Effect of acupuncture on cognitive task performance of college students: a pilot study
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Geetha B. Shetty
,
Pratikshya Aryal
Abstract
Objectives
Reduction in cognitive function of college students affects their academic recitation. Acupuncture is widely practiced for health promotion. Objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of acupuncture on cognitive task performance in college students.
Methods
Sixty students aged 18–25 years were randomly allocated into acupuncture group (AG) (n=30) and control group (CG) (n=30). The AG underwent 20 min of acupuncture/day, while the CG underwent their normal routine for 10 days. Assessments were performed before and after the intervention.
Results
Between-group analysis showed a significant increase in the six-letter cancellation test (SLCT) score in AG compared with CG. Within-group analysis showed a significant increase in the scores of all tests (i.e. SLCT, forward and backward Digit span test [DST]) in AG, while a significant increase in backward DST was observed in CG.
Conclusion
Acupuncture has a beneficial effect on improving the cognitive function of college students.
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Research funding: None declared.
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Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
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Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
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Ethical approval: The institutional ethics committee approved the study.
References
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Supplementary Material
The online version of this article offers supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2020-0026).
© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
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