Acupuncture Benefits Alzheimer Disease Patients

Acupuncture Benefits Alzheimer Disease Patients

Acupuncture improves drug effectiveness for the treatment of Alzheimer disease (AD). Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies and found that acupuncture plus the drug donepezil is more effective than using only donepezil as a standalone treatment.

In a surprising finding, six randomized controlled trials in the meta-analysis found acupuncture more effective than drug therapy. No severe adverse events occurred. As a result, the researchers conclude that acupuncture is a safe treatment modality for Alzheimer disease patients.

Donepezil is a cholinesterase inhibitor used in the treatment Alzheimer disease related dementia including cognitive impairment, personality changes, and memory disorders. Taking orally, it is used for improving memory, focus, communication, functional activities, and mental clarity. Six out of ten randomized controlled trials found acupuncture combined with donepezil more effective than only donepezil. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores improved significantly when adding acupuncture to the drug treatment regime.

The MMSE helps to diagnose dementia and assess both progression and severity. The exam tests cognitive abilities including memory, attention, and use of language. It is a short exam consisting a basic questions. Patients are asked the year, month, ability to identify a simple object, copy a simple pattern, follow a simple command, repeat a statement, etc…. A poor score on this exam indicates cognitive impairment. Acupuncture improved MMSE scores for patients taking donepezil.

Ten randomized controlled trials consisting of 585 patients met the meta-analysis inclusion criteria. This was sorted from a total of 1,324 studies that included 77 randomized controlled trials. Three of the accepted studies used electroacupuncture and seven used manual acupuncture. The period of treatment duration was from four to twenty-four weeks across the accepted studies.

Two acupuncture points were the most common in the studies: DU20 (Baihui) and ST36 (Zusanli). SP10 (Xuehai) and Sishencong (EX1) were also frequently administered although not as frequently as DU20 and ST36.

- See more at: http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1491-acupuncture-benefits-alzheimer-disease-patients#sthash.kW7nZBGQ.dpuf