Abstrait

The effect of medicated thread moxibustion combined with electro acupuncture treatment on Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) of patients with vascular cognitive impairment of none dementia

Weilan Qin, Weilian Su, Hui Hu, Li Zhou, Xianglan Jin

Objective: To observe the effect of medicated thread moxibustion combined with electroacupuncture treatment on cognitive function of patients with vascular cognitive impairment of non-dementia and provide scientific clinical and practical basis for medicated thread moxibustion therapy.

Methods: 75 patients with vascular cognitive impairment of none dementia who met the inclusion criteria were divided into medicated thread moxibustion combined with electroacupuncture group, electroacupuncture group and control group, each consisting of 25 cases. 75 patients herein were treated with the basic treatment of neurology. In addition, medicated thread moxibustion combined with electroacupuncture group received acupuncture and medicated thread moxibustion therapy. The treatment was conducted every other day, three times a week for a total of 8 weeks. Before treatment and at the end of 8 weeks, the impact on each patient’s neuropsychology was evaluated with the Montreal Cognitive Function Assessment Scale (MoCA).

Results: After 8 weeks of treatment, MoCA scores of both the medicated thread moxibustion combined with electroacupuncture group and the electroacupuncture group were significantly higher compared with the control group (P<0.01). Also, compared with the electroacupuncture group, MoCA scores of t medicated thread moxibustion medicated thread moxibustion combined with electroacupuncture group were significantly increased (P<0.01).

Conclusion: The medicated thread moxibustion combined with electroacupuncture and electroacupuncture therapy can improve and enhance overall cognitive abilities of the patients with vascular cognitive impairment of non-dementia. The medicated thread moxibustion combined with electroacupuncture therapy was superior to the electroacupuncture therapy in improving patients’ attention. Similarly, both groups could reasonably improve visual space and executive function as well as abstract thinking ability. Both electroacupuncture as well as drug suture moxibustion with electroacupuncture are effective in treating VCI, and should be widely applied clinically.