Sleep Disorders and Depression: Could Electroacupuncture Be the Answer?

To receive AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, you must receive a minimum score of 75% on the post-test.

1. You are a member of the health care team caring for a 67-year-old man with depression and insomnia. On the basis of the 32-week randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial by Xu and colleagues, which one of the following statements about the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture (EA) plus standard care compared with sham acupuncture (SA) treatment and standard care, or standard care only as control, as an alternative therapy in improving sleep quality and mental state for patients with insomnia and depression is correct?
   Mean difference in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) from baseline to week 8 (primary outcome) was significantly better in the EA group vs the SA group and controls
   During the 8-week intervention, the EA group did not have significant improvements in Hamilton Depression Rating Scales (HDRS)-17
   Frequency of sleep awakenings was significantly lower in the EA group vs the SA group and controls
   Serious adverse events (AEs) were significantly more common in the EA group vs the SA group and controls
2. According to the 32-week randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial by Xu and colleagues, which one of the following statements about clinical implications of the efficacy and safety of EA plus standard care in improving sleep quality and mental state for patients with insomnia and depression is correct?
   This study offered only subjective evidence for EA efficacy in treating insomnia in patients with depression
   Improvements with EA were short-lived and not sustained during 24-week follow-up postintervention
   The findings suggest that EA could be a viable adjunctive treatment for depressed patients with insomnia
   The study proves that treating insomnia improves depression