Acupuncture For Insomnia Research Articles

Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture for insomnia in stroke patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

BackgroundInsomnia is highly prevalent in stroke patients; however, there is no ideal intervention. This systematic review examined the effect and safety of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) and acupuncture on sleep in adults with stroke. MethodsSix databases were searched from inception to June 2023 to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The primary outcome was Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores. Risk of bias and evidence quality was assessed. A pairwise random-effect meta-analysis was performed. ResultsA total of 54 RCTs published in 55 articles were finally included in the systematic review, including 35 of CHM and 19 of acupuncture therapies. Compared with placebo/sham procedure, CHM and acupuncture were more effective in improving PSQI scores. The evidence of moderate quality suggested that CHM outperformed benzodiazepine drugs (BZDs) while it presented an effect similar to that of non-BZDs in improving sleep quality. CHM and acupuncture also provided additional benefits to the patients treated with pharmacological agents alone. However, the evidence specific to individual CHM prescriptions lay in various factors and methodological quality, and the evidence on the comparative effectiveness between acupuncture and other therapies was conflicting or limited. ConclusionsOverall, CHM and acupuncture used alone or in combination with pharmacotherapy can safely improve sleep in stroke patients with insomnia. In the future, RCTs on outstanding CHM prescriptions and the comparative effectiveness research between acupuncture and other therapies are needed. RegistrationPROSPERO No. CRD42020194029 and No. CRD42020194030.

Acupuncture for insomnia in people with cancer

Acupuncture for insomnia in people with cancer

Acupuncture for insomnia after ischemic stroke: an assessor-participant blinded, randomized controlled trial.

To date, there has been little focus on research into acupuncture for insomnia after ischemic stroke. Insomnia is one of the most common sequelae after ischemic stroke, and it is the most unrecognized modifiable risk factor. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for insomnia after ischemic stroke. In this assessor-participant blinded, randomized, controlled trial, 144 ischemic stroke patients with insomnia meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fifth edition, DSM-5) criteria were assigned to verum or sham acupuncture treatment (n = 72 per group) for three sessions per week over 4 weeks. The outcomes were the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), stroke-specific quality of life (SSQoL), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores. Multiple objective sleep variables were recorded using actigraphy. Assessment was conducted at baseline, and thereafter once biweekly for the 4-week treatment and at 4 weeks of follow-up. The verum acupuncture group had significantly greater improvements than the sham acupuncture group in sleep quality from 2 weeks into treatment throughout the follow-up, indicated by ISI scores and actigraphic variable SE (sleep efficiency). This greater improvement was also observed in the PSQI after 4 weeks of treatment throughout follow-up, as well as actigraphic variable TST (total sleep time), SSQoL and HADS scores at the end of treatment, and SSQoL and depression scores at follow-up. There was no significant difference between groups in the actigraphic variable SA (sleep awakenings). Adverse events were mild in severity, and their incidence was not significantly different between the two groups. Acupuncture appears to be efficacious, in terms of improving insomnia, related quality of life, and affective symptoms, for patients with ischemic stroke. ChiCTR-IIC-16008382 (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry).

The effects of acupuncture on psychological symptoms in patients with insomnia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundInsomnia is a common sleep-related condition that includes dissatisfaction with sleep quality, difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep, and early morning waking. Insomnia can affect daytime functioning by causing fatigue, depression, and anxiety. Medications are the most common method for the management of insomnia but can cause adverse effects, including psychological and physical dependence, residual daytime sedation, and cognitive impairment. Acupuncture is a common traditional Chinese therapy. It has been used in the treatment of insomnia, depression, and anxiety in China. However, there are no high-quality studies focusing on acupuncture for insomnia, especially for depression and anxiety due to insomnia. Therefore, we have designed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving a placebo control to ensure blinding of participants to investigate the effects of acupuncture on insomnia in improving sleep quality and psychosocial symptoms.MethodsWe have designed a single-center, parallel-group, single-blinded RCT. A total of 252 participants who meet the eligibility criteria will be randomly allocated into a manual acupuncture group or sham acupuncture group in a 1:1 ratio. All participants will receive 24 sessions of acupuncture (30 min per session, three sessions per week for 8 weeks). Participants will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score, self-assessment anxiety scale, self-assessment depression scale, and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey at baseline and 8 weeks. All analyses will be based on an intention-to-treat principle. The results will be published in an international peer-reviewed journal.DiscussionThe results of this study are expected to clarify the effects of acupuncture on sleep quality and psychosocial symptoms in patients with insomnia. This will contribute to the clinical practice of acupuncture in the management of insomnia.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trail Registry ChiCTR2100049172. Registered on 24 July 2021.

