The effect of acupuncture treatment on sleep quality in post-stroke patients

Sleep problems are significant and common complications among patients who have experienced a stroke. Acupuncture is considered a potentially effective, low-risk, and cost-efficient therapeutic option for post-stroke insomnia. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of acupuncture therapy on sleep quality in patients experiencing insomnia in the early post-stroke period. In this randomized, controlled, single-blind study, 70 ischemic stroke patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation were included. Participants were randomly assigned to either the acupuncture group, which received acupuncture alongside standard rehabilitation, or the control group, which received standard rehabilitation alone. PSQI scores were evaluated at three time points: before treatment (baseline), at the end of treatment (week 4), and 4 weeks after the end of treatment (week 8). The acupuncture group showed significantly greater improvement in sleep quality compared to the control group. Significant differences were observed between the baseline PSQI scores and the PSQI scores at the 4th week in both the acupuncture and control groups (p < 0.001 and p = 0.008, respectively). The change between baseline and 8th-week PSQI scores was also significant (p < 0.001 for both groups). However, the decrease in PSQI scores was significantly greater in the acupuncture group compared to the control group. The addition of acupuncture therapy to standard rehabilitation resulted in a significant improvement in sleep quality. Additionally, baseline PSQI scores were found to correlate with the severity of depression. This study suggests that acupuncture therapy can be an effective intervention for improving sleep quality in patients with early post-stroke insomnia.