Interactive scalp acupuncture for hemiplegic upper extremity motor dysfunction in patients with ischemic stroke: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the curative effect between interactive scalp acupuncture and traditional scalp acupuncture on hemiplegic upper extremity motor dysfunction in the patients with ischemic stroke.@*METHODS@#Seventy cases of hemiplegic upper extremity motor dysfunction of ischemic stroke were randomly divided into an interactive scalp acupuncture group (35 cases, 1 case breaked off) and a traditional scalp acupuncture group (35 cases, 1 case dropped off). The patients of the two groups received the secondary prevention medication and routine rehabilitation therapy. Besides, in the interactive scalp acupuncture group, the upper extremity occupational therapy was operated during the needle retaining of scalp acupuncture; and in the traditional scalp acupuncture group, the upper extremity occupational therapy was delivered after the completion of scalp acupuncture. The same points were selected in the two groups such as Fuxiang head area, Fuxiang upper-limb-shoulder point, Fuxiang upper-limb-elbow point and Fuxiang upper-limb-wrist point. The needles were inserted perpendicularly by flying-needle technique and manipulated by triple technique of gentle twisting, heavy pressure and vibrating. The needles were retained for 30 min. Based on the degree of the upper extremity motor impairment, the regimen of the upper extremity occupational therapy was formulated individually and one treatment took 30 min. In the two groups, the therapies were delivered once daily, 5 times a week, lasting 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, the scores of Fugl-Meyer assessment of upper extremity (FMA-UE), Wolf motor function test (WMFT), the modified Barthel index (MBI) and the modified Ashworth scale (MAS) grade in the two groups were observed before and after treatment.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the scores of FMA-UE, WMFT and MBI were higher than those before treatment (P<0.01), and MAS grade was improved (P<0.05) in the two groups. The scores of FMA-UE, WMFT and MBI in the interactive scalp acupuncture group were higher than those in the traditional scalp acupuncture group (P<0.01, P<0.05), and there was no statistical significance in the difference of MAS grade between the two groups (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The interactive scalp acupuncture can effectively improve the motor function of the hemiplegic upper extremities and the activities of daily living in the patients with ischemic stroke and its efficacy is better than traditional scalp acupuncture. But these two types of scalp acupuncture obtain the similar effect on spasticity.

Interactive scalp acupuncture for cognitive dysfunction after stroke: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the efficacy of interactive scalp acupuncture, scalp acupuncture alone and scalp acupuncture plus cognitive training for cognitive dysfunction after stroke.@*METHODS@#A total of 660 patients with cognitive dysfunction after stroke were randomly divided into an interactive scalp acupuncture group (218 cases, 18 cases dropped off), a scalp acupuncture group (220 cases, 20 cases dropped off) and a scalp acupuncture plus cognitive training group (222 cases, 22 cases dropped off). All the patients were treated with routine medication and exercise rehabilitation training. The interactive scalp acupuncture group was treated with scalp acupuncture on the parietal midline, and contralateral anterior parietal temporal oblique line and posterior parietal temporal oblique line at the same time of cognitive training; the scalp acupuncture group was treated with scalp acupuncture alone, and the scalp acupuncture plus cognitive training group was treated with scalp acupuncture and cognitive training in the morning and afternoon respectively. All the treatments were given once a day, 6 times a week for 8 weeks. Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scale score was used to evaluate the cognitive function before treatment, 4 weeks and 8 weeks into treatment.@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the total score of MoCA was increased after 4-week treatment and 8-week treatment in the three groups (@*CONCLUSION@#The interactive scalp acupuncture could significantly improve the cognitive function in patients with cognitive dysfunction after stroke, and the efficacy is superior to scalp acupuncture alone and scalp acupuncture plus cognitive training.