Auricular acupressure combined with auricular acupoint massage enhances cognitive function in night shift nurses: a P300 wave analysis

Xiaoqin Li; Zhun Zhang; Litian Xiao; Xuan Zhang; Huiqi Yao; Fangqin Li; Rongyu Chen; Qian Zhong

doi:10.3389/fnhum.2025.1626528

Auricular acupressure combined with auricular acupoint massage enhances cognitive function in night shift nurses: a P300 wave analysis

Front Hum Neurosci. 2025 Sep 30:19:1626528. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1626528. eCollection 2025.

Authors

Xiaoqin Li¹, Zhun Zhang², Litian Xiao³, Xuan Zhang¹, Huiqi Yao¹, Fangqin Li¹, Rongyu Chen¹, Qian Zhong¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Meizhou People's Hospital, Meizhou, China.
² Psychological Clinic of Meizhou People's Hospital, Meizhou, China.
³ Department of Comprehensive Geriatric Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Chenzhou City, Chenzhou, China.

Abstract

Objectives: Night-shift work is associated with cognitive impairments, but convenient, effective, and acceptable traditional Chinese medicine-based interventions remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of auricular acupressure combined with auricular acupoint massage on cognitive function in night-shift nurses, using P300 wave parameters from electroencephalography analysis as objective metrics.

Methods: Eighty nurses (40 days-shift, 40 night-shift) participated. The intervention included auricular acupressure and massage targeting six points, performed daily for 4 weeks. Cognitive function was assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). P300 amplitude and latency were measured.

Results: Night-shift nurses had significantly higher ISI scores and lower MoCA attention, memory, and total scores compared to day-shift nurses (all p < 0.05). Before the intervention, After FDR correction for multiple comparisons, P300 amplitude was significantly lower at the T4 electrode site (q = 0.020) in the night-shift group. P300 latency remained significantly prolonged at sites Fz (q = 0.020), F3 (q < 0.001), F4 (q = 0.035), and T5 (q = 0.033). Post-intervention, the night-shift group demonstrated significant increases in P300 amplitude at F3, F4, T3, T4, T5, and T6 (all q < 0.05) and significant reductions in P300 latency at Fz, F4, F7, T5, and T6 (all q < 0.05). Notably, several sites with affected P300 amplitude and latency before the intervention showed significant improvement following intervention.

Conclusion: Auricular acupressure and massage significantly improved cognitive function in night-shift nurses, evidenced by enhanced P300 parameters. This non-invasive, cost-effective intervention shows promise for alleviating cognitive impairments from shift work.

Keywords: P300 wave; auricular acupoint massage; auricular acupressure; cognitive function; night-shift nurses.