Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels associate with cognitive improvement in patients with schizophrenia treated with electroacupuncture Electroacupuncture and cognitive behavioural therapy for sub-syndromal depression among undergraduates: a controlled clinical trial Effect and Potential Mechanism of Electroacupuncture Add-On Treatment in Patients with Parkinson's Disease Effects of electroacupuncture treatment on impaired cognition and quality of life in Taiwanese stroke patients. [A nimodipine interventional study of patients with mild cognitive impairment]. ELECTROACUPUNCTURE AT THE WANGU ACUPOINT SUPPRESSES EXPRESSION OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES IN THE HIPPOCAMPUS OF RATS WITH VASCULAR DEMENTIA Progression of impairment in patients with vascular cognitive impairment without dementia [Effects of electro-acupuncture on electroencephalography in patients with vascular dementia].
Accumulating evidence supports that acupuncture has been successfully used for the treatment of neurological disorders to improve cognitive function . This study was set to evaluate the efficacy of electroacupuncture ( EA , using two acupoints : Baihui and Shenting ) on clinical symptoms , cognitive function and brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( BDNF ) levels in patients with schizophrenia . Sixty-one in patients diagnosed schizophrenia with DSM-IV criteria were recruited . The participants were r and omly divided into an experimental group ( n=30 ) and a control group ( n=31 ) . The patients were evaluated using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale ( PANSS ) , the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ( WCST ) and Wechsler Memory Scale ( WMS ) at baseline and after EA treatment . There were no significant differences in the PANSS scores and serum BDNF levels between the experimental group and the control group , either at baseline or at the end of the 4-week study period . However , the EA treatment appeared to have significant benefits on memory and moderate benefits on executive functions and problem solving . Significant positive correlation was observed between the increase of BDNF levels and memory improvement after EA treatment . Our results indicated that EA treatment could improve cognitive function , and the cognitive benefits positively associate with serum BDNF levels in patients with schizophrenia Background Individuals with sub-syndromal depression ( SSD ) are at increased risk of incident depressive disorders ; however , the ideal therapeutic approach to SSD remains unknown . Objective To evaluate the effects of electroacupuncture ( EA ) and cognitive behavioural therapy ( CBT ) , alone or in combination , on depressive symptoms . Methods Undergraduate students with SSD were recruited and allocated to one of four groups based on their preferences : EA ( n=6 ) , CBT ( n=10 ) , EA+CBT ( n=6 ) , and untreated control ( n=11 ) groups . Six weeks of treatment were provided in the first three groups . Clinical outcomes were measured using the 17-item Hamilton Depression ( HAMD-17 ) rating scale , Center for Epidemiologic Depression ( CES-D ) scale , WHO Quality of Life-Brief version ( WHOQOL-BREF ) question naire , and clinical remission rate . Results All 33 subjects were included in an intent-to-treat analysis . Statistically significant improvements in HAMD-17 , CES-D , and WHOQOL-BREF scores and a higher remission rate were found in the EA , CBT , and EA+CBT intervention groups compared with the control group ( all p<0.05 ) . No significant differences were found between the three intervention groups . HAMD-17 factor score analysis revealed that EA reduced sleep disturbance scores more than CBT or EA+CBT ( p<0.05 ) , and CBT reduced retardation scores more than EA ( p<0.01 ) . EA+CBT  reduced anxiety/somatisation scores more than EA or CBT ( p<0.05 ) and retardation scores more than EA ( p<0.05 ) . Conclusions Early intervention may alleviate depressive symptoms in SSD . EA and CBT may have differential effects on certain symptoms . Combination therapy targeting both physical and psychological symptoms may represent an ideal strategy for SSD intervention . However , r and omised trials with larger sample sizes are needed . Trial Registration Number ChiCTR-TRC-10000889 ; Results Objectives . To explore effectiveness and mechanisms of electroacupuncture ( EA ) add-on treatment in Parkinson 's disease ( PD ) patients . Methods . Fifty PD patients were r and omly assigned to drug plus EA ( D + EA ) group and drug alone ( D ) group . Subjects in D + EA group received stimulation in points of bilateral fengfu , fengchi , hegu , and central dazhui . Participants were evaluated by scales for motor and nonmotor symptoms . Levels of neuroinflammatory factors and neurotransmitters in serum were detected . Results . EA add-on treatment remarkably reduced scores of Unified Parkinson 's Disease Rating Scale ( UPDRS ) III and its subitems of tremor , rigidity , and bradykinesia and conspicuously decreased UPDRS III scores in patients with bradykinesia-rigidity and mixed types and mild severity . Depression and sleep disturbances were eased , which were reflected by decreased scores of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale , Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index , and elevated noradrenaline level . Effects of EA add-on treatment on motor symptoms and sleep disturbances were superior to drug alone treatment , markedly improving life quality of PD  patients  . EA add-on treatment decreased nitric oxide level in serum . Conclusions . EA add-on treatment is effective on most motor symptoms and some nonmotor symptoms and is particularly efficacious in PD patients at early stage . Antineuroinflammation may be a mechanism of EA add-on treatment OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of electroacupuncture on cognitive function and health-related quality of life in patients who have had a stroke . DESIGN This clinical trial employed a prospect i ve , r and omized , single-blind design . SETTING S/LOCATION The study was conducted at the department of rehabilitation medicine , Tri-Service General Hospital , Taipei , Taiwan . SUBJECTS Thirty-eight ( 38 ) participants were recruited , but only 33 completed the study . Seventeen ( 17 ) stroke participants with cognitive impairment were assigned to the treatment group and 16 were assigned to the control group . INTERVENTIONS Electroacupuncture was applied to acupuncture points PC6 and HT7 for 20 minutes twice a week for 8 weeks in the treatment group , while participants in each group continued rehabilitation . OUTCOME MEASURES Cognitive assessment ( LOTCA-G ) and quality -of-life assessment ( SF-36 and SS-QOL ) were carried out in each group at baseline and at 8 weeks after treatment . RESULTS Significant improvement was detected in four subtests of LOTCA-G : orientation , perception , praxis , and attention ( p<0.05 ) between treatment and control groups . Significant improvement was also indicated in subscales of SF-36 ( RP , VT , SF , RE , MH , MCS ) and SS-QOL ( language ) ( p<0.05 ) . No correlation was noted between the variables of LOTCA-G and SF-36/SS-QOL except four matches : Memory ( LOTCA-G ) and Mental Component Summary ( SF-36 ) : r=0.492 ; Memory ( LOTCA-G ) and Personality ( SS-QOL ) : r=0.485 ; Praxis ( LOTCA-G ) and Language ( SS-QOL ) : r=0.616 ; Orientation ( LOTCA-G ) , and Language ( SS-QOL ) : r=0.534 . CONCLUSIONS The results of this study confirm a positive effect of electroacupuncture on cognition and quality of life in patients who had a stroke . Future research will be required to evaluate potential mechanisms and potential long-term benefits OBJECTIVE To observe the effect of nimodipine on the cognition status and the changes of metabolites in brain tissue in the patients with mild cognitive impairment ( MCI ) in order to evaluate the significance of intervening MCI with medication . METHODS 31 patients with MCI were selected 16 cases were in a treatment group taking nimodipine for 3 months besides taking basic internal medication and 15 cases in a control group taking only basic internal medication . Before and after treatment , multiple cognition tests were carried out in both groups and magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( MRS ) in Hippocampus region was carried out in 5 patients of the treatment group . RESULTS Verbal instant recall scores , symbol digit modalities test ( SDMT ) scores and mini-mental state examination ( MMSE ) total scores in the treatment group were improved significantly after treatment as compared with those in the control group ( P < 0.05 ) . CONCLUSION Nimodipine can improve memory ability as well as attention ability of the patients with MCI to a certain extent and make the general cognition function improved Background : Vascular dementia ( VD ) is the most frequent psychiatric complication of stroke , and is often difficult to treat . Incidence rate of vascular cognition impairment is still 70 % after stroke in one year ( Sui R et al.2011 ) . Stroke patients with VD suffer from a higher mortality rate and have worse functional outcomes and quality of life . However , despite the extensive literature s on this topic , there is no agreement on the causal mechanisms and effective therapy for VD . The objective of this study is to examine if electroacupuncture at the Wangu acupoint ( GB 12 ) , whose position is similar to the cerebellar fastigial nucleus , could reduce inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus of rats with vascular dementia ( VD ) . Material s and Methods : The 54 healthy , male , Sprague-Dawley ( SD ) rats , 9 months old , and of clean grade ( 300 - 450 ) g , were r and omly divided into three groups : sham surgery group , VD group and electro-acupuncture group . The ethology scores of VD rats were evaluated and the mRNA expressions of inflammatory cytokines ( TNF-α , IL-6 and IL-1β ) in the hippocampus were assessed and the hippocampal tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining . Results : Compared with the VD group , in the electroacupuncture group , the rats ’ learning ability improved significantly and the mRNA expression of TNF-α , IL-6 and IL-1β decreased . Simultaneously , the damage extent of nerve cells in the hippocampal tissues decreased , with their morphology recovered to nearly normal . Conclusions : Electro-acupuncture at the Wangu acupoint can decrease the levels of inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus , reduce the damage extent of nerve cells in the hippocampus , and thus provide a new neuroprotective method in Little is known about progression , short of dementia , in vascular cognitive impairment . In the Canadian Study of Health and Aging , 149 participants ( 79.3 ± 6.7 years ; 61 % women ) were found to have vascular cognitive impairment , no dementia ( CIND ) . After 5 years , 77 participants ( 52 % ) had died and 58 ( 46 % ) had developed dementia . Women were at greater risk of dementia ( OR 2.1 , 1.0 to 4.5 ) . Of 32 participants alive without dementia , cognition had deteriorated in seven and improved in four . Half of those with vascular CIND developed dementia within 5 years , suggesting a target for preventive interventions OBJECTIVE To study the effects of electro-acupuncture ( EA ) on electroencephalography ( EEG ) in vascular dementia ( VD ) patients . METHODS According to the Hasegawa dementia scale ( HDS ) , the severity of 46 VD patients were classified into three grade s as gentle , medium and severe , in the same time , they were divided into the EA group ( n = 23 ) and the nimotop group ( n = 23 ) r and omly . Changes of EEG in the patients were observed before and after treatment . RESULTS The degree of normality of EEG in VD patients were positively correlated with the severity of their illness , i. e. the severer VD , the more obvious the abnormal EEG changes . CONCLUSION EEG can be accessible for evaluating the severity of VD , and the electrical activity of brain in VD patients could be improved by EA therapy
Background Almost half of mild cognitive impairment ( MCI ) patients progress to dementia , which is associated with decreased quality of life and obstacles to independent living .
Relevant management is expected to prevent MCI patients from progressing to dementia .
In recent years , electroacupuncture ( EA ) has been used to treat various kinds of neurological disorders including MCI .
This study evaluates the use of EA for MCI patients to increase cognitive function through a comparison with Western medications .