Grounding the Body Improves Sleep Quality in Patients with Mild Alzheimer's Disease: A Pilot Study

Chien-Hung Lin; Shih-Ting Tseng; Yao-Chung Chuang; Chun-En Kuo; Nai-Ching Chen

doi:10.3390/healthcare10030581

Grounding the Body Improves Sleep Quality in Patients with Mild Alzheimer's Disease: A Pilot Study

Healthcare (Basel). 2022 Mar 20;10(3):581. doi: 10.3390/healthcare10030581.

Authors

Chien-Hung Lin¹, Shih-Ting Tseng¹, Yao-Chung Chuang², Chun-En Kuo^{1

3

4}, Nai-Ching Chen²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chinese Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
² Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
³ School of Chinese Medicine for Post Baccalaureate I-Shou University, No.1, Sec. 1, Syuecheng Rd., Dashu District, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Leisure and Sports Management, Cheng Shiu University, No. 840, Chengcing Rd., Niaosong Dist., Kaohsiung 83347, Taiwan.

Abstract

Background: Grounding refers to having direct contact with the Earth, such as by walking barefoot or lying on the ground. Research has found that grounding can improve inflammation, free radical damage, blood pressure, sleep quality, pain, stress, mood, and wound healing. However, there has been no research on the effect of utilizing grounding for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, in this study, we investigated the effectiveness of grounding as a non-pharmacological therapy for treating sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression in patients with mild AD.

Methods: Patients with mild AD were enrolled in the study. The electrochemical analyzer CHI 1205b was employed to check the electrochemical signals at acupoints KI1 and GV16. We used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) to evaluate sleep quality, anxiety, and depression, respectively, at weeks 0 and 12.

Results: This 12-week placebo-controlled study enrolled 22 patients, but only 15 patients completed the 12-week intervention and survey. Grounding significantly improved PSQI scores compared to the sham-grounding group (mean ± SD: 0.3 ± 0.7 vs. 3.0 ± 1.9, p = 0.006). The scores on the BAI and BDI-II did not change significantly after grounding in comparison to the sham-grounding group.

Conclusions: Grounding can improve sleep quality, but it does not significantly improve anxiety and depression among patients with mild AD.

Keywords: Beck Anxiety Inventory; Beck Depression Inventory; Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; complementary and alternative therapy; dementia; grounding; insomnia.