Effect Of Scalp Acupuncture Research Articles

The Effect of Scalp Acupuncture and rTMS on Neuromotor Function in Photothrombotic Stroke Rat Model

The Effect of Scalp Acupuncture and rTMS on Neuromotor Function in Photothrombotic Stroke Rat Model

The Effect of Scalp Acupuncture on Emotional and Emotion Related Behavioral Problems in Children with Autism

Background: Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often manifest various emotion and emotion related behavioral problems. They may exhibit externalizing difficulties such as temper tantrum, aggression, even self-injury, together with internalizing problems such as anxiety, fear, depression and impatience. Scalp acupuncture had been found to improve the cognitive, social, as well as behavioral problems. Our clinical observation noted a drastic change in emotional and emotion- related behavioral problems in children with ASD upon the therapy of scalp acupuncture. Methods: Children with ASD aged 2 to 10 were assessed as a treatment group (n=45) and a comparison group (n=44). Data were analyzed by the paired sample t-test. The treatment group received scalp acupuncture therapy of a total of 30 sessions in about 6 months, while the comparison group received no acupuncture treatment. The differences in performance were compared between the two groups. Results: There were significant improvements in performance of temper tantrum, aggression to others, impatience, fears and anxiety after scalp acupuncture. Scalp acupuncture had shown to exhibit prominent influence to items of temper tantrum and aggression take into account the natural course of the disorder. Conclusion: Scalp acupuncture is effective in alleviating emotional and emotion-related behavioral problems especially temper tantrum and aggression problems in children with ASD.

The Effect of Scalp Acupuncture on Emotional and Emotion Related Behavioral Problems in Children with Autism

Background: Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often manifest various emotion and emotion related behavioral problems. They may exhibit externalizing difficulties such as temper tantrum, aggression, even self-injury, together with internalizing problems such as anxiety, fear, depression and impatience. Scalp acupuncture had been found to improve the cognitive, social, as well as behavioral problems. Our clinical observation noted a drastic change in emotional and emotion- related behavioral problems in children with ASD upon the therapy of scalp acupuncture. Methods: Children with ASD aged 2 to 10 were assessed as a treatment group (n=45) and a comparison group (n=44). Data were analyzed by the paired sample t-test. The treatment group received scalp acupuncture therapy of a total of 30 sessions in about 6 months, while the comparison group received no acupuncture treatment. The differences in performance were compared between the two groups. Results: There were significant improvements in performance of temper tantrum, aggression to others, impatience, fears and anxiety after scalp acupuncture. Scalp acupuncture had shown to exhibit prominent influence to items of temper tantrum and aggression take into account the natural course of the disorder. Conclusion: Scalp acupuncture is effective in alleviating emotional and emotion-related behavioral problems especially temper tantrum and aggression problems in children with ASD.

Effects of scalp acupuncture plus acupuncture exercise therapy on walking ability in children with spastic cerebral palsy

Effects of scalp acupuncture plus acupuncture exercise therapy on walking ability in children with spastic cerebral palsy

The Effect of Scalp Acupuncture on Sleeping Disorders in Autism

The Effect of Scalp Acupuncture on Sleeping Disorders in Autism

头针联合运动疗法对脑梗死偏瘫患者下肢运动功能恢复的效果分析

头针联合运动疗法对脑梗死偏瘫患者下肢运动功能恢复的效果分析

Effect of scalp acupuncture stimulation on cerebral infarct volume and expression of IL-10, IL-6 and IL-1β in para-hippocampal gyrus in acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease rats

