OBJECTIVETo analyze the somnipathy related factors in elderly patients with stroke and to compare effects of traditional Chinese medicine and estazolam on sleep and the followed nervous function.

METHODSThe somnipathy related factors in 336 elderly patients with stroke, 221 accompanied with somnipathy and 115 with normal sleep, were studied and analyzed. Moreover, the 221 patients with somnipathy were assigned to two groups, 112 in the treated group treated with TCM according to syndrome differentiation, and 109 in the control group treated with estazolam. Changes of scores rated by neurological deficit scale (NDS), sleep dysfunction rating scale (SDRS), Hamilton anxiety rating scale (HAMA), Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), and treatment emergent symptom scale (TESS) were observed before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe occurrence of somnipathy in patients with cerebral hemorrhage was significantly higher than in those with cerebral infarction; it was higher in patients with lesion in brain stem, cerebral hemisphere (frontal lobe), or basal ganglion than in those with lesion in other sites; and patients with severe neurological deficit were more liable to having somnipathy. TCM showed a significant effect in improving the insomnia symptoms in patients, with the total effective rate reaching 81.25% (91/112), which was higher than that in the control group, 65.14% (71/109, P < 0.01). Along with the improving of sleep, marked recovery of the nervous function was shown in both groups, with NDS score reduced significantly (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe occurrence of somnipathy in stroke patients was closely related with the property and site of lesion, and the neurological deficit degree of patients. Better sleep is surely favorable for recovery of the nervous function, and TCM shows a favorable efficacy on somnipathy.