The efficacy and safety of auricular point combined with moxibustion for insomnia: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Insomnia is a common sleep disorder, which seriously affects people's quality of life and work ability. In China, auricular therapy and moxibustion therapy have a long history in treating insomnia. Clinical studies have shown that auricular point and moxibustion can effectively improve insomnia symptoms. At present, auricular point combined with moxibustion in the treatment of insomnia has been widely used in China, but its overall effectiveness and safety are still unclear. There is a lack of systematic evaluation of auricular point combined with moxibustion in the treatment of insomnia. This paper aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of auricular point combined with moxibustion in the treatment of insomnia. METHODS: Retrieve randomized controlled trials of auricular point combined with moxibustion from PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang, the Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, and China biomedical literature database from their establishment to August 2020. Search Baidu Scholar, Google Scholar, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and Chinese Clinical Trials Registry for unpublished gray literature. Two researchers independently applied RevMan 5.3 software for data extraction and risk assessment of bias. RESULTS: This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of auricular point combined with moxibustion in the treatment of insomnia from Pittsburgh sleep quality index, Rhone planck sleepiness scale, Traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores, Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), Hamilton Depression, 5-hydroxytryptamine, incidence of adverse reactions, and other aspects. CONCLUSION: This study will provide theoretical support for the clinical application of auricular point combined with moxibustion in the treatment of insomnia. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The private information from individuals will not publish. This systematic review also will not involve endangering participant rights. Ethical approval is not required. The results may be published in a peer-reviewed journal or disseminated in relevant conferences. OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/8VZRJ.