Efficacy and Safety of Electroacupuncture for Postherpetic Neuralgia and Biomarker Evaluation: A Study Protocol for a Multicenter, Randomized Trial

作者：Q. Yu, Xinru Wang, Jiaqi Wu, Qiyuan Zhang, Xiaoqi Ying, Liming Ou, Hantong Hu, Kelin He, Lei Wu, Zongda Jin, Jiajun Shentu, Huifeng Dai, Ruijie Ma, Qimiao Hu, Dexiong Han · 发表于：Journal of Pain Research · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.2147/jpr.s559309 · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies、Pain Mechanisms and Treatments、Healthcare and Venom Research

Introduction: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a persistent neuropathic pain condition that endures for at least 3 months following the onset of herpes zoster, significantly impairing life quality of patients. Current PHN treatments demonstrate limited efficacy, and the lack of reliable severity biomarkers hinders effective clinical management. Electroacupuncture represents a promising therapeutic approach for PHN, though comprehensive evidence supporting its efficacy and safety is still needed. Furthermore, as objective indicators, the role of serum biomarkers in assessments still requires further investigation. Methods: This multicenter, sham-controlled, randomized study will recruit 180 patients with PHN. Participants will be allocated in a 1:1:1 ratio to electroacupuncture, sham acupuncture, or waiting-list groups via multicenter stratified block randomization. Participants will receive 1-month of treatment and 3-month follow-ups. The electroacupuncture group and the sham acupuncture group will each receive 12 treatments. All participants will maintain their pre-enrollment medication. Primary outcome is Numerical Rating Scale; secondary outcomes include pain episode frequency, Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale, The Short-Form 36 Health Survey, and changes of biomarkers (Neuropeptide Y, Substance P, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, Interleukin-10). A linear mixed-effects model will be used to analyze data at different time points to explore the efficacy of electroac...