Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40994788›Full record

ReviewIntegrative medicine research2025

The efficacy and safety of multiple acupuncture therapies in primary insomnia: A Bayesian network meta-analysis.

Liguo Liu, Yiming Chen, Minne Tian, Zhennan Wu, Peiming Zhang, Tiankang Zhang, Jinsong Yang, Haotian Qu, Zhiyong Fan, Shan Wu and 2 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Integrative medicine research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. 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.

Liguo LiuThe Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
Yiming ChenClinical Research and Big Data Laboratory, South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
Minne TianShenzhen Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shenzhen, PR China.
Zhennan WuClinical Research and Big Data Laboratory, South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
Peiming ZhangClinical Research and Big Data Laboratory, South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
Tiankang ZhangThe Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
Jinsong YangThe Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
Haotian QuThe Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
Zhiyong FanThe Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
Shan WuThe Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
Liming LuClinical Research and Big Data Laboratory, South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
Yu KuiThe Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Acupuncture (AT) therapy is an effective treatment for primary insomnia. However, no comprehensive study has compared and evaluated the efficacy and safety of multiple AT therapies and hypnotics. Methods: We searched eight databases from inception to July 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of AT treatment for primary insomnia, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, and VIP Chinese Science and Technique Journals database. After screening, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score and clinical effectiveness rate were extracted from the included RCTs as outcome measures. We performed network meta-analysis using the Stata and R software. Results: Sixty-four RCTs involving 4443 patients were included in this study. Multiple AT therapies had better efficacy in improving PSQI scores than hypnotics, with AT combined with moxibustion (MOX) and AT combined with auriculotherapy (AU) as the best interventions. Regarding clinical effectiveness, acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) had the greatest potential of being the best intervention, and no serious adverse events related to AT therapies were observed in any of the studies. Conclusion: This review suggests that most AT therapies improve sleep indicators and have good clinical efficacy compared to hypnotics, especially AT combined with AU, AT combined with MOX, and ACE. The safety of AT therapies is reliable; however, the overall quality of the included trials was low, and higher-quality RCTs are required to provide sufficient evidence. Protocol registration: PROSPERO, CRD42017067402.

Indexed as

Acupuncture therapyHypnoticsInsomniaNetwork meta-analysis

Identifiers

PMID40994788
PMCPMC12454287

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.