Evidence mapPaperPMID 41018181Full record

ReviewFrontiers in neurology2025

Synergistic acupuncture and neuromodulation for chronic insomnia: a structured narrative review with systematic search and future directions.

Wang Meng, Wang Mingqiang, Zhang Junyang, Peng Bin, Wu Qiong, Wang Chao

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Wang Meng *Institute of Basic Theory of Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Wang Mingqiang *Institute of Basic Theory of Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Zhang JunyangCollege of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, China.
Peng BinInstitute of Basic Theory of Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Wu QiongInstitute of Basic Theory of Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Wang ChaoInstitute of Basic Theory of Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Insomnia represents a significant global public health issue, affecting approximately 10% of adults with chronic symptoms and up to 20% with intermittent episodes. Closely associated with chronic diseases such as depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular conditions, insomnia markedly impairs patients'quality of life and imposes substantial economic burdens. Current treatments include pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. Pharmacotherapy primarily involves benzodiazepines, effective in short-term symptom relief but associated with long-term risks such as dependency, tolerance, and cognitive impairment. Recently introduced dual orexin receptor antagonists offer improved safety profiles but lack sufficient clinical evidence and remain costly. Melatonin and its receptor agonists have contentious efficacy, while antihistamines are discouraged for chronic use due to adverse effects. Herbal therapies have limited high-quality evidence to support routine clinical use. Among non-pharmacological treatments, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is recognized for clear efficacy, yet patient adherence and availability of trained specialists remain problematic. Exercise interventions, bright light therapy, and music therapy show preliminary positive effects; however, inconsistencies in intervention parameters and methodological quality necessitate further research. Recent advances highlight the potential of acupuncture and neuromodulation technologies, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). Acupuncture effectively improves sleep through modulation of autonomic nervous function, endocrine regulation, and remodeling of sleep-related neural circuits, demonstrating sustained benefits and high safety. Neuromodulation techniques offer rapid onset and precise targeting. Preliminary evidence indicates that combining acupuncture and neuromodulation techniques could synergistically enhance treatment efficacy, efficiency, and personalization. However, existing studies remain limited. Large-scale, multicenter randomized controlled trials are needed to clarify efficacy, safety, and to optimize clinical protocols for these integrative approaches. We conducted a structured narrative review with a systematic search (2010-2025), including 93 studies for qualitative synthesis; evidence certainty was summarized using four qualitative categories (High/Moderate/Low/Very low).

Indexed as

acupunctureautonomic nervous systemchronic insomniacorticolimbic functional connectivityneuromodulationnonpharmacological interventionsynergistic therapy

Identifiers

PMID41018181
PMCPMC12460132

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.