[Impacts of the repetitive transcranial acupuncture stimulation on the content of serum orexin A in patients with post-stroke insomnia].

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Orexin-A in this randomized controlled trial publication.

To compare the effect on post-stroke insomnia between the repetitive transcranial acupuncture stimulation (rTAS) and the conventional western medication in the patients and to explore the mechanism.

Who Took Part

Ninety patients of post-stroke insomnia were randomized into a rTAS group, a medication group and a placebo group, 30 cases in each one.

In the rTAS group, patients were intervened by rTAS.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized and placebo-controlled study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Orexin-A and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Some participants received a placebo instead of Orexin-A, giving a reference point.

The acupoints were Baihui (GV 20), Ningshen (Extra), emotion area, Wangu (GB 12), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Neiguan (PC 6), Shenmen (HT 7), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zhaohai (KI 6), Zusanli (ST 36) and Taichong (LR 3).

Fast twist with small amplitude was used at Baihui (GV 20) and emotion area for 2-3 min, 200-300 r/min, once 15 min.

Electroacupuncture (EA) was applied at Baihui (GV 20) and Ningshen (Extra), bilateral Wangu (GB 12), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Zhaohai (KI 6) on the same side, 10 Hz, 0.5-1 mA.

All the treatment was given for continuous 1 month.

The level of serum orexin A was observed before and after treatment.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Acupuncture Therapy, Orexins, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders and Stroke.

The authors tagged it with the keywords orexin A, post-stroke insomnia, randomized controlled trial (RCT) and repetitive transcranial acupuncture stimulation.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and placebo-controlled study of Orexin-A.

Results are reported in around 5 sentences of the abstract; we leave them to the paper itself rather than summarise them.

The publication is from 2018 (Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion), a journal based in China.

More context: the Orexin-A compound page, all human trials.