Acupuncture for the Treatment of Insomnia

This is an interventional treatment trial for Primary Insomnia focused on measuring Insomnia, Primary insomnia, Insomnia disorder, Acupuncture Read More

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Ages 18-60;
2. Ability to speak, read, and write English;
3. Insomnia disorder, as defined by RDC, of 3 months or greater duration.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Presence of serious psychiatric Axis I DSM-IV disorders such as bipolar or psychotic disorders-as individuals with conditions may respond differently than insomnia disorder to the acupuncture intervention, potentially confounding the results;
2. Active suicidal ideation or active psychosis, as this may present a concern regarding safety for a subject's participation in this study;
3. Presence of depressive or anxiety disorders of moderate or greater severity based on either HAM-D scores or HAM-A scores of 14 or greater;
4. Presence of unstable medical conditions commonly associated with significant sleep disturbance, e.g. uncompensated congestive heart failure, as this would not be expected to respond to the acupuncture intervention;
5. Presence of other sleep disorder, such as periodic limb movement disorder or sleep apnea, as these conditions would require other medical treatment-this will be based on known history of sleep disorder or findings on screening PSG of apnea-hypopnea index of > 10 or periodic limb movement index of >10;
6. Alcohol use > 14 beverages/week, as this may impact on response to the intervention and assessment measures;
7. Ongoing use of any recreational drugs;
8. Ongoing use of benzodiazepines, prescription hypnotic medication, over-the-counter hypnotic medication, or nutritional supplements with purported hypnotic effects;
9. Ongoing use of other psychotropic medication, such as psychostimulants, or antipsychotics;
10. Caffeine use > the equivalent of 5 cups of coffee/day;
11. Pregnancy, as the safe use of acupuncture in pregnancy has not been established;
12. Active malignancy, autoimmune condition, or treatment with immunosuppressive drugs;
13. Presence of coagulopathy or use of anticoagulant medication;
14. Active involvement in any psychotherapy or other treatment specifically directed towards insomnia;
15. Prior experience with acupuncture treatment in the last 6 months or prior participation in an acupuncture research study.