To observe the influence of scalp acupuncture on cerebral infarct size and expression of IL-10, IL-6, and IL-1β in the para-hippocampal gyrus in acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease(AICD) rats, so as to investigate its mechanisms underlying improvement of AICD. Forty-eight male SD rats were randomly allocated to normal control (control), AICD model, medication, and scalp acupuncture groups (n＝12 per group). The AICD model was established by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO). Rats of the medication group received intraperitoneal injection of Ammonium 1-Pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (APDC, 100 mg•kg－1•d－1), once daily for 7 days. Scalp acupuncture stimulation was applied to bilateral "Dingnieqianxiexian" (MS6) once daily for 7 days. Before and after intervention, the neurologic deficit score (NDS) and the neurological score (NS) were evaluated according to Longa's and Schäbitz's methods, respectively. At the end of the intervention, the para-hippocampal gyrus and whole brain were collected respectively. The expression levels of IL-10, IL-6 and IL-1β in the para-hippocampal gyrus tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry, and the cerebral infarct volume of the brain was detected by triphenyltetrazollium chloride (TTC) staining after sectioning. Following modeling, the NDS, NS and the expression of IL-10, IL-6 and IL-1β in para-hippocampal gyrus were significantly increased in the model group compared with the control group (P<0.01). After the intervention, the NDS, NS and infarct volume, and the expression levels of IL-6 and IL-1β in the para-hippocampal gyrus were significantly decreased in both medication and scalp acupuncture groups compared with the model group (P<0.05), and the expression of IL-10 was further obviously up-regulated in the scalp acupuncture group (P<0.05) rather than in the medication group (P>0.05). The effect of scalp acupuncture was obviously superior to that of medication in up-regulating IL-10 expression level (P<0.05). No significant differences were found between the medication and scalp acupuncture groups in the levels of NDS, NS, infarct volume, IL-6 and IL-1β proteins (P>0.05). Scalp acupuncture can improve neurological function and reduce infarct volume in AICD rats, which may be associated with its function in up-regulating the expression of IL-10 and in inhibiting the expression of IL-6 and IL-1β to reduce inflammation reaction.

Effects of scalp acupuncture on trigeminal neuralgia

Effects of scalp acupuncture on trigeminal neuralgia

Effects of scalp acupuncture on brain injury in premature infants with different months of age

To explore the clinical efficacy differences of scalp acupuncture on brain injury in premature infants with different months of age. According to the corrected months of age, 90 cases of premature infants with brain injury were divided into a group A (3 through 6 corrected months of age), a group B (7 through 9 corrected months of age) and group C (10 through 12 corrected months of age), 30 patients in each one. Based on the conventional early intervention, the infants in the group A were treated with scalp acupuncture at Zhiqizhen, motor area; the infants in the group B were treated with scalp acupuncture at Zhiqizhen, motor area and foot motor sensory area; the infants in the group C were treated with scalp acupuncture at Zhiqizhen, motor area, foot motor sensory area and balance area. All the treatment was given once every other day, and totally 30 treatments were given. The Alberta infant motor scale (AIMS), development quotient (DQ) of each function indexes in Gesell developmental scale (GDS) were observed before and after treatment; the clinical efficacy of each group was compared and the correlation between clinical efficacy and months of age was analyzed. Compared before treatment, the total score of AIMS and DQ of each function indexes of GDS were all improved in the three groups after treatment (all P<0.01). After treatment, the differences of total score of AIMS and DQ of each function indexes of GDS among the three groups were significant (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the results in the group A were higher than those in the group B and the group C (P<0.05, P<0.01). The total effective rate was 96.3% (26/27) in the group A, which was higher than 89.7% (26/29) in the group B and 83.3% (25/30) in the group C. The correlation analysis indicated less months of age was significantly corelated with better efficacy (P<0.05). Scalp acupuncture has superior improvement on the recovery of brain damage in premature infants, especially for those with 6 months of age or less.

The therapeutic effect of scalp acupuncture on natal autism and regressive autism

BackgroundAutism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a common disease and the incidence has been rising constantly. Acupuncture is one of the most widely used complementary and alternative medicine therapies. Despite studies had been done on the effectiveness of acupuncture on ASD children, how factors such as chronological age and the onset pattern influence the effectiveness of the therapy remains unclear. The aim of this retrospective study is to know how symptomatology of ASD alters upon the introduction of scalp acupuncture and how do age and onset type affect the effectiveness of the therapy.MethodsASD children aged 2–11 years old were invited to join the study. In the course of the investigation, they received a total of 30 sessions of scalp acupuncture therapy. They were then evaluated to compare the performance on various aspects before and after the treatment. The influence on the therapeutic effect by factors including chorological age and onset pattern were further taken into consideration and analyzed. In addition, investigation on the relationship between allergies and onset pattern of ASD was performed by statistically analyzing the received epidemiologic data from the participants.Results68 children with ASD participated in the study. It is found that the significant effective rate of scalp acupuncture on ASD is 97%. Scalp acupuncture can improve verbal communication problems the most while noise sensitivity improves the least. The therapeutic effectiveness decreases with increasing age and children with natal autism benefit more from acupuncture than those with regressive autism. In the latter part of the study, we observe a positive correlation between the family history of allergy and onset pattern.ConclusionScalp acupuncture is an effective treatment for alleviating the symptomatology of ASD. The therapeutic effectiveness is expected to be higher for those patients with natal or early onset of the disorder, and at a younger age when they receive the therapy. The study result helps to formulate an ideal regimen for ASD patients and allow therapists and parents to make appropriate expectation towards the therapeutic outcome of acupuncture. Early intervention of scalp acupuncture therapy recommended. The relationship between the family history of allergic disorder and the onset type of ASD hints that the etiologies of natal and regressive ASD are discrete. It shows a great significance in differentiating the onset pattern in carrying out clinical assessments or researches on ASD patients.Trial registration This retrospective study was approved by the Committee on the Use of Human and Animal Subjects in Teaching and Research, Hong Kong Baptist University on 4th Aug 2017. The retrospectively registered number is HASC/Student/17-18/0115

