OBJECTIVETo evaluate and analyze the clinical therapeutic effect and characteristics of acupuncture combined with medicine on depression of different syndrome types.

METHODSEighty cases of depression were dividede into liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency group (group A, 35 cases), deficiency of both heart and spleen group (group B, 21 cases) and yang deficiency of both spleen and kidney group (group C, 24 cases) according to the syndrome differentiation. They were all treated with acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Yintang (EX-HN 3), Sishen-cong (EX-HN 1), Neiguan (PC 6) etc. and oral administration of 5-HT selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) tablets. The Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) and self-made syndrome differentiation symptoms evaluation scale were adopted to evaluate the therapeutic effect.

RESULTSAfter treatment of 4 weeks, the total effective rate of 91.4% in group A and of 90.5% in group B, both were superior to that of 87.5% in group C (P < 0.01,P<0. 05). There was a significant difference in comparison of HAMD scores between the group A and group C after treatment of 4 weeks (P < 0.05). The symptom scores of syndrome differentiation in all three groups were obviously decreased after 1 week, 2 weeks and 4 weeks treatment compared with those before treatment (all P < 0.001), the symptom scores of group C had significant differences compared with the group A and group B after treatment of 2 weeks (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The reducing scores rate of the group A had singificant differences compared with the group B and the group C after treatment of 4 weeks (both P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture combined with SSRI has better therapeutic effect on depression of liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency type. The syndrome differentiation symptoms evaluation scale is more exact and sensitive to evaluate the clinical therapeutic effect of TCM treatment.