Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34802291›Full record

ArticleIntegrative cancer therapies

Electroacupuncture Plus Auricular Acupressure on Chemotherapy-Related Insomnia in Patients With Breast Cancer (EACRI): Study Protocol for a Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial.

Jialing Zhang, Mingxiao Yang, Tsz Him So, Tien Yee Chang, Zongshi Qin, Haiyong Chen, Wing Lok Lam, Wing Fai Yeung, Ka Fai Chung, Fei Jiang and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in Integrative cancer therapies. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Jialing ZhangDepartment of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.ORCID 0000-0003-0900-4617
Mingxiao YangSchool of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Tsz Him SoDepartment of Clinical Oncology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Tien Yee ChangDepartment of Clinical Oncology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Zongshi QinSchool of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Haiyong ChenSchool of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0002-4889-2752
Wing Lok LamSchool of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Wing Fai YeungSchool of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
Ka Fai ChungDepartment of Psychiatry, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Fei JiangDepartment of Statistics and Actuarial Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Lixing LaoSchool of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Zhang-Jin ZhangDepartment of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
University of Hong Kong · HKUniversity of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital · CNHong Kong Polytechnic University · HKHong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital · HK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveInsomnia is a highly prevalent and disturbing symptom in breast cancer patients under or post chemotherapy. If not appropriately treated, it can persist for years after the completion of cancer treatments. Acupuncture has been widely used for alleviating insomnia. The aim of this study is to examine the feasibility, efficacy and safety of acupuncture for chemotherapy-related insomnia among patients with breast cancer. MATERIALS AND

methodsThis is a trial protocol for a randomized, sham-controlled, subject- and assessor-blinded clinical trial. A total of 138 eligible participants will be assigned randomly to acupuncture or sham control group at a ratio of 1:1. Participants in acupuncture group will receive electroacupuncture (EA) plus auricular acupressure (AA) treatment, while subjects in sham acupuncture group will receive sham EA plus sham AA. Both acupuncture and sham treatments will be given twice weekly for 6 weeks, followed by maintenance treatments once every 4 weeks for 12 weeks (15 sessions totally). The primary outcome is the change of Insomnia Severity Index score between baseline and the end of 6-week treatment. Secondary outcome measurements include Actiwatch, sleep diary, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form, Brief Fatigue Inventory, Acupuncture Expectancy Scale, credibility, and adverse events. Participants will be followed up to 42 weeks.

conclusionsThis trial will expand our understanding of the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of acupuncture as a treatment for alleviating chemotherapy-related insomnia in patients with breast cancer. EA plus AA, if proven to be effective, can be implemented into routine settings to play a role in insomnia management for patients with breast cancer.

Indexed as

AcupressureAcupuncture TherapyBreast NeoplasmsElectroacupunctureSleep Initiation and Maintenance DisordersFemaleHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSleep QualityTreatment Outcomeauricular acupressurebreast cancerchemotherapyelectroacupunctureinsomniasham control

Identifiers

PMID34802291
PMCPMC8606933
OpenAlexW3215158729

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

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.