| Objectives: This study aimed to comprehend the characteristics of Korean medicine patterns in relation to varying degrees of cognitive impairment in an elderly population. Methods: The dataset included 127 elderly individuals with cognitive impairment obtained from three Korean medicine hospitals between 2018 and 2021. The participants were categorized into two groups based on Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) scores: those with questionable impairment (QI) and those with very mild dementia (VMD). A diagnostic framework for Korean medicine patterns encompassing Qi deficiency, Yin deficiency, Phlegm dampness, and Heat-fire was employed. Liver blood markers, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and the AST/ALT ratio, were also analyzed. Results: The scores of the cognitive assessment tools (MoCA-K, MMSE-DS, and K-IADL) of the QI group significantly differed from those of the VMD group. CDR-SB exhibited a positive correlation with the scores of each pattern of Qi deficiency, Yin deficiency, Phlegm dampness, and Heat-fire, whereas ALT and AST values displayed negative correlations. Binomial logistic analysis, controlling for potential confounders, such as age, education years, body mass index, the presence of chronic disease, and the presence of medication, verified that the VMD group showed higher pattern scores and lower ALT and AST values than the QI group. Conclusions: Increases in pattern scores along with decreased AST and ALT levels might be indicative of more severe cognitive impairment. |
| Objectives: To examine effect of Korean medical treatment on patients with insomnia and correlations among changes in psychological scales before and after treatment. Methods: Medical records of 38 patients diagnosed with insomnia based on DSM-V who received Korean medical treatment (herbal-medication, acupuncture, Korean psychotherapy) for at least 8 weeks were retrospectively reviewed. Psychological scales including Insomnia Severity Scale (ISI), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) were measured every four weeks and analyzed. Results: After eight weeks of treatment, ISI, BDI-II, BAI, STAI-X-1/2, and STAXI-S/T showed statistically significant decreases. Psychological scale pairs that showed a statistically significant correlation were ISI and BDI-IIㆍSTAI-X-1ㆍSTAI-X-2ㆍTA, BDI-II and BAIㆍSTAI-X-1ㆍSTAI-X-2ㆍAX-I, BAI and STAI-X-1ㆍSTAI-X-2ㆍSAㆍTA, STAI-X-1 and STAI-X-2, SA and TA, and TA and AX-I. In women, the improvement of AX-C was high. The improvement in AX-I score was significant when the disease duration was more than one year. A lower pretreatment BAI value predicted a greater decrease in ISI score after treatment. Conclusions: Korean medical treatment including herbal medicine, acupuncture, and Korean psychotherapy was effective in improving insomnia symptoms and accompanying symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and anger. In the future, more in-depth follow-up research is needed on the mechanisms by which various psychological problems (depression, anxiety, anger, etc) cause and worsen insomnia and the psychological symptoms secondary to insomnia. |
| Objectives: The purpose of this study was to provide evidence for the clinical effects of foot bath therapy for insomnia disorder through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Studies were selected from seven domestic and international literature databases. Data on diagnostic tools, pattern identification, sample size, intervention methods, outcome measurements, results, and adverse events were extracted. The quality of the selected literature was assessed using Cochrane's risk of bias (RoB) assessment tool. Results: A total of 11 studies were included in this study. The primary diagnostic tool for insomnia dis- order was the criteria for the diagnosis and therapeutic effect of diseases and syndromes in traditional Chinese medicine (CDTDSTCM), along with the Chinese classification of mental disorders-3 (CCMD-3). Treatment effects were mainly evaluated by the effective rate and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The meta-analysis results showed statistically higher effectiveness rates for treating insomnia disorder in the experimental groups receiving herbal medicine foot bath therapy with sleeping or herbal medication compared to the control group. The PSQI was lower in the treatment group receiving herbal medicine foot bath therapy with sleeping medication. The herbal materials used in herbal medicine foot bath therapy mainly included Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Polygonum Multiflorum, Ziziphi Spinosae Semen, Rhizoma Coptidis, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, and Cortex Albizziae. The quality of the included studies was generally poor. Conclusions: This study found that foot bath therapy had clinical efficacy for treating insomnia disorder. The research findings could provide foundational evidence for establishing the clinical basis of foot bath therapy in the treatment of insomnia. |
| Objectives: To examine the efficacy and safety of cupping therapy for insomnia disorder and provide clinical evidence that could contribute to further research. Methods: We searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that verified effects of cupping therapy for insomnia disorder from 11 domestic and foreign databases. Included studies were evaluated using Risk of Bias (RoB). Results: Nineteen RCTs were selected. Wet cupping was more frequently used than dry cupping. Moving cupping was mostly used among dry cupping methods. Dry cupping was mainly performed in Bladder Meridian on the back. Wet cupping was mainly performed on BL18, LR14, and BL15. The most common treatment period was 4 weeks. The average number of treatments per week was about 2.4 times for all types of cupping, about 3.2 times for dry cupping and about 1.9 times for wet cupping. All selected studies showed a significant sleep improvement compared to the control group. As a result of the meta-analysis, in terms of effective rate, SAS score, and SDS score, the wet cupping in combination with acupuncture was significantly more effective than acupuncture alone, although the quality of selected RCTs was low. Conclusions: Cupping therapy is effective for insomnia disorder. Based on results of this study, it is reasonable to use wet cupping two times per week on BL18, LR14, and BL15 or use moving cupping three times per week in Bladder Meridian on the back for 4 weeks to treat insomnia disorder. |
