SynthesisFrontiers in neurology2026
Efficacy of acupuncture for tinnitus with anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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Abstract
Background: Evidence suggests that acupuncture can alleviate tinnitus symptoms and improve the anxiety associated with tinnitus, but the relationship between these outcomes is unclear. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture for tinnitus with anxiety using a meta-analysis. Methods: Computerized searches were conducted in nine databases: China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, VIP Chinese Science and Technology Journal Full-text Database, SinoMed, Chinese Medical Journal Full-text Database (CMAJD), PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. The search covered the period from the establishment of each database to January 15, 2026. Relevant randomized controlled trials meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected. The Cochrane Collaboration's recommended methods were used to assess the quality of included studies. Outcomes evaluated included the total effective rate, Tinnitus Severity Questionnaire (TEQ), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Traditional Chinese Medicine syndrome scores (TCM syndrome scores), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), serum 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and serum gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels as outcome measures. Meta-analysis was performed using ReMan 5.3 software. Results: Twelve studies involving 908 patients were included. Meta-analysis revealed that acupuncture demonstrated superiority in improving the total effective rate for tinnitus with anxiety (RR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.10-1.26, Conclusions: Acupuncture treatment for tinnitus with anxiety demonstrated greater improvement than non-acupuncture approaches in enhancing the clinical total effective rate and reducing TEQ, THI, TCM syndrome scores, BAI, HAMA, and SAS scores, warranting clinical promotion. However, evidence levels for certain outcome measures (BDNF, 5-HT, and GABA) remain low, necessitating further validation through well-designed, methodologically rigorous, high-quality, large-scale randomized controlled trials. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024596594; identifier: CRD42024596594.
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