Table 2.
Trends of major outcomes for depression and perimenopausal symptoms in acupuncture (OR acupuncture + antidepressant/HRT) and comparison with controls in each study.
| References | Comparison | Outcome measures for depression | Outcome measures for perimenopausal symptoms | Sex hormone levels | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAMD/SDS | KI/MENQOL | FSH | E2 | LH | |||
| Wang et al. (35) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | ↓ | / | / | / |
| 4-week follow-up vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | ↓ | / | / | / | ||
| Acup vs. sham Acup at same time-point | Post-treatment | < | < | / | / | / | |
| 4-week follow-up | < | (–) | / | / | / | ||
| Li (36) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | ↓ | (–) | ↓ | (–) |
| 4-week follow-up vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | ↓ | / | / | / | ||
| 8-week follow-up vs. pre-treatment | / | ↓ | / | / | / | ||
| 12-week follow-up vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | ↓ | / | / | / | ||
| Acup vs. sham Acup at same time-point | Post-treatment | < | < | (–) | (–) | (–) | |
| 4-week follow-up | < | < | / | / | / | ||
| 8-week follow-up | / | < | / | / | / | ||
| 12-week follow-up | < | < | / | / | / | ||
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | (–) | (–) | (–) | (–) | (–) | |
| 4-week follow-up | (–) | < | / | / | / | ||
| 8-week follow-up | / | < | / | / | / | ||
| 12-week follow-up | (–) | < | / | / | / | ||
| Li et al. (37) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | ↓ | (–) | (–) | (–) |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | (–) | (–) | (–) | (–) | (–) | |
| 4-week follow-up | < | < | / | / | / | ||
| 8-week follow-up | / | < | / | / | / | ||
| 12-week follow-up | < | < | / | / | / | ||
| Chi and Zou (30) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | < | / | / | / | / | |
| Deng (38) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | ↓ | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | (–) | (–) | / | / | / | |
| 2-week follow-up | < | (–) | / | / | / | ||
| 4-week follow-up | (–) | (–) | / | / | / | ||
| Dong (39) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. HRT + antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | < | / | / | / | / | |
| Li (40) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | ↓ | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | < | < | / | / | / | |
| Ma and Liu (41) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | (–) | / | / | / | / | |
| Niu and Wang (42) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | < | / | / | / | / | |
| Qian et al. (43) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | (–) | / | / | / | / | |
| Qiang (44) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | (–) | / | / | / | / | |
| Shi et al. (45) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | < | / | / | / | / | |
| 4-week follow-up | < | / | / | / | / | ||
| 12-week follow-up | < | / | / | / | / | ||
| Sun et al. (46) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | < | / | / | / | / | |
| Wang et al. (47) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | (–) | / | / | / | / | |
| 2-week follow-up | < | / | / | / | / | ||
| 4-week follow-up | < | / | / | / | / | ||
| Zhang (48) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↑ | ↓ |
| Acup vs. HRT + antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | (–) | (–) | (–) | (–) | (–) | |
| Zhang (49) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | ↓ | ↑ | ↓ |
| Acup vs. HRT + antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | < | / | (–) | (–) | (–) | |
| Zheng et al. (50) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↑ | ↓ |
| Acup vs. HRT + antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | (–) | (–) | (–) | < | (–) | |
| 24-week follow-up | < | < | / | / | / | ||
| Ding and Liu (51) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | ↓ | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | (–) | < | / | / | / | |
| Li and Dai (52) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | (–) | / | / | / | / | |
| Zhang (53) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | (–) | / | / | / | / | |
| 2-week follow-up | < | / | / | / | / | ||
| 4-week follow-up | < | / | / | / | / | ||
| Xing (54) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | (–) | / | / | / | / | |
| Zhou and Wu (31) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | / | / | / |
| Acup vs. antidepressant at same time-point | post-treatment | (–) | / | / | / | / | |
| Ma et al. (55) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | / | / | / |
| Acup + antidepressant vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | (–) | / | / | / | / | |
| Liu and Chen (56) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | ↓ | ↑ | / |
| Acup + antidepressant vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | < | / | < | < | / | |
| Ning (57) | Vs. same group at different time-points | Post- vs. pre-treatment | ↓ | / | / | / | / |
| Acup + antidepressant vs. antidepressant at same time-point | Post-treatment | < | / | / | / | / | |
↑, statistically increase; ↓, statistically decrease; >, statistically higher/longer/more; <, statistically lower/shorter/less; (–), no statistical difference/no statistical changes; Acup, acupuncture; HRT, hormone replacement therapy; HAMD, Hamilton Depression Scale; SDS, Self-Rating Depression Scale; KI, Kupperman index; MENQOL, Menopause-Specific Quality of Life; FSH, follicle-stimulating hormone; LH, luteinizing hormone; E2, estradiol.