PURPOSE: This study was to examine the effects of foot reflexion massage on sleep disturbance, depression disorder, and the physiological index of the elderly in nursing homes. METHOD: The research design was a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study. The subjects in this study were 50 elderly people who resided in two different nursing homes in the same region. An experimental group and a control group were organized with 25 subjects respectively, and foot reflexion massage was provided for 12 sessions, 30 minutes per session. The selected dependent variables were sleep disturbance, depression disorder, and physiological indices(blood plasma serotonin, serum cortisol), which were all measured before and after foot reflexion massage was offered. Data analysis included chi2-test, t-test, paired t-test, and ANCOVA, using the SPSS program package. RESULT: 1. The experimental group improved sleep quality more than the control group. 2. The experimental group had less depression disorder than the control group. 3. The experimental group had higher serotonin levels than the control group. CONCLUSION: It's necessary to give foot reflexion massage as a successful nursing intervention to elderly who undergo a change in sleep, and suffer from a depression disorder due to a deterioration in sleep.
Sleep Disorders/blood/complications/*therapy ; Serotonin/blood ; Middle Aged ; *Massage ; Male ; Hydrocortisone/blood ; Humans ; *Foot ; Female ; Depression/blood/complications/*therapy ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aged

PURPOSE: This study was to examine the effects of foot reflexion massage on sleep disturbance, depression disorder, and the physiological index of the elderly in nursing homes. METHOD: The research design was a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study. The subjects in this study were 50 elderly people who resided in two different nursing homes in the same region. An experimental group and a control group were organized with 25 subjects respectively, and foot reflexion massage was provided for 12 sessions, 30 minutes per session. The selected dependent variables were sleep disturbance, depression disorder, and physiological indices(blood plasma serotonin, serum cortisol), which were all measured before and after foot reflexion massage was offered. Data analysis included chi2-test, t-test, paired t-test, and ANCOVA, using the SPSS program package. RESULT: 1. The experimental group improved sleep quality more than the control group. 2. The experimental group had less depression disorder than the control group. 3. The experimental group had higher serotonin levels than the control group. CONCLUSION: It's necessary to give foot reflexion massage as a successful nursing intervention to elderly who undergo a change in sleep, and suffer from a depression disorder due to a deterioration in sleep.
Sleep Disorders/blood/complications/*therapy ; Serotonin/blood ; Middle Aged ; *Massage ; Male ; Hydrocortisone/blood ; Humans ; *Foot ; Female ; Depression/blood/complications/*therapy ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aged

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical efficacy on post-stroke insomnia between the low-frequency electric stimulation at the acupoints and the conventional western medication in the patients so as to explore the effect mechanism.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty patients of post-stroke insomnia were randomized into a low-frequency electric stimulation group, a medication group and a placebo group, 40 cases in each one. In the low-frequency electric stimulation group, the low-frequency pulse electric apparatus was applied to stimulate Dazhui (GV 14) and Shenshu (BL 23), once every day. The treatment for 15 days made one session and 2 sessions were required. In the medication group, estazolam was taken orally, 1 mg each time; and in the placebo group, the starch capsules were taken, one capsule each time; in the two groups the treatment was adopted before sleep every night, continuously for 15 days as one session, and 2 sessions were required. The levels of plasma 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) were compared before and after treatment in the patients of the three groups and: the efficacy was compared.

RESULTSIn the placebo group, 1 case was dropped out. The total effective rate was 95. 0% (38/40), 92. 5% (37/40) and 17. 9% (7/39) in the low-frequency electric stimulation group, the medication group and the placebo group respectively. The effects in the low-frequency electric stimulation group and the medication group were better apparently than that in the placebo group (both P<0. 01). The effect was not different significantly between the low-frequency electric stimulation group and the medication group (P>0. 05). The levels of plasma 5-HT and NE were not different significantly between before and after treatment in the placebo group. The level of plasma 5-HT was increased (both P<0. 05) and thelevel of NE was decreased (both P<0. 05) as compared with that before treatment in the low-frequency electric stimulation group and the medication group. But the differences were not significant between the two groups (P>0. 05).

CONCLUSIONThe low-frequency electric stimlaton a the acupoints is safe and effective in the treatment of post-stroke insomnia, which is similar to oral medication of estazolam. The outcome of the increase of plasma 5-HT level and the decrease of plasma NE level is probably one of the effect mechanisms.

Acupuncture Points ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Electric Stimulation ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Norepinephrine ; blood ; Serotonin ; blood ; Sleep ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; blood ; etiology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Stroke ; blood ; complications ; physiopathology ; Treatment Outcome