Objective To observe the application effect of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation in the psychological craving and protracted abstinence symptoms of alcohol-dependent patients.

Methods A total of 120 male alcohol-dependent patients who completed the acute alcohol withdrawal phase and were hospitalized in the Department of Alcoholism in Hunan Brain Hospital were selected as the study subjects. They were divided into conventional drug group, transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation group and placebo group according to different treatment methods, with 40 patients in each group. The conventional drug group was treated with benzodiazepine drugs for replacement and reduction and supportive symptomatic treatment. The transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation group was treated with conventional treatment combined with transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation. The placebo group was treated with conventional treatment combined with simulated transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation. The Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Alcohol Urge Questionnaire (AUQ), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score and recurrence conditions were compared before and after treatment among the three groups.

Results After treatment, the SAS, SDS, AUQ and VAS scores of the three groups were lower than those before treatment, and the above scores of the transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation group were lower than those of the conventional drug group and placebo group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the scores of sleep quality, the time to fall asleep, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, hypnotic drugs, daytime dysfunction and total PSQI score of the three groups were lower than those before treatment, and the above scores of the transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation group were lower than those of the conventional drug group and placebo group (P < 0.05). The recurrence rate of the transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation group was lower than that of the conventional drug group and placebo group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion Compared with conventional treatment and simulated transcutaneous electrical stimulation, transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation is more effective in reducing the severity of protracted abstinence symptoms such as anxiety, depression and insomnia, and is also beneficial in reducing patients' psychological craving, thereby reducing the recurrence rate.