Effect and Neuroimaging Mechanism of Electroacupuncture for Vascular Cognitive Impairment No Dementia: Study Protocol for a Randomized, Assessor-Blind, Controlled Clinical Trial

Ruizhu Lin; Jia Huang; Jianfeng Xu; Jing Tao; Ying Xu; Jiao Liu; Weilin Liu; Shengxiang Liang; Minguang Yang; Lidian Chen

doi:10.1155/2020/7190495

Effect and Neuroimaging Mechanism of Electroacupuncture for Vascular Cognitive Impairment No Dementia: Study Protocol for a Randomized, Assessor-Blind, Controlled Clinical Trial

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Feb 26:2020:7190495. doi: 10.1155/2020/7190495. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Ruizhu Lin^{1

2}, Jia Huang¹, Jianfeng Xu², Jing Tao¹, Ying Xu¹, Jiao Liu¹, Weilin Liu¹, Shengxiang Liang¹, Minguang Yang¹, Lidian Chen³

Affiliations

¹ Rehabilitation Medicine College, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China.
² General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China.
³ Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China.

Abstract

Vascular cognitive impairment no dementia (VCIND) is likely to develop into vascular dementia (VD) without intervention. The clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) for VCIND has been previously demonstrated. However, the neuroimaging mechanism of EA for VCIND has not been elucidated clearly. This trial is designed to provide solid evidence for the efficacy and neuroimaging mechanism of EA treatment for patients with VCIND. This ongoing study is an assessor-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial. 140 eligible subjects will be recruited from the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University and randomized into either the electroacupuncture (EA) group or the control group (CG). All subjects will receive basic treatment, and participants in the CG will receive health education performed weekly. Except for basic treatment and health education, participants in the EA group will receive treatment 5 times per week for a total of 40 sessions over 8 weeks. The primary outcome in this study is Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and the secondary outcomes are Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), Stroop color-naming condition (STROOP), Rey-Osterrieth Complex Graphics Testing, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). All of the outcome measures will be assessed at baseline and 8 weeks of intervention. The medical abstraction of adverse events will be done at each visit. The results of this trial will demonstrate the efficacy and neuroimaging mechanism of EA treatment for VCIND, thus supporting EA treatment as an ideal choice for VCIND treatment. The trial was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on 28 July 2018 (ChiCTR1800017398).