title: Impulse magnetic-field therapy for insomnia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
abstract: This 4-week double-blind, placebo-controlled study assessed the efficacy of impulse magnetic-field therapy for insomnia. One hundred one patients were randomly assigned to either active treatment (n = 50) or placebo (n = 51) and allocated to one of three diagnostic groups: (1) sleep latency; (2) interrupted sleep; or (3) nightmares. Efficacy endpoints were intensity of sleep latency, frequency of interruptions, sleepiness after rising, daytime sleepiness, difficulty with concentration, and daytime headaches. In the active-treatment group, the values of all criteria were significantly lower at study end (P < .00001). The placebo group also showed significant symptomatic improvement (P < .05), but the differences between groups were highly significant (P < .00001). Seventy percent (n = 34) of the patients given active treatment experienced substantial or even complete relief of their complaints; 24% (n = 12) reported clear improvement; 6% (n = 3) noted a slight improvement. Only one placebo patient (2%) had very clear relief; 49% (n = 23) reported slight or clear improvement; and 49% (n = 23) saw no change in their symptoms. No adverse effects of treatment were reported.
authors.affiliation: Universität der Bundeswehr München Neubiberg/Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Pelka
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jaenicke
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gruenwald
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome