The influence of acupressure on the monitoring of acoustic evoked potentials in unsedated adult volunteers

Author: Dullenkopf A//Schmitz A//Lamesic G//Weiss M////
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesia, University Children's Hospital, Switzerland. alex.dullenkopf@kispi.unizh.ch
Conference/Journal: Anesth Analg
Date published: 2004
Other: Volume ID: 99 , Issue ID: 4 , Pages: 1147-51 , Word Count: 193


Approaches for monitoring depth of anesthesia can be influenced by things other than anesthetics. In this study, we evaluated the influence of acupressure on the A-line autoregressive index (AAI) and on stress levels in unsedated volunteers. Fifteen unsedated adult volunteers received pressure on the acupuncture Extra 1 point (EP) and on a control point for 10 min on different days. AAI was recorded 5 min before, during, and 5 min after the interventions. Before and after the procedures, the volunteers quantified their level of stress by means of a visual analog stress scale (VSS; 0-100). Corresponding data were compared by Wilcoxon's signed rank test (Bonferroni correction, P < 0.05). Data are median (range). AAI decreased from 73 (40-99) to 53 (33-94) after 10 min of pressure on EP (P = 0.0044). Five minutes after release of pressure there was no difference compared with initial values. There was a statistically significant difference between VSS before and after pressure on EP (36 [7-67] to 15 [0-44]; P = 0.0066), but not on control point. In conclusion, there was a wide range of AAI values in awake volunteers. The AAI was influenced by acupressure performed on the EP in unsedated adult volunteers. Acupressure on this point significantly reduced stress levels.

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