Abstract
Background: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a medical emergency that can significantly impact patients' quality of life, often accompanied by anxiety and depression. Although pharmacotherapy is a common treatment, its effectiveness in improving both auditory and psychological outcomes remains limited. Acupuncture, especially electroacupuncture (EA), has shown potential in treating SSNHL and related affective disorders, but its adjunctive role with pharmacotherapy needs further investigation. Objectives: This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the incremental benefits of adding EA to standard pharmacotherapy on audiological and psychological outcomes in patients with SSNHL accompanied by anxiety or depression. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted involving 78 SSNHL patients, divided equally into two groups: P group (n=39) and EA+P group (n=39). The EA+P group received additional EA therapy for 7 days besides the pharmacological treatments. Baseline demographics, pure tone audiometric thresholds (0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 kHz) and psychological scores (HAMD, HAMA) were recorded. Pre-treatment and post-treatment assessments were performed to evaluate changes in hearing thresholds and mental health outcomes. Results: The EA+P group showed significant improvements at all frequencies (p < 0.001). Hearing gain was significantly greater in the EA+P group across all frequencies (p ? 0.044). Besides, the EA+P group demonstrated significant reductions in HAMD and HAMA scores (p < 0.001), whereas the P group showed no significant changes (p ? 0.051). Conclusions: Combined EA+P therapy significantly improves hearing recovery and reduces psychological symptom in SSNHL patients with anxiety and depression compared to drug treatment alone. This suggests a synergistic benefit of integrating acupuncture with conventional treatment.