Acupuncture on Yintang Point Decreases Preoperative Anxiety

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ear-press needle acupuncture on Yintang point for preoperative anxiety.

Design: This was a prospective, randomized, single-blind, controlled study.

Settings/location: The study setting was the Department of Anesthesiology in Ankara Training and Research Hospital of Ministry of Health, Ankara, Turkey.

Subjects: The study comprised 52 adult surgical patients.

Interventions: A single, 20-minute session of single-point acupuncture was applied on Yintang (acupuncture group) or sham point (sham acupuncture group).

Outcome Measures: The efficacy of acupuncture was evaluated by means of the changes in bispectral index (BIS) and STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Index).

Results: BIS values in the acupuncture group were significantly lower than in the sham group in all time intervals (p<0.0042). BIS values were lower than baseline in the study group during the entire study period (p<0.0004) while no such effect has been observed in the sham group (p>0.0004). Mean values of state anxiety (STAI-S) decreased after acupuncture in the study group (p=0,018), while no change was observed in trait anxiety (STAI-T) (p=0.156). Patients of the sham group showed no change in both parameters (p=0.387 and p=0,116).

Conclusions: Ear-press needle acupuncture on Yintang point reduces preoperative anxiety in adult surgical patients.