Acupuncture : a promising approach for Comorbid depression and insomnia in perimenopause
- Zhao, Fei, Fu, Qiang-Aiang, Spencer, Sarah, Kennedy, Gerard, Conduit, Russell, Zhang, Wen-Jing, Zheng, Zhen
- Authors: Zhao, Fei , Fu, Qiang-Aiang , Spencer, Sarah , Kennedy, Gerard , Conduit, Russell , Zhang, Wen-Jing , Zheng, Zhen
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nature and Science of Sleep Vol. 13, no. (2021), p. 1823-1863
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Comorbid depression and insomnia are ubiquitous mental complaints among women going through the perimenopausal stage of life and can result in major decline in quality of life. Antidepressive agents combined with/without hypnotics, and/or hormone therapy are currently the most common treatment for perimenopausal depression (PMD) and insomnia (PMI). Balancing the benefits of these pharmacotherapies against the risk of adverse events (AEs) is a difficult task for both clinicians and women. There has been a growing body of research regarding the utilization of acupuncture for treatment of PMD or PMI, whereas no studies of acupuncture for comorbid PMD and PMI have appeared. In this review, we summarize the clinical and preclinical evidence of acupuncture as a treatment for PMD or PMI, and then discuss the potential mechanisms involved and the role of acupuncture in helping women during this transition. Most clinical trials indicate that acupuncture ameliorates not only PMD/PMI but also climacteric symptoms with minimal AEs. It also regulates serum hormone levels. The reliability of trials is however limited due to methodological flaws in most studies. Rodent studies suggest that acupuncture prolongs total sleep time and reduces depression-like behavior in PMI and PMD models, respectively. These effects are possibly mediated through multiple mechanisms of action, including modulating sex hormones, neurotransmitters, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis/hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary axis, oxidative stress, signaling pathways, and other cellular events. In conclusion, acupuncture is a promising therapeutic strategy for comorbid depression and insomnia during perimenopause. Neuroendocrine modulation is likely to play a major role in mediating those effects. High-quality trials are required to further validate acupuncture’s effectiveness. © 2021 Zhao et al.
- Authors: Zhao, Fei , Fu, Qiang-Aiang , Spencer, Sarah , Kennedy, Gerard , Conduit, Russell , Zhang, Wen-Jing , Zheng, Zhen
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nature and Science of Sleep Vol. 13, no. (2021), p. 1823-1863
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Comorbid depression and insomnia are ubiquitous mental complaints among women going through the perimenopausal stage of life and can result in major decline in quality of life. Antidepressive agents combined with/without hypnotics, and/or hormone therapy are currently the most common treatment for perimenopausal depression (PMD) and insomnia (PMI). Balancing the benefits of these pharmacotherapies against the risk of adverse events (AEs) is a difficult task for both clinicians and women. There has been a growing body of research regarding the utilization of acupuncture for treatment of PMD or PMI, whereas no studies of acupuncture for comorbid PMD and PMI have appeared. In this review, we summarize the clinical and preclinical evidence of acupuncture as a treatment for PMD or PMI, and then discuss the potential mechanisms involved and the role of acupuncture in helping women during this transition. Most clinical trials indicate that acupuncture ameliorates not only PMD/PMI but also climacteric symptoms with minimal AEs. It also regulates serum hormone levels. The reliability of trials is however limited due to methodological flaws in most studies. Rodent studies suggest that acupuncture prolongs total sleep time and reduces depression-like behavior in PMI and PMD models, respectively. These effects are possibly mediated through multiple mechanisms of action, including modulating sex hormones, neurotransmitters, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis/hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary axis, oxidative stress, signaling pathways, and other cellular events. In conclusion, acupuncture is a promising therapeutic strategy for comorbid depression and insomnia during perimenopause. Neuroendocrine modulation is likely to play a major role in mediating those effects. High-quality trials are required to further validate acupuncture’s effectiveness. © 2021 Zhao et al.
