EA for PAAS: A pRCT

In 2019, around 27 million people worldwide, corresponding to 0.5% of the adult population, have used amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS). More than one-third of these 27 million users of ATS were in East and South-East Asia. ATS are a group of synthetic psychostimulants including methamphetamine, amphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) and related substances. Although the biology underlying amphetamine withdrawal syndrome is not fully understood, amphetamine has been shown to produce long-lasting reductions in neuronal expression of dopamine neuronal markers. Abuse of these synthetic psychostimulants can lead to drug addiction, and subsequent withdrawal can cause a series of mental symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, confusion, insomnia, mood disturbances, cognitive impairments, and delusions. Some studies have shown two clear stages of ATS withdrawal syndrome: an acute phase lasting 7-10 days, and a subacute phase lasting a further 2 weeks or more, which is termed called "Protracted amphetamine abstinence syndrome (PAAS)". The relevant literature has indicated that the majority of patients with ATS withdrawal disorders can experience depression, cognitive impairments, insomnia, and anxiety, especially during the PAAS stage. These symptoms may affect the treatment and finally lead to a relapse. Nowadays, pharmacological therapies are mostly symptom-targeted and show an ungratified effectiveness for amphetamine-type drugs. There is no a medication approved by Food and Drug Administration for use in the treatment of methamphetamine addiction. Therefore, the treatment of PAAS is essential for the treatment of ATS use disorders. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), especially acupuncture, is effective in the treatment of withdrawal symptoms with few side effects. research on acupuncture detoxification originates from the treatment of opioid drug withdrawal. Studies have shown that acupuncture has high efficacy in the treatment of protracted abs