Table 2.
Original investigations of acupuncture therapy effects in cocaine-dependent subjects
| Publication year; first author | Objectives | Subjects | Stimulated acupoints (acupuncture type, acupoints, frequency) | Assessments | Outcomes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Avants [10] | To evaluate the AA efficacy in cocaine addiction treatment compared to needle-insertion and no-needle relaxation control conditions | 82 Cocaine-dependent, methadone-maintained patients | Auricular acupuncture at 4 NADA points (sympathetic, lung, liver, and Shenmen (HT7)), 5 times a week for 8 weeks | Urine toxicology screens 3-times-weekly | Acupuncture showed positive results compared to control groups for treatment of cocaine dependence |
| 2002 | Margolin [60] | To Compare two cocaine addiction clinical trials of AA to explore consistency of treatment effects | 165 Cocaine-dependent, methadone-maintained patients (Study 1, n = 82; Study 2, n = 83) | Auricular acupuncture at 4 NADA points (sympathetic, lung, liver, and Shenmen (HT7)), 5 times a week for 8 weeks | Urine toxicology screens 3-times-weekly, retention in treatment, treatment attendance, treatment credibility, therapeutic alliance, and acute effects | The results of two groups were controversial and no conclusion could be made regarding the effectiveness of AA |
| 2002 | Margolin [61] | To evaluate the AA efficacy in cocaine addiction treatment | 620 Cocaine-dependent methadone-maintained patients. 412 Cocaine only and 208 opiates + cocaine | Auricular acupuncture at 4 NADA points (sympathetic, lung, liver, and Shenmen (HT7)), 5 times a week for 8 weeks | Urine toxicology during treatment and at the 3- and 6-month post randomization follow-up, and retention in treatment | acupuncture was not more effective than a needle insertion or relaxation control in reducing cocaine use |
| 2005 | Margolin [59] | To evaluate effects of acupuncture and spirituality, therapy in the treatment of HIV-positive drug users | 40 HIV-seropositive, cocaine-dependent, methadone-maintained patients | Auricular acupuncture at 5 NADA points, 5 times weekly for 8 weeks | Urine toxicology twice weekly, depression and anxiety at pre- and post-treatment | acupuncture and a spirituality-focused psychotherapy was effective in reducing the cocaine use |
| 2009 | Lee and Bombi [44] | To investigate the effects of acupuncture on the repeated cocaine-induced neuronal and behavioral sensitization alternations | 32 Male Sprague–Dawley rats, n = 15 acupuncture | Acupuncture bilaterally at Shenmen (HT7) for 1 min | Cocaine-induced locomotor activity and the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the brain | acupuncture was effective for inhibiting the behavioral effects of cocaine by possible modulation of the central dopaminergic system |
| 2012 | Yoon [84] | To investigate the effects of acupuncture on cocaine-seeking and the expression of c-Fos and the transcription factor cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) | 24 Male Sprague–Dawley rats, n = 6 EA | Acupuncture at Shenmen (HT7) as study and Yangxi (LI5) as control for 1 min | Cocaine-seeking behavior, surface expression, and phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) activation in the NAc shell | acupuncture attenuated stress-induced relapse by regulating neuronal activation in the NAc shell |
| 2013 | Kim and Seol Ah [42] | To explore the peripheral mechanisms underlying acupuncture treatment for drug addiction | 12 Male Sprague–Dawley rats | Acupuncture at Shenmen (HT7) as study and Yangxi (LI5) as control for 1 min | Suppression of cocaine-induced locomotor activity | acupuncture inhibited the cocaine-induced locomotor activity |
Acupoints in NADA protocol are located at (sympathetic: in the deltoid fossa at the junction of the infra-antihelix crus and the medial order of the helix, lung: in the center of the cavum concha, liver: located in the posterior to upper portion of the helix crus, kidney: in the cleft between the upper plateau, and the helix)