Electroacupuncture for primary insomnia: a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture for the treatment of primary insomnia.


METHODS
Randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group.


METHODS
A university-based sleep clinic.


METHODS
Community sample of 60 Chinese adult volunteers who report having insomnia 3 or more nights per week, whose symptoms meet the DSM-IV criteria for primary insomnia for at least 3 months, and who have an Insomnia Severity Index total score of at least 15. Participants were screened with polysomnography and the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV prior to randomization.


METHODS
Electroacupuncture at Yintang (EX-HN3), Baihui (GV20), bilateral ear Shenmen, Sishencong (EX-HN1), and Anmian (EX) 3 times per week for 3 weeks or placebo acupuncture using Streitberger needles at the same points.


RESULTS
Self-reported questionnaires, 1-week sleep diaries, and 3-day actigraphy were collected at baseline and 1 week after treatment. The Insomnia Severity Index was used as the primary outcome measure. Both groups showed significant improvement compared with the pretreatment baseline. One-way analysis of covariance adjusted for baseline scores showed that there were significantly greater improvements in sleep efficiency by sleep diary and actigraphy in the electroacupuncture group. However, no significant between-group differences were observed in the Insomnia Severity Index and other outcome measures. The proportions of subjects having less than 30 minutes of wake after sleep onset and a sleep efficiency of at least 85% at the posttreatment visit were significantly higher in the electroacupuncture group. All adverse events were mild in severity.


CONCLUSIONS
We found a slight advantage of electroacupuncture over placebo acupuncture in the short-term treatment of primary insomnia. Because of some limitations of the current study, further studies are necessary to verify the effectiveness of acupuncture for insomnia.
Yeung
Wing-Fai
WF
Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Chung
Ka-Fai
KF
Zhang
Shi-Ping
SP
Yap
Tuan-Gee
TG
Law
Andrew C K
AC
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000328:Adult; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D017286:Polysomnography; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires