The Effect of Acupuncture on Anxiety and Working Memory

NCT01492738 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: NUHS H1011
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 90
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

This study endeavors to examine the relationship between acupuncture, anxiety, and performance on a test of working memory. In the study, all participants will complete the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) survey to determine how anxious they are at the moment and how anxious they tend to be in general. Then ½ of subjects will receive acupuncture for 20 minutes and ½ will rest quietly for 20 minutes. After this period, all subjects will again complete the STAI survey. Then all subjects will complete the Automated Operations Span Task (AOSPAN) which is a computerized test of working memory. Statistical analysis will be performed to determine if acupuncture had any effect on State-level anxiety and on performance on the AOSPAN.

Conditions

Memory Impairment; Anxiety

Keywords

Acupuncture; anxiety; memory

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in anxiety level

  Participants will complete the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory survey to see how anxious they are initially; after acupuncture treatment or quiet resting, they will complete the survey again to see how anxious they are after the intervention.

  Baseline and after1 hour

• Memory task

  Following acupuncture treatment or resting control, participants will complete a standardized memory test (AOSPAN) to see if intervention affects memory.

  After 1 hour

Study Arms (2)

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants will be asked to make themselves comfortable lying on a massage table for 20 minutes.

Acupuncture group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Acupuncture group will receive one acupuncture treatment for twenty minutes.

Procedure: Acupuncture

Interventions

Acupuncture PROCEDURE

After completing questionnaires and anxiety survey, a licensed acupuncturist will insert needles according to Clean Needle Technique into specific acupuncture points. Procedure will last 20 minutes.Following acupuncture treatment, participants will complete anxiety survey and memory test.

Acupuncture group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Undergraduate University student
• Fluent in English
• Willing to receive acupuncture
• Aged 18-30
• In good health
• Not pregnant
• Not breastfeeding

You may not qualify if:

• Not an Undergraduate University student
• Not fluent in English
• Unwilling to receive acupuncture
• Under 18 years of age or older than 30 years of age
• Chronic disease
• Pregnant
• Breastfeeding

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National University of Health Sciences: lead

Study Sites (2)

Tiffani Kim Institute

Chicago, Illinois, 60654, United States

Location

A Center for Oriental Medicine

Wilmette, Illinois, 60091, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Memory Disorders; Anxiety Disorders

Interventions

Acupuncture Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics

Study Officials

• Jason Bussell, MSOM, LAc

  National University of Health Sciences

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Hui Yan Cai, PhD, LAc

  National University of Health Sciences

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 1, 2011
• First Posted: December 15, 2011
• Study Start: February 1, 2011
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2011
• Study Completion: December 1, 2011
• Last Updated: April 15, 2015

Record last verified: 2015-04

Locations

US (2)