Electro-acupuncture versus sham electro-acupuncture for auditory hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial

Objective: To compare the efficacy of electro-acupuncture with that of sham electro-acupuncture for auditory hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia partially responsive or non-responsive to risperidone. Design: Patient- and assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial. Setting: Hospital-based practice. Participants: Schizophrenia patients with auditory hallucinations who are partially responsive or non-responsive to risperidone monotherapy (n = 60). Interventions: All patients were randomly allocated to a real electro-acupuncture group or a sham electro-acupuncture group and treated for 30 sessions within six weeks. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome measure was the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales Auditory Hallucination Subscale. Secondary outcomes included the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and side-effects. A clinical response was defined as >20% reduction score (from baseline) on the total score of the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales Auditory Hallucination Subscale. Results: Sixty patients were selected for randomized real electro-acupuncture treatment (n = 30) or sham electro-acupuncture treatment (n = 30). Patients in the real electro-acupuncture group experienced greater improvement in the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales Auditory Hallucination Subscale total score, physical characteristics factor score and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale positive symptom score than the sham electro-acupuncture group at both week 4 and week 6. The clinical response rates in the real electro-acupuncture group and sham electro-acupuncture group were 43.3% (n = 30) and 13.3% (n = 30), respectively (χ2 = 6.648, P =0.027). There was no significance between-group difference in side-effects. Conclusion: Electro-acupuncture might provide improvement in auditory hallucinations and positive symptom for patients with schizophrenia partially responsive or non-responsive to risperidone monotherapy.