[Acupuncture at "umbilical four-acupoints" for chronic insomnia and its comorbid symptoms]

To observe the effects of acupuncture at "umbilical four-acupoints" on chronic insomnia and its comorbid symptoms.

A total of 120 patients with chronic insomnia were randomly divided into an observation group (60 cases, 8 cases dropped off) and a control group (60 cases, 5 cases dropped off). The patients in the observation group were treated with acupuncture at regular acupoints (Baihui [GV 20] and bilateral Shenmen [HT 7], Neiguan [PC 6], Anmian [Extra]) and "umbilical four-acupoints", while the patients in the control group were treated with acupuncture at regular acupoints. Acupuncture was given once a day, 6 times a week, for a total of 3 weeks in the two groups. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), insomnia severity index (ISI) scores were observed before treatment, after treatment and in follow-up of one month after treatment completion; the Beck anxiety inventory (BAI), Beck depression inventory (BDI), fatigue severity scale (FSS), and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) scores were observed before and after treatment; the sleep parameters of polysomnography (PSG), including sleep latency (SL), awake-up time (AT), sleep efficiency (SE) and total sleep time (TST), were observed before and after treatment using polysomnography monitor in the two groups.

Compared with those before treatment, the PSQI and ISI scores in both groups were reduced after treatment and in follow-up (P<0.05), and the PSQI and ISI scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group after treatment and in follow-up (P<0.05). Compared with those before treatment, the BAI, BDI, FSS and ESS scores in both groups were reduced after treatment (P<0.05), and the BAI, BDI, FSS and ESS scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05). Compared with those before treatment, the SL and AT in both groups were reduced after treatment (P<0.05), while SE and TST were increased after treatment (P<0.05); after treatment, the SL and AT in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05), while SE and TST in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05).

On the basis of regular acupoint selection, acupuncture at "umbilical four-acupoints" could improve sleep quality, alleviate the severity of insomnia, and improve the comorbid symptoms i.e. anxiety, depression, fatigue and lethargy in patients with chronic insomnia.