Objective: To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture at Baihui(GV 20) and Shenting(GV 24) combined with rehabilitation for post-stroke cognitive impairment(PSCI).
Methods: Fifty patients with PSCI were randomly assigned to an observation group and a control group,25 cases in each one. In the control group,basic treatment and regular rehabilitation were applied. In the observation group,acupuncture at Baihui(GV 20) and Shenting(GV 24) and the same therapies as the control group were used for continuous four weeks,once a day and five times a week. Mini-mental state examination(MMSE) and Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA) were observed before and after treatment in the two groups.
Results: After treatment,the scores of MMSE and MoCA were improved apparently(both P<0.05),with better results in the observation group(both P<0.05).
Conclusions: Acupuncture at Baihui(GV 20) and Shenting(GV 24) combined with basic treatment and regular rehabilitation can obviously improve the cognitive function of PSCI,and the effect is superior to that of basic treatment and regular rehabilitation.
Keywords: acupuncture; cognitive impairment; point, GV 20(Baihui); point, GV 24(Shenting); rehabilitation; stroke.