Title Page
Title
Auriculotherapy and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: An Observational Trial Using Chromotherapy
Authors
Maugendre Stéphane MD¹², Godthjaelp Rikke,2, Andersen Alminde,Dina, 23, Andersen Drejer, Elbaek,Jasper, 24, Kristensen Mejlvang,Jeannette, 5
1 Department of Neurosurgery, Pain Center, Adolphe de Rothschild Ophthalmological Foundation, 25 Rue Manin, Paris, France
2 Institute Godthjaelp, Sortedam Dossering 59, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
3 Clinic Asylgade 1b, 7700 Thisted, Denmark
4 Ejbyvej 56, 4070 Kirke Hyllinge, Denmark
5 Mogensgade 65, 8800 Viborg, Denmark
Corresponding author
Maugendre Stéphane12, MD
Email: smaugendre@for.paris, dsm@godthjaelp.dk
Running Title
Auriculotherapy and post-traumatic stress disorder, an observational trial with chromotherapy<\p>
Keywords
- auriculotherapy
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- vascular autonomic signal (VAS)
- chromotherapy
- psychological trauma
Abstract
Objective
The reclassification of a traumatic image associated with post-traumatic chronic stress syndrome is a prerequisite for the healing process. Auricular chromotherapy has already been used based on the work of Dr. ASIS (1,2). We conducted a study using a specific shade of blue (Kodak F98), as used by Dr. Paul Nogier (3), and locating the points of interest by following the autonomic vascular signal (3,4).
Materials and Methods
Thirty-one patients were treated with auriculotherapy using Kodak F98 (blue light) stimulation, as described by Dr. Paul Nogier, with the use of the vascular autonomic signal (VAS) (5).
Results
Scores on the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) and the Validity of Cognition (VOC) improve after a session of auriculotherapy. In most cases—80%—the traumatic image is mentally inaccessible and emotionally neutral.
Conclusions
The use of auricular chromotherapy, including the VAS (Vascular Autonomic Signal) with Kodak F98 color applied to the ear, reduced symptoms caused by traumatic imagery after just one session.
Main text
Introduction
The lifetime prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is estimated, according to Kessler (USA) (6), at 7.8% (5% for men and 10.4% for women). The prevalence of exposure to traumatic events is 60.7% for men (combat, violent assault) and 51.2% for women (including sexual assault). The prevalence of post-traumatic stress syndrome by type of event is relevant for the detection of this syndrome. For rape and assault, it is 60%. For traffic accidents, it ranges from 20% to 40%, according to studies.
The traumatic event is constantly experienced in the following ways: unwanted distressing memories, nightmares, flashbacks, emotional distress following exposure to traumatic reminders, and physical reactivity following exposure to traumatic recollections.
Prolonged exposure (PE) is an effective first-line treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (7,8,9).
Reclassifying a traumatic image is essential to the recovery process.
Auricular chromotherapy has proven to be effective for this condition (1,2).
In countries such as Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, a considerable amount of violence against women has been reported. Researchers describe this phenomenon as the “Nordic paradox.” In October 2021, the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) released the sixth edition of its EU Country Ranking for Gender Equality, in which Denmark ranks second only to Sweden. However, in 2017, the same institute reported that Denmark was the third European country with the highest level of violence against women.
In 2014, a survey conducted by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights revealed that Danish women reported the highest rates of physical, sexual, and psychological violence in the EU and suffered the most sexual harassment. According to the survey, 52% of Danish women reported experiencing physical and/or sexual violence since the age of 15.
In November 2019, Atreyee Sen, an associate professor at the University of Copenhagen, along with two other scholars, Marie Leine and Henrik Hvenegaard Mikkelsen, published a research study (10) on sexual violence in Denmark and the hosting of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights report.
In France, the High Council for Gender Equality estimates that 16% of women and 5% of men reported having been raped or having narrowly escaped rape at some point in their lives.
Between 2010 and 2012 in France, 83,000 women (0.5% of women) were raped or subjected to attempted rape each year. 83 percent of rape survivors know their attacker.
Materials and Methods
This study is a multicenter observational study involving five experienced therapists who are accustomed to taking the pulse to detect the VAS signal (four therapists in Denmark and one in France).
The main objective was to reclassify a traumatic image associated with post-traumatic chronic stress syndrome by measuring SUD (Subjective Units of Distress Scale) (11) and VOC (Validity of Cognition) (12, 13) scores.
The choice of the Kodak F98 color was made following the publication of the proceedings from the previous international symposium on auriculotherapy held in Lyon in 2021 (14) and in accordance with the authors and the GodthjaelpInstitute124.
Patient recruitment for the study in Denmark took place at centers that combat violence (Bella Vista Crisis Center and Randers Crisis Center).
All patients have signed a consent form. Only one auriculotherapy session was recommended: an auricular chromotherapy session.
The color F (Kodak violet blue 98) resonates, on the one hand, with the diencephalic subcortical structures, the limbic system, and emotions, and, on the other hand, with the relational aspects associated with subconscious social interactions (15). It seemed appropriate to test this color on points that express psychological suffering, evoking a traumatic image of post-traumatic stress.
We use the following protocol:
The patient lay down with their eyes closed for two to three minutes.
The person being examined had to search their traumatic memory for an event associated with a recurring traumatic image accompanied by visual recall.
The traumatic image selected had to have a score of more than seven on the Subjective Distress Scale (SUDS).
