title: Acupuncture for sleep quality, BDNF levels and immunosenescence: a randomized controlled study.
abstract: Poor sleep in elderly populations is associated with detrimental neuropsychological, and physiological changes including premature immunosenescence and reduced brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Here, we evaluated the effects of acupuncture on sleep quality, psychological distress and immunosenescence in elderly, as well as effects on BDNF levels. Forty-eight community-dwelling elderly were randomized into true or placebo acupuncture, and intervention consisted of ten sessions. Sleep quality, depression and stress scores were evaluated by the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), beck depression inventory (BDI II) and perceived stress scale (PSS), respectively, before and after the intervention. Lymphocyte subsets commonly associated with stress, sleep impairment and immunosenescence were phenotyped by flow cytometry. BDNF plasma levels were assessed by ELISAs. Acupuncture was highly effective for improving sleep quality (-53.23%; p<0.01), depression (-48.41%; p<0.01), and stress (-25.46%; p<0.01). However, neither lymphocyte subpopulations nor BDNF levels changed following the intervention.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunosenescence, Institute of Biomedical Research, Pontifical Catholic University of the Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zuppa
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunosenescence, Institute of Biomedical Research, Pontifical Catholic University of the Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carine H do
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Prado
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunosenescence, Institute of Biomedical Research, Pontifical Catholic University of the Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wieck
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunosenescence, Institute of Biomedical Research, Pontifical Catholic University of the Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zaparte
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunosenescence, Institute of Biomedical Research, Pontifical Catholic University of the Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andressa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunosenescence, Institute of Biomedical Research, Pontifical Catholic University of the Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil; Faculty of Biosciences, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Electronic address: mebauer@pucrs.br.
authors.forename: Moisés Evandro
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bauer
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012890:Sleep; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
keywords: Acupuncture; Aging; Depression; Immunity; Lymphocytes; Stress