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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 Jun 3;7(6):e2417862.
doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.17862.

Acupuncture and Sleep Quality Among Patients With Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Mingyue Yan  1 , Jingqi Fan  2 , Xin Liu  1 , Yingjia Li  3 , Yuting Wang  2 , Weiqiang Tan  2 , Yuanyuan Chen  2 , Jun He  4 , Lixing Zhuang  4
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Acupuncture and Sleep Quality Among Patients With Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Mingyue Yan et al. JAMA Netw Open. .

Abstract

Importance: Poor sleep quality greatly impairs quality of life and accelerates deterioration in patients with Parkinson disease (PD), but current remedies remain limited. Acupuncture, used as an adjunctive therapy with anti-Parkinson medications, has shown positive effects in patients with PD. However, high-quality clinical evidence to support the effectiveness of acupuncture for patients with PD and poor sleep quality is lacking.

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of real acupuncture (RA) vs sham acupuncture (SA) as an adjunctive therapy for patients with PD who have poor sleep quality.

Design, setting, and participants: This single-center randomized clinical trial was performed at The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine in China from February 18, 2022, to February 18, 2023. Patients with PD and sleep complaints were recruited and randomized (1:1) to receive RA or SA treatment for 4 weeks. Data analysis was performed from April 12 to August 17, 2023.

Intervention: Treatment with RA or SA for 4 weeks.

Main outcomes and measures: The main outcome was the change in Parkinson Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS) scores measured at baseline, after 4 weeks of treatment, and at 8 weeks of follow-up.

Results: Of the 83 participants enrolled, 78 (94.0%) completed the intervention and were included in the analysis. Their mean (SD) age was 64.1 (7.9) years; 41 (52.6%) were men and 37 (47.4%) were women. A significant increase in PDSS scores from baseline was observed for both the RA group (29.65 [95% CI, 24.65-34.65]; P < .001) and the SA group (10.47 [95% CI, 5.35-15.60]; P < .001). Compared with the SA group, the RA group had a significant increase in PDSS scores after 4 weeks of treatment (19.75 [95% CI, 11.02-28.49]; P < .001) and at 8 weeks of follow-up (20.24 [95% CI, 11.51-28.98]; P < .001).

Conclusions and relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, acupuncture proved beneficial in improving sleep quality and quality of life among patients with PD. These findings suggest that the therapeutic effects of acupuncture could continue for up to 4 weeks.

Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Identifier: ChiCTR2200060655.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Liu reported holding patent CN202121352221.7 for manufacture of the sham needle described in this trial. Dr Wang reported holding patent CN202121352221.7 for the sham needle described in this trial. No other disclosures were reported.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Study Flowchart
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Therapeutic Effects of Acupuncture Over Time
A, Sleep problems were evaluated using the Parkinson Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS). B, Excessive daytime sleepiness was assessed with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). C, Motor symptom severity was evaluated with section 3 of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-III). D, Overall nonmotor symptom severity was assessed with the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS). E, Anxiety levels were assessed with the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). F, Quality of life was assessed with the 39-item Parkinson Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39). Scores are presented with 95% CIs.
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