Immediate effect of scalp acupuncture on the gait of patients with subacute intracerebral haemorrhage analysed by three-dimensional motion: secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial.

To investigate the immediate effect of scalp acupuncture on walking pattern, using three-dimensional gait analysis (3D-GA), among patients in the subacute stage of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). A subset of 30 patients with subacute ICH participating in a recently published randomised controlled trial who were able to walk independently were assessed by 3D-GA before and immediately after scalp acupuncture treatment (treatment group) or no intervention (control group) and the results presented here as a secondary analysis. The acupuncture manipulation was repeated three times with an interval of 5 min. Spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters during walking were collected and analysed using a 3D motion analysis system. After treatment, there were significant differences between the treatment and control groups in the spatiotemporal parameters of step length, velocity and cadence (p<0.05) and double-limb support. No significant difference was found in step width. When kinematic parameters were evaluated, the treatment group showed a significantly decreased peak pelvic anterior tilt angle and an increased hip extension angle after scalp acupuncture treatment, whereas the control group demonstrated no temporal changes. There were no significant changes in any other kinematic parameters in either group. As the first exploratory study to investigate the effect of the scalp acupuncture on gait performance in patients with subacute ICH, this secondary analysis of a recent randomised trial suggested an immediate effect of treatment on spatiotemporal parameters. Improvement in gait pattern may be associated with a decreased anterior tilt of the pelvis and augmented hip joint motion during walking. ChiCTR-TRC-08000225; Post-results.

Scalp acupuncture plus low-frequency rTMS promotes repair of brain white matter tracts in stroke patients: A DTI study.

To study the clinical effects of scalp acupuncture plus low frequency rTMS in hemiplegic stroke patients. A total of 28 hemiplegic stroke patients were recruited and randomly assigned to the experimental group (scalp acupuncture low frequency rTMS routine rehabilitation treatment) or the control group (scalp acupuncture routine rehabilitation treatment). All patients received a diffusion tensor imaging examination on the day of admission and on the fourteenth day. Compared with pre-treatment, the upper limb motor function score and ability of daily life score increased significantly in the two groups, and motor function improvement was much greater in the experimental group. Fractional anisotropy values significantly increased in white matter tracts, such as the corticospinal tract, forceps minor, superior longitudinal fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus in the two groups. Compared with pretreatment, the fractional anisotropy values increased and mean diffusion values decreased synchronously in the forceps minor, left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, left inferior longitudinal fasciculus, left superior longitudinal fasciculus and left uncinate fasciculus in the experimental group. Before and after treatment, there were no significant differences in the changes of fractional anisotropy values between the two groups, but the changes of the mean diffusion values in the experimental group were much greater than those in the control group in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus and the left uncinate fasciculus (p<0.05). Moreover, the increased fractional anisotropy values in the forceps minor in the experimental group were significantly positively correlated with the increased Fugl-Meyer assessment score. Our study concluded that based on routine rehabilitation treatment, scalp acupuncture plus low frequency rTMS can promote white matter tracts repair better than scalp acupuncture alone; the motor function improvement of the hemiplegic upper limb may be closely related to the rehabilitation of the forceps minor; the combination of scalp acupuncture and low frequency rTMS is expected to provide a more optimal rehabilitation protocol for stroke hemiplegic patients.

