The effect of low-frequency electrical stimulation at acupoints on the plasma DA of stroke survivors with insomnia: A clinical trial

Abstract

Objective To compare the therapeutic effect of low-frequency electrical stimulation at the acupoints with that of conventional Western medication among patients with post-stroke insomnia, and explore the underlying mechanism. Methods Totally 120 stroke survivors with insomnia were randomly divided into an intervention group, a medication group and a placebo group, each of 40. The intervention group received low-frequency electrical stimulation at the Dazhui and Shenshu acupoints once a day for 30 consecutive days. The medication group received 1mg estazolam capsules and the placebo group took 1mg starch capsules. The average levels of plasma dopamine (DA) of the 3 groups were compared before and after the intervention and therapeutic efficacy was estimated. Results After the intervention, the total effective rate of the intervention group was 95% (38/40). For the medication group it was 92.5% (37/40) and for the placebo group it was 17.9% (7/39). The former two treatments were significantly more effective than no treatment (the placebo). There was no significant change in the average level of plasma DA before and after the treatment in the placebo group, but significant improvement was observed in the other two groups. There was no significant difference in plasma DA between the two treatment groups after the treatment. Conclusion Low-frequency electrical stimulation at acupoints is safe and equally as effective as estazolam for treating post-stroke insomnia. Both may alleviate post-stroke insomnia by increasing plasma DA levels. Key words: Insomnia; Low-frequency electric stimulation; Acupoints; Dopamine; Randomized controlled trials