[Clinical effect and safety of acupuncture in treatment of cardiac neurosis:a systematic review and meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the clinical effect and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of cardiac neurosis. METHODS: Chinese databases (including SinoMed, VIP, CNKI, and Wanfang Data) and English databases (including PubMed and The Cochrane Library) were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture in the treatment of cardiac neurosis published up to March 2019. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of included studies, and then RevMan 5.3 was used to perform a meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 7 RCTs were included, with 491 patients with cardiac neurosis. The results of the meta-analysis showed that compared with the conventional western medicine group, the acupuncture group had a significantly higher total effective rate (risk ratio ［RR］=1.16, 95% CI［1.05,1.28］, P=0.005) and had significantly greater improvements in Hamilton Anxiety Scale score (mean difference ［MD］=-3.22, 95% CI［-6.05, -0.39］, P=0.03). There were no significant differences between the two groups in Hamilton Depression Scale score (MD=-1.92, 95% CI［-4.76, -0.91］, P=0.18)，traditional Chinese medicine symptom score (MD=-5.49, 95% CI［-11.55, 0.56］, P=0.08), somatization symptom score (MD=-0.91, 95% CI［-3.28, 1.46］, P=0.45), and adverse reactions (RR=0.67, 95% CI［0.26,1.78］, P=0.42). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture can alleviate the symptoms and is safe in the treatment of cardiac neurosis.

[The non-medicamentous methods for the prevention and treatment of the patients presenting with neurocirculatory asthenia and concomitant enhanced meteosensitivity].

OBJECTIVE: The relevance of the problem stated in the title of this article comes from the significant increase in the prevalence of the functional cardiovascular disorders having been documented during the past years especially such as circulatory asthenia that most frequently affects the young people of the working age suffering from the systemic neurogenic imbalance in the organism and can be seriously aggravated by the influence of biotropic weather conditions and be responsible for enhanced meteosensitivity that has negative effect on the quality of life and impairs the effectiveness of the therapeutic interventions. AIM:  The objective of the present study was to provide the scientifically sound substantiation of the feasibility of the application of the non-medicamentous methods (including the interval hypoxic training and «dry¼ carbonic baths) for the prevention and treatment of neurocirculatory asthenia complicated by enhanced meteosensitivity and evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of these approach. MATERIAL AND METHODS:  A total of 50 patients with the verified diagnosis of neurocirculatory asthenia were recruited to participate in the study. All the patients were divided into two groups. 62% of them exhibited the well apparent meteosensitivity and were included in the study group 1. Group 2 was comprised of the remaining patients (38% of their total number) presenting with neurocirculatory asthenia who did not suffer appreciable changes in the general physical and mental state under the influence of varying weather conditions. The patients of both groups received the identical combined treatment consisting of interval hypoxic training and taking «dry¼ carbonic baths. Monitoring of the main meteorological parameters was carried out on a daily basis. It was combined with the assessment of the weather conditions from the medical perspective, the evaluation of the physical performance capability of the patients based on the results of the veloergometric testing, and the estimation of their functional state of the autonomous nervous system with the use of the data obtained in cardiointervalographic studies. In addition, the state of the microcirculatory system was evaluated by means of laser Doppler flowmetry and making use of a capillary blood flow analyzer. The psychological status of the patients was characterized using a computer-generated version of the abridged multifactorial questionnaire for the elucidation of the manifest personality-scale anxiety (Spielbeger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). All these studies were carried out both before and after the course of non-medicamentous therapy. RESULTS:  After the course of the combined non-medicamentous treatment had been completed the health status of the patients comprising the two groups was found to be improved as appeared from the decrease of the number and severity of subjective autonomous manifestations, the positive changes in the functional state of the cardiovascular system and the autonomic nervous system as well as in the general psychological status. The most clinically significant result of the treatment included the reduction in the incidence of the severe meteopathic reactions in the patients of group 2 (from 14% before to 3% after therapy). The frequency of moderately expressed meteopathic reactions likewise decreased (from 31% before to 14% after the treatment). CONCLUSIONS:  The study has demonstrated that under the environmental and climatic conditions of the of Moscow region formation of biotropic weather factors of the hypoxic type (39%) constitutes a serious risk factor contributing to the development of imbalance in the vegetative nervous system and its exacerbations in response to variations of weather parameters. The application of the non-medicamentous therapeutic modalities (including interval hypoxic training and «dry¼ carbonic baths) for the management of the meteosensitive patients presenting with neurocirculatory asthenia is pathogenetically justified, and they can be recommended for both the treatment and prevention of weather- dependent pathological processes and their exacerbations.

Comparing two brief psychological interventions to usual care in panic disorder patients presenting to the emergency department with chest pain.

