Intradermal acupuncture on shen-men and nei-kuan acupoints improves insomnia in stroke patients by reducing the sympathetic nervous activity: a randomized clinical trial.
This study is a double-blind randomized controlled trial on the effect of intradermal acupuncture on insomnia after stroke. Hospitalized stroke patients with insomnia were enrolled in the study and were randomly assigned to either a real intradermal acupuncture group (RA group) or a sham acupuncture group (SA group). The RA group received intradermal acupuncture on Shen-Men (He-7) and Nei-Kuan (EH-6) for three days, and the SA group received sham acupuncture on the same points. The effect of acupuncture on insomnia was measured using Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) at baseline and three days after treatment. To assess the effect of acupuncture on the autonomic nervous function, the subjects' blood pressure and heart rate variability were monitored. Fifty-two subjects (27 in the RA group and 25 in the SA group) were included in the final analysis. The insomnia-related scales ISI and AIS showed greater improvement of insomnia in the RA group than in the SA group. Moreover, there is a greater reduction of the number of non-dippers and a greater decrease of the LF/HF ratio (heart rate variability) in the RA group than in the SA group. These results indicate that sympathetic hyperactivities were stabilized in the RA group. It can thus be concluded that intradermal acupuncture on Shen-Men and Nei-Kuan is a useful therapeutic method for post stroke-onset insomnia as it reduces sympathetic hyperactivities.
Lee
Seung Yeop
SY
Department of Cardiovascular and Neurologic Diseases (Stroke Center), College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung-Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
Baek
Yong Hyeon
YH
Park
Seong Uk
SU
Moon
Sang Kwan
SK
Park
Jung Mi
JM
Kim
Young Suk
YS
Jung
Woo Sang
WS
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*