Abstract

MARTINEZ AGUILERA, Isabel; PENA GALBAN, Liuba Y.; MENA FERNANDEZ, Magalys  and  FERNANDEZ FRANCH, Neyda. Efficacy of ear therapy and body acupuncture in primary insomnia. AMC [online]. 2005, vol.9, n.5, pp. 26-35. ISSN 1025-0255.

An open, parallel, sequential, controlled, late stage II clinical trial was conducted during the year 2002 for 150 patients to assess the clinical results of ear therapy as compared with bodily acupuncture and with nitrazepan administration as a hypnotic drug. The Provincial Hospital and the Alternative Medicine Clinic of the Finlay Medical School took part. The sample was divided into three groups with the same amount of patients, who were assessed through a weekly clinical interview and were tested for the Cornell Index both at the beginning and at the end of the treatment. The clinical results of the three groups were compared on weekly basis till the fourth and last week of therapy Statistical assessment, done through the EPI -Info 6 program, provided frequency rate, percentage and probability (P< 0, 05). Female patients aged 30-44, with anxiety symptoms concomitant with insomnia prevailed in the three groups (the majority of patients with a previous history of psycho pharmaceutical use), insomnia prevailed as a background. The insomnia variant of wakening up repeated times prevailed. Ear therapy proved the most of three therapies for primary insomnia Acupuncture proved more efficient than nitrazepan administration.

Keywords : ACUPUNCTURE EAR; ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY; SLEEP INITIATION AND MAINTENANCE DISORDERS; CLINICAL TRIALS, PHASE II; CORNELL INDEX TEST.

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