A placebo-controlled trial of itopride in functional dyspepsia. Electroacupuncture Accelerates Solid Gastric Emptying and Improves Dyspeptic Symptoms in Patients with Functional Dyspepsia Central nervous pathway for acupuncture stimulation: localization of processing with functional MR imaging of the brain--preliminary experience. Treating dyspepsia with acupuncture and homeopathy: reflections on a pilot study by researchers, practitioners and participants. Evaluation of manual acupuncture at classical and nondefined points for treatment of functional dyspepsia: a randomized-controlled trial. [Effects of acupuncture on the gastric motivity in patients with functional dyspepsia].
BACKGROUND The treatment of patients with functional dyspepsia remains unsatisfactory . We assessed the efficacy of itopride , a dopamine D2 antagonist with anti-acetylcholinesterase [ corrected ] effects , in patients with functional dyspepsia . METHODS Patients with functional dyspepsia were r and omly assigned to receive either itopride ( 50 , 100 , or 200 mg three times daily ) or placebo . After eight weeks of treatment , three primary efficacy end points were analyzed : the change from baseline in the severity of symptoms of functional dyspepsia ( as assessed by the Leeds Dyspepsia Question naire ) , patients ' global assessment of efficacy ( the proportion of patients without symptoms or with marked improvement ) , and the severity of pain or fullness as rated on a five- grade scale . RESULTS We r and omly assigned 554 patients ; 523 had outcome data and could be included in the analyses . After eight weeks , 41 percent of the patients receiving placebo were symptom-free or had marked improvement , as compared with 57 percent , 59 percent , and 64 percent receiving itopride at a dose of 50 , 100 , or 200 mg three times daily , respectively ( P<0.05 for all comparisons between placebo and itopride ) . Although the symptom score improved significantly in all four groups , an overall analysis revealed that itopride was significantly superior to placebo , with the greatest symptom-score improvement in the 100- and 200-mg groups ( -6.24 and -6.27 , vs. -4.50 in the placebo group ; P=0.05 ) . Analysis of the combined end point of pain and fullness showed that itopride yielded a greater rate of response than placebo ( 73 percent vs. 63 percent , P=0.04 ) . CONCLUSIONS Itopride significantly improves symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia . ( Clinical Trials.gov number , NCT00272103 . ) The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture ( EA ) at ST36 and PC6 points on solid gastric emptying and dyspeptic symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia . Nineteen patients with functional dyspepsia ( FD ) were involved in the study , consisting of two parts : ( 1 ) acute effects of EA on solid gastric emptying in FD patients with delayed gastric emptying and ( 2 ) short-term ( 2-week ) effects of EA on symptoms in FD patients with normal gastric emptying . Results were as follows . ( 1 ) Ten of the19 patients showed delayed gastric emptying of solids , and acute EA significantly improved delayed gastric emptying ; the halftime for gastric emptying was reduced from 150.3±48.4 to 118.9±29.6 min ( P=0.007 ) . ( 2 ) In the nine patients with normal gastric emptying , 2-week EA significantly decreased the symptom score , from 8.2±3.3 at baseline to 1.6±1.1 ( P < 0.001 ) at the end of treatment . We conclude that EA at the ST36 and PC6 points accelerates solid gastric emptying in FD patients with delayed gastric emptying and relieves dyspeptic symptoms in FD patients with normal gastric emptying PURPOSE To characterize the central nervous system ( CNS ) pathway for acupuncture stimulation in the human brain by using functional magnetic resonance ( MR ) imaging . MATERIAL S AND METHODS Functional MR imaging of the whole brain was performed in two groups of nine healthy subjects during four stimulation paradigms : real acupuncture at acupoints ST.36 ( on the leg ) and LI.4 ( on the h and ) and control stimulations ( minimal acupuncture and superficial pricking on the leg ) . Stimulations were performed in semir and omized , balanced order nested within two experiments . Psychophysical responses ( pain , De-Qi effect [ characteristic acupuncture effect of needle-manipulation sensation ] , anxiety , and unpleasantness ) and autonomic responses were assessed . Talairach coordinates-transformed imaging data were averaged for a group analysis . RESULTS Acupuncture at LI.4 and ST.36 result ed in significantly higher scores for De-Qi and in substantial bradycardia .  