NEW STUDY: Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Efficacy of cranial electric stimulation for the
treatment of insomnia: A randomized pilot study

Lande, R. Gregory and Gragnani, Cynthia, Complementary Therapies in Medicine, epublished ahead of print
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Summary
Objectives: This pilot study examined the potential efficacy of cranial electric stimulation for
the treatment of insomnia.

Design: The researchers tested the hypothesis through a randomized, double-blind, and placebo
controlled clinical trial. The researchers approached eligible subjects who scored 21 or above
on the Pittsburgh Insomnia Rating Scale. The researchers then randomly assigned the subjects
to receive either an active or sham device. Each study subject received 60 min of active or
sham treatment for five days. Following each intervention the subjects completed a sleep log,
as well as three and ten days later.

Setting: The researchers conducted the study among active duty service members receiving
mental health care on the Psychiatry Continuity Service (PCS), Walter Reed National Military
Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.

Main outcome measures: The study’s primary outcome variables were the time to sleep onset,
total time slept, and number of awakenings as reported by the subjects in the serial sleep logs.
The researchers identified a nearly significant increase in total time slept after three cranial
electric stimulation treatments among all study subjects. A closer examination of this group
revealed an interesting gender bias, with men reporting a robust increase in total time slept
after one treatment, decay in effect over the next two interventions, and then an increase
in total time slept after the fourth treatment. The researchers speculate that the up and
down effect on total time slept could be the result of an insufficient dose of cranial electric
stimulation.

Published by Elsevier Ltd

Click here for full study.