The Subjective Units of Distress Scale (11) (SUDS—also known as the Subjective Units of Disturbance Scale) is a scale ranging from 0 to 10 that measures the subjective intensity of disturbance or distress currently experienced by an individual. Respondents self-report where they fall on the scale. It can be used as a benchmark for a professional or observer to evaluate treatment progress.
We asked what unpleasant emotions were associated with this traumatic image.
By taking the pulse, we were able to identify one or more points on the left or right ear that were treated with auricular chromotherapy using Dr. Paul Nogier’s Kodak F 98 color until the VAS was exhausted. We all used the Premio 40 medical device from Sedatelec.
Regarding the number of points, the only rule was to treat no more than five points per session, including both ears. The only treatment used was colored Kodak F98 light.
At the end of the session, we asked again what the SUD score was in relation to this traumatic event.
All patients were contacted at least one month after the session. A new SUDS score was calculated, including a Validity of Cognition (VOC) score. This score ranges from one to seven, reflecting the reclassification of the traumatic image.
A VOC, or Validity of Cognition (12), is used to determine the level of validity a patient believes in after a new positive belief is instilled during a session of auricular chromotherapy.
They were asked to answer the following question: “With regard to your traumatic image, do you consider it inaccessible in your memory and emotionally neutral? This statement is totally false (score 1/7) or completely true (score 7/7). How would you rate this on a scale from 1 to 7?”
Results
Some participants in Denmark (no answer, n=6) were unable to respond due to their emotional vulnerability.
From the collected data, we were able to analyze 31 people with post-traumatic stress disorder. Of the 31 patients, 25 are right-handed (80.6%) and 6 are left-handed (19.35%).
For 32.25% of patients (n = 10), the trauma occurred less than 2 years ago, and for the remaining 67.74% (n = 21), it occurred more than 2 years ago.
The main negative emotions experienced by the patients during the study were fear (55%), sadness (20%), anger (20%), and others (5%) of cases.
Two people spontaneously healed their traumatic image during mental evocation (within the first two minutes while their eyes were closed). They did not receive any color treatment, and the effect was still present after one month.
The average SUD score before treatment was 8.74 out of 10 (Table 1)
The average SUD score immediately after treatment was 1.58 out of 10 (Table 2)
The average SUD score after one month of treatment is 1.22 out of 10 (Table 3)
The average decrease in the SUD score is 7.34.
The average VOC (Validity of Cognition) score is 6.19 out of 7 (Table 4).
The difference between the SUD score before and after treatment (1month) is statistically significant. The SUD before versus after session test p= 8.33E-28 (p<0.001) according to the student t-test for paired series.
Table 1
| SUD score before treatment |
| Average 8.74/10 |
| Median 9/10 |
| My 5/10 |
| Max 10/10 |
Table 2
| SUD score immediately after treatment |
| Average 1.58/10 |
| Median 1/10 |
| My 0/10 |
| Max 6/10 |
Table 3
| SUD score 1 month after treatment |
| Average 1.22/10 |
| Median 1/10 |
| My 0/10 |
| Max 6/10 |
Table 4
| VOC (Validity of Cognition) |
| Average 6.19/7 |
A total of 116 auriculotherapy points in 29 patients were treated with auricular chromotherapy. Two patients most likely reclassified their traumatic image on their own.
An average of 4 treatment points per patient were treated.
The main points identified and discussed in this study were:
At least one area has been studied in the prefrontal or frontal cortex (n=33). This finding is consistent with the involvement of the prefrontal cortex in the development of PTSD (16).
Most of the points examined were in the F territory (n=50), involving the hypothalamus, thalamus (n=5), the sound line primarily, and limbic structures.
There are 17 points found in D territory according to Dr. Paul Nogier’s zones, the majority of which are point O’ (n=12).
The two figures below illustrate the location of the 116 points treated on the left ear, without taking therapeutic reality into account. All the points treated on the right ears were modeled after the symmetrical points on the 3D left ear to facilitate data analysis. This approach is supported by Frangos’ research, which demonstrated bilateral activation of brainstem structures during unilateral electrical stimulation of the auriculotherapy point in functional MRI (17).
Discussion
This study suggests that auricular chromotherapy is effective in reclassifying a traumatic image.
We know that emotions can trigger VAS reactions (18,19). In this mental exposure protocol, auriculotherapy points are temporarily activated and provide therapeutic access.
The auriculotherapy point can be identified histologically by a neurovascular complex (20) that is sensitive to light for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The rapid onset of the therapeutic effect suggests a neurological pathway supported by the autonomic nervous system.
It confirms the initial results of the 2021 (14) study involving 29 patients who were also treated with blue light. The results after one month are excellent and comparable to those of the first study. The Validity of Cognition (VOC) score is 6.19/7 for this study (2023) versus 6.05/7 for the 2021 study. Its favorable results in more than 90% of cases are comparable to those reported in the two publications by Dr. ASIS. The most frequently treated auricle structures were the prefrontal cortex, frontal cortex, hypothalamus, O’, limbic structures, R zone (Bourdiol point), and the thalamus.
Patients reported a significant improvement in both their psychological and physical well-being after this single session. Symptoms of PTSD decreased markedly after the resolution of this flashback. The autonomic nervous system appears to return to balance following treatment with auricular chromotherapy. Further studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of this approach using Kodak F98 colored light on the auricle.
CONCLUSION
Auricular chromotherapy is an additional technique in the therapeutic arsenal, alongside Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), hypnosis, and cognitive-behavioral therapies, for treating symptoms of chronic post-traumatic stress. Its rapid onset of action and non-invasive nature are significant advantages. This study offers hope to those affected who have not responded to other prolonged exposure (PE) methods for treating traumatic imagery.
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