Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42038446›Full record

Trial reportNature and science of sleep2026

Acupuncture with the Sancai Acupoint Matching Method for Primary Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Na Zhao, Qianqian Wang, Lutong Li, Lin Tang, Xintong Yu, Ruilong Liang, Haifeng Cun, Jinjin Li, Wenjia Yang, Yunfei Chen

Abstract readCase ReportsClinical Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Nature and science of sleep, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

10 authors.

Na Zhao *Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, People's Republic of China.
Qianqian Wang *Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, People's Republic of China.
Lutong LiDepartment of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, People's Republic of China.
Lin TangDepartment of Rehabilitation, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, People's Republic of China.
Xintong YuDepartment of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0002-3651-0462
Ruilong LiangDepartment of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, People's Republic of China.
Haifeng CunDepartment of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, People's Republic of China.
Jinjin LiDepartment of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, People's Republic of China.
Wenjia YangDepartment of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0002-0268-654X
Yunfei ChenDepartment of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, People's Republic of China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Study Objectives: Primary insomnia (PI) remains a widespread public health concern. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the novel Sancai acupoint matching method for PI, and to explore its potential peripheral biochemical mechanisms. Methods and Design: 76 PI patients were randomly assigned to either the real-acupuncture (RA) group or the sham-acupuncture (SA) group, with 38 cases in each group. The RA group received verum acupuncture based on the stated principle over an 8-week treatment period (20 sessions), while the SA group received sham acupuncture. Assessments were conducted at baseline, immediately post-treatment, and at 1, 4- and 12-week follow-ups using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) as the primary outcome measure, along with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). Objective sleep parameters were monitored via polysomnography (PSG), and serum levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were measured before and after treatment. Results: Improvements in ISI, PSQI, SAS and SDS scores were superior in the RA group compared to the SA group ( Conclusion: The Sancai acupoint matching method is a safe and effective treatment for primary insomnia, significantly improving patients' subjective sleep quality, emotional symptoms, and objective sleep parameters, and upregulating peripheral blood levels of 5-HT and BDNF. These findings support the clinical application of this acupuncture protocol and provide a foundation for subsequent mechanistic studies. Clinical Trial Registration: The study was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial.Registry, registration ID: ChiCTR2300072229, China.

Indexed as

5-HTacupunctureBDNFprimary insomniarandomized controlled trialSancai acupoint matching method

Identifiers

PMID42038446
PMCPMC13109983

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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.