The role of acupuncture in the management of insomnia as a major or residual symptom among patients with active or previous depression : a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Zhao, Fei-Yi, Kennedy, Gerard, Spencer, Sarah, Conduit, Russell, Zhang, Wen-Jing, Fu, Qiang-Qiang, Zheng, Zhen
- Authors: Zhao, Fei-Yi , Kennedy, Gerard , Spencer, Sarah , Conduit, Russell , Zhang, Wen-Jing , Fu, Qiang-Qiang , Zheng, Zhen
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Frontiers in Psychiatry Vol. 13, no. (2022), p.
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- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: Due to concerns about risks associated with antidepressants and/or hypnotics, complementary therapies such as acupuncture have been sought by patients with active or previous depression to manage insomnia. This systematic review aimed to clarify if acupuncture is effective and safe enough to be recommended as an alternative or adjuvant therapy to standard care in ameliorating concomitant or residual insomnia, two types of insomnia associated with depression. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of depression-related insomnia (DI) treatment via acupuncture vs. waitlist-control or placebo-/sham-acupuncture and RCTs of DI treatment via acupuncture alone or combined with standard care [Western pharmacotherapy and/or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)] vs. standard care alone were searched for from seven databases from inception to December 2021. Cochrane criteria were followed. Results: Twenty-one studies involving 1,571 participants were analyzed. For insomnia as a major symptom of active depression, meta-analyses suggested that acupuncture significantly reduced the global scores of both the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) [MD = −3.12, 95% CI (−5.16, −1.08), p < 0.01] and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) [SMD = −2.67, 95% CI (−3.51, −1.84), p < 0.01], in comparison with placebo-acupuncture. When compared with conventional pharmacotherapy (antidepressants and/or hypnotics), the results favored acupuncture in decreasing PSQI [MD = −1.17, 95% CI (−2.26, −0.08), p = 0.03] and HAMD [SMD = −0.47, 95% CI (−0.91, −0.02), p = 0.04]. Acupuncture was comparable to conventional pharmacotherapy in reducing scores of each domain of PSQI. For insomnia as a residual symptom of previous or partially remitted depression, acupuncture conferred a very limited, non-significant therapeutic advantage against sham-/placebo-acupuncture. Whether acupuncture has an add-on effect to conventional pharmacotherapy in this type of insomnia has not been investigated. Also, no study was available to address the efficacy differences between acupuncture and CBT or the synergistic effect of these two therapies. Conclusions: There is a low to moderate level of evidence supporting acupuncture as a safe and effective remedy alternative to or adjuvant to conventional pharmacotherapy (antidepressant and/or hypnotic) in improving insomnia and other depression symptoms among patients with active depression. Furthermore, the patients' complaint of disrupted sleep continuity is most likely to benefit from acupuncture. The benefit of acupuncture on residual insomnia associated with previous or partially remitted depression is limited. Future acupuncture studies need to consider applying optimal dosage and addressing deficiencies in trial quality. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021269880, PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42021269880. Copyright © 2022 Zhao, Kennedy, Spencer, Conduit, Zhang, Fu and Zheng.
