Efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture combined with Suanzaoren decoction for insomnia following stroke: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Insomnia is a common but frequently overlooked sleep disorder after stroke, and there are limited effective therapies for insomnia following stroke. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), including acupuncture and the Chinese herbal medication (CHM) Suanzaoren decoction (SZRD), has been reported as an alternative option for insomnia relief after stroke in China for thousands of years. Here, this study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture (EA) in combination with SZRD in the treatment of insomnia following stroke. A total of 240 patients with post-stroke insomnia will be included and randomized into four groups: the EA group, SZRD group, EA & SZRD group, and sham group. The same acupoints (GV20, GV24, HT7, and SP6) will be used in the EA group, EA & SZRD group, and sham group, and these patients will receive the EA treatment or sham manipulation every other day for 4 consecutive weeks. SZRD treatments will be given to participants in the SZRD group and EA & SZRD group twice a day for 4 consecutive weeks. The primary outcome measures include Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores and polysomnography. Secondary outcome measures include the Insomnia Severity Index, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, brain magnetic resonance imaging, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and nocturnal melatonin concentrations. The primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed at baseline (before treatment), during the 2nd and 4th weeks of the intervention, and at the 8th and 12th weeks of follow-up. Safety assessments will be evaluated at baseline and during the 4th week of the intervention. This study will contribute to assessing whether the combination of these two therapies is more beneficial for post-stroke insomnia than their independent use, and the results of this clinical trial will improve our understanding of the possible mechanisms underlying the effects of combination therapies. Chinese Clinical Trials Register ChiCTR2000031413 . Registered on March 30, 2020.

Huang HL ，Yang SB ，Mei ZG ，Huang YG ，Chen MH ，Mei QL ，Lei HP ，Mei QX ，Chen JH ... -  《Trials》

Efficacy and safety of suanzaoren decoction for chronic insomnia disorder in adults: study protocol for randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled trial.

Insomnia disorder is defined as a combination of dissatisfaction with sleep quantity or quality and a significant negative impact on daytime functioning. Chronic insomnia disorder refers to clinical symptoms of persistent insomnia at least three nights a week for at least 3 months. Prevalence estimates of insomnia disorder range from 12% to 20% in the adult population, with approximately 50% having a chronic course. The potential side effects of hypnotic medications hinder their clinical application. Thus, traditional Chinese medicine is considered as an alternative option for treating insomnia. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of suanzaoren decoction (SZRD), a classic Chinese herbal prescription, for adult chronic insomnia disorder. This is a randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 150 patients with chronic insomnia disorder are randomised, allocated in a ratio of 1:1:1 to three groups: intervention group, control group and placebo group. The intervention group receives SZRD granule plus zolpidem tartrate (ZT) placebo; the control group receives ZT tablet plus SZRD granule placebo; and the placebo group receives ZT placebo and SZRD granule placebo. The patients receive medicine or placebo for 5 weeks and are followed up at 20 weeks. The primary outcome measures are polysomnography and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Secondary outcome measures are the Insomnia Severity Index, sleep diary and safety assessment. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and after treatment. ChiCTR-IOR-16009198. pre-results.

Zhou QH ，Wang HL ，Zhou XL ，Xu MB ，Zhang HF ，Huang LB ，Zheng GQ ，Lin Y ... -  《BMJ Open》

Effect of acupuncture on insomnia following stroke: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Cao Y ，Yin X ，Soto-Aguilar F ，Liu Y ，Yin P ，Wu J ，Zhu B ，Li W ，Lao L ，Xu S ... -  《Trials》

Electroacupuncture for insomnia disorder: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Kim SP ，Kim JH ，Kim BK ，Kim HJ ，Jung IC ，Cho JH ，Kim JE ，Kim MK ，Kwon OJ ，Kim AR ，Park HJ ，Seo BN ... -  《Trials》

Efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture for post stroke depression: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Cai W ，Ma W ，Wang GT ，Shen WD ... -  《Trials》