Effectiveness of Laser Acupuncture in Alleviating Chronic Insomnia: A Single-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the therapeutic effect of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) acupuncture for chronic insomnia. METHODS: Thirty-seven adult subjects with chronic insomnia were recruited and randomly assigned to three groups, namely, Group A (6 pairs of acupoints: Ex-HN 22, HT 7, SP 6, KI 3, LR 3, and PC 6, bilaterally distributed); Group B (acupoints as for Group A other than PC 6, which was applied only on the left side [i.e., the dominant side of the PC meridian] and the addition of DU 20, which is the main tonic acupoint for integration of all the meridians); and a control group (sham LLLT). The subjects in the treatment groups (i.e., Groups A and B) received LLLT acupuncture and those in the control group received sham LLLT for 15 minutes per session twice a week for five weeks. The sleep quality of all the subjects was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and a sleep diary. In addition, the sympathetic activity before and after every treatment sessions was measured using the Heart Rate Variability (HRV). RESULTS: All three groups showed an improved PSQI score. However, only Group A showed a significant reduction in the sleep onset latency and number of awakenings at night and a higher sleep efficiency and ESS score. Furthermore, Group B showed an increased low frequency power and normalized low frequency of the HRV signal and a lower normalized high frequency power, suggesting an increased sympathetic activity and decreased parasympathetic activity. CONCLUSIONS: For chronic insomnia insomniacs, LLLT appears to shorten the sleep latency, decrease the number of awakening events at night, and improve the sleep efficiency.

Mindfulness training enhances flow state and mental health among baseball players in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of mindfulness-based training on performance and mental health among a group of elite athletes. METHODS: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of mindful sport performance enhancement (MSPE) on mental health, flow state, and competitive state anxiety using a 4-week workshop. We recruited an amateur baseball team (N=21) in Taiwan, and collected information by self-reported questionnaires administered before, immediately after, and at a 4-week follow-up. The primary outcome was to evaluate sports performance by flow state and competitive state anxiety, which included self-confidence, somatic anxiety, and cognitive anxiety. The secondary outcome was to explore whether MSPE intervention can improve anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, and eating disorders. RESULT: After the workshop and follow-up 1 month later, we found improvements in flow state (P=0.001; P=0.045), cognitive anxiety in competitive anxiety (P=0.056; P=0.008), global eating disorder (P=0.009; P<0.001), marked shape concern (P=0.005; P<0.001), and weight concern (P=0.007; P<0.001). Scores of sleep disturbance (P=0.047) showed significant improvement at follow-up. We also found significant association between flow state and mindfulness ability (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: This is the first mindfulness intervention to enhance athletes' performance in Taiwan, and also the first application of MSPE for team sports. Our study results suggested that mindfulness ability is associated with flow state, and that MSPE is a promising training program for strengthening flow state and mental health.

Immediate effects of ischemic compression on neck function in patients with cervicogenic cephalic syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Cervicogenic cephalic syndrome (CCS), a group of diseases, consists of cervicogenic headache and dizziness. These symptoms may cause loss of physical function compared with other headache and dizziness disorders. The purpose of this case-control study was to assess the clinical effects of ischemic compression (IC) in patients with CCS. METHODS: Twenty-seven subjects with chronic neck pain (persisting for >3 months) and 26 healthy volunteers were examined. Subjects with organic lesion of the ear, nose, throat, eye, or central nervous system were excluded. The CCS group received IC over the maximal tender points of the origin of the posterior nuchal muscle. Sensory organization test (SOT) scores, cervical range of motion (ROM), and isometric strength of neck were measured before IC and after IC. RESULTS: The ROM of the cervical spine increased in all directions after IC (P < .0083) in the CCS group, and isometric strength in the CCS group rose in all directions after IC (P = .000). There was a significant difference in ankle strategy score under the sway-referenced vision and fixed support condition (P = .003) between the control group and CCS before IC. The ankle strategy score of the CCS group improved substantially after IC under eyes closed and sway-referenced support conditions (P = .003). The visual and vestibular ratios in the CCS group also increased after IC (P = .006 and P = .002, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study showed that ROM of the cervical spine and isometric strength increased in all directions, and the SOT scores showed increased postural stability under conditions with swayed reference support after IC in the CCS group. The ratios for vestibular and visual function also increased after IC in the CCS group.

Is Tai Chi Chuan effective in improving lower limb response time to prevent backward falls in the elderly?

To evaluate the training effect of Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) in postural control and backward fall prevention in the elderly, balance assessment and visually guided lower limb response time were analyzed in a case-control study conducted in a community setting. Thirty-one elderly subjects (mean age: 68.2 +/- 6.8 years) participated in the TCC group, 30 community-dwelling elderly subjects with matched age and body composition served as the elderly control group, with 13 young adults (mean age: 27.5 +/- 3.8 years) serving as young controls. The TCC group had practiced TCC regularly five times per week, for over 30 min per day for at least 4 years. Lower limb response time were measured using a computerized dance machine that we developed, which contains two blocks during testing: single and dual feet. The motor planning of the latter is more complex than the former. Postural control was assessed by computerized posturography (Smart Balance Master). Compared to the elderly controls, the TCC group demonstrated significantly better balance performance in sway-referenced support, which is more challenging. Moreover, the TCC group had better dual feet response than the elderly controls in the forward-backward, forward-right and forward-left directions. Practicing TCC may improve motor responses and postural control in the elderly, particularly in more challenging situations. Subjects showed better postural responses to unexpected perturbation in the forward-backward and forward-sideways direction than sideways or backward-sideways directions, which may have clinical relevance.

Eye-hand coordination of elderly people who practice Tai Chi Chuan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of motor control from Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) on eye-hand coordination in the elderly. METHODS: Forty-two elderly people were recruited into this study. People in the TCC group (n = 22) had been practicing TCC regularly for more than 3 years. The control group (n = 20) comprised healthy and active elderly people. Subjects were asked to stroke target sensors in a test device with computer recording. There were three different target sensor sizes (1 cm, 1.5 cm and 2 cm in diameter) for different tests. For each target stroking, the following were recorded and calculated: start and end positions, duration of movement, pause time, peak velocity, and the time to reach peak velocity. RESULTS: The TCC group showed significantly better results in decrease of displacement (p = 0.003), movement time (p = 0.002), pause time (p < 0.001), number of submovements (p = 0.001), and better skewness coefficients (p < 0.001) than the control group. However, the difference in the peak velocity of the TCC and control groups did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.026). CONCLUSION: The elderly TCC group had better results on the eye-hand coordination test than the control elderly group.