Acupuncture at both acupoints result ed in activation of the hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens and deactivation of the rostral part of the anterior cingulate cortex , amygdala formation , and hippocampal complex ; control stimulations did not result in such activations and deactivations . CONCLUSION Functional MR imaging can demonstrate the CNS pathway for acupuncture stimulation . Acupuncture at ST.36 and LI.4 activates structures of descending antinociceptive pathway and deactivates multiple limbic areas subserving pain association . These findings may shed light on the CNS mechanism of acupuncture analgesia and form a basis for future investigations of endogenous pain modulation circuits in the human brain OBJECTIVES For people with dyspepsia who are receiving orthodox general practice care , what is the effect on outcome and on NHS costs of adding treatment by a choice of acupuncture or homeopathy ? This paper describes and reflects upon a pilot study with user involvement . DESIGN A r and omised pilot study . Patients chose between acupuncture and homeopathy and were then r and omised to this preference or to the control group of normal GP care . SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Sixty people with dyspepsia ( > /=2 weeks ) presenting in one UK general practice were recruited in consultations and by letter to those on repeat prescriptions . There were few exclusion criteria . The homeopath and the acupuncturist treated the patient individually according to their normal practice for up to 6 months . After the trial there was a focus group for participants . OUTCOME MEASURES SF-36 health survey , Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile ( MYMOP ) , and General Well-being Index ( GWBI ) . Counts of prescriptions , consultations and referrals from practice computer records . RESULTS No trend or significant difference between the groups for clinical outcome or NHS costs . Major costs for the 6 months , mean ( S.D. ) cost per patient , were general practitioner consultations pound 8 ( 18 ) , prescriptions pound 64 ( 73 ) , acupuncture pound 175 ( 52 ) , homeopathy pound 105 ( 33 ) . Participants gave insights and suggestions which will inform the full trial design . CONCLUSIONS Reflection on the pilot study data and experience by participants , treating practitioners and research ers led to modifications in the design and a sample size calculation . How to demonstrate individual responses to treatment remains a problem PURPOSE Acupuncture has been used traditionally as a treatment for functional dyspepsia ( FD ) . The goal of this trial was to examine the efficacy of acupuncture at classical points and nondefined points as a treatment for functional dyspepsia . METHODS Sixty-eight ( 68 ) patients with functional dyspepsia , as defined by Rome-II criteria , were r and omized into two groups : classical six-point acupuncture and nondefined-point acupuncture . Acupuncture was conducted three times per week for 2 weeks in a single-blind setting . To assess the effects of acupuncture , symptoms and quality of life were scored according to the Nepean Dyspepsia Index before and after acupuncture treatments . RESULTS Acupuncture treatment significantly decreased the dyspepsia symptoms and improved the quality of life . There was no statistical difference between the acupuncture groups treated at classical and nondefined points . CONCLUSIONS Our data show that both acupunctures at classical points and nondefined points improved the symptoms of  patients with FD . However , we can not rule out the possibilities of placebo effect in this trial OBJECTIVE To observe the effects of the acupuncture on the gastric motivity in patients with functional dyspepsia ( FD ) . METHODS Ninety FD patients were r and omly divided into 3 groups : the treated group , the control groups , 1 and 2 , 30 patients in each group . Patients in the treated group received acupuncture treatment , those in the control group 1 and group 2 orally took Cisapride and Marzulene-s granule respectively . Changes in scores of symptoms , electrogastrographic figure , gastric emptying time estimated by B-ultrasonic examination and plasma level of motilin in the 3 groups before and after treatment were observed . RESULTS Symptoms were obviously improved in the treated and control group 1 after treatment , which were better than those in the control group 2 ( P < 0.01 ) . Gastro-electric frequency and rhythm in the treated group and control group 1 were improved more significantly than those in before treatment ( P < 0.01 ) . Gastric emptying time and plasma motilin improved in the treated group and the control group 1 after treatment , when compared with before treatment , the difference was significant respectively ( P < 0.05 ) . CONCLUSION Acupuncture could significantly improve the gastric motivity of FD patients
BACKGROUND Functional dyspepsia ( FD ) has been a worldwide complaint .
More effective therapies are needed with fewer adverse effects than are seen with conventional medications .
Acupuncture , as a traditional therapeutic method , has been widely used for functional gastrointestinal disorders in the East .
Manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture have been recognized treatments for FD , but to date , no robust evidence has been found for the effectiveness and safety of these interventions in the treatment of this condition .
OBJECTIVES This review was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture in the treatment of FD .