Efficacy and safety of scalp acupuncture in the treatment of Tic disorders in children: A meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials.

AIM: This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of scalp acupuncture in treating tic disorders.

METHODS

We conducted a meta-analysis using data from 19 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 1463 patients, sourced from various databases up to May 16, 2023. Stata15.0 was used to assess clinical efficacy rate, YGTSS score, TCM syndrome score, adverse reactions, and long-term efficacy.

RESULTS

Scalp acupuncture significantly reduced YGTSS and TCM syndrome scores and improved clinical efficacy rates compared to controls [YGTSS: RR=-3.54, 95 % CI (-5.16, -1.93), P < 0.05; TCM: RR=-1.86, 95 % CI (-2.60, -1.13), P < 0.05; Efficacy: RR=1.14, 95 % CI (1.06, 1.23), P < 0.05]. Adverse reaction rates were lower in the treatment group (7.29 % vs. 12.61 % in controls), but not statistically significant [OR=0.69, 95 % CI (0.40, 1.18), P > 0.005]. Long-term efficacy was also stable [RR=-1.98, 95 % CI (-3.57, -0.39), P < 0.05].

CONCLUSION

Scalp acupuncture is effective in improving tic disorder symptoms, increasing treatment efficacy, and maintaining long-term benefits. However, due to the low quality of included RCTs and potential publication bias, further high-quality, large-sample, multicenter RCTs are needed for a more robust evaluation.