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World J Psychiatry. Nov 19, 2026; 16(11): 122105
Published online Nov 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.122105
Published online Nov 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.122105
Effect of positive emotion training and warm acupuncture on negative emotion and facial nerve in intractable facial paralysis
Yi Tang, Department of Acupuncture, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guizhou Hospital (Guizhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital - Gui’an District), Guiyang 550031, Guizhou Province, China
Bo Chen, Acupuncture and Massage College, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Me
Yu Jiang, Department of Acupuncture, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550004, Guizhou Province, China
Author contributions: Tang Y, Chen B and Jiang Y contributed to research design and data analysis; Tang Y was responsible for funding application, reviewing and editing, communication coordination, ethical review, copyright and licensing, and follow-up; Chen B and Jiang Y contributed to data collection and paper writing. All authors have read and approve the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: The content of this manuscript was independently written by the authors. No AI generative tools were used for the creation of the content. During the writing process, only AI translation tools such as DeepL were used for language polishing and grammatical adjustments on the initial draft to improve the fluency of the English expression. All viewpoints, data, analyses, and conclusions in the manuscript were completed manually, and the authors assume full responsibility for the entire content.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82360976 and No. 81860882.
Institutional review board statement: The research was reviewed and approved by The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guizhou Hospital.
Clinical trial registration statement: This study is a single‑center, small‑sample, prospective observational study, not falling within the scope of interventional clinical trials. The study only conducted the observation and analysis of clinical data and did not involve the intervention of new drugs, new devices, or treatment plans. During the design and implementation of the study, in accordance with the nature of the study and relevant management requirements, no clinical trial registration was conducted.
Informed consent statement: All research participants or their legal guardians provided written informed consent prior to study registration.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CONSORT 2010 statement: The authors have read the CONSORT 2010 Statement, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CONSORT 2010 Statement.
Data sharing statement: No other data available.
Corresponding author: Yi Tang, Department of Acupuncture, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guizhou Hospital (Guizhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital - Gui’an District), No. 41 West Qing’an Avenue, Anxin New Area, Guiyang 550031, Guizhou Province, China. tangyi93515@163.com
Received: April 30, 2026
Revised: June 9, 2026
Accepted: August 14, 2026
Published online: November 19, 2026
Processing time: 181 Days and 22.9 Hours
Revised: June 9, 2026
Accepted: August 14, 2026
Published online: November 19, 2026
Processing time: 181 Days and 22.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This retrospective study shows that positive emotion training combined with warm acupuncture can significantly improve facial nerve function and relieve anxiety and depression in patients with refractory peripheral facial paralysis. Compared with warm acupuncture alone, the combined therapy achieves higher Sunnybrook scores, lower anxiety and depression scale scores, and a higher total effective rate. The findings indicate that the combined treatment is superior to warm acupuncture alone and provides a practical mind-body rehabilitation strategy.