Yang Liu,1 Guohui Zhang,1 Jingbo Li,1 Ying Lv,2 Rui Qi1 

1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangpu Community Health Service Center, Shanghai, 200082, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Rui Qi, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 110 Ganhe Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, 200437, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 18930566807, Email QiRui7596@163.com

Objective: This analysis observed the clinical effect of acupuncture combined with Escitalopram oxalate in the treatment of mild to moderate post-stroke depression (PSD).
Methods: This was a retrospective study of 1:1 matching design. A total of 96 cases of mild to moderate PSD patients were enrolled and divided into 48 cases each in the control group and the observation group. The control group received treatment with Escitalopram oxalate tablets. The observation group received acupuncture combined with Escitalopram Oxalate, both for a duration of 8 weeks. Comparisons were performed in regard clinical efficacy, 17-Item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Barthel Index, neurotransmitters (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT], norepinephrine [NE], and dopamine [DA]), and liver function (alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate transaminase [AST], direct bilirubin [DBIL], and total bilirubin [TBIL]). The Side Effect Rating Scale (SERS) scores at weekends 4 and 8 of treatment were counted.
Results: The total effective rate was 91.67% (44/48) higher for the observation group than 75.00% (36/48) for the control group (P < 0.05). HAMD-17, NIHSS, and PSQI scores decreased in the two groups after treatment, and they were all lower in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The observation group had a higher Barthel index than the control group (P < 0.05). Serum 5-HT, NE and DA levels increased in both groups after treatment, and serum markers were higher in the observation group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The differences in SERS scores between the two groups were not significant (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: Combining acupuncture with Escitalopram oxalate proves to be effective and safe for treating mild-to-moderate PSD, significantly alleviating depression, and enhancing neurological function, sleep quality, and quality of life.

Keywords: stroke, depression, acupuncture, Escitalopram oxalate, neurological function