TIAOSHEN ZUXUE ELECTROACUPUNCTURE FOR MILD TO MODERATE AD: KIDNEY-MARROW DEFICIENCY TRIAL

Abstract

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease with complex pathological mechanism and limited treatment methods, which makes alternative and complementary therapies particularly key in the clinical treatment of AD. Electroacupuncture therapy, as an alternative and complementary treatment method combining traditional acupuncture and modern electrophysiology, has initially shown potential in the treatment of nervous system diseases. However, there is still a lack of sufficient scientific research to support the effect of electroacupuncture therapy on AD patients, especially those with kidney deficiency. In view of this, the purpose of this study is to explore the effect of electroacupuncture on mild to moderate AD patients with kidney deficiency, in order to provide more evidence for clinical treatment. Methods: 200 patients with mild to moderate AD of kidney deficiency were randomly divided into traditional acupuncture group (n=100) and Tiaoshen Zuxue electroacupuncture group (n=100) for 4 weeks. The primary outcomes were Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (BEHAVE-AD) and Syndrome Differentiation Scale for Dementia (SDSD). The secondary observation indicators were mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), activity of daily living scale (ADL) assessment scale, clinical efficacy, adverse reactions, and serum interleukin (IL)-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effect of regulating kidney and replenishing blood electroacupuncture on AD patients with kidney deficiency. Results: The cognitive and behavioral scores of the control group and the observation group were improved after treatment. The scores of BEHAVE-AD and SDSD in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group, and the scores of MMSE, MoCA and ADL were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The observation group had a higher efficacy rate (91% vs. 77%, P<0.05). No adverse events occurred, and both groups showed a reduced level of interleukin (IL)-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) (P<0.05). Conclusion: TiaoShen ZuXue electroacupuncture is more effective than traditional acupuncture for mild-to-moderate AD, offering a promising treatment with no adverse effects and potential anti-inflammatory effects. This study provides new insights for the treatment of AD.