title: Auricular acupressure on specific points for hemodialysis patients with insomnia: a pilot randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a randomized controlled trial compared auricular acupressure (AA) on specific acupoints with AA on non-specific acupoints for treating maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients with insomnia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty three (63) eligible subjects were randomly assigned into either AA group received AA on specific acupoints (n=32), or sham AA (SAA) group received AA on points irrelevant to insomnia treatment (n=31) for eight weeks. All participants were followed up for 12 weeks after treatments. The primary outcome was clinical response at eight weeks after randomization, defined as a reduction of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) global score by 3 points and more.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-eight (58) participants completed the trial and five dropped out. Twenty participants in AA group (62.5%) and ten in SAA group (32.3%) responded to the eight-week interventions (χ2 = 5.77, P = 0.02). PSQI global score declined 3.75 ± 4.36 (95%CI -5.32, -2.18) and 2.26 ± 3.89 (95%CI -3.68, -0.83) in AA group and SAA group respectively. Three participants died during the follow-up period. No evidence supported their deaths were related to the AA intervention. No other adverse event was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Feasibility and logistics of patient recruitment, randomization procedure, blinding approach, interventions application and outcome assessment had been tested in this pilot trial. The preliminary data appeared to show a favorable result on AA treatment. A full-scale trial is warranted.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR-TRC-12002272.
authors: Nephrology Center, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, P.R. China.
authors: Chuan
authors: C
authors: Zou
authors: Evidence-based Medicine and Clinical Research Service Group, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine (The Second Affiliated Hospital/Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences), Guangzhou, Guangdong province, P.R. China.
authors: Lihong
authors: L
authors: Yang
authors: Nephrology Center, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, P.R. China.
authors: Yuchi
authors: Y
authors: Wu
authors: Nephrology Center, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, P.R. China.
authors: Guobin
authors: G
authors: Su
authors: Evidence-based Medicine and Clinical Research Service Group, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine (The Second Affiliated Hospital/Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences), Guangzhou, Guangdong province, P.R. China.
authors: Shuhui
authors: S
authors: Chen
authors: Evidence-based Medicine and Clinical Research Service Group, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine (The Second Affiliated Hospital/Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences), Guangzhou, Guangdong province, P.R. China.
authors: Xinfeng
authors: X
authors: Guo
authors: Nephrology Center, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, P.R. China.
authors: Xiuqing
authors: X
authors: Wu
authors: Nephrology Center, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, P.R. China.
authors: Xusheng
authors: X
authors: Liu
authors: Nephrology Center, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, P.R. China.
authors: Qizhan
authors: Q
authors: Lin
mesh_terms: D019050:Acupressure / Q000379:methods*; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004431:Ear, External; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome