Anxiety
Conditions
Interventions
Participants will be randomized into two parallel groups: Control Group (CG - number of participants: 150) - will receive AA with needles and Experimental Group (EG - number of participants: 150) - wi
E02.190.044.133
Sponsors
Universidade Federal de Viçosa
Universidade Federal de Viçosa
Eligibility
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: University students; aged 18 years or older; who have moderate or high levels of anxiety, stress and/or depression on the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS21) and/or post-traumatic stress disorder, assessed on the Revised Event Impact ( IES-R)
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: Perforations in the ear near the applied ear points; history of allergy to metal or microporous tape; history of photosensitivity; ear injury, inflammation, deformity or tattoo; history of skin cancer in the head and neck region; use of chemical peeling (retinoic acid, retinol, vitanol-A, tretinoin, isotretioin) and/or Rocutan (isotretinoin) up to six months prior to the start of treatment; use of hearing aids; people with compromised immune systems (being treated for cancer or using immunosuppressants, for example); diabetes mellitus (type 1 or type 2); epilepsy; use of cardiac pacemaker; pregnant women, nursing mothers or those women who are planning pregnancy during the study period; rejection or fear of receiving the intervention; refusal to carry out the assessments; have carried out some integrative and complementary practice in the last 3 months prior to the study
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| It is expected to find a reduction in the level of anxiety at the end of five weeks of treatment with auricular acupuncture with needles or with laser, verified by means of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), from the verification of a variation of at least 5% in pre- and post-intervention measurements. The HADS is an instrument consisting of 14 interspersed questions of anxiety and depression. Its score ranges from 0 to 21 for each subscale, and participants with scores lower than 7 are considered without significant clinical signs of anxiety, between 8 and 11 with possible symptoms, and above 12, symptoms suggestive of the disorder. The cutoff point for anxiety is eight.;It is expected to find a reduction in the level of depression at the end of five weeks of treatment with auricular acupuncture with needles or with laser, verified using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), from the verification of a variation of at least 5% in pre- and post-intervention measurements. The HADS is an instrument consisting of 14 interspersed questions of anxiety and depression. Its score ranges from 0 to 21 for each subscale, with participants with scores lower than 7 being considered without significant clinical signs of anxiety, between 8 and 11 with possible symptoms, and above 12, symptoms suggestive of the disorder. The cutoff point for depression is nine.;It is expected to find a reduction in the level of stress, at the end of five weeks of treatment with auricular acupuncture with needles or with laser, verified by means of the Perceveid Stress Scale (PSS), from the verification of a variation of at least 5% in pre- and post-intervention measurements. The 14 questions that comprise it refer to feelings in the last month and have response options ranging from 0 to 4 (0=never; 1=almost never; 2=sometimes; 3=almost always; 4=always). These are summed, so that questions with a positive connotation have their scores reversed (0=4; 1=3; 2=2; 3=1; and 4=0) | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| It is expected to find a reduction in salivary alpha-amylase levels at the end of five weeks of treatment with auricular acupuncture with needles or laser, based on the observation of a variation of at least 5% in pre- and post-intervention measurements. Salivary a-amisale will be collected and analyzed by a disposable test strip and a portable analyzer, the Cocoro Meter® (Nipro Co., Osaka, Japan). The collection strip will be positioned in the subject's sublingual region for 20 seconds and then placed in the portable analyzer to identify the level of this biomolecule. It is noteworthy that the concentration of salivary a-amisale increases the higher the stress level; values greater than 30 kU/l will be considered for individuals with anxiety or stress.;It is expected to find an increase in the tension threshold in the trapezius muscle, at the end of five weeks of treatment with auricular acupuncture with needles or with laser, from the verification of a variation of at least 5% in the pre- and post-intervention measurements. The tension threshold of the trapezius muscle will be assessed using a pressure algometer (digital dynamometer model DDK, microprocessed, for traction and compression testing - Kratos®), with a capacity of 20 kilograms-force, which is a device designed to quantify and to document the levels of pain sensitivity and tolerance through pressure stimulation. The method measures the responsiveness of peripheral nociceptors, through the pressure applied to the surfaces where they are located; this pressure is directly related to the applied force (weight) and indirectly related to the squared stimulated area. Thus, the results are expressed in Kilopascal or Kilogram/cm2. For this evaluation, a stimulation surface with a flat probe tip of 2 cm in diameter will be used. The participant will be positioned sitting on a chair, with the back supported and arms extended along the body. A constant and progressive stimulus will be performed at four specific po | — |
Countries
Brazil
Contacts
Public ContactCaroline Moura
Universidade Federal de Viçosa
Outcome results
None listed