Abstract
BackgroundSleep deprivation (SD) among young adults is a major public health concern. In humans, it has adverse effects on mood and results in serious health problems. Faced with SD, persons may take precautionary measures to try and reduce their risk. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture (EA) for the prevention of negative moods after SD. In addition, we will do a comparison of the effects of EA on mood after SD at different time points.MethodsThis randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be performed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Chinese Medicine in China. The Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture 2010 will be strictly adhered to. Forty-two healthy male volunteers will be distributed into acupoints electroacupuncture (AE) group, non-acupoints electroacupuncture (NAE) control group, or blank control group. This trial will comprise 1-week baseline (baseline sleep), 1-week preventative treatment, 30-h total sleep deprivation (TSD), and 24-h after waking follow-up period. Participants in the AE group and the NAE control group during the preventative treatment period will be administered with EA treatment once daily for 1 week. Participants in the blank control group will not be administered with any treatment. The primary outcome will be the Profile of Mood States (POMS) Scale. Secondary outcome measures will include changes in the Noldus FaceReader (a tool for automatic analysis of facial expressions) and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) Scale. Total sleep deprivation will be 30 h. During the 30-h TSD period, participants will be subjected to 11 sessions of assessment. Adverse events will be recorded.DiscussionThis study is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of EA for the prevention of negative moods after SD. The results of this trial will allow us to compare the effects of EA on mood after SD at different time points. Moreover, the findings from this trial will be published in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry Chi2000039713. Registered on 06 November 2020
Highlights
Background and rationale {6a} Sleep is an essential part of life
This study is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of EA for the prevention of negative moods after Sleep deprivation (SD). The results of this trial will allow us to compare the effects of EA on mood after SD at different time points
The findings from this trial will be published in peer-reviewed journals
Summary
Background and rationale {6a} Sleep is an essential part of life. In modern societies, SD is prevalent because many sacrifice sleep to meet work demands and social commitments. SD is defined as “abnormal sleep that can be described in measures of deficient sleep quantity, structure, and/or sleep quality” [1] It is characterized by sleep loss, restricted sleep duration, or REM sleep exclusion and is a major public health issue [2]. Acute experimental SD has been associated with decreased social emotional functions, such as slower voluntary facial responsiveness to emotional stimuli [7], less accuracy in emotional face recognition [8], and an increased negativity bias [9]. These studies imply that SD impairs emotional information processing or causes such processing to be negatively biased. We will do a comparison of the effects of EA on mood after SD at different time points
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
