[Visualization of research in treatment of vascular dementia by CiteSpace].

In light of the tremendous number of patients with vascular dementia in China, it is of great significance for the treatment of this disease to summarize related research focuses. In this study, articles on the treatment of vascular dementia, which were included in CNKI and Web of Science from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2021, were analyzed. Specifically, CiteSpace 5.7.R2 was employed to visualize nationalities of authors, author affiliations, authors, keywords, and journals, and dissect the status quo and trend of research on the treatment of this disease. On this basis, the research focuses and evolution were elucidated. The findings are expected to serve as reference for the future research. Finally, 2 579 Chinese articles and 453 English articles were included. The annual number of published articles showed an upward trend. Authors from China published most papers and England had the highest centrality value. HU Yue-qiang and LIU Cun-zhi respectively published the most Chinese and English articles. Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine and Capital Medical University respectively topped the author affiliations in the number of published Chinese and English articles. Among the English journals, Anal Biochem and Stroke separately boasted the highest centrality value and the highest cited frequency. The analysis of keywords in the Chinese articles suggested that most studies on the treatment of vascular dementia focused on the observation of patients' mobility after treatment. Moreover, as for the therapeutic method, western medicine, as well as the Chinese medicine and acupuncture frequently attracted the attention of scholars. Basic research highlighted the oxidative stress, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. According to the analysis result of keywords in English articles on treatment of vascular dementia, the focus was the improvement of the memory function of patients with vascular dementia. As to the therapeutic method, drug therapy was frequently studied compared with other methods. The basic research focused on autophagy, nerve regeneration, and oxidative stress. This study concludes that the future research trend might be the combination of Chinese and western medicine in the treatment of vascular dementia.

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese (Putonghua) Version of the Oxford Cognitive Screen (OCS-P) in Subacute Poststroke Patients without Neglect.

BACKGROUND: Oxford Cognitive Screen is designed for assessing cognitive functions of poststroke patients. This study was aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese (Putonghua) version of the Oxford Cognitive Screen-Putonghua (OCS-P) for use among poststroke patients without neglect. METHODS: Expert review panel evaluated content validity of the Chinese-translated items. After pilot tested the translated items, the patients and healthy participants completed the OCS-P as well as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-ChiB) and Goldenberg's test. A group of patients completed OCS-P for the second time within seven days. Data analyses included confirmatory factor analysis, item difficulty and item-total correlation, inter- and intrarater reliability, internal consistency, and between-group discrimination. RESULTS: One hundred patients and 120 younger (n = 60) or older (n = 60) healthy participants completed all the tests. Modifications were required for items in the "Picture Naming", "Orientation", and "Sentence Reading" subscales. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure for the OCS-P subscales. The internal consistency coefficients for the three identified test dimensions were 0.30 to 0.52 (Cronbach's alpha). Construct validity coefficients between the OCS-P and MoCA-ChiB subscales were 0.45 < r < 0.79 (p < 0.001) and the "Praxis" subscale of OCS-P and Goldenberg's test was r = 0.72 (p < 0.001). The interrater reliability coefficients for the subscales were in general higher than the intrarater reliability coefficients. The "Picture Naming" and "Numerical Cognition" subscales were the most significant (p = 0.003) for differentiating patient participants from their older healthy counterpart. CONCLUSION: This study generated satisfactory evidence on the content validity, substantive validity, construct validity, inter- and intrarater reliability, and known-group discrimination of the OCS-P. They support its application among poststroke patients who speak Putonghua. Future studies could review the existing five-dimension domains for improving its structural validity and internal consistency as well as generate evidence of the OCS-P for use among the poststroke patients with neglect.

Electroacupuncture improves neurological deficits and enhances proliferation and differentiation of endogenous nerve stem cells in rats with focal cerebral ischemia.

OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on neurological deficits, proliferation and differentiation of nerve stem cells (NSCs) in adult rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and to study its possible role in the treatment of cerebral ischemic injury. METHODS: A rat model of MCAO was established and interfered with EA. On days 4, 7, 14 and 21 after ischemic injury, neurological deficits were scored. On days 4, 7, 14 and 21 after injury, effect of EA interference on the proliferation and differentiation of rat NSCs was observed with BrdU/NeuN and BrdU/GFAP immunofluorescence double labeling. RESULTS: A significant difference was found in the scores of rat neurological deficits between the EA and model groups 7, 14 and 21 days after cerebral ischemic injury (p<0.05). BrdU positive cells were found in the subventricular zone (SVZ) 4, 7, 14 and 21 days after ischemic injury. The number of positive BrdU cells in the SVZ reached its peak 7 days after injury and was greater in the EA group than in the model group 7 and 14 days after injury (p<0.05). The number of BrdU/GFAP doubly labeled positive cells in the SVZ was greater in the EA group than in the model group 7 and 14 days after ischemic injury (p=0.012 and p=0.025, respectively). There was no difference in the number of BrdU/NeuN doubly labeled positive cells 4, 7 and 14 days in the striatum, but a significant difference 21 days (p=0.033) after ischemic injury between the two groups. DISCUSSION: Cerebral ischemic injury induces proliferation of NSCs, some of which will differentiate into both astroglia and neurons. EA may promote cells proliferation, stimulate the proliferating cells to differentiate into astroglia and mature into neurons, which may be one of the important reasons why EA can alleviate neurological deficits.

[Application of evidence-based medicine in establishment of TCM stroke unit].

OBJECTIVE: To probe into using evidence-based medicine to establish TCM stroke unit, so as to serve for clinical treatment of apoplexy. METHODS: Based on basic theories of TCM and in referred to the stroke unit model with therapeutic effect confirmed by evidence-based medicine, TCM stroke unit with characteristics of acupuncture and moxibustion was established. CONCLUSION: Establishment of TCM stroke unit with TCM characteristics is objective in future, but it still needs high quality of clinical evidences.