[Effect of acupoint catgut embedding therapy on joint attention and social communication in children with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effect on the joint attention and social communication in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) between the combined treatment of acupoint catgut embedding therapy with rehabilitation training and the simple application of rehabilitation training. METHODS: A total of 60 children with ASD were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each one. In the control group, the routine ASD rehabilitation training was adopted, including conductive education, speech training and music therapy, once a day. In the observation group, on the base of the treatment as the control group, the catgut embedding therapy was applied to Shenting (GV 24), Baihui (GV 20), Shenmen (HT 7) and the optic area (the point of scalp acupuncture), once a week. In the two groups, the treatment for 4 weeks was as one course, at the interval of 1 week between the courses. A total of 3 courses of treatment were required. The social domain of the autism treatment evaluation checklist (ATEC) and the autism behavior checklist (ABC) were adopted to assess the therapeutic effect of the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, the scores of each item of the social domain in ATEC and the scores of ABC (feeling, communication, physical movement, language and healthy behavior) were all lower than those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.01). The scores of each item in the observation group were lower than those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The combined treatment of acupoint catgut embedding therapy with the rehabilitation training effectively improves in the joint attention and social communication. The therapeutic effect of this combined treatment is better than the simple application of rehabilitation training.

[Effect of acupoint thread-embedding therapy on the sitting ability of ataxia children with cerebral palsy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effective of acupoint thread-embedding therapy for ataxia children with cerebral palsy. METHODS: A total of 70 ataxia children with cerebral palsy and a Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM, Dimension B) score of <35 were enrolled and randomly divided into thread-embedding group and control group, with 35 children in each group, and 2 children in the thread-embedding group were lost to follow-up. The children in the control group were given routine rehabilitation treatment, including physical therapy, spleen-strengthening, kidney-nourishing, and Governor Vessel-regulating massage, vibroacoustic therapy, and scalp acupuncture, and those in the thread-embedding group were given thread-embedding therapy at the acupoints of Jianyu (LI15), Jianliao (SJ14), Tianzong (SI11), Tianshu (ST25), and HuatuoJiaji points (C4, L1 and L4) in addition to the treatment in the control group, with 6-8 acupoints selected each time, once a week. Each course of treatment was 4 weeks, with an interval of one week between two courses of treatment, and the children were treated for 3 courses. Level of sitting scale (LSS), incurvation reflex, and GMFM score were recorded to evaluate the improvement in sitting ability and clinical outcome. RESULTS: Both groups had significant improvements in LSS, incurvation reflex, and GMFM (Dimension A and B) score after treatment (P<0.01), and the thread-embedding group had significantly greater improvements than the control group (P<0.01). The thread-embedding group had a significantly higher overall response rate than the control group (90.9% [30/33] vs 68.5% [24/35], P<0.01). CONCLUSION: In addition to routine rehabilitation treatment, acupoint thread-embedding therapy can effectively suppress primitive reflex in ataxia children with cerebral palsy and significantly promote their sitting ability, and therefore, it is an effective acupuncture treatment method for ataxia children with cerebral palsy.

[Risk factors for interictal epileptiform discharges on electroencephalogram in children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical symptoms and features of interictal epileptiform discharges (IED) on electroencephalogram (EEG) in children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP) and to analyze the risk factors for IED. METHODS: Eighty-three children with spastic hemiplegic CP were recruited, and their clinical data, results of video-electroencephalogram, imaging findings, and cognitive levels were collected. The influencing factors for IED were determined by multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The incidence of epilepsy was 13% in children with spastic hemiplegic CP; 34% of these cases had IED. The incidence of epilepsy in children with IED (32%) was significantly higher than that in those without IED (4%) (P<0.01). The incidence of IED in children with complications and brain cortex impairment increased significantly (P<0.01). The incidence of IED varied significantly between patients with different cognitive levels (P<0.01). Brain cortex impairment (OR=11.521) and low cognitive level (OR=2.238)were risk factors for IED in children with spastic hemiplegic CP (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Spastic hemiplegic CP is often found with IED on EEG, and the incidence of epilepsy is higher in children with IED than in those without IED. Brain cortex impairment and low cognitive level have predictive values for IED in children with spastic hemiplegic CP.

Clinical observation on treatment of clearing the Governor Vessel and refreshing the mind needling in neural development and remediation of children with cerebral palsy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of clearing the Governor Vessel and refreshing the mind needling in neural development and remediation of children with cerebral palsy. METHODS: A total of 200 cases of children with cerebral palsy were randomly assigned to the treatment group (100 patients) and the control group (100 patients). The treatment group was given the combined therapy of acupuncture and rehabilitation training, and the chosen acupoints were 13 points of the Governor Vessel, Shenshu (BL 23), Taixi (KI 3), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), and points of refreshing the mind were also selected, which included puncturing Shenting (GV 24) toward Qianding (GV 21), puncturing Qianding (GV 21) toward Baihui (GV 20), puncturing Baihui (GV 20) toward Naohu (GV 17) and Sishencong (Ex-HN 1). The control group was only treated with rehabilitation training. A contrastive analysis of the therapeutic effect between acupuncture combined with rehabilitation training and rehabilitation training alone was made after a treatment course of 3 months. The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) and Beijing Gesell Developmental Scale were adopted to assess the neural development and rehabilitation outcomes of the two groups. In addition, skull CT/MRI was adopted to evaluate the plerosis of injured cerebral nerve after treatment. RESULTS: The total effective rate in treatment group was 87% (87/100), significantly higher than the 55% (55/100) in the control group. The children's development quotient (DQ) tested by Gesell Developmental Scale and scores tested by GMFM in the treatment group were obviously higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). The improving and curing rates presented by skull CT/MRI in the treatment group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Clearing the Governor Vessel and refreshing the mind needling could accelerate the recovery of injured brain nerve and the reconstruction of brain function. The acupuncture therapy could ameliorate both the motor development and cognitive development. On the other hand, the forward curative effect of acupuncture combined with rehabilitation training was significantly better than the rehabilitation training alone.

[Effect of acupuncture-moxibustion combined with nerve growth factor on compensation of cerebral function in the children of cerebral palsy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the compensation of cerebral function in acupuncture for rehabilitation of cerebral palsy. METHODS: One hundred children of cerebral palsy were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, 50 cases in each group. The treatment group were treated with scalp acupuncture at the Motor Area, Foot Motor Sensory Area and Equilibrium Area, body acupuncture at Binao (LI 14), Fengchi (GB 20), Huantiao (GB 30), etc. and injection of nerve growth factor into Zusanli (ST 36), in combination with rehabilitation training; the control group were treated only with rehabilitation training. Their clinical therapeutic effects and recoveries of brain lesion detected by CT, SEPCT were investigated. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 84.0% in the treatment group better than 52.0% of the control group. After treatment, the development quotient (DQ) in the treatment group was higher than the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture can promote compensation of cerebral function in the children of cerebral palsy.