Scalp acupuncture for dyskinesia after ischemic stroke: Study protocol for a parallel randomized controlled clinical trial

Background: Scalp acupuncture formed by combining traditional Chinese acupuncture techniques and modern theories in medical anatomy has been widely used to treat ischemic stroke in China, but effective clinical trials that verify its efficacy are lacking. This study proposes to verify the effects of Lu's scalp acupuncture on ischemic stroke by comparing differential improvement of motor function between conventional rehabilitation alone and conventional rehabilitation with Lu's scalp acupuncture. Methods/Design: We will conduct a randomized, controlled, parallel, clinical trial. We will collect 116 ischemic stroke patients with dyskinesia from Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Huashan Hospital, Fudan University in China. All patients will be equally randomized into either a control group (conventional rehabilitation) or an experimental group (scalp acupuncture + conventional rehabilitation). In the control group, patients will receive conventional rehabilitation according to the Guidelines for Stroke Rehabilitation in China. In the experimental group, conventional rehabilitation will be supplemented with oblique acupuncture at approximately 30° and an insertion depth of 25–35 mm in the anterior oblique line of vertex-temporal (MS6). Twisting speed will be 200 times per minute. Acupuncture will be performed 30 minutes, once per day. Patients in both groups will receive rehabilitation five times per week for 8 consecutive weeks. The primary outcome will be the difference in Fugl-Meyer assessment motor function score between posttreatment (4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 6 months of follow-up) and baseline. The secondary outcomes will be differences in the Modified Barthel Index, stroke-specific quality of life, and stroke syndrome of traditional Chinese medicine. Discussion: This trial will provide objective data on the effectiveness of scalp acupuncture in ischemic stroke patients with dyskinesia. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03120650. Ethics: The study protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Longhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China on 23 October 2013, approval number 2013LCSY056. Informed consent: Written informed consent will be provided by subject guardians.

The mechanism of cerebral acupuncture affects neuronal cell apoptosis via BrdU and Nestin in hypoxic-ischemic brain-damaged immature rats

Objective: In this study, the effects of scalp acupuncture on the number of apoptotic cells and apoptotic indexes were deterrmined in rats with intrauterine hypoxic-ischemic brain damage(HIBD), and the inhibitory mechanism of mitochondrial pathway, mediated apoptosis in the repair of brain ischemia and hypoxia was examined. Methods: A clip was applied to the uterine artery for 5 min before a cesarean section was performed in a rat model. The rats were divided into normal group (n = 24), model group (n = 24), and acupuncture group (n = 24). Rats in the acupuncture group were treated with continuous acupuncture on the head beginning on the 28th day after birth. Rats were sacrificed at days 35 , 42 and 49 , and samples were analyzed by TUNEL staining of cells obtained from the cerebral cortex. The number of apoptotic cells in each group (n = 8) was determined and compared. An immunohistochemical assay of cerebral cortex cells was performed to examine BrdU and Nestin expression. Results: Compared with the normal group，the number of apoptotic cells in the model group was significantly higher and increased over time, (P < 0.05). BrdU expression was higher in the acupuncture group than in the model group, and the number of apoptotic cells was significantly lower in the acupuncture group than the model group, and decrease over time. BrdU expression decreased, while Nestin expression significantly increased. Conclusion: Acupuncture can reduce the number of apoptotic cells in the cerebral cortex. The expression of BrdU and Nestin inhibited the apoptosis of neural stem cells, promoting the repair of injured neurons via neural stem cells.

Immediate effects of scalp acupuncture with twirling reinforcing manipulation on hemiplegia following acute ischemic stroke: a hidden association study.

Data mining has the potential to provide information for improving clinical acupuncture strategies by uncovering hidden rules between acupuncture manipulation and therapeutic effects in a data set. In this study, we performed acupuncture on 30 patients with hemiplegia due to acute ischemic stroke. All participants were pre-screened to ensure that they exhibited immediate responses to acupuncture. We used a twirling reinforcing acupuncture manipulation at the specific lines between the bilateral Baihui (GV20) and Taiyang (EX-HN5). We collected neurologic deficit score, simplified Fugl-Meyer assessment score, muscle strength of the proximal and distal hemiplegic limbs, ratio of the maximal H-reflex to the maximal M-wave (Hmax/Mmax), muscle tension at baseline and immediately after treatment, and the syndromes of traditional Chinese medicine at baseline. We then conducted data mining using an association algorithm and an artificial neural network backpropagation algorithm. We found that the twirling reinforcing manipulation had no obvious therapeutic difference in traditional Chinese medicine syndromes of "Deficiency and Excess". The change in the muscle strength of the upper distal and lower proximal limbs was one of the main factors affecting the immediate change in Fugl-Meyer scores. Additionally, we found a positive correlation between the muscle tension change of the upper limb and Hmax/Mmax immediate change, and both positive and negative correlations existed between the muscle tension change of the lower limb and immediate Hmax/Mmax change. Additionally, when the difference value of muscle tension for the upper and lower limbs was > 0 or < 0, the difference value of Hmax/Mmax was correspondingly positive or negative, indicating the scalp acupuncture has a bidirectional effect on muscle tension in hemiplegic limbs. Therefore, acupuncture with twirling reinforcing manipulation has distinct effects on acute ischemic stroke patients with different symptoms or stages of disease. Improved muscle tension in the upper and lower limbs, reflected by the variation in the Hmax/Mmax ratio, is crucial for recovery of motor function from hemiplegia.

