Effect of Acupuncture Combined with Yangyin Xifeng Tongluo Decoction on Neurolog⁃ ical Function and Intracranial Blood Circulation of Senile Patients with Cerebral Infarc⁃ tion in Convalescence
Abstract: Objective: To observe the clinical effect of the therapy of acupuncture combined with Yangyin Xifeng Tongluo Decoction on senile patients with cerebral infarction in convalescence. Methods:A total of 86 senile patients with cerebral infarction in convalescence were selected as the study objects and divided into an observation group of 44 cases and a control group of 42 cases according to the random number table method. The control group was given western medicine for lowering blood pressure and lipid, regulating blood sugar, anti- platelet aggregation and electrolyte balance as the basic treatment and rehabilitation training according to the recovery of patients;the observation group was additionally treated with acupuncture combined with Yangyin Xifeng Tongluo Decoction based on the treatment of the control group. The clinical effects and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores,neurological function, including scores of China Stroke Scale (CSS) and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS),Mini- Mental State Examination (MMSE) for cognitive function, intracranial blood circulation including peak systolie velocity (Vs) and meam velocity (Vm) and resistance index (RI),hyper-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