ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To compare the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture (EA) combined with donepezil hydrochloride and donepezil hydrochloride alone on improving learning-memory ability in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and to explore its action mechanism.@*METHODS@#Sixty patients of AD were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. The patients in the observation group were treated with EA at governor vessel (GV) combined with donepezil hydrochloride. EA was applied at Baihui (GV 20) and Fengfu (GV 16) with dilatational wave (10 Hz/50 Hz of frequency, 0.5 to 5.0 mA of intensity), and the needles were kept for 40 min, EA was given once a day; the donepezil hydrochloride tablet was taken orally, 5 mg, once a day, and after 4 weeks the dosage might be increased to 10 mg per day according to the specific situation. All the treatment was given for 8 weeks. The patients in the control group were only treated with donepezil hydrochloride with the identical procedure as the observation group. The Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and Alzheimer's disease assessment scale cognitive part (ADAS-Cog) were evaluated before and after treatment; P300 (latency and amplitude of N2 and P3) was detected by EEG/ERP system brain event related potential instrument, and amyloid precursor protein (APP) and β-amyloid protein 1-42 (Aβ) were detected by ELISA.@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the MoCA scores were increased after treatment in the two groups (<0.05), and the MoCA score in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (<0.05). Compared before treatment, the ADAS-Cog scores were decreased after treatment in the two groups (<0.05), and the ADAS-Cog score in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (<0.05). Compared before treatment, the latency of N2 and P3 was shortened and the amplitude was increased after treatment in the two groups (<0.05); after treatment, the latency of N2 and P3 in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group and the amplitude was higher than that in the control group (<0.05). Compared before treatment, the serum levels of APP and Aβ were lower after treatment in the two groups (<0.05), and the serum levels of APP and Aβ in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#EA at Baihui (GV 20) and Fengfu (GV 6) combined with donepezil hydrochloride can effectively reduce the serum levels of APP and Aβ and improve the scores of MoCA and ADAS-Cog and the levels of N2 and P3 of P300 in AD patients, which has superior effect to donepezil hydrochloride alone in improving the learning-memory of AD patients.