Original Study
Clinical Efficacy of Acupuncture Treatment in Combination With RehaCom Cognitive Training for Improving Cognitive Function in Stroke: A 2 × 2 Factorial Design Randomized Controlled Trial

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2016.07.021Get rights and content
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Abstract

Objective

The aim of this study was to identify the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in combination with RehaCom cognitive training in poststroke patients with cognitive dysfunction.

Methods/Design

This study was a 2 × 2 factorial design randomized controlled trial comparing acupuncture, computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation, and the usual treatment by per-protocol analysis. The trial was completed by 204 stroke patients, including 49 patients in a control group, 52 patients in an acupuncture treatment group, 51 patients in a RehaCom training group, and 52 patients in an acupuncture combined with RehaCom group. All of the patients accepted basic treatment and health education. The interventions continued for 12 weeks (30 minutes per day, 5 days per week). The relative cognitive and functional outcomes were measured at baseline and 12 weeks (at the end of intervention) using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scales.

Results

After 12 weeks of treatment, the functional statuses of the patients in each of the 4 groups showed varying degrees of improvement. Multiple comparisons of the changes in the MMSE, MoCA, and FIM scores indicated that acupuncture combined with RehaCom cognitive training (ACR) had enhanced therapeutic effects on the functional statuses of the stroke patients (P < .05). In addition, ACR had similar therapeutic effects on the functional statuses of the stroke patients according to each of the assessment scales applied (Pchange value MMSE = 0.399, P△MoCA = 0.794, P△FIM = 0.862). The interaction effect values between acupuncture and RehaCom training (acceptance or nonacceptance) were as follows: △MMSE: F = 6.251, P = .013; △MoCA: F = 4.991, P = .027; and △FIM: F = 6.317, P = .013. Further, the main effect values for acupuncture and RehaCom training were both significant (P < .05).

Conclusions

There is an interaction effect in the treatment of stroke patients using ACR. The use of acupuncture in combination with RehaCom training has better therapeutic effects on the functional statuses of poststroke patients than the use of either treatment alone, demonstrating the clinical significance of this combination therapy.

Keywords

Acupuncture
RehaCom training
stroke
cognitive dysfunction

Cited by (0)

This study was sponsored by the International S&T Cooperation Program of China (ISTCP Program; No. 2011DFG33240), the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, the Science and technology platform construction project of Fujian science and Technology Department (Grant No. 2015Y2001), the Fujian Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technology and the Fujian Provincial Rehabilitation Industrial Institution.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

C.J. and S.Y. contributed equally to this paper.