Pattern Differentiation for Post-Stroke Dementia

Pattern Differentiation for Post-Stroke Dementia

A stroke often results in post-stroke dementia, a rapid decline in memory and cognitive function. Chinese medicine uses four examinations of inspection, listening, smelling, and feeling to and eight principles determine a pattern. A study was conducted to investigate the TCM patterns in patients with post-stroke dementia. A total of 101 stroke patients were studied, consistent with the DSM IV diagnostic criteria of the American Psychiatric Association, as well as the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Association International pour Ia Recherche et I'Enseignement en Neurosciences vascular dementia diagnostic criteria of post-stroke dementia.

The study found that among all of the patients, 100 patients were kidney essence deficiency, 83 patients were ascending hyperactivity of liver yang, 83 patients were qi-blood deficiency, 81 patients were static blood obstructing the collaterals, 72 patients were bowels stagnation turbidity retention, 50 patients were fire heat interior excess, and 39 patients were turbid phlegm obstructing the orifices. The study found that the majority of the patients have multiple patterns and the most common pattern is kidney essence deficiency.

Tang NY, Liu CH, Liu HJ, Li TC, Liu JC, Chen PK, Hsieh CL. Chinese medicine patterns in patients with post-stroke dementia. J Tradit Complement Med. 2012 Apr;2(2):123-8.