The Affection of Temporal Factors on Acupuncture for Insomnia after Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective<br/> The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to analyze the affection of temporal factors on acupuncture for insomnia after stroke.<br/> Methods<br/> Eight databases were searched from inception through September 2019 without language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included if pure acupuncture was compared to Western medicine for the treatment of insomnia after stroke.<br/> Results<br/> Thirty-two studies involving a total of 2347 participants were included. Comparing to Western medicine, the subgroup analysis showed there was no statistical significance among 9-12 am, 3-6 pm, and 2 hours before sleep to start the acupuncture for post-stroke insomnia on improving the effective rate (P=0.66) or the sleep quality (P=0.95). The cumulative meta-analysis showed that with the amount of treatment increased, the confidence interval was narrowed and the accuracy of the effect value was improved gradually.<br/> Conclusions<br/> The results of this study showed that acupuncture therapy was performed 2 hours before sleep, the insomnia could be improved by calming the mind and inducing the Yang into the Yin based on the theory of midnight-midday ebb flow. The most commonly used needle retention time of 30 minutes was effective in clinical, and with the amount of stimulation increases, the therapeutic effect of acupuncture could be sustained and stable. Since the overall risk of bias was evaluated as unclear, application of these conclusions needs to be cautious.

Feasibility and acceptability of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) or acupuncture for insomnia and related distress among cancer caregivers.

Insomnia is a common, distressing, and impairing psychological outcome experienced by informal caregivers (ICs) of patients with cancer. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and acupuncture both have known benefits for patients with cancer, but such benefits have yet to be evaluated among ICs. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effects of CBT-I and acupuncture among ICs with moderate or greater levels of insomnia. Participants were randomized to eight sessions of CBT-I or ten sessions of acupuncture. Results highlighted challenges of identifying interested and eligible ICs and the impact of perception of intervention on retention and likely ultimately outcome. Findings suggest preliminary support for non-pharmacological interventions to treat insomnia in ICs and emphasize the importance of matching treatment modality to the preferences and needs of ICs.

Acupuncture Methods and Challenges in Improving Sleep Quality and Insomnia

The role of acupuncture in insomnia has been well established and it has been proven to be one of the most popular insomnia therapies, however the analysis of the efficacy of acupuncture on insomnia and its difficulties is not well known. Within this sense, the research analyzed the processes, procedures and difficulties of acupuncture within managing insomnia and measured the effectiveness of each procedure. To order to do that, we analyzed the literature using specific search engines including Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Online and MEDLINE. The role of acupuncture in sleep efficiency and depression has been thoroughly explored, but acupuncture's effect on sleep initiation is not precisely established. Acupuncture has proven effective in minimizing short-term distress and depressive effects, such as cognitive behavioural treatment (CBT-I). This approach should be used in conjunction with other strategies and approaches to reduce the activation period in order to increase the consistency of the night.

Acupuncture for Insomnia in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Acupuncture for Insomnia in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Insomnia with objective short sleep duration is associated with a reduced response to active or placebo acupuncture: a secondary analysis of three randomized controlled trials

