Hwa-Jin Lee

Development and Validation of Acupuncture Fear Scale

Objectives. Strong aversions to acupuncture have been an obstacle to understanding its intrinsic action of acupuncture. Thus, it is necessary to evaluate the nature and extent of fear of acupuncture treatment. Our study aims to develop and validate an instrument that evaluates a patients fear of acupuncture treatment. Methods. We have developed an acupuncture fear scale, a 16-item instrument which assesses the acupuncture fear score and uses it to survey 275 participants in South Korea, thus testing the reliability and validity of the instrument. Results. Internal consistency was high (Cronbachs alpha = 0.935). Test-retest reliability (Spearmans rank correlation coefficient) among 33 participants out of 275 ranged from 0.565 to 0.797 (P < 0.001). Principal component analysis revealed two factors accounting for 68% of the variance, which are painful sensation and possible adverse events, respectively. The acupuncture fear scale was positively correlated with the total of fear of pain questionnaire-III (r = 0.423, P < 0.001). Conclusions. The acupuncture fear scale can be a valid and reliable instrument that can measure fear of acupuncture treatment. These results strongly suggest that it would be a clinically useful tool to assess fear of acupuncture in the acupuncture clinic setting and an important instrument to understand the complex social-behavioral component of acupuncture modality.

Tai Chi Qigong for the quality of life of patients with knee osteoarthritis: a pilot, randomized, waiting list controlled trial

Objective: To evaluate the effects of Tai Chi Qigong training on the quality of life and physical function of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Design: A preliminary, single-blind, randomized controlled trial. Setting: General community, performed at Hwaseong City Health Center. Participants: Forty-four elderly subjects (mean age, 69.1 ± 5.4 years) with knee osteoarthritis. Intervention: The patients were randomized (2:1) to: (1) an eight-week Tai Chi Qigong training programme or (2) a waiting list control group. The programme involved eight weeks of group Tai Chi Qigong sessions, with 60 minutes per session twice a week. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was quality of life measured with the Short Form 36 (SF-36) at baseline and week 8. Secondary outcomes included the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and 6-m walking time. Results: The training group had statistically significant improvements in the quality of life (changes of SF-36, Qigong versus control: 21.6 ± 16.8 versus 9.8 ± 13.6, P<0.05) and 6-m walking test (change in walking time, Qigong versus control: —1.6 ± 1.7 versus —0.2 ± 0.8 s, P<0.01). The WOMAC scores in the training group were markedly improved, although the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Tai Chi Qigong training appears to have beneficial effects in terms of the quality of life and physical functioning of elderly subjects with knee osteoarthritis. However, more rigorous trials are needed to confirm the efficacy of this training for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

Acupuncture attenuates autonomic responses to smoking-related visual cues

OBJECTIVES In smokers, smoking-associated cues produce smoking urges and cravings, which are accompanied by autonomic dysfunction in response to these cues. We investigated whether or not acupuncture ameliorated cigarette withdrawal symptoms, as well as attenuated the autonomic responses to smoking-related visual cues in smokers using a power spectrum analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). INTERVENTIONS Fifteen subjects were treated with real acupuncture (RA) at HT7 and 14 subjects received sham acupuncture (SA) at LI10 using the Park Sham Device. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The cigarette withdrawal scale (CWS) was measured on the third day after the subjects had quit smoking. We compared the low-frequency/high-frequency (HF/LF) ratio in the HRV of the RA and SA groups during a distraction task using neutral and smoking visual cues. RESULTS The CWS of the RA group was significantly lower than that of the SA group. The increase in the LF/HF ratio of HRV induced by the smoking-related visual cues was also significantly lower in the RA group when compared with the SA group. Acupuncture not only ameliorated cigarette withdrawal, but also weakened the autonomic responses to smoking cues during withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that acupuncture might help in smoking cessation by attenuating withdrawal symptoms and smoking cues-induced autonomic responses.

