical efficacy according to TCM theory. The measuring method of Deqi sensation has significant implications for the result of research trials. This study makes an investigation on acupuncture-experienced patients and expert acupuncturists in China and aims to find out the patient's needling sensations and acupuncturist's sensations which can be acceptable as descriptors of Deqi sensation, so as to provide foundation for more systematic and sensitive quantitative evaluation method of Deqi sensation.