Objectives: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on sleep quality and electroencephalogram (EEG) signal in the patients with chronic insomnia and to explore its mechanism.
Methods: Sixty patients with chronic insomnia were randomized into an EA group (30 cases, 3 cases dropped out) and a health learning group (30 cases, 3 cases dropped out). In the health learning group, the sleep health education was provided. In the EA group, besides the health education as the health learning group, EA was delivered at Baihui (GV20), Yintang (GV24+), bilateral Shenmen (HT7), bilateral Sanyinjiao (SP6), with continuous wave, 2 Hz in frequency, once every other day, and 3 interventions a week. EA was given for 4 weeks successi-vely, composed of 12 treatments. The score of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), and patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) before and after treatment were compared between the two groups. The EEG signals were collected and the relative power and entropy of EEG before and after treatment were compared between the two groups.
Results: After treatment, the scores of PSQI, HAMA and PHQ-9, the relevant power of β wave in F8 and T3 channels, and that of α wave in T4 channel, and the entropy in T3 channel under the eyes-open (EO) resting state, as well as the relevant power and the entropy of γ wave in F8 channel under the eyes-closed (EC) resting state in the EA group were lower (P<0.05) than those before the treatment. All of the above results were lower than those of the health learning group at the same time points (P<0.05). Under the EO resting state, the relevant power of the θ and δ waves of T3 channel and θ wave of T4, O2 and Pz channels of patients in the EA group after the treatment were increased (P<0.05) than those before the treatment, and higher (P<0.05) than those of the health learning group at the same time points.
Conclusions: Acupuncture is effective on chronic insomnia, which may be related to the regulation EEG signals.
目的: 观察电针对慢性失眠症（CI）患者睡眠质量及脑电图（EEG）信号的影响，并探讨其疗效机制。方法: 将60例CI患者随机分为健康宣教组（30例，脱落3例）和电针组（30例，脱落3例）。健康宣教组予以睡眠卫生宣教，电针组在健康宣教组的基础上予以电针治疗，穴取百会、印堂及双侧神门、三阴交，连续波，2 Hz，隔日1次，每周3次，连续针刺4周，共12次。比较两组患者治疗前后匹兹堡睡眠质量指数量表（PSQI）、汉密尔顿焦虑量表（HAMA）及患者健康问卷-9（PHQ-9）评分，采集脑电信号，比较治疗前后两组患者的脑电相对功率及熵值。结果: 与本组治疗前比较，治疗后电针组PSQI、HAMA及PHQ-9评分，睁眼状态下F8和T3通道的β波、T4通道的α波相对功率及T3通道熵值，以及闭眼状态下F8通道的γ波相对功率、熵值均下降（P<0.05），且均低于同时点的健康宣教组（P<0.05）；睁眼状态下T3通道的θ、δ波及T4、O2、Pz通道的θ波相对功率均增加（P<0.05），且均高于同时点的健康宣教组（P<0.05）。结论: 针刺可有效治疗CI，调节脑电特征信号是其可能的作用机制之一。.
Keywords: Chronic insomnia; Electroacupuncture; Electroencephalogram; Randomized controlled trial; Sleep quality.