Observation on Therapeutic Effect of Scalp Acupuncture Combined with Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation on Thalamic Pain

Observation on Therapeutic Effect of Scalp Acupuncture Combined with Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation on Thalamic Pain

Scalp acupuncture combined with body acupuncture for 32 cancer cases with intractable hiccups after radiochemotherapy

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of scalp acupuncture combined with body acupuncture in treating cancer patients with intractable hiccups after radiochemotherapy.

The effect of scalp acupuncture combined with rehabilitation training on the regulation of neuro-plasticity-associated protein MAP-2 in gerbils modelling cerebral ischemia and reperfusion

Objective To observe the effect of scalp acupuncture and rehabilitation training on the regulation of neuro-plasticity-associated protein MAP-2 in gerbils modelling cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. Methods Cerebral ischemia and reperfusion were modelled into thirty-six male gerbils. They were then randomly divided into a model group (A), a scalp acupuncture and rehabilitation training group (B) and a rehabilitation training group (C), each of 12 cases. The scalp acupuncture and rehabilitation training were administered daily to the gerbils in group B beginning 24 h after modeling, for 14 d. Any changes in Bederson scores were observed after one, 7 and 14 days. On the 14th day the expression of MAP-2 around the infarct focus was detected using western blotting in all 3 groups. Results On the 7th day the average Bederson score in group B (1.81±0.52) was not significantly different from that in group A (2.13±0.49) or group C (2.00±0.31) (P>0.05). At the end of the treatment, however, there were significant differences between the groups, with group B(0.47±0.31) scoring significantly better than groups C(1.04±0.63) and A(1.46±0.72)(P<0.05). Group C was also significantly better than group A (P<0.05). The expression of MAP-2 as measured as integrated optical intensity (IOD) in group B (0.91±0.18) was significantly higher than that in group A (0.43±0.21) and group C (0.67±0.24) (P<0.05); so was group C compared to group A (P<0.05). Conclusion The scalp acupuncture combined with rehabilitation training can improve the recovery of motor function and enhance the expression of neuro-plasticity-associated protein MAP-2 in gerbils with after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. Key words: Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion; Scalp acupuncture; Microtubule-associated protein 2; Gerbil; Acupuncture

Clinical observation on acupuncture for post-stroke ataxia

Objective: To observe the clinical effects of scalp acupuncture and body acupuncture on post-stroke ataxia. Methods: 124 cases of post-stroke ataxia were treated with scalp and body acupuncture to observe the changes of blood velocity in the blood vessels of the brain and the total effects after treatment. Results: The total effective rate was 93.5% based on the result of Berg Balance scale, and was 91.1% on the activities of daily living (ADL) index. The blood velocity of the vertebrobasilar artery was higher after the treatment compared to before treatment (P＜0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture had good clinical effects.

The effect of prolonged scalp acupuncture combined with cognitive rehabilitation training for cognitive dysfunction after stroke

Objective To observe effect of scalp acupuncture combined with cognitive rehabilitation training in ameliorating cognitive dysfunction in stroke patients. Methods Eighty-four stroke patients with cognitive dysfunction were randomly divided into a treatment group ( n = 42) and a control group (n = 42 ) . All of the patients in both groups received routine therapy including cognitive rehabilitation training by professional therapists aimed at improving their orientation, perception, attention and thinking. The patients in the treatment group also received prolonged scalp acupuncture, in which the acupuncture needle remained in the scalp for 6 hours. All cases were evaluated using Loewenstein's occupational therapy cognition assessment (LOTCA) before and 10 weeks after treatment. Results The LOTCA scores were significantly different before and after treatment in both groups. The effect in the treatment group was significantly better than in the control group. Conclusions Prolonged scalp acupuncture combined with cognitive rehabilitation training can significantly improve the cognitive ability of stroke patients. Key words: Scalp acupuncture; Rehabilitation training; Stroke; Cognitive dysfunction