Acupuncture and Escitalopram for Treating Major Depression Clinical Study

"The acupuncture group will receive treatment with needles inserted at the specified acupoints. Selected by acupuncture experts, these acupoints include SP4 (Gongsun) , PC6 (Neiguan) , PC5 (Jianshi) and LV 3 (Taichong) bilaterally. All acupoints are localized according to the WHO Standard Acupuncture Locations.After needle insertion, the acupuncture needles will be manipulated using either the twirling-rotating or lifting-thrusting methods to achieve the De Qi sensation."

Patients will receive 10 mg/day of escitalopram for the first 3 weeks and 20mg/day for the remaining 7 weeks.

In the sham acupuncture group, superficial skin penetration (2 to 3 mm in depth) at nonacupoints will be done without De Qi manipulations. Nonacupoints are away from conventional acupoints or meridians. The choice of sham acupuncture points, which are points located in an emplacement different than the meridian points. The sham acupoints are not standard acupoints and will be about 1cun ( ≈20 mm) lateral from the real acupoints in the experimental group.

Patients will receive 10 mg/day of escitalopram placebo for the first 3 weeks and 20mg/day for the remaining 7 weeks.