EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE NONPHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT FOR POST-STROKE DEPRESSION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Abstract

Background: Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a mood disorder syndrome that occurs after stroke and is mainly characterized by persistent low mood and decreased interest, accompanied by stroke symptoms. Traditional Chinese non-pharmacological therapies have been gradually and widely used in the clinical treatment of PSD and have shown favorable therapeutic effects. However, no meta-analysis has provided evidence that traditional Chinese non-pharmacological therapies are effective in treating PSD, and the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese non-pharmacologic therapies for the treatment of PSD. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database [CBM], Chinese Scientific Journal Database [VIP database], and Wan-Fang Database were systematically searched. The primary outcome was the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) score, and the secondary outcome was the effectiveness rate and Barthel Index. After screening the appropriate data, we performed a meta-analysis using the Revman 5.4 software. Results: In this systematic review, 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) encompassing 1075 participants were scrutinized. The findings from the meta-analysis revealed that in comparison to standard care, traditional Chinese non-pharmacological treatments were associated with a statistically significant reduction in HAMD scores (P < 0.0001), an improved efficacy rate (P = 0.0006), and a notable enhancement in Barthel Index scores (P = 0.0001). Conclusion: The results of this meta-analysis provide evidence-based data for the use of traditional Chinese non-pharmacological treatments for PSD.