Acupuncture for cancer-related insomnia: An evidence mapping

Acupuncture shows promise in treating cancer-related insomnia (CRI); however, the evidence level for its effectiveness remains low. This study systematically examined research quality and used evidence mapping (EM) to map and present evidence information to identify gaps and inform future research.

Two reviewers searched eight databases from inception to May 2024, screened eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and extracted key characteristics from included studies. The quality of studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 (RoB 2.0) tool, and key characteristics visualized EM. Finally, Acupoint data were systematically summarized.

37 RCTs were included in this study. RoB 2.0 results showed only three studies at "low risk," while most had notable quality issues. EM indicated that common comparisons involved manual acupuncture (MA), alone or combined, versus sleep medications. Measures involved six assessment tools, with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) most frequently used. Meanwhile, EM revealed considerable uncertainty regarding acupuncture for CRI efficacy. Acupoint analysis identified Yintang (GV24+), Shenting (GV24), Baihui (GV20), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Neiguan (PC6), and Shenmen (HT7) as core acupoints. Analysis identified five key gaps: study reliability, participant selection, placebo effect, outcome measurement, and acupoint selection.

Research on acupuncture for CRI has various gaps, and more high-quality evidence is still needed. This study comprehensively mapped the current evidence on acupuncture for CRI and identified five key gaps, providing directions and references for future research.

INPLASY, INPLASY202460052.