Adjunctive Treatment of Major Depression Utilizing Auricular Acupuncture
Condition: Major Depressive Disorder
MeSH terms: Depressive Disorder; Depressive Disorder, Major
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This will be a randomized, single blind study of 6 weeks duration involving the use of
      auricular acupuncture or sham acupuncture in the adjunctive treatment of depression in
      college students.
    

Detailed description: 
      This will be a randomized, single blind study of 6 weeks duration involving the use of
      auricular acupuncture or sham acupuncture in the add adjunctive treatment of depression in
      college students. College students presenting for care at Counseling and Psychological
      Services, who meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - V (DSM-V) criteria
      for major depression single episode or recurrent will be included in the trial. Subjects will
      be randomized into a sham auricular acupuncture group, or a treatment acupuncture group. All
      subjects who meet the inclusion criteria will be treated with the Selective serotonin
      reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) Lexapro 10 mg daily which will be increased to 20 mg daily at week
      2. Some subjects will be treated twice weekly during their follow-up visits with sham
      auricular acupuncture, some subjects will be treated with micro-currents of electricity in
      the auricular acupuncture group. The duration of the trial will be 6 weeks.

      Auricular acupuncture is a form of acupuncture which utilizes the surface of the external ear
      to identify points of inflammation in the body. It does this, in this case, by utilizing the
      Pointer Excel II probe which can pick up a change in electrical conductivity on the surface
      of the ear, which reflects an internal point of inflammation or stress. Once the point of
      inflammation is identified, the Pointer Excel II is equipped with a sensor that it will not
      only illuminate by way of a small light on the front of the probe will also identify the
      point of inflammation by way of an auditory signal. Once the point of inflammation is
      identified auricular acupuncture will treat that point with a micro-current of electricity
      for several seconds. In the case of treatment, there will be an auditory alarm followed by a
      micro -current dose of electricity. Sham acupuncture will be characterized by the auditory
      alarm, but no current will be applied to the participants ear.
    

Intervention name(s): Auricular Acupuncture; Sham Auricular Acupuncture + Lexapro
Intervention type(s): Device; Drug
Intervention description(s): Auricular acupuncture is a form of acupuncture which utilizes the surface of the external ear to identify points of inflammation in the body. It does this, in this case, by utilizing the Pointer Excel II probe which can pick up a change in electrical conductivity on the surface of the ear, which reflects an internal point of inflammation or stress. Once the point of inflammation is identified, the Pointer Excel II is equipped with a sensor that it will not only illuminate by way of a small light on the front of the probe will also identify the point of inflammation by way of an auditory signal. Once the point of inflammation is identified auricular acupuncture will treat that point with a micro-current of electricity for several seconds.; Participants will be treated with the SSRI Lexapro 10 mg daily which will be increased to 20 mg daily at week 2. Participants will be treated twice weekly during their follow-up visits with sham auricular acupuncture (No micro-current).
Other intervention name(s): Pointer Excel II; SSRI Lexapro
Intervention MeSH terms: Dexetimide; Citalopram; Escitalopram
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Treatment