{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,6]],"date-time":"2026-05-06T02:49:05Z","timestamp":1778035745847,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":69,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,21]],"date-time":"2022-09-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1663718400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Healthcare"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Auriculotherapy may activate the parasympathetic nerve system and reduce anxiety levels. Short-term auriculotherapy\u2019s effects and safety on university students\u2019 anxiety levels was assessed prior to exams. Methods: A randomized, controlled pilot trial was conducted. The day before the exam, university students were randomly allocated to the auriculotherapy group (AA, n = 13) or the waiting-list group (WG, n = 13). Baseline measures were taken 4 weeks before the exam at Time point (TP 0); at 7.30 a.m. on the day before the exam (TP I); at 11 a.m. before auriculotherapy (TP II); 30 min after AA (TP III); and at 7.30 a.m. before the exam (TP IV). The outcomes were the State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI); quality of night-sleep, Visual Analogue scale (VAS) for anxiety, and salivary cortisol. Adverse events were also recorded. Results: A total of 26 students participated in this study and became more anxious as assessed by STAI in TPII (p = 0.002) and TPIV (p = 0.000) than TP0. AA reduced the STAI in TPIII (p = 0.045) and PIV (p = 0.001) and the VAS (p = 0.012) in TPIV. Cortisol was reduced in TPIII (p = 0.004), and the AA slept better (p = 0.014) at TPIV. Discomfort at the auricular site was reported in only one AA participant. Conclusions: Auriculotherapy appeared safe and effective in reducing anxiety levels before university exams.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare10101816","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,22]],"date-time":"2022-09-22T01:47:06Z","timestamp":1663811226000},"page":"1816","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["The Effect of Auriculotherapy on Situational Anxiety Trigged by Examinations: A Randomized Pilot Trial"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Andreia","family":"Vieira","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"ICBAS, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"CBSin, Center of BioSciences in Integrative Health, 4250-105 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Paula","family":"Sousa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ICBAS, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"CBSin, Center of BioSciences in Integrative Health, 4250-105 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9041-5805","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alexandra","family":"Moura","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ICBAS, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"CBSin, Center of BioSciences in Integrative Health, 4250-105 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6071-0715","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lara","family":"Lopes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ICBAS, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"CBSin, Center of BioSciences in Integrative Health, 4250-105 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Cristiane","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ESSSM, Superior Health School of Santa Maria, 4049-024 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5256-4527","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nicola","family":"Robinson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LSBA, Institute of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4570-5445","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jorge","family":"Machado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ICBAS, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"CBSin, Center of BioSciences in Integrative Health, 4250-105 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ant\u00f3nio","family":"Moreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ESDRM, Sport Sciences School of Rio Maior, 2040-413 Rio Maior, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"743","DOI":"10.1007\/s00426-018-1081-9","article-title":"Trait anxiety and the alignment of attentional bias with controllability of danger","volume":"84","author":"Notebaert","year":"2020","journal-title":"Psychol. 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