Effects of acupuncture combined with Brunnstrom staging on upper-limb motor function, cerebral arterial blood flow velocity, and brain function remodeling after stroke / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

ABSTRACT

Objective: To explore the effects of acupuncture combined with Brunnstrom staging on upper-limb motor function, cerebral arterial blood flow velocity, and brain function remodeling after stroke. Methods: A total of 77 patients after stroke were selected between January 2017 and December 2019 to perform a prospective study. All cases were divided into an observation group and a control group by the random number table method. Both groups were treated with conventional symptomatic treatment for stroke and functional exercise according to the Brunnstrom staging. The observation group was treated with additional acupuncture treatment based on the Brunnstrom staging therapy. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated after six-week treatment. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom scores of dizziness, headache, limb numbness, and language disorders before and after the treatment in the two groups were compared. According to the Fugl-Meyer motor function assessment (FMA), the upper-limb motor function before and after the treatment was compared. And the average systolic blood flow velocity of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), and posterior cerebral artery (PCA) in the two groups before and after the treatment were compared. According to the modified Edinburgh-Scandinavia stroke scale (MESSS), the nerve function before and after the treatment was compared. Results: The total effective rate of the observation group was 94.9％, significantly higher than 79.0％ of the control group (P<0.05). After the treatment, the TCM symptom scores of dizziness, headache, limb numbness, and language disorders in both groups decreased, and the scores in the observation group were all significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The FMA score of upper limbs in both groups increased, and the score in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The average systolic blood flow velocities of the ACA, MCA and PCA in both groups increased, and were significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05). The MESSS score in both groups decreased, and the score in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture combined with Brunnstrom staging is effective for patients after stroke. It can effectively improve the upper-limb motor function and cerebral artery blood flow velocity, promote brain function remodeling, and restore nerve function.