Clinical Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine (An Shen Jiao Tai Yi Zhi Decoction) on Sleep Disorders in Patients With Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

Background: Current research on An Shen Jiao Tai Yi Zhi decoction remains limited, highlighting the need for further investigation to validate its therapeutic efficacy and elucidate its underlying mechanisms of action. A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of An Shen Jiao Tai Yi Zhi decoction on sleep disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease. 

Methods: The study population comprised 85 patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and sleep disorders at the Department of Encephalopathy of Hebei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, between January 2021 and December 2023. In accordance with different treatment methods, they were divided into the Western medicine group (n = 45, conventional Western medicine treatment plus pramipexole hydrochloride) and the traditional Chinese medicine group (n = 40, An Shen Jiao Tai Yi Zhi decoction based on the Western medicine group). To minimize selection bias, propensity score matching (PSM) was employed with a 1:1 ratio, yielding 20 cases in the traditional Chinese medicine group and 20 cases in the Western medicine group. Clinical data, total effective rates, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores, sleep architecture parameters, homocysteine levels, interleukin-1β concentration, and adverse reactions were collected for all participants. Baseline characteristics were balanced between the two groups through PSM. The data were analyzed using t-test, chi-square test, and analysis of variance. 

Results: PSM matching was performed in a ratio of 1:1, and a total of 40 patients were divided into two groups. No significant differences in clinical characteristics were observed between the groups. The total effective rate of the traditional Chinese medicine group was higher than that of the Western medicine group (p < 0.05). Before the intervention, no differences in ESS score, sleep architecture, and related factors were found among the two groups (p > 0.05). After 14 days of intervention, the traditional Chinese medicine group exhibited significantly greater improvements across all measured indicators compared to the Western medicine group (p < 0.05). Notably, there were no significant differences in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (p > 0.05). 

Conclusions: An Shen Jiao Tai Yi Zhi decoction demonstrates significant therapeutic efficacy, exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties and promoting changes in sleep architecture, with minimal adverse effects.