BACKGROUND: Panic disorder (PD) is a common, often unrecognized condition among patients presenting with chest pain to the emergency departments (ED). Nevertheless, psychological treatment is rarely initiated. We are unaware of studies that evaluated the efficacy of brief cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) for this population. AIM: Evaluate the efficacy of two brief CBT interventions in PD patients presenting to the ED with chest pain. METHOD: Fifty-eight PD patients were assigned to either a 1-session CBT-based panic management intervention (PMI) (n = 24), a 7-session CBT intervention (n = 19), or a usual-care control condition (n = 15). A structured diagnostic interview and self-reported questionnaires were administered at pre-test, post-test, 3- and 6-month follow-ups. RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed significant reduction in PD severity following both interventions compared to usual care control condition, but with neither showing superiority compared to the other. CONCLUSIONS: CBT-based interventions as brief as a single session initiated within 2 weeks after an ED visit for chest pain appear to be effective for PD. Given the high prevalence of PD in emergency care settings, greater efforts should be made to implement these interventions in the ED and/or primary care setting.

[Observation on therapeutic effect of auricular acupuncture combined with body acupuncture for treatment of cardiac neurosis].

OBJECTIVE: To find an effective therapy for cardiac neurosis. METHODS: Seventy-two cases were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a medication group, 36 cases in each group. The acupuncture group were treated with auricular acupuncture combined with body acupuncture, with auricular points Shenmen, Jiaogan (sympathesis), Xin (heart), etc. and body points Xinshu (BL 15), Shenmen (HT 7), Neiguan (PC 6), etc. selected; the medication group were treated with oral administration of Betaloc and Oryzanol. Their therapeutic effects were compared after treatment for 2 months. RESULTS: The cured rate was 77.8% in the acupuncture group and 52.8% in the medication group with very significant differences (P < 0.01), the former being better than the latter. CONCLUSION: Auricular acupuncture combined with body acupuncture is the best method for treatment of cardiac neurosis.

[Neurocirculatory dystonia (does this disease exist?)]. / Neirotsirkuliatornaia distoniia.

Difficulties of diagnostics of neurocirculatory dystonia are discussed. Definition based on Myasnikov's ideas about hyperreactivity, that is inadequate cardiovascular responses to psychoemotional stress, is proposed. Peculiarities of classification and therapy of neurocirculatory dystonia are presented.

[General significance and quality standards in psychosomatic care]. / Allgemeine Bedeutung und Qualitätsstandards in der psychosomatischen Versorgung.

The relevance of psychosomatic and psychotherapeutic in--and--out patient service is evident. Two important examples of psychosomatic care are described: somatoform and cardiovascular disorders. Quality assurance is necessary. There are data concerning the efficacy and the cost-benefit relation.

A randomized controlled trial of a brief educational and psychological intervention for patients presenting to a cardiac clinic with palpitation.

BACKGROUND: We sought to determine whether a brief psycho-educational intervention reduced disability in patients with benign palpitation. METHOD: In a pragmatic randomized controlled trial within a cardiology clinic at a district general hospital, 80 consecutive patients diagnosed as having benign palpitation--either palpitation due to awareness of extrasystoles or sinus rhythm--with associated distress or disability were randomized to an intervention group (usual care plus nurse-delivered intervention based on cognitive-behavioural principles) or to a control group (usual care). Principal outcome was difference in proportion of participants with good or excellent researcher-rated activity levels at 3 months. Subsidiary outcomes were self-rated symptoms, distress and disability, researcher-rated unmet treatment needs. RESULTS: The principal outcome showed a statistically and clinically significant benefit for the intervention group, with a number needed to treat of 3 (95% CIs 2 to 7). All but one subsidiary outcomes also showed a difference in favour of the intervention group, and several differences reached statistical significance. Significantly more of the control group had unmet treatment needs at 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: A brief, nurse-delivered, psycho-educational intervention, was an effective treatment for benign palpitation. Further evaluation, including assessment of cost-effectiveness, is needed. The findings have application to the care of patients presenting with other types of 'unexplained' medical symptoms.

Respiratory dysregulation in anxiety, functional cardiac, and pain disorders. Assessment, phenomenology, and treatment.

Respiration is a complex physiological system affecting a variety of physical processes that can act as a critical link between mind and body. This review discusses the evidence for dysregulated breathing playing a role in three clinical syndromes: panic disorder, functional cardiac disorder, and chronic pain. Recent technological advances allowing the ambulatory assessment of endtidal partial pressure of CO2 (PCO2) and respiratory patterns have opened up new avenues for investigation and treatment of these disorders. The latest evidence from laboratories indicates that subtle disturbances of breathing, such as tidal volume instability and sighing, contribute to the chronic hypocapnia often found in panic patients. Hypocapnia is also common in functional cardiac and chronic pain disorders, and studies indicate that it mediates some of their symptomatology. Consistent with the role of respiratory dysregulation in these disorders, initial evidence indicates efficacy of respiration-focused treatment.

[Changes in the autonomic status in vegetovascular dystonia syndrome during exposure to permanent magnetic field ]. / Izmenenie vegetativnogo statusa pri sindrome vegetososudistoi distonii pod vliianiem postoiannogo magnitnogo polia.

Permanent magnetic field was applied by placing two magnetic discs (induction 60 mT) in the projection of great arteries on both sides symmetrically. The treatment was given to hypertensive patients with vegetovascular asthenia. A course of such magnetic treatment affects pathogenetic mechanisms of vegetative disorders due to the ability of permanent magnetic field to restore vegetative homeostasis, normalize sympathicotony and vegetative regulation.