- Authors: Zhao, Fei-Yi , Kennedy, Gerard , Spencer, Sarah , Conduit, Russell , Zhang, Wen-Jing , Fu, Qiang-Qiang , Zheng, Zhen
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Frontiers in Psychiatry Vol. 13, no. (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: Due to concerns about risks associated with antidepressants and/or hypnotics, complementary therapies such as acupuncture have been sought by patients with active or previous depression to manage insomnia. This systematic review aimed to clarify if acupuncture is effective and safe enough to be recommended as an alternative or adjuvant therapy to standard care in ameliorating concomitant or residual insomnia, two types of insomnia associated with depression. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of depression-related insomnia (DI) treatment via acupuncture vs. waitlist-control or placebo-/sham-acupuncture and RCTs of DI treatment via acupuncture alone or combined with standard care [Western pharmacotherapy and/or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)] vs. standard care alone were searched for from seven databases from inception to December 2021. Cochrane criteria were followed. Results: Twenty-one studies involving 1,571 participants were analyzed. For insomnia as a major symptom of active depression, meta-analyses suggested that acupuncture significantly reduced the global scores of both the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) [MD = −3.12, 95% CI (−5.16, −1.08), p < 0.01] and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) [SMD = −2.67, 95% CI (−3.51, −1.84), p < 0.01], in comparison with placebo-acupuncture. When compared with conventional pharmacotherapy (antidepressants and/or hypnotics), the results favored acupuncture in decreasing PSQI [MD = −1.17, 95% CI (−2.26, −0.08), p = 0.03] and HAMD [SMD = −0.47, 95% CI (−0.91, −0.02), p = 0.04]. Acupuncture was comparable to conventional pharmacotherapy in reducing scores of each domain of PSQI. For insomnia as a residual symptom of previous or partially remitted depression, acupuncture conferred a very limited, non-significant therapeutic advantage against sham-/placebo-acupuncture. Whether acupuncture has an add-on effect to conventional pharmacotherapy in this type of insomnia has not been investigated. Also, no study was available to address the efficacy differences between acupuncture and CBT or the synergistic effect of these two therapies. Conclusions: There is a low to moderate level of evidence supporting acupuncture as a safe and effective remedy alternative to or adjuvant to conventional pharmacotherapy (antidepressant and/or hypnotic) in improving insomnia and other depression symptoms among patients with active depression. Furthermore, the patients' complaint of disrupted sleep continuity is most likely to benefit from acupuncture. The benefit of acupuncture on residual insomnia associated with previous or partially remitted depression is limited. Future acupuncture studies need to consider applying optimal dosage and addressing deficiencies in trial quality. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021269880, PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42021269880. Copyright © 2022 Zhao, Kennedy, Spencer, Conduit, Zhang, Fu and Zheng.
Acupuncture for comorbid depression and insomnia in perimenopause : a feasibility patient-assessor-blinded, randomized, and sham-controlled clinical trial
- Zhao, Fei, Zheng, Zhen, Fu, Qiang-Qiang, Conduit, Russell, Xu, Hong, Wang, Hui-ru, Huang, Yu-Ling, Jiang, Ting, Zhang, Wen-Jing, Kennedy, Gerard
- Authors: Zhao, Fei , Zheng, Zhen , Fu, Qiang-Qiang , Conduit, Russell , Xu, Hong , Wang, Hui-ru , Huang, Yu-Ling , Jiang, Ting , Zhang, Wen-Jing , Kennedy, Gerard
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Frontiers in Public Health Vol. 11, no. (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background and objective: Whilst acupuncture is widely used for treating psychosomatic diseases, there is little high-quality evidence supporting its application in comorbid perimenopausal depression (PMD) and insomnia (PMI) which are common complaints during climacteric. This feasibility, patient-assessor-blinded, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial addresses this gap by investigating the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on depressed mood and poor sleep in women with comorbid PMD and PMI. Methods: Seventy eligible participants were randomly assigned to either real-acupuncture (RA) or sham-acupuncture (SA) groups. Either RA or SA treatment were delivered in 17 sessions over 8 weeks. The primary outcomes for mood and sleep were changes on 17-items Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D17) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores, from baseline to 16-week follow-up. Secondary outcome measures involved anxiety symptoms, perimenopausal symptoms, quality of life, participants' experience of and satisfaction with the acupuncture treatment. Blood samples were taken to measure reproductive hormone levels. Intention-To-Treat and Per-Protocol analyses were conducted with linear mixed-effects models. The James' and Bang's blinding indices were used to assess the adequacy of blinding. Results: Sixty-five participants completed all treatment sessions, and 54 and 41 participants completed the eight- and 16-week follow-ups, respectively. At post-treatment and 8-week follow-up, the RA group showed a significantly greater reduction in PSQI scores than the SA group did; although the reduction of HAM-D17 scores in RA group was significant, the change was not statistically different from that of SA. There were no significant mean differences between baseline and 16-week follow-up in either HAM-D17 or PSQI in either group. There were no significant between-group differences in serum reproductive hormone levels. All treatments were tolerable and no serious adverse events were reported, and the blinding was successful. Conclusion: Acupuncture is safe and can contribute to clinically relevant improvements in comorbid PMD and PMI, with satisfactory short-and medium-term effects. Whether the anti-depressive benefit of acupuncture is specific or non-specific remains to be determined. No evidence was found for any longer-term benefit of acupuncture compared to sham at 16 weeks. Further research is required to elucidate mechanisms underlying the short to medium term effects of acupuncture. Copyright © 2023 Zhao, Zheng, Fu, Conduit, Xu, Wang, Huang, Jiang, Zhang and Kennedy.
