OBJECTIVETo compare the difference between acupuncture and estazolam on arousal state in patients of primary insomnia, and to explore its nerve electrophysiology mechanism.

METHODSSixty-four patients of primary insomnia were randomized into an acupuncture group (32 cases) and a medication group (32 cases). After 3 patients were excluded, 31 cases in the acupuncture group and 30 cases in the medication group were included. Patients in the acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Anmian (Extra), Shenmen (HT 7), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zhaohai (KI 6), Shenmai (BL 62) as main acupoints, combined with supporting acupoints, once a day, five times per week, continuously for 4 weeks. Patients in the medication group were treated with oral administration of estazolam, once a day, continuously for 4 weeks. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and mean sleep latency (MSL) of multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) were compared before and after treatment in the two groups; the polysomnography (PSG) was applied to monitor the indices regarding sleep structure.

RESULTSCompared before treatment, PSQI score was reduced after treatment in the two groups (both<0.01), which was more significant in the acupuncture group (<0.05). Compared before treatment, sleep onset latency (SOL), number of awakenings (NWAK) and wake after sleep onset (WASO) were reduced, while total sleep time (TST) and sleep efficiency (SE) were significantly increased in the two groups after treatment (all<0.01). Compared before treatment, the percentage of non-rapid eye movement period 1/2/3 (N1, N2, N3) and the percentage of rapid eye movement period (REM) to TST were not significantly changed after treatment in the medication group (all>0.05). Compared before treatment, the percentage of N1, N2 to TST was reduced, while the percentage of N3 and REM to TST was increased after treatment in the acupuncture group (<0.01). The SOL, NWAK, WASO, TST, SE were not statistically changed after treatment in each group (all>0.05). Compared with the medication group, the percentage of N1 and N2 was reduced while that of N3 and REM was increased after treatment in the acupuncture group (all<0.01). After treatment, MSL of MSLT were obviously decreased in the two groups (both<0.01), which were more significant in the acupuncture group (<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAcupuncture can more effectively improve sleep quality of primary insomnia than estazolam, and is more beneficial for regulation of hyperarousal state.