Retrospective Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Psychiatry. Dec 19, 2023; 13(12): 1037-1045
Published online Dec 19, 2023. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v13.i12.1037
Value of Chuanjin Qinggan decoction in improving the depressive state of patients with herpes zoster combined with depression
Yi-Nan Wang, Meng-Meng Shi, Jin-Ming Zhang
Yi-Nan Wang, Department of Dermatology, Yantai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yantai 264000, Shandong Province, China
Meng-Meng Shi, Jin-Ming Zhang, Department of Geriatrics, Yantai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Yantai 264000, Shandong Province, China
Co-first authors: Yi-Nan Wang and Meng-Meng Shi.
Author contributions: This paper was written by Wang YN, Shi MM, and Zhang JM; Wang YN led the writing of the article; Zhang JM proofread all drafts; and Shi MM, the director of the paper, provided the first guidance; all authors contributed to revision of this paper and made constructive suggestions to ensure accurate expression of the research results. Wang YN and Shi MM contributed equally to this work and are co-first authors.
Institutional review board statement: This study was reviewed and approved by Yantai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Informed consent statement: This retrospective study was exempt from the requirement of informed consent according to institutional policies.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Data sharing statement: The data used in this study can be obtained from the corresponding author upon request.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jin-Ming Zhang, MM, Attending Doctor, Department of Geriatrics, Yantai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, No. 93-1-9 Xingfu Road, Zhifu District, Yantai 264000, Shandong Province, China. zjmyt1987@163.com
Received: September 12, 2023
Peer-review started: September 12, 2023
First decision: September 25, 2023
Revised: October 12, 2023
Accepted: November 16, 2023
Article in press: November 16, 2023
Published online: December 19, 2023
Processing time: 98 Days and 3.8 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Western medicine is beneficial for the recovery of neurological function in patients with depression, but some patients experience side effects such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal symptoms, insomnia, and cardiac dysfunction. In recent years, integrative medicine has achieved positive results in the treatment of various diseases.

AIM

To study Chuanjin Qinggan decoction combined with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in patients with herpes zoster complicated by depression.

METHODS

Patients with herpes zoster complicated by depression who were treated at the Yantai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2021 to December 2022 were retrospectively selected as research participants. Among them, 43 patients with herpes zoster complicated by depression who received SSRI treatment between January and December 2021 were assigned to the Western medicine group, while those who received combined treatment of traditional Chinese and Western medicine between January and December 2022 were assigned to the combined group. Both groups were treated for eight weeks. The degree of pain, effect of herpes zoster treatment, degree of improvement in depressive symptoms, serum neurotransmitter levels, sleep quality, and occurrence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

We found that after eight weeks of drug treatment, the two treatment schemes achieved differing efficacy. In further comparison, we found that, compared with patients treated with SSRIs alone, patients treated with Chuanjin Qinggan decoction combined with SSRIs showed more significant improvement in depression and a greater increase in dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine levels after treatment (P < 0.05). Patients treated with Chuanjin Qinggan decoction combined with SSRIs also experienced lower pain, better treatment efficacy for herpes zoster, better sleep quality, and a lower incidence of adverse reactions compared to those treated with SSRIs alone (P < 0.05). All minor adverse reactions occurring during treatment were resolved after symptomatic treatment.

CONCLUSION

The treatment scheme of Chuanjin Qinggan decoction combined with SSRIs can improve the psychological state of patients with herpes zoster complicated by depression and alleviate adverse reactions.

Keywords: Chuanjin Qinggan decoction; Selective 5-hydroxytryptamine reuptake inhibitor; Herpes zoster; Depression; Sleep quality; Adverse reaction

Core Tip: Chuanjin Qinggan decoction is an important decoction composed mainly of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort, Curcuma, and Sedum rosea. There is a synergistic effect between the active ingredients in Chuanjin Qinggan decoction which helps to reduce neurological damage and improve the depressive state of patients by providing raw materials and energy for protein and nucleic acid synthesis in brain tissue. This study confirmed that the treatment scheme of Chuanjin Qinggan decoction combined with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can effectively improve the depressive state of patients with herpes zoster complicated by depression.