Therapeutic Observation of Electroacupuncture plus Rehabilitation for Cerebral Palsy / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture plus rehabilitation in treating cerebral palsy.Method A total of 104 patients with cerebral palsy were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 52 cases in each group. The two groups both received routine medications, based on which, the treatment group was given electroacupuncture plus rehabilitation training while the control group was given rehabilitation training alone. Before and after the treatment, the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), muscle tension, comprehensive capability, development quotient (DQ) and cerebral haemodynamics were observed, and the clinical efficacies were compared between the two groups.Result The total effective rate was 94.2% in the treatment group versus 71.2% in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). After the treatment, the scores of item D and E of GMFM-88 were significantly increased (P<0.01) and the muscle tension scores were significantly decreased in both groups (P<0.01); the scores of item D and E of GMFM-88 and muscle tension in the treatment group were significantly different from those in the control group (P<0.05). The comprehensive capability score and DQ were markedly increased in both groups after the treatment (P<0.01); after the treatment, the comprehensive capability score and DQ in the treatment group were significantly different from those in the control group (P<0.01). The cerebral artery mean flow velocity (Vm) increased significantly (P<0.05), and pulsatility index (PI) and resistance index (RI) decreased significantly after the treatment in both groups (P<0.05); after the treatment, the cerebral artery Vm, PI and RI in the treatment group were significantly different from those in the control group (P<0.05).Conclusion Electroacupuncture plus rehabilitation is an effective approach in treating cerebral palsy, and it can obviously improve the limb dysfunction, DQ, and cerebral haemodynamics of the patients.