OBJECTIVETo assess therapeutic effect and the safety of acupuncture for treatment of the depression in patients of poststroke.

METHODSThe clinical research documents in recent 10 years of acupuncture for treatment of depression in patients of poststroke were retrieved, the homogeneity test was used and the effect amount was complicated in the clinical randomized controlled trials (RCT) documents which had been adopted in the Meta-analysis, and furthermore the Meta-analysis was used in the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) score of both acupuncture group and medication group after treatment.

RESULTSSeventeen RCT heterogeneity test results which were adopted in the study indicated that chi2 = 21.98, P = 0.14, proved that they had homogeneity, and fixed effect model was adopted to analyse, after combination, OR = 2.54, 95% confidence interval was (1.91, 3.38), according to Z test, Z = 6.41, P < 0.00001, the diamond was in the right side of the vertical line, indicated that there was a significant difference in the therapeutic effect between the acupuncture group and the medication group. The evaluation of the influence of acupuncture on HAMD indicated that there was a significant difference between the acupuncture group and the medication group.

CONCLUSIONThe therapeutic effect of acupuncture for treatment of the depression in patients of poststroke is superior to other common medicine with safety, but it still needs more large sample RCTs to verify.