Acupuncture improves certain aspects of sleep in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients: A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial Journal Article


Authors: El Iskandarani, S.; Sun, L.; Li, S. Q.; Pereira, G.; Giralt, S.; Deng, G.
Article Title: Acupuncture improves certain aspects of sleep in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients: A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial
Abstract: Background: High-dose chemotherapy followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is associated with a high symptom burden including sleep disturbance. Here we present the results of a secondary analysis of a randomized, sham-controlled trial assessing the effect of acupuncture on sleep quality during HSCT. Methods: Adult multiple myeloma patients undergoing inpatient and outpatient autologous HSCT were randomized and blinded to receive either true or sham acupuncture (by licensed acupuncturists) once daily for 5 days starting the day after chemotherapy. Sleep onset, total sleep time, sleep efficiency percentage and sleep-onset latency time were assessed using an actigraphy-based sleep monitor. A multivariate regression analysis was conducted to compare the average area-under-the-curve of five acupuncture intervention days for each sleep outcome between groups, adjusted by baseline score and inpatient or outpatient chemotherapy stratum. Results: Over 32 months, 63 patients were enrolled. Participants undergoing true acupuncture experienced a significant improvement in sleep efficiency when compared to sham (−6.70, 95% CI −13.15, −0.25, p = 0.042). Subgroup analysis showed that the improvement was more prominent in the inpatient setting (−9.62, 95% CI −18.76, −0.47; p = 0.040). True acupuncture tended to improve wake time after sleep onset (WASO; −10.95, p = 0.054). Between-group differences in other sleep related variables were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Our data suggest that true acupuncture may improve certain aspects of sleep, including sleep efficiency and possibly WASO, in multiple myeloma patients undergoing HSCT. By studying patient reported outcomes in future larger scale studies, acupuncture’s role in improving sleep quality during HSCT treatment could be further elucidated. Trial registration number: NCT01811862 (ClinicalTrials.gov). © The Author(s) 2023.
Keywords: adult; controlled study; treatment outcome; multiple myeloma; randomized controlled trial; hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; insomnia; acupuncture; hematology; complementary medicine; acupuncture therapy; sleep; sleep medicine; procedures; sleep initiation and maintenance disorders; humans; human
Journal Title: Acupuncture in Medicine
Volume: 41
Issue: 6
ISSN: 0964-5284
Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.  
Date Published: 2023-12-01
Start Page: 319
End Page: 326
Language: English
DOI: 10.1177/09645284231181403
PUBMED: 37409464
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC11193154
DOI/URL:
Notes: The MSK Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA008748) is acknowledged in the PDF -- Corresponding author is MSK author: Gary Deng -- Source: Scopus
Altmetric
Citation Impact
BMJ Impact Analytics
MSK Authors
  1. Sergio Andres Giralt
    1067 Giralt
  2. Gary E Deng
    78 Deng
  3. Qing Susan Li
    83 Li