Effect of acupuncture on selective attention for smoking-related visual cues in smokers

Abstract Objectives: Cue reactivity is a key factor that modulates motivational goal directed behavior associated with compulsive drug intake and relapse. We investigated the effect of acupuncture on the selective attention to smoking-related visual cues in smokers, as an index of the severity of drug dependence. Methods: Twenty-nine smokers received real acupuncture (n=15) or sham acupuncture (n=14) to the acupuncture point HT7 (Sinmun) for 2 consecutive days after quitting smoking. A visual probe task was used to measure the attentional bias using neutral or smoking visual cues after the second acupuncture stimulation. The cigarette withdrawal scale was also measured on the same day. Results: The real acupuncture group showed markedly attenuated attentional bias towards smoking cues. The real acupuncture group exhibited significant decrease in withdrawal symptoms compared to the sham acupuncture group. The attentional bias revealed a significant positive correlation with the smoking withdrawal symptoms (r=0.430, p<0.05). Discussion: Acupuncture treatment ameliorated the smoking withdrawal symptoms as well as the selective attention to smoking-related visual cues in smokers. The selective attention to smoking cues was associated with the degree of the cigarette withdrawal symptoms.

Turo (qi dance) training attenuates psychological symptoms and sympathetic activation induced by mental stress in healthy women.

Vagal withdrawal and sympathetic overactivity accompany various types of stress. Qi training is reported to reduce sympathetic hyper-reactivity in a stressful situation. Turo, which is a type of dance that uses the Meridian Qi System, may reduce the psychological symptoms induced by an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). We observed whether Turo training alters psychopathological and psychological symptoms using the Symptom Checklist 90-Revision (SCL-90-R) and examined whether it attenuates the stress response to mental stress in healthy adolescent females using the power spectrum analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). Twenty-one subjects received Turo training and 27 subjects were trained with mimicking movements. The SCL-90-R was measured before and after the 2-month training period. Heart rate (HR), total power (TP) and the LF/HF ratio of HRV were compared between the Turo and control groups during and after mental stress. The somatization and hostility subscales of the SCL-90-R of the Turo group were significantly lower than those of the control group after 2 months. The increases in HR and the LF/HF ratio of HRV induced by the stress test were significantly lower in the Turo group than in the control group. The TP of the Turo group was significantly higher than that of the control group. The psychological symptoms and sympathetic activation induced by the artificial stress were significantly reduced by the Turo training. These findings suggest that Turo training can play a critical role in attenuating psychological symptoms and stress-induced sympathetic activation.

Turo (qi dance) Program for Parkinson’s Disease Patients: Randomized, Assessor Blind, Waiting-List Control, Partial Crossover Study

Context: Qigong, Tai‐chi and dancing have all been proven effective for Parkinsons disease (PD); however, no study has yet assessed the efficacy of Turo, a hybrid qigong dancing program developed to relieve symptoms in PD patients. Objective: To determine whether Turo may provide benefit in addressing the symptoms of PD patients. Design: Randomized, assessor blind, waiting‐list control, partial crossover study. Setting: Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Participants: A total of 32 PD patients (mean age 65.7 ± 6.8). Intervention: Participants were assigned to the Turo group or the waiting‐list control group. The Turo group participated in an 8‐week Turo training program (60‐minute sessions twice a week). The waiting‐list control group received no additional treatment during the same period; then underwent the same 8‐week Turo training. Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was a score on the Unified Parkinsons Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), and the secondary outcomes included the perceived health status assessed using the Parkinsons disease Quality of Life questionnaire (PDQL), balance function as assessed by the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the results of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results: The Turo group showed statistically significant improvements in the UPDRS (P < 0.01) and PDQL (P < 0.05) as compared to the control group. The changes in BBS scores displayed a tendency toward improvement, but was not statistically significant (P = 0.051). Conclusion: These findings suggest that Turo PD training might improve the symptoms of PD patients.