None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Recruitment will be through the Black Dog Institute, UNSW. Due to the twice weekly intervention and then weekly intervention in the second month, only metropolitan participants will be accepted. The study is expected to continue until at least 50 subjects are recruited or until June 2010 ,whichever is first.
Interventions
1.Low Level Therapeutic Laser Acupuncture 1 Joule of laser per acupoint.
2. Five acupoints on the skin surface: LR14 (6th intercostal space midclavicular line, HT7 on medial edge of Left wrist crease, CV14 in epigastrium, LR8 at medial Left knee and KI3 at right medial ankle.
3.The laser acupuncture is applied 2 x a week for 4 weeks and then 1x a week for another 4 weeks.
4. Each laser session goes on for less than 5 minutes. 10 seconds per acupoint for 5 acupoints = 50 seconds
5. Subjects u
1.Low Level Therapeutic Laser Acupuncture 1 Joule of laser per acupoint. 2. Five acupoints on the skin surface: LR14 (6th intercostal space midclavicular line, HT7 on medial edge of Left wrist crease, CV14 in epigastrium, LR8 at medial Left knee and KI3 at right medial ankle. 3.The laser acupuncture is applied 2 x a week for 4 weeks and then 1x a week for another 4 weeks. 4. Each laser session goes on for less than 5 minutes. 10 seconds per acupoint for 5 acupoints = 50 seconds 5. Subjects undergo the baseline functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) once: after recruitment and before the start of the clinical study.
Sponsors
University of New South Wales
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Major unipolar depressive disorder meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IVth version (DSM-IV) criteria 2. QIDS-SR score > 10 3. HAMILTON-D score > 14 4. Participants to be free of psychotropic drugs and /or herbals at least 4 weeks prior to entry into the study 5. Participants will provide informed consent to the study and, where relevant, consent to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) 6. No other co interventions allowed.
Exclusion criteria
1. Dysthymia-chronic low mood 2. Depression of over 2 years duration 3. History of hypomania or mania 4. Psychosis 5. Substance abuse disorder 6. Use of psychotropic drugs within the last 4 weeks prior to entry 7. Use of mood altering herbs within 4 weeks prior to entry 8. Known Central Nervous System lesions 9. Known uncontrolled endocrine disorders, pregnancy or potential pregnancy 10. Active suicidal tendencies.
Outcome results
None listed