The Journal of Practical Medicine ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (15): 2684-2691.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2026.15.002

• Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases Column • Previous Articles    

Effects of acupuncture of time acupoint space based on Linggui Bafa on serum 5-hydroxytryptamine and sleep quality in patients with sleep disorders following ischemic stroke

Liangxian LIU1,Li LI1,Lihong HAN1,Zhijuan HE1,Zuhong WANG1,Peidong HUANG2,Xuejiao PAN1()   

  1. 1.Department of Acupuncture,Kunming Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine/Third Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine,Kunming 650511,Yunnan,China
    2.Second Clinical College,Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine,Kunming 650500,Yunnan,China
  • Received:2026-05-07 Revised:2026-06-16 Accepted:2026-06-17 Online:2026-08-10 Published:2026-08-13
  • Contact: Xuejiao PAN E-mail:57284743@qq.com

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture of time acupoint space based on Linggui Bafa in patients with sleep disorders secondary to ischemic stroke, and to evaluate its effects on serum 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and melatonin (MT) levels, neurological function, and emotional status. Methods A total of 78 patients with ischemic stroke and concurrent sleep disorders treated at our hospital between June 2024 and June 2025 were prospectively enrolled and randomly divided into a control group and a treatment group (n = 39 each). The control group received conventional treatment and sleep management for ischemic stroke. The treatment group received the same conventional therapy plus Linggui Bafa-based spatiotemporal acupoint selection moxibustion. Both groups received continuous treatment for 3 weeks. The overall clinical efficacy, scores on the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), as well as serum 5-HT and MT levels, were compared between the two groups. Adverse events during the treatment period were also recorded. Results The overall effective rate in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant main effects of time and group, as well as significant time × group interaction effects, on the FSS, PSQI, HADS, and NIHSS scores, and on serum 5-HT and MT levels (all P < 0.05). Further simple main effect analysis demonstrated that after 3 weeks of treatment, the scores on all aforementioned scales in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group, whereas serum 5-HT and MT levels were significantly higher (all P < 0.05). No significant difference in the incidence of adverse events was observed between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions As an adjunct to conventional therapy, Linggui Bafa-based spatiotemporal moxibustion can effectively improve sleep quality, alleviate fatigue, anxiety, and depression, and promote neurological recovery in patients with sleep disorders following ischemic stroke. The underlying mechanism may be related to the regulation of sleep-associated neurotransmitters, such as 5-HT and MT. The intervention demonstrates a favorable safety profile and holds promise for clinical application.

Key words: Linggui Bafa, moxibustion, ischemic stroke, sleep disorder, 5-hydroxytryptamine, melatonin

CLC Number: