Methods
cancer, claustrophobia, epilepsy
CANCER, METASTASES, BLEEDING DISORDERS, EPILEPSY
The EAST study is a randomized, sham-controlled, patient- and assessor-blinded clinical trial. Sixty-four cancer patients and survivors with complaints of one or more neuropsychiatric symptom(s) in the seven days prior to enrollment are recruited from the University of California Irvine (UCI) and Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). Individuals with needle phobia, metastases, bleeding disorders, electronic implants, epilepsy, exposure to acupuncture in the three months prior to enrollment, and who are breastfeeding, pregnant, or planning to get pregnant during the duration of the study will be excluded. Screening for metal fragments and claustrophobia are performed prior to the optional neuroimaging procedures. Recruited patients will be randomized (1:1) in random blocks of four or six to receive either ten weekly verum EA (treatment arm, vEA) or weekly sham EA (control arm, sEA) treatment visits with a follow-up appointment four to twelve weeks after their last treatment visit. The treatment arm will receive EA at 13 acupuncture points (acupoints) chosen for their therapeutic effects, while the control arm receives minimal EA at 7 non-disease-related acupoints. Questionnaires and cognitive assessments are administered, and blood drawn to assess changes in symptom clusters and biomarkers, respectively.