acupuncture method for mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture method for mild cognitive impairment in the elderly.@*METHODS@#A total of 96 patients were randomly divided into an observation group, a control group and a waiting group, 32 cases in each group. The patients in the observation group were treated with acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Shenting (GV 24), Yintang (GV 29) and Sishencong (EX-HN 1), etc, while the patients in the control group were treated with nonpenetrating sham acupuncture at the same acupoints as the observation group. The treatment was given once every other day, three times a week for 8 weeks. The patients in the waiting group only received health guidance for 8 weeks. Montreal cognitive assessment scale (MoCA) and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) were used before and after 8-week treatment in all three groups. The observation group and the control group were followed up for 2 months and evaluated with MoCA and MMSE.@*RESULTS@#The MoCA scores in the observation group after treatment and during follow-up were higher than before treatment (0.05). The MoCA scores in the control group after treatment and during follow-up were higher than before treatment (0.05). The difference before and after treatment in the observation group was higher than the control group and waiting group (0.05). The MMSE scores after treatment and during follow-up were higher than before treatment in the control group (0.05). The difference before and after treatment the observation group and control group was not significant (>0.05), and those in the two groups were higher than the waiting group (<0.01). The difference between follow-up and before treatment in the observation group was higher than the control group (<0.01), and the difference between follow-up and after treatment was lower than the control group (<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@# acupuncture method could improve cognitive impairment in elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment.