A comparative study of the effects of different treatments on post-stroke depression

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of different therapies in treating post-stroke depression. Methods 215 patients with post-stroke depression were randomly divided into four groups: electroacupuncture group, fluoxetine group, rehabilitation group, electroacupuncture + rehabilitation group, electroacupuncture + fluoxetine group, rehabilitation + fluoxetine group, and rehabilitation + electroacupuncture + fluoxetine group. The electroacupuncture group received treatment with an intelligent electroacupuncture device using a depressive waveform, acupuncture at Baihui and Yintang acupoints with a needle intensity of 2-3V, 45 min/session, once daily, 5 times a week. A placebo was also administered. The fluoxetine group received fluoxetine capsules 20 mg/day and simulated electroacupuncture. The rehabilitation group mainly received neurofacilitation techniques for 6 weeks. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) were assessed before and every 2 weeks during treatment. RESULTS: At the end of the 6th week of treatment, among the seven groups, the differences between the pre-treatment and post-treatment values ​​were statistically significant (P<0.05). There were no significant differences among the electroacupuncture, fluoxetine, and rehabilitation groups after treatment. However, among the combined treatment groups, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05) compared to the individual treatments. The HAAMD score in the rehabilitation + electroacupuncture + fluoxetine group was significantly lower than that in the other six groups. The HAMD scores in all groups gradually decreased with the duration of treatment, indicating that all treatment methods had significant antidepressant effects. In conclusion, the efficacy of individual treatments for post-stroke depression was basically the same, while the combined treatments were superior to the individual treatments, with the rehabilitation training + electroacupuncture + fluoxetine group showing the most significant improvement.