- Authors: Zhao, Fei , Zheng, Zhen , Fu, Qiang-Qiang , Conduit, Russell , Xu, Hong , Wang, Hui-ru , Huang, Yu-Ling , Jiang, Ting , Zhang, Wen-Jing , Kennedy, Gerard
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Frontiers in Public Health Vol. 11, no. (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background and objective: Whilst acupuncture is widely used for treating psychosomatic diseases, there is little high-quality evidence supporting its application in comorbid perimenopausal depression (PMD) and insomnia (PMI) which are common complaints during climacteric. This feasibility, patient-assessor-blinded, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial addresses this gap by investigating the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on depressed mood and poor sleep in women with comorbid PMD and PMI. Methods: Seventy eligible participants were randomly assigned to either real-acupuncture (RA) or sham-acupuncture (SA) groups. Either RA or SA treatment were delivered in 17 sessions over 8 weeks. The primary outcomes for mood and sleep were changes on 17-items Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D17) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores, from baseline to 16-week follow-up. Secondary outcome measures involved anxiety symptoms, perimenopausal symptoms, quality of life, participants' experience of and satisfaction with the acupuncture treatment. Blood samples were taken to measure reproductive hormone levels. Intention-To-Treat and Per-Protocol analyses were conducted with linear mixed-effects models. The James' and Bang's blinding indices were used to assess the adequacy of blinding. Results: Sixty-five participants completed all treatment sessions, and 54 and 41 participants completed the eight- and 16-week follow-ups, respectively. At post-treatment and 8-week follow-up, the RA group showed a significantly greater reduction in PSQI scores than the SA group did; although the reduction of HAM-D17 scores in RA group was significant, the change was not statistically different from that of SA. There were no significant mean differences between baseline and 16-week follow-up in either HAM-D17 or PSQI in either group. There were no significant between-group differences in serum reproductive hormone levels. All treatments were tolerable and no serious adverse events were reported, and the blinding was successful. Conclusion: Acupuncture is safe and can contribute to clinically relevant improvements in comorbid PMD and PMI, with satisfactory short-and medium-term effects. Whether the anti-depressive benefit of acupuncture is specific or non-specific remains to be determined. No evidence was found for any longer-term benefit of acupuncture compared to sham at 16 weeks. Further research is required to elucidate mechanisms underlying the short to medium term effects of acupuncture. Copyright © 2023 Zhao, Zheng, Fu, Conduit, Xu, Wang, Huang, Jiang, Zhang and Kennedy.
Identifying complementary and alternative medicine recommendations for insomnia treatment and care : a systematic review and critical assessment of comprehensive clinical practice guidelines
- Zhao, Fei-Yi. Y., Xu, Peijie, Kennedy, Gerard, Conduit, Russell, Zhang, Wen-Jing, Wang, Yan-Mei, Fu, Qiang-Qiang, Zheng, Zhen
- Authors: Zhao, Fei-Yi. Y. , Xu, Peijie , Kennedy, Gerard , Conduit, Russell , Zhang, Wen-Jing , Wang, Yan-Mei , Fu, Qiang-Qiang , Zheng, Zhen
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Frontiers in Public Health Vol. 11, no. (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: There is a need for evidence-informed guidance on the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for insomnia because of its widespread utilization and a lack of guidance on the balance of benefits and harms. This systematic review aimed to identify and summarize the CAM recommendations associated with insomnia treatment and care from existing comprehensive clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). The quality of the eligible guidelines was appraised to assess the credibility of these recommendations. Methods: Formally published CPGs incorporating CAM recommendations for insomnia management were searched for in seven databases from their inception to January 2023. The NCCIH website and six websites of international guideline developing institutions were also retrieved. The methodological and reporting quality of each included guideline was appraised using the AGREE II instrument and RIGHT statement, respectively. Results: Seventeen eligible GCPs were included, and 14 were judged to be of moderate to high methodological and reporting quality. The reporting rate of eligible CPGs ranged from 42.9 to 97.1%. Twenty-two CAM modalities were implicated, involving nutritional or natural products, physical CAM, psychological CAM, homeopathy, aromatherapy, and mindful movements. Recommendations for these modalities were mostly unclear, unambiguous, uncertain, or conflicting. Logically explained graded recommendations supporting the CAM use in the treatment and/or care of insomnia were scarce, with bibliotherapy, Tai Chi, Yoga, and auriculotherapy positively recommended based on little and weak evidence. The only consensus was that four phytotherapeutics including valerian, chamomile, kava, and aromatherapy were not recommended for insomnia management because of risk profile and/or limited benefits. Conclusions: Existing guidelines are generally limited in providing clear, evidence-informed recommendations for the use of CAM therapies for insomnia management due to a lack of high-quality evidence and multidisciplinary consultation in CPG development. More well-designed studies to provide reliable clinical evidence are therefore urgently needed. Allowing the engagement of a range of interdisciplinary stakeholders in future updates of CPGs is also warranted. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=369155, identifier: CRD42022369155. Copyright © 2023 Zhao, Xu, Kennedy, Conduit, Zhang, Wang, Fu and Zheng.
- Authors: Zhao, Fei-Yi. Y. , Xu, Peijie , Kennedy, Gerard , Conduit, Russell , Zhang, Wen-Jing , Wang, Yan-Mei , Fu, Qiang-Qiang , Zheng, Zhen
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Frontiers in Public Health Vol. 11, no. (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: There is a need for evidence-informed guidance on the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for insomnia because of its widespread utilization and a lack of guidance on the balance of benefits and harms. This systematic review aimed to identify and summarize the CAM recommendations associated with insomnia treatment and care from existing comprehensive clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). The quality of the eligible guidelines was appraised to assess the credibility of these recommendations. Methods: Formally published CPGs incorporating CAM recommendations for insomnia management were searched for in seven databases from their inception to January 2023. The NCCIH website and six websites of international guideline developing institutions were also retrieved. The methodological and reporting quality of each included guideline was appraised using the AGREE II instrument and RIGHT statement, respectively. Results: Seventeen eligible GCPs were included, and 14 were judged to be of moderate to high methodological and reporting quality. The reporting rate of eligible CPGs ranged from 42.9 to 97.1%. Twenty-two CAM modalities were implicated, involving nutritional or natural products, physical CAM, psychological CAM, homeopathy, aromatherapy, and mindful movements. Recommendations for these modalities were mostly unclear, unambiguous, uncertain, or conflicting. Logically explained graded recommendations supporting the CAM use in the treatment and/or care of insomnia were scarce, with bibliotherapy, Tai Chi, Yoga, and auriculotherapy positively recommended based on little and weak evidence. The only consensus was that four phytotherapeutics including valerian, chamomile, kava, and aromatherapy were not recommended for insomnia management because of risk profile and/or limited benefits. Conclusions: Existing guidelines are generally limited in providing clear, evidence-informed recommendations for the use of CAM therapies for insomnia management due to a lack of high-quality evidence and multidisciplinary consultation in CPG development. More well-designed studies to provide reliable clinical evidence are therefore urgently needed. Allowing the engagement of a range of interdisciplinary stakeholders in future updates of CPGs is also warranted. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=369155, identifier: CRD42022369155. Copyright © 2023 Zhao, Xu, Kennedy, Conduit, Zhang, Wang, Fu and Zheng.
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