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STUDY PROTOCOL article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1420299
This article is part of the Research Topic Alternative and Complementary Therapies to Promote Mental Health and Wellbeing for Older Adults - Volume II View all 4 articles

Mechanism of Cognitive Processing for Acupuncture Action on Generalized Anxiety with Naturally Occurring Consecutive Partial Sleep Deprivation in Early Adulthood: A Randomized Controlled Study and Evaluation of Event-Related Potentials

Provisionally accepted
Ce Shi Ce Shi 1Lihua Wu Lihua Wu 2Wen Fu Wen Fu 3Jing Gao Jing Gao 3Haishui Jiang Haishui Jiang 2*Xinwang Chen Xinwang Chen 2*Mengyu Wang Mengyu Wang 2*
  • 1 Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
  • 2 Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
  • 3 First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common mental disorder that often begins in adolescence or early adulthood and is characterized by widespread and persistent anxiety. Partial sleep deprivation (PSD) is an important risk factor for GAD development and a common comorbidity. Adolescence is a period of rapid brain and nervous system development, and during this time, the occurrence of GAD can lead to neurocognitive deficits, such as impaired attention, cognitive control, and attention bias, that significantly affect cognitive function. However, relatively little research has been conducted on GAD comorbid with PSD in early adulthood compared with other psychiatric disorders. Clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating GAD and sleep disorders, but the mechanism of how acupuncture modulates neurocognitive processing in patients with GAD comorbid with PSD has not been clarified.In this randomized clinical trial, a total of 56 participants diagnosed with GAD comorbid with naturally occurring PSD and 28 healthy controls (HCs) will be recruited. The participants diagnosed with GAD comorbid with PSD will be randomly assigned to either the acupuncture group or the sham acupuncture group at a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcome measure is the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA). Secondary outcome measures are the Sleep Deprivation Index (SDI), the Self-Assessment Scale for Anxiety (SAS), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Additionally, three psychological paradigms (the attentional network test, psychomotor vigilance test, and emotional face Go/No-go) and event-related potential (ERP) data. Healthy volunteers will not undergo acupuncture but will instead participate in baseline assessments for the scales, mental paradigms, and ERP data. Acupuncture and sham acupuncture interventions will be conducted for 30 min, three times a week, over a two-week period. Evaluations will be performed at zero weeks (baseline), one week, and two weeks, with the data enumerator, outcome assessor, and participant blinded to the treatment assignment. Discussion: This study contributes to the exploration of the effects of acupuncture on improving anxiety symptoms and cognitive functions in individuals with comorbid GAD and PSD. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ChiCTR2400082221. Registered March 25, 2024.

    Keywords: generalized anxiety disorder, partial sleep deprivation, Acupuncture, Event-related potentials, Cognitive Function, early adulthood

    Received: 13 May 2024; Accepted: 23 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Shi, Wu, Fu, Gao, Jiang, Chen and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Haishui Jiang, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan Province, China
    Xinwang Chen, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan Province, China
    Mengyu Wang, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.