Studies have shown that insomnia with polysomnography-derived short sleep duration is associated with increased health risks. Preliminary data suggest that this phenotype has a blunted response to cognitive-behavioral therapy and actigraphy-derived sleep variables can be used as a substitute of polysomnography to predict treatment response. This secondary analysis aimed to determine whether insomnia with polysomnography-derived short sleep duration, defined as < 6 h, had a blunted response to active or placebo acupuncture and the use of actigraphy-derived sleep variables as predictors of treatment response. Data from three randomized, placebo-controlled trials of acupuncture for insomnia were analyzed. A reduction of Insomnia Severity Index score ≥ 8 points from baseline to 1-week posttreatment was used to define treatment response. Totally 185 subjects who had laboratory-based 1-night polysomnography for at least 7 h were included; 62 (33.5%) had polysomnography-derived sleep duration < 6 h, while 50 (27.0%) were classified as responders. Non-responders were significantly more likely to have below tertiary education (p = 0.04) and polysomnography-derived short sleep duration (p = 0.02), while baseline sleep-diary and actigraphy-derived total sleep time and sleep efficiency were not significant predictors. Multiple logistic regression showed that polysomnography-derived short sleep duration was the only significant predictor of treatment response (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.01, 4.91, p = 0.048). Despite the marginal significance level, our findings show that insomnia with polysomnography-derived short sleep duration has a lower response to acupuncture and is a biological phenotype that is worth further investigation. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00839592, NCT00838994, and NCT01707706.

Insomnia in Chinese Medicine: The Heart of the Matter.

Chronic insomnia affects a significant proportion of the general population worldwide, and is associated with several serious medical conditions. From the Western scientific literature, hyper-arousal (on the cognitive-emotional, behavioral, autonomic, or central nervous system level) is a final common pathway involved in its pathogenesis. However, from a Chinese medicine (CM) perspective, it is the Heart, capitalized to denote the functional system as described in CM theory, that is the key organ involved in insomnia due to its role as the "seat of consciousness." This article explores how insomnia is understood from the CM perspective, in particular the role of the Heart, and some of the neurophysiological evidence that supports these ancient theoretical understandings. The potential role of the vagus nerve and its relationship with the (biomedical) heart and CM Heart is also examined. Finally, some of the evidence in association with mechanisms of action of acupuncture in insomnia, in particular its impact on cardiovascular variables associated with insomnia, is presented, along with findings of systematic reviews.

Acupuncture for insomnia after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BackgroundInsomnia is the common complaint among patients with stroke. Acupuncture has increasingly been used for insomnia relief after stroke.The aim of the present study was to summarize and evaluate evidence on the effectiveness of acupuncture in relieving insomnia after stroke.MethodsSeven databases were searched from inception through October 2014 without language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included if acupuncture was compared to placebo or other conventional therapy for treatment of insomnia after stroke. Assessments were performed using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), the insomnia severity index (ISI), the Athens insomnia scale (AIS), and the efficacy standards of Chinese medicine.ResultsA total of 165 studies were identified; 13 RCTs met our inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed that acupuncture appeared to be more effective than drugs for treatment of insomnia after stroke, as assessed by the PSQI (weighted mean difference, 4.31; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.67–6.95; P = 0.001) and by the efficacy standards of Chinese medicine (risk ratio, 1.25; 95 % CI, 1.12–1.40; P < 0.001). Intradermal acupuncture had significant effects compared with sham acupuncture, as assessed by the ISI (weighted mean difference, 4.44; 95 % CI, 2.75–6.13; P < 0.001) and the AIS (weighted mean difference, 3.64; 95 % CI, 2.28–5.00; P < 0.001).ConclusionsOur results suggest that acupuncture could be effective for treating insomnia after stroke. However, further studies are needed to confirm the role of acupuncture in the treatment of this disorder.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12906-016-1220-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Efficacy observation on Governor Vessel-unblocking and mind-calming acupuncture for insomnia

Objective To observe the effect of Governor Vessel-unblocking and mind-calming acupuncture on insomnia and further develop the academic idea on Gao’s lineage acupuncture.

Moderators of acupuncture effectiveness in breast cancer survivors: Randomized clinical trial (RCT).

162 Background: The popularity of acupuncture among cancer patients highlights the need for studying its effectiveness for mitigating side effects of cancer treatments. Insomnia is prevalent among cancer patients and is associated with fatigue and reduced quality of life (QOL). It is also closely linked with depression, sleep apnea, and circadian disruption. Using data form an RCT of acupuncture for insomnia among breast cancer survivors, we examined depression, apnea and circadian factors as moderators of acupuncture effectiveness. Methods: 68 breast cancer survivors (54 years, SD = 9) experiencing insomnia symptoms were randomized to receive 12 sessions of acupuncture (N = 34) or sham (N = 34; using placebo needles). Measures included the Insomnia Severity Index, Brief Fatigue Inventory, and FACT—G, obtained at baseline, mid-treatment (3 weeks), end of treatment (6 weeks), and follow-up (10 weeks). Results: Although acupuncture produced significant improvements from baseline to follow-up in insomnia symptoms, fatigue, and QOL, these improvements did not differ from sham. Compared to sham, the acupuncture produced significantly greater improvements in: 1) insomnia severity (p = 0.03) and QOL (p = 0.02) among those with greater tendency for morning chronotype; 2) fatigue (p = 0.01) among those with lower apnea risk; and 3) QOL (p &lt; 0.001) among those with lower depression scores at baseline. Conclusions: These findings suggest that acupuncture might be more effective among certain subgroups of patients. Moderators of insomnia, fatigue, and QOL include morningness tendency, lower risk for sleep apnea and lower depression scores, respectively. Our findings on depression are in line with prior research that has found that patients with less severe depression may have a greater capacity for acupuncture response perhaps due to higher availability of serotonin. Additional research is needed to test whether acupuncture is a viable treatment option for subgroups of cancer survivors with insomnia. Clinical trial information: NCT01162018.

Response to placebo acupuncture in insomnia: a secondary analysis of three randomized controlled trials

ObjectiveTo determine the patient characteristics that are associated with a response to noninvasive placebo acupuncture for insomnia. MethodsWe performed a secondary analysis of three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of acupuncture for primary insomnia and residual insomnia associated with major depression. A total of 86 participants were randomized to receive placebo acupuncture three times per week for three consecutive weeks. Outcome was assessed at 1-week posttreatment. Response was defined as an Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score improved by eight points or more from baseline to 1-week posttreatment. Sociodemographic, clinical, and baseline characteristics including sleep diary-derived and actigraph-derived sleep parameters as predictors of placebo response were examined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. ResultsThe effect size of placebo acupuncture was estimated at 0.18 for total sleep time, 0.08 for sleep efficiency, and 0.92 for ISI score. Eighteen (20.9%) of the 86 participants were responders. Responders had a higher ISI score (p = 0.03), higher sleep diary–derived total sleep time (p = 0.02), less discrepancy between sleep diary–derived and actigraph-derived total sleep time (p = 0.03), and higher expectation toward acupuncture (p = 0.03) at baseline compared to nonresponders. Multivariate regression analysis found that only ISI score remained significant (odds ratio = 1.23, 95% confidence interval = 1.02–1.50, p = 0.03). ConclusionsBaseline sleep parameters and perceived effectiveness were shown to predict the placebo response of acupuncture for insomnia. Although the study was limited by a small sample size, our findings highlighted the potential implication of sleep duration and sleep-state misperception in the treatment of insomnia.

Viscum album (mistletoe) for Pancreatic Cancer, Electromagnetic Field Therapy for Osteoarthritis, Homeopathy for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis, Vitamin D for Depression, Acupuncture for Insomnia

Mistletoe has been used as the herbal medicine to treat hypertension, diabetes mellitus, inflammation, arthritis and viral infection. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of extracts of branch from Taxillus yadoriki being parasitic in Neolitsea sericea (TY-NS-B) using in vitro model. TY-NS-B significantly inhibited LPS-induced secretion of NO and PGE2 in RAW264.7 cells. TY-NS-B was also observed to inhibit LPS-mediated iNOS COX-2 expression. In addition, TY-NS-B attenuated production of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-1β induced by LPS. TY-NS-B blocked LPS-mediated inhibitor of IκB-α, and inhibited p65 translocation to the nucleus and NF-κB activation. Furthermore, TY-NS-B reduced the phosphorylation of MAPKs such as p38 and JNK, but not ERK1/2. In addition, TY-NS-B increased ATF3 expression and ATF3 knockdown by ATF3 siRNA attenuated TY-NS-B-mediated inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediator expression. Collectively, our results suggest that TY-NS-B exerts potential anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing NF-κB and MAPK signaling activation, and increasing ATF3 expression. These findings indicate that TY-NS-B could be further developed as an anti-inflammatory drug.

Acupuncture for Insomnia: Classical Chinese Medicine for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders of all kinds are extremely frequent, in particular, insomnia, which affects 30%–40% of the population. Inadequate treatment of insomnia can easily transform an occasional poor sleeper into a patient with chronic insomnia, who, quite often, will become dependent on the regular use of medication. Obviously, the long-term health hazards of pharmaceuticals for treating sleep disorders are greatly ignored, as most have been on the market for only a few years. It is, therefore, urgent to propose an integrative and holistic approach to sleep-related problems. Although acupuncture has proven its efficiency for treating insomnia, unfortunately, most clinicians revert to standard “recipe-type” point combinations rather than designing personalized treatments for their patients. In Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM), the inner synchronizers that help patients to adapt to outer changes are the Eight Extraordinary Channels. A comprehensive approach based on the diagnosis of these channels can be an excellent option for developing individualized acupuncture treatments for patients. Western neurohumoral theories and discoveries about sleep are detailed and compared with classical Chinese concepts to deepen the understanding of the energetic aspects of sleep. Finally, a more effective acupuncture treatment approach is proposed. A proper diagnosis of insomnia based on CCM principles increases the efficiency, and reduces the number and duration, of acupuncture treatments.

Acupuncture for Insomnia: Sleep and Dreams in Chinese Medicine

Medical AcupunctureVol. 26, No. 5 Book ReviewAcupuncture for Insomnia: Sleep and Dreams in Chinese MedicineHamid Montakab and Reviewed by: Michael T. GreenwoodHamid MontakabSearch for more papers by this author and Reviewed by: Michael T. GreenwoodSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:16 Oct 2014https://doi.org/10.1089/acu.2014.2654AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail View article"Acupuncture for Insomnia: Sleep and Dreams in Chinese Medicine." Medical Acupuncture, 26(5), pp. 304–305FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byEffectiveness and safety profiling of zolpidem and acupressure in CKD associated pruritus28 May 2021 | Medicine, Vol. 100, No. 21A randomized controlled trial for effectiveness of zolpidem versus acupressure on sleep in hemodialysis patients having chronic kidney disease–associated pruritusMedicine, Vol. 97, No. 31 Volume 26Issue 5Oct 2014 InformationCopyright 2014, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Hamid Montakab and Reviewed by: Michael T. Greenwood.Acupuncture for Insomnia: Sleep and Dreams in Chinese Medicine.Medical Acupuncture.Oct 2014.304-305.http://doi.org/10.1089/acu.2014.2654Published in Volume: 26 Issue 5: October 16, 2014Online Ahead of Print:September 24, 2014PDF download

Clinical study on acupoint injection plus acupuncture for insomnia due to heart-kidney disharmony

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupoint injection at Neiguan (PC 6) plus acupuncture in treating insomnia due to heart-kidney disharmony.

Differential activation patterns of FMRI in sleep-deprived brain: restoring effects of acupuncture.

Previous studies suggested a remediation role of acupuncture in insomnia, and acupuncture also has been used in insomnia empirically and clinically. In this study, we employed fMRI to test the role of acupuncture in sleep deprivation (SD). Sixteen healthy volunteers (8 males) were recruited and scheduled for three fMRI scanning procedures, one following the individual's normal sleep and received acupuncture SP6 (NOR group) and the other two after 24 h of total SD with acupuncture on SP6 (SD group) or sham (Sham group). The sessions were counterbalanced approximately two weeks apart. Acupuncture stimuli elicited significantly different activation patterns of three groups. In NOR group, the right superior temporal lobe, left inferior parietal lobule, and left postcentral gyrus were activated; in SD group, the anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral insula, left basal ganglia, and thalamus were significantly activated while, in Sham group, the bilateral thalamus and left cerebellum were activated. Different activation patterns suggest a unique role of acupuncture on SP6 in remediation of SD. SP6 elicits greater and anatomically different activations than those of sham stimuli; that is, the salience network, a unique interoceptive autonomic circuit, may indicate the mechanism underlying acupuncture in restoring sleep deprivation.

Clinical study on acupuncture in treating perimenopausal insomnia

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture for insomnia in perimenopausal women.