Statistical analyses
ADVERSE EVENTS
Categorical variables (participants recruited, acupuncture sessions completed, participants completing all sessions, adverse events, participant responses to acceptability questionnaire) will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, presented as counts and percentages. All the descriptive statistics will be constructed for the entire cohort and stratified by the treatment allocation. All the mean scores of symptoms and quality of life measures gathered from the different questionnaires will be compared at T1 (baseline), T2, T3, and T4 for vEA and sEA groups. The mean score changes will also be compared between the vEA and sEA groups at T2, T3, and T4. Biomarkers (BDNF, cytokines, and mitochondrial DNA level) changes will be compared between treatment groups. Mixed effects model, with random intercepts for individual participants, will be generated to evaluate the changes of symptoms and biomarkers over time, and its association with the treatment allocation (vEA or sEA). The covariates of interest include the treatment indicator (vEA or sEA), the time variable, and the interaction term treatment x time. Both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses will be conducted. A significance level of 0.05 will be used, and all statistical analyses will be performed using Stata 16.