Study designs of evaluations included in the review
No specific study designs were given, other than that the studies had to be experimental in nature. The majority appeared to be uncontrolled before-and-after studies.
Specific interventions included in the review
Other than stating 'acupuncture therapy', no other inclusion criteria for the interventions were given. Across the included studies a variety of meridian points were used and treatment frequencies and duration varied. The majority of the studies involved single treatments, whilst those that offered a course of treatments involved 3 to 12 treatments.
Participants included in the review
The participants were those suffering from insomnia (no a priori definition was provided). Definitions of insomnia varied across the studies. The participants' ages ranged from 16 to 91 years, with most studies including people over the age of 50 with a predominance of females. The duration of insomnia ranged from 3 days to 34 years, with most of the participants having insomnia for more than 5 years. The studies took place in China or the USA, but ethnicity was not specifically stated in most studies.
Outcomes assessed in the review
No specific outcomes were noted other than the relief of insomnia. All studies used self-report questionnaires; one study also included physiological measurement. The outcomes were in terms of perceived levels of treatment effectiveness or length of time asleep.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors did not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many reviewers performed the selection.