Shu-Chuan Chen

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate and rank the effectiveness of various acupoint stimulation therapies in alleviating cancer‐related fatigue (CRF), a pervasive and distressing symptom among cancer patients. Background: CRF severely compromises patients' quality of life across treatment and survivorship stages. Despite growing interest in nonpharmacological interventions, comparative evidence on the efficacy of acupoint stimulation therapies remains limited. Methods: A systematic review and network meta‐analysis of 28 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 2370 participants was conducted. Databases searched included MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Airiti Library. Interventions included acupuncture, acupressure, oil acupressure, moxibustion, and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS). Standardized mean differences (SMDs) were calculated using a random‐effects model. Surface Under the Cumulative Ranking Curve (SUCRA) was used to rank therapies. Findings: Oil acupressure (SUCRA: 73.6%), relaxing acupressure (73.4%), and acupuncture (72.7%) were the most effective interventions. Both professionally administered and self‐administered therapies significantly reduced CRF, with no major differences in efficacy. Subgroup analyses revealed consistent effectiveness across cancer types, particularly breast and lung cancer, and treatment stages. Conclusions: Acupoint stimulation therapies, especially acupressure and acupuncture, effectively reduce CRF and are suitable for integration into routine cancer care. Self‐administered acupressure offers a practical, low‐cost alternative, especially in resource‐limited settings. Standardization of protocols and long‐term studies are warranted to guide clinical implementation. Trial Registration: The review protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42024556455)

Resource and economic constraints limit access to health care in rural populations, and consequently, rates of chronic illnesses are higher in this populat

Dementia is a leading cause of disability and dependence in older adults worldwide. The aim of this pilot study was to explore the effect of using a kazoo instrument to improve pulmonary function and cognitive reserve in middle-aged and older adults in rural areas. This quasi-experimental study was conducted at two community care stations selected using cluster sampling from a rural district in southern Taiwan. We enrolled 85 middle-aged and older adults who were randomly assigned into self-learner and in-class groups. Both groups received a 6-month kazoo program. Cognitive and pulmonary function were compared before and after the intervention between the two groups. Significantly improved pulmonary function with regards to forced vital capacity ( p < .05) was found in the self-learner group, and significantly improved maximum expiratory flow 75% ( p < .001) was found in both groups. Mini-Mental State Examination scores significantly improved in the self-learner group ( p < .01), but there was no significant change in the in-class group. Our results suggest that community care stations could consider implementing wind instrument programs such as a kazoo to enhance pulmonary function and cognitive reserve in middle-aged and older adults residing in rural areas.

This study aimed to examine the effect of 8-weeks of a 60-minute PARO intervention to reduce depressive symptoms and loneliness in older adults with dementia and investigated changes in their emoti...