[Interaction between depression and insomnia under acupuncture treatment: a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the interaction between emotional and insomnia symptom improvement in comorbid depression and insomnia patients treated with optimized acupuncture. METHODS: ), Baihui (GV 20), bilateral Hegu (LI 4) and Taichong (LR 3); the patients in the optimized acupuncture group were treated with additional acupuncture at bilateral Lieque (LU 7), Zhaohai (KI 6), and intradermal needling was applied alternately at bilateral Xinshu (BL 15) and Danshu (BL 19), Shenshu (BL 23) and Anmian (Extra). Both groups received treatments twice a week for six weeks. The Hamilton depression scale-24 (HAMD-24) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) scores were observed before and after treatment for both groups. Mediation analysis was used to assess the mesomeric effect of PSQI and HAMD-24 emotional factors, and latent profile analysis categorized patients into subgroups based on HAMD-24 scores, followed by between-group efficacy comparisons. RESULTS: =0.001). CONCLUSION: The optimized acupuncture protocol primarily improves insomnia symptoms and further improves depression emotions. Its efficacy advantages are more evident in patients with mild symptoms compared with the conventional acupuncture protocol.