RESUMO
Objective To explore the effects of acupuncture and individualized occupational therapy on the rehabilitation of patients with unilateral spatial neglect ( USN ) after stroke.Methods Stroke patients with hemiplegia were evaluated by neuropsychological tests,including line bisection,a cancellation test,clock drawing,and figure and shape copying.Sixty-nine right hemispheric stroke patients identified with USN were randomly assigned to 3 groups:20 patients as a control group received conventional rehabilitation therapy ; another 22 patients as an occupational group received type-specific individualized occupational therapy combined with conventional rehabilitation therapy; the remaining 23 patients as an acupuncture combined with occupational therapy group received acupuncture in addition to both conventional rehabilitation therapy and occupational therapy.These three groups were evaluated with neuropsychological tests and the modified Barthel index (MBI) before and after treatment.Results ①MBI scores in the occupational therapy group and the combined group were significantly higher after treatment,but no significant difference was observed in the control group.②The increased MBI scores in the combined and occupational groups were higher than those in the control group.At the same time the increase in MBI scores in the combined group was significantly greater than in the occupational therapy group.③The assessment results with both line bisection and cancellation tests in all three groups were significantly different after treatment.The line bisection results in the occupational therapy group and the combined group were significantly better than in the control group.The cancellation test results in the combined group were significantly better than in the control group.Conclusion These findings show that acupuncture combined with occupational therapy can have a positive effect on neglect recovery and greatly improve the daily life of USN patients.