Factors and Their Impact on Treatment Effect of Acupuncture in Different Outcomes: A Meta-Regression of Acupuncture Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: The effects of acupuncture have varied in different randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and there are many factors that influence treatment effect of acupuncture in different outcomes, with conflicting results.

Objective: To identify factors and their impact on the treatment effect of acupuncture in different outcomes.

Methods: Acupuncture RCTs were searched from 7 databases including Medline (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and China Biology Medicine disc between January 1st, 2015 and December 31st, 2019.

Use of Evidence-Based Research Approach in RCTs of Acupuncture-Related Therapies for Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Meta-Research.

Objective: To assess the use of evidence-based research (EBR) approach in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture-related therapies for primary dysmenorrhea (PD).

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, Chinese Biomedical Database, and China Science and Technology Journal Database were searched from January 2013 to December 2022 for RCTs of acupuncture on PD. The full text and references of each RCT were read to assess whether systematic reviews (SRs) or other types of studies with similar research questions and end-users' perspectives were cited to justify and design the trial.

Acupuncture for in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer: an overview of systematic reviews.

Objectives: To evaluate the report quality, methodological quality and evidence quality of the systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) of acupuncture for in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET).

Methods: The SRs/MAs of acupuncture for IVF-ET were searched electronically from databases of CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, from inception of each database to September 27th, 2022. Two reviewers independently screened the literature and extracted the data.

[Fidelity in acupuncture-moxibustion clinical research: application and reflection].

As an indicator that measures the degree of implementation of intervention measures during the implementation process, fidelity could be used for monitoring and quality evaluation of the completion degree of intervention measures, and plays an important role in improving the degree of intervention implementation and clarifying the factors that affect intervention implementation. This article aims to introduce the connotation and significance, measurement, control, and current application status of fidelity, as well as the current application status of fidelity in acupuncture-moxibustion clinical research and its inspiration for future research. Meanwhile, based on the existing evaluation tool development methods of fidelity and the characteristics of acupuncture-moxibustion clinical research, a preliminary fidelity evaluation framework is proposed.

[Evaluation of the report quality of Chinese and English randomized controlled trials of acupuncture based on CONSORT statement and STRICTA checklist].

Objective: To evaluate the report quality of Chinese and English randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture based on the CONSORT statement and STRICTA checklist.

Methods: The Chinese and English RCTs of acupuncture published from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2019 were searched in 7 databases including PubMed. The report quality of the included RCTs was evaluated with the CONSORT 2010 statement and STRICTA checklist.

Approach to Assess Adequacy of Acupuncture in Randomized Controlled Trials: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To summarize and identify the available instruments/methods assessing the adequacy of acupuncture in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for proposing a new improved instrument.

Methods: A systematic literature search was carried out in 7 electronic databases from inception until 21st November 2022. Any study evaluating the adequacy or quality of acupuncture, specifying specific acupuncture treatment-related factors as criteria of subgroup analysis, or developing an instrument/tool to assess the adequacy or quality of acupuncture in an RCT was included.

[Improving acupuncture research: progress, guidance, and future directions].

This paper makes an interpretation of the collection published by . Studies show that the quality of randomized controlled trial (RCT) of acupuncture is low, and multivariable Meta-regression analysis fails to confirm most factors commonly believed to influence the effect of acupuncture. The methodological challenges in design and conduct of RCT in acupuncture were analyzed, and a consensus on how to design high-quality acupuncture RCT was developed.

[Selection and application of explanatory and pragmatic randomized controlled trials in clinical research of acupuncture].

In the view of the controversy that there is no efficacy difference between true and sham acupuncture in acupuncture randomized controlled trials (RCTs), it is analyzed that one of the reasons is that many clinical studies do not properly understand the design of RCT research and interpret the research results. Starting from the concept and coverage of explanatory RCT and pragmatic RCT, this study lists the application examples of two types of RCTs in the field of acupuncture from five aspects: research purpose and trial environment, subject selection, intervention measures, control measures and outcome evaluation, so as to provide some ideas for their application in clinical trials.

Factors Associated with the Magnitude Of acUpuncture treatment effectS (FAMOUS): a meta-epidemiological study of acupuncture randomised controlled trials.

Objective: To identify factors and assess to what extent they impact the magnitude of the treatment effect of acupuncture therapies across therapeutic areas.

Data Source: Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and China Biology Medicine disc, between 2015 and 2019.

Study Selection: The inclusion criteria were trials with a total number of randomised patients larger than 100, at least one patient-important outcome and one of two sets of comparisons.

[Overview of systematic reviews of acupuncture clinical research published in international journals].

The systematic reviews (SRs) of acupuncture published before December 31 of 2020 in PubMed, Cochrane and EMbase databases were searched, and the publication overview of international acupuncture SRs were analyzed. As a result, a total of 717 SRs were included, and the overall number of published SRs showed a fluctuating upward trend. A total of 15 categories of diseases were involved, of which 113 SRs suggested that acupuncture was effective, and 12 SRs did not support acupuncture, and the remaining SRs showed uncertain conclusions.

How to design high quality acupuncture trials-a consensus informed by evidence.

An international panel including patients, clinicians, researchers, acupuncture and surgery trialists, statisticians, and experts in clinical epidemiology and methodology have developed new guidance for randomised controlled trials in acupuncture. It addresses the most prevalent and critical concerns of current acupuncture trials and will help funding agencies, trial registers, and journal editors to evaluate the relevance, importance, and quality of submitted trial proposals and completed trials

[Clinical study on acupuncture and moxibustion for frozen shoulder: an evidence map].

The clinical evidences on acupuncture and moxibustion for the treatment of frozen shoulder were sorted and summarized systematically. The relevant articles of frozen shoulder treated with acupuncture and moxibustion were searched from PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane database of systematic review (CDSR), Cochrane database of controlled trials register (CENTRAL), China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, VIP, and Chinese biomedical literature databases (SinoMed), from database inception to May 31, 2021. Using AMSTAR-2, the methodological quality of the included systematic reviews was evaluated.

[Acupuncture randomized controlled trials: comparing China-based . Western-based studies].

With the worldwide spread of acupuncture as a therapeutic modality and the rapid development of acupuncture clinical research, the number of acupuncture randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies is steadily increasing in China and around the world. However, the results of these studies seem to come from two different worlds indeed. Chinese RCT studies overwhelmingly demonstrate positive outcomes from acupuncture, whereas Western-based studies generally conclude that there is no discernible difference between acupuncture and a placebo.

Effect of Acupuncture on Outcomes of in vitro Fertilisation: A Scoping Review.

Objectives: To identify, examine and summarize the available evidence on the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) outcomes.

Methods: Eight electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Review, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, Chinese Biomedical Database and VIP Database, were searched, supplemented by manual searches. Two researchers independently conducted the literature screening, data extraction, and methodological quality assessments.

[Moxibustion therapy in prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): construction and application of non-contact diagnosis and treatment mode].

Objective: To establish and promote the non-contact doctor-patient interactive diagnosis and treatment mode based on mobile internet for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with moxibustion therapy, and to observe the feasibility and effectiveness of the model in the pandemic.

Methods: A total of 43 first-line medical staff and 149 suspected and confirmed cases with COVID-19 [18 cases in medical observation period, 17 cases of mild type (cold dampness and stagnation in the lung), 24 cases of ordinary type (cold-dampness accumulated in the lung) and 90 cases in recovery period ( deficiency of spleen and lung)] were included. A non-contact doctor-patient interactive diagnosis and treatment platform was established for the treatment of COVID-19 with indirect moxibustion plaster based on mobile internet.

[Assessing the adequacy of acupuncture in clinical trials: current status and suggestions].

In recent years, some large rigorous acupuncture randomized controlled trials (RCTs) frequently draw the conclusion that the therapeutic effects of acupuncture is equivalent to placebo effect, which has aroused wide attention and controversy. Thus, some studies attempted to assess the adequacy of acupuncture regimen in clinical trials. In this study, the concept of acupuncture regimen adequacy in clinical trials is clarified and the research status and limitations are summarized.

Defining Acupuncture-Moxibustion: A Delphi Study Protocol.

Background: With the worldwide use and modern development of acupuncture-moxibustion, there is disagreement on its basic definition. There has been an obstacle for clinical practice, research, and legislation. Considering this challenge, the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies proposes to develop the definition and basic scope of acupuncture-moxibustion with a Delphi study.

Is acupuncture actually not effective for polycystic ovary syndrome? : Analysis of the trial published in jama.

In recent years, acupuncture has been applied to treat more and more patients suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). On June 27, 2017 a paper titled "Effect of acupuncture and clomiphene in Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized clinical trial" was published in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The results did not support acupuncture as an effective therapy for improving the live births in PCOS.

[Evolution of Classification Methods and Nomenclature of Clinical Disorders Treated by Acupuncture and Moxibustion in the 20 Century].

Through systematic review of the literature on the treatment of different clinical conditions or illnesses with acupuncture and moxibustion therapies in the 20 century, the authors of the present paper analyzed the evolution process of classification of related clinical disorders. It was found that the classification and nomenclature of clinical disorders or illnesses are defined in terms of traditional Chinese medicine or western medicine, which undergoes an evolutionary process from western medicine to Chinese medicine and back to western medicine. This evolution process is due to the intrinsic requirement' of clinical practice such as thinking ways of diagnosis and treatment or to be influenced by extrinsic factors including introduction of western medicine at the Republic period, policies of"advanced studies of traditional Chinese physcians" and "western medicine doctors" lear-ning from traditional Chinese medicine, and the leading role of western medicine,etc.

[Principles and Methods for Formulating National Standards of "Regulations of Acupuncture-nee- dle Manipulating techniques"].

The national standard of "Regulations of Acupuncture-needle Manipulating Techniques" is one of the national Criteria of Acupuncturology for which a total of 22 items have been already established. In the process of formulation, a series of common and specific problems have been met. In the present paper, the authors expound these problems from 3 aspects, namely principles for formulation, methods for formulating criteria, and considerations about some problems.

[A meta-analysis on pricking blood therapy for migraine].

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of pricking blood therapy for migraine.

Methods: We searched all the original papers about pricking blood therapy for migraine in common databases as the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Library (CBM), Ovid, Science Direct, Socolar, and Sci Finder (1949 -2012), Wanfang Data (1998-2012) and Foreign Medical Journal Service (FMJS, 1990-2012). The original articles were searched in accordance with a pre-defined standards (simple pricking blood treatment, or the pricking blood therapy was the principal approach), while those about other diseases (such as cerebrovascular disease, cervical spondylosis, etc.

[Research of bleeding volume and method in blood-letting acupuncture therapy based on data mining].

Through computer-based technology and data mining method, with treatment in cases of bloodletting acupuncture therapy in collected literature as sample data, the association rule in data mining was applied. According to self-built database platform, the data was input, arranged and summarized, and eventually required data was acquired to perform the data mining of bleeding volume and method in blood-letting acupuncture therapy, which summarized its application rules and clinical values to provide better guide for clinical practice. There were 9 kinds of blood-letting tools in the literature, in which the frequency of three-edge needle was the highest, accounting for 84.

[Textual research on the numbers of acupuncture-moxibustion books in the Republican period].

Based on the materials in the General Catalogue of Ancient Books of Traditional Chinese Medicine, together with the sources from other relevant tool books, investigation is made on the total number of the acu-moxibustion books appeared in the Republican period. It has been found that the medical works collected in the said General Catalogue is not in line with its own principles for collection. It is stressed that the exact time span for the collection is 1912-1949.