SCHIZOPHRENIA TREATED WITH LASER BEAMS ON ACUPOINT YAMEN

Luo Hechun, Jia Yunkui, Zhan Li

(Institute of Mental Health, Beijing Medical College, Beijing)

Jia Tingzhen, Yan Min

(Research Unit of Occupational Disease, Beijing Medical College)

In the past few years we have made comparative observations on the therapeutic results by striking a certain acupoint with laser beams of different powers. Meanwhile we have done laboratory research related to the treatment to find out if there is any side-effects which are not quite perceivable clinically.

So far we have made our investigation on 15 patients who are divided into two different groups, namely, 9 in the 25mW group and 6 in the 5,9mW group. Marked improvement have been achieved in treatment in both groups with no significant difference in effectiveness between them and with no abnormal laboratory study findings.

Method of Research: Patients must be adult schizophrenia patients who have active symptoms and are cooperative in treatment with the duration of illness less than 5 years. The patients were divided into 2 groups at random. They received the laser beam treatment on acupoint Yamen ten minutes daily except on Sundays. Thirty treatments made a course. The different powers of laser were blind to the patients. During the laser treatment no other therapy was given in combination. Multiple symptom rating scales were employed both before and after the treatment, and during the treatment the patients were rated once a week, which was done by two doctors respectively. The percentage of their agreement was higher than 88%. Laboratory test included routine urine test, blood WBC, DC and lymph-cell micronucleus in peripheral blood; GPT, TTT, before, during and after the treatment,

Results and Analysis: The clinical therapeutic effects before and after the treatment were as follows: The patients in both groups were examined with two kinds of rating scales (A Standardized Psychiatric Assessment Scale for Rating Chronic Psychotic Patients, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale) before and after the teratment. The results of the test show remarkable improvement of the patients in each group when treatment advanced. But there was no significant difference in effectiveness between the two groups. On the other hand Rating Scale Clinical Globe Impression was used, before treatment, a week after treatment and at the end of a course. There were marked improvement in both groups, but there was no significant difference between two groups in all the items. The above laboratory results suggest the laser treatment exerted on acupoint Yamen with two different powers has not produced any harm to the human body.