Autonomic Nervous System Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
Acu-TENS, MAP, HR, HRV
Brief summary
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners believe that health can be maintained if the body has a balanced ying-yang or the qi flows in correct strength and quality along the meridians.Stimulation of the acupoints such as by acupuncture can awaken and modulate qi in the channels and is able to regulate and restore yin-yang balance.However, there are some drawbacks associated with acupuncture which may limit its applications. These include transmission of infectious disease, pneumothorax and other problems associated with organ punctures, cardiac tamponade, and broken needles with remnants migrating to other locations.Studies have shown that when TENS is applied over acupoints (Acu-TENS), it is effective in reducing dyspnoea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,facilitate early haemodynamic recovery after open-heart surgery,relieve labor pain,increase in blood β-endorphin level,reduce blood pressure changes in normal healthy subjects and decrease airway resistance.Despite these promising results, how Acu-TENS works still remain unclear.This study aimed to investigate the effects of Acu-TENS over Hegu (LI4) and Quichi (LI4) on the autonomic nervous system activities and to investigate whether the subject could experience distinct sensation as deqi.
Detailed description
Eligibility criteria: Normal healthy subjects who were naïve to Acu-TENS and able to read Chinese. Outcome Measures: Heart rate, Mean arterial blood pressure, Heart rate variability
Interventions
OTHERAcu-TENS
Systolic and diastolic blood pressures will be taken on the left arm by a digital blood pressure monitor (Mindray PM-8000 Express Patient Monitor, Bio-Medical Electricity, Hamburg, Germany). The mean arterial pressure (MAP) will be recorded from the machine. Three ECG electrodes will be applied over left and right clavicles and left upper quadrant of abdomen respectively and then connect to a digital patient monitor device (Mindray PM-8000 Express Patient Monitor, Bio-Medical Electricity, Hamburg, Germany). The heart rate (HR) will be measured. The ECG signals will be transferred to the PowerLab 16/30 (ADInstruments Pty Ltd. NSW, Australia) for data acquisition and analysis of the HRV.
Sponsors
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
FACTORIAL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
20 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Normal healthy subjects who were naïve to Acu-TENS and able to read Chinese were recruited for study
Exclusion criteria
* history of cardiopulmonary, neurological and psychologic disorders or they required taking drugs within one week that might affect the cardiovascular and neurological status
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Heart rate variability | One month after the intervention | Three ECG electrodes will beapplied over left and right clavicles and left upper quadrant of abdomen respectively and then connect to a digital patient monitor device (Mindray PM-8000 Express Patient Monitor, Bio-Medical Electricity, Hamburg, Germany). The ECG signals will be transferred to the PowerLab 16/30 (ADInstruments Pty Ltd. NSW, Australia) for data acquisition and analysis of the HRV. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Heart rate | One month after the study | Three ECG electrodes will be applied over left and right clavicles and left upper quadrant of abdomen respectively and then connect to a digital patient monitor device (Mindray PM-8000 Express Patient Monitor, Bio-Medical Electricity, Hamburg, Germany). The heart rate (HR) will be measured. |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mean Blood pressure | One month afterwards | Systolic and diastolic blood pressures will be taken on the left arm by a digital blood pressure monitor (Mindray PM-8000 Express Patient Monitor, Bio-Medical Electricity, Hamburg, Germany). |
Countries
China
Outcome results
None listed