- Design
- Randomised controlled trial, drugs alone against drugs plus electroacupuncture for 7 days
- Population
- 78 patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and anxiety or depression (39 per group)
- Primary outcome
- Pure-tone audiometric thresholds and Hamilton depression and anxiety scores
- Effect
- Greater hearing gain at all frequencies with electroacupuncture (P at or below .044); effect sizes not reported
This randomised trial included 78 people with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and anxiety or depression. Both groups (39 each) received standard drug treatment, and one group also had electroacupuncture for seven days. Hearing thresholds and Hamilton depression and anxiety scores were measured before and after.
The abstract reports greater hearing gain with electroacupuncture at all frequencies (P at or below .044), and reductions in depression and anxiety scores, which were not seen with drugs alone. It does not report effect sizes, confidence intervals, blinding or follow-up beyond treatment.
Without those details the result cannot be weighed. It does not justify delaying or replacing standard treatment, and a mood benefit in an unblinded trial may reflect expectation.
- Do not delay standard treatment of sudden hearing loss for an adjunct.
- Treat this as exploratory because effect sizes and blinding were not reported.
- Screen for anxiety and depression in patients with sudden hearing loss, which are common.
- Discuss complementary therapy openly if patients ask about it.
Why it matters
Sudden hearing loss is time-critical, and unproven adjuncts can distract from proven treatment.
Don't overread it
Single trial of 78 patients with incomplete reporting in the abstract; it does not establish that electroacupuncture helps.
The statistics, in plain English
Reporting only P values hides how big the hearing gain was, which is what a clinician needs. A statistically significant gain of a few decibels may not matter to a patient.
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