Comparison of therapeutic results with/without additional electroacupuncture therapy in sudden sensorineural hearing loss with anxiety or depression: A randomized controlled trial.

TL;DR

Electroacupuncture added to pharmacotherapy significantly improved hearing thresholds across all tested frequencies and reduced anxiety/depression scores in SSNHL patients, whereas pharmacotherapy alone did not significantly improve psychological symptoms.

Key findings

• Electroacupuncture combined with pharmacotherapy achieved hearing gains across all frequencies (0.25–8 kHz) with p ≤ 0.044
• Combined treatment reduced Hamilton Depression (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety (HAMA) scores significantly (p < 0.001), whereas pharmacotherapy alone showed no significant psychological improvement
• Study design: 78 SSNHL patients randomized to either pharmacotherapy alone (n=39) or pharmacotherapy plus 7-day electroacupuncture course (n=39)
• Findings suggest synergistic benefit of integrating acupuncture with conventional pharmacological treatment for SSNHL with comorbid mood symptoms

Why this matters at the bedside

Provides evidence supporting adjunctive electroacupuncture alongside standard pharmacotherapy for SSNHL patients with anxiety or depression, potentially offering dual benefit for auditory and mental health outcomes.