Acupuncture and Sleep Quality Among Patients With Parkinson Disease

Importance: Poor sleep quality greatly impairs quality of life and accelerates deterioration in patients with Parkinson disease (PD), but current remedies remain limited. Acupuncture, used as an adjunctive therapy with anti-Parkinson medications, has shown positive effects in patients with PD. However, high-quality clinical evidence to support the effectiveness of acupuncture for patients with PD and poor sleep quality is lacking. Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of real acupuncture (RA) vs sham acupuncture (SA) as an adjunctive therapy for patients with PD who have poor sleep quality. Design, Setting, and Participants: This single-center randomized clinical trial was performed at The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine in China from February 18, 2022, to February 18, 2023. Patients with PD and sleep complaints were recruited and randomized (1:1) to receive RA or SA treatment for 4 weeks. Data analysis was performed from April 12 to August 17, 2023. Intervention: Treatment with RA or SA for 4 weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was the change in Parkinson Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS) scores measured at baseline, after 4 weeks of treatment, and at 8 weeks of follow-up. Results: Of the 83 participants enrolled, 78 (94.0%) completed the intervention and were included in the analysis. Their mean (SD) age was 64.1 (7.9) years; 41 (52.6%) were men and 37 (47.4%) were women. A significant increase in PDSS scores from baseline was observed for both the RA group (29.65 [95% CI, 24.65-34.65]; P < .001) and the SA group (10.47 [95% CI, 5.35-15.60]; P < .001). Compared with the SA group, the RA group had a significant increase in PDSS scores after 4 weeks of treatment (19.75 [95% CI, 11.02-28.49]; P < .001) and at 8 weeks of follow-up (20.24 [95% CI, 11.51-28.98]; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial, acupuncture proved beneficial in improving sleep quality and quality of life among patients with PD. These findings suggest that the therapeutic effects of acupuncture could continue for up to 4 weeks. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Identifier: ChiCTR2200060655.