In a 32-week randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial, the electroacupuncture group's sleep quality considerably increased at week 8 compared to the sham acupuncture or control group and remained improved at week 32. Researchers aimed to determine safety and effectiveness of electroacupuncture as a complementary therapy for enhancing sleep quality and mental health in individuals (ranged in age from 18 to 70) diagnosed with depression and insomnia.

In this trial (8-week intervention + 24-week observational follow-up), both patients and assessors were blinded. Volunteers were randomly assigned to get standard care only, standard care and sham acupuncture, or standard care only as control. Subjects had sleeplessness, and fell under diagnostic criteria for depression. Evaluation of data was done.

All the people in the three groups received standard care under the direction of psychiatrists. Subjects in the electroacupuncture and sham acupuncture groups underwent real or sham acupuncture therapy for 24 sessions, 3 sessions per week for eight weeks. The key endpoint ascertained was an alteration from baseline to week eight in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The PSQI at 32, 20 and 12 weeks of follow-up, Self-rating Anxiety Scale score, Insomnia Severity Index, actigraphy sleep data, and 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) score were all considered secondary endpoints.

In the intention-to-treat assessment, there were 270 volunteers (194 females [71.9%], 76 males [28.1%]; mean age, 50.3 years); 247 (91.5%) completed all outcome assessments at week 32, and 23 (8.5%) discontinued the study. Within the electroacupuncture group, the mean PSQI difference from baseline to week 8 was -6.2. At week 8, the PSQI score difference between the electroacupuncture and sham acupuncture groups was -3.6 while the difference between the electroacupuncture and control groups was -5.1.

Insomnia treatment with electroacupuncture continued to be effective for 24 weeks after the intervention. During the eight-week intervention period, the electroacupuncture group witnessed remarkable betterment in their scores on Self-rating Anxiety Scale (-2.9), 17-item HDRS (-10.7), Insomnia Severity Index (-7.6), as well as their total sleep time (29.1 min).

There were no between-group variations in the frequency of sleep awakenings. There were no documented severe negative events. Hence, electroacupuncture in combination with standard care is more effective for the management of comorbid insomnia and depression when compared with sham acupuncture with standard care or standard care alone.