Comparison of Magnetic Auriculotherapy, Laser Auriculotherapy and Their Combination for Treatment of Insomnia in the Elderly : A Double-Blinded Randomised Trial
Lorna K. P. Suen, 1 A. Molassiotis, 1 S. K. W. Yueng, 1 and C. H. Yeh 2
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Acupoints Selection

Seven auricular points, namely, “shenmen”, “heart”, “liver”, “spleen”, “kidney”, “occiput”, and “subcortex” (Figure 1), were selected because they promote sleep, as verified in a previous study by the first author [12]. The selection was based on the nomenclature and location of acupoints published by the China Standardisation Organising Committee (GB/T 13734-2008) [25]. Therapy was delivered by research personnel (SY) who had received intensive coaching from the first author (LS). Establishing the interrater reliability and accuracy of the ear point identification scheme ensured the fidelity of the study.

Results

The treatment effects of the three procedures were comparable. Significant improvements were found in all of the subjective measures (PSQI, HRQOL, and PHQ-9) for individual groups over time. Improvements in the objective sleep parameters using actigraphic monitoring were detected in subjects who received MAT procedures but not in those who received LAT. The combined MAT and LAT approach did not show any advantage over MAT