Persian Gulf Syndrome

The purpose of this study is to assess whether a high quality preparation of ubiquinone (coenzyme Q10) benefits symptoms, function, and quality of life in veterans with Gulf War illness.

This unblinded Phase II clinical trial will test the effects of individualized acupuncture treatments offered in extant acupuncture practices in the community; practitioners will have had at least 5 years of experience plus additional training provided by the study. Veterans with diagnosed symptoms of Gulf War Illness will be randomized to either six months of biweekly acupuncture treatments (group 1, n=100) or 2 months of waitlist followed by weekly acupuncture treatments (group 2, n=100). Measurements were taken at baseline, 2, 4 and 6 months. The primary outcome is the SF-36 physical component scale score (SF-36P).