Acupuncture for insomnia after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Insomnia is the common complaint among patients with stroke. Acupuncture has increasingly been used for insomnia relief after stroke. The aim of the present study was to summarize and evaluate evidence on the effectiveness of acupuncture in relieving insomnia after stroke. METHODS: Seven databases were searched from inception through October 2014 without language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included if acupuncture was compared to placebo or other conventional therapy for treatment of insomnia after stroke. Assessments were performed using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), the insomnia severity index (ISI), the Athens insomnia scale (AIS), and the efficacy standards of Chinese medicine. RESULTS: A total of 165 studies were identified; 13 RCTs met our inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed that acupuncture appeared to be more effective than drugs for treatment of insomnia after stroke, as assessed by the PSQI (weighted mean difference, 4.31; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.67–6.95; P = 0.001) and by the efficacy standards of Chinese medicine (risk ratio, 1.25; 95 % CI, 1.12–1.40; P < 0.001). Intradermal acupuncture had significant effects compared with sham acupuncture, as assessed by the ISI (weighted mean difference, 4.44; 95 % CI, 2.75–6.13; P < 0.001) and the AIS (weighted mean difference, 3.64; 95 % CI, 2.28–5.00; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that acupuncture could be effective for treating insomnia after stroke. However, further studies are needed to confirm the role of acupuncture in the treatment of this disorder. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12906-016-1220-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.