ArticleEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2013
Ear acupressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability in patients with insomnia.
Article in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 30 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of acupuncture on improving sleep quality and the risk of emotional maladjustment of breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Pooled it
- Measures of cardiovascular autonomic activity in insomnia disorder: A systematic review.PloS one · 2017Pooled it
- Non-Invasive Auricular Acupoint Stimulation Improves Slow-Transit Constipation: Evidence From a Randomized Controlled Trial.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2025Trial
- The effect of auriculotherapy on improving sleep quality in postmenopausal women aged 45-60 years: A clinical trial study.Journal of education and health promotion · 2022Article
- Acupuncture Therapies for Addressing Post Odontectomy Neuropathy.Medical acupuncture · 2021Article
- Auricular Acupressure Therapy for Patients with Cancer with Sleep Disturbance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2021Review
- Auricular acupressure for insomnia in hemodialysis patients: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.Trials · 2018Article
- Effect of acupressure with valerian oil 2.5% on the quality and quantity of sleep in patients with acute coronary syndrome in a cardiac intensive care unit.Journal of traditional and complementary medicine · 2015Article
- Auricular acupressure to improve menstrual pain and menstrual distress and heart rate variability for primary dysmenorrhea in youth with stress.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2013Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
This high-tech "teleacupuncture study" describes a neurovegetative ear acupressure effect in patients with chronic insomnia by using heart rate variability analysis. Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) measurements in 31 patients (mean age ± SD: 54.3 ± 10.6 years) were performed under standardized conditions in Harbin, China, and the data analysis was performed in Graz, Austria. Similar to our previous clinical and basic teleacupuncture research works, the electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded by an HRV Medilog AR12 system during ear acupressure of the Shenmen point on the left ear. HR decreased significantly (P < 0.05) during and after acupressure stimulation. The effect was not visible after the first stimulation, rather it appeared in the phase following the second acupressure stimulation (10 min after the first stimulation). Total HRV showed significant stimulation-dependent increases (P < 0.05), immediately after each acupressure stimulation with a maximum after the third stimulation (20 min after the first stimulation), but there was no long-lasting effect. The present results can serve as a solid basis for the further investigations of auricular point stimulation for noninvasive complementary use in treating insomnia.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.