ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of ZHU Lian's acupuncture-activatingmethod in treating deglutition disorder due to pseudobulbar palsy after cerebral stroke.Method Sixty patients with deglutition disorder due to pseudobulbar palsy after cerebral stroke in acute stage were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. The two groups both received symptomatic neurological treatment. In the two groups, acupoints including Lianquan (CV23), Huiyan (Extra), Baihui (GV20), and bilateral Shuaigu (GB8), Wangu (GB12), Zhaohai (KI6), Lieque (LU7),and Yinlingquan (SP9) were selected. The observation group was intervened by ZHU Lian's acupuncture-activating method; the control group was intervened by ordinary needling method plus G6805 therapeutic appliance with sparse-dense wave for 20 min. Prior tothe treatment and after 10 treatment courses, the two groups were evaluated by using Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study (VFSS) and Kubota's water drinking test for swallowing function.Result After 10 treatment courses, the total effective rate was 96.7%in the observation group versus 83.3% in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.05); the VFSS score in the observation group was significantly different from that in the control group (P<0.01); the water drinking test score in the observation group was significantly different from that in the control group (P<0.01). The results indicated that the therapeutic efficacy was more significant in the observation group compared to that in the control group.Conclusion ZHU Lian's acupuncture-activating method can produce a more significant efficacy in treating deglutition disorder due to pseudobulbar palsy after cerebral stroke in acute stage compared with sparse-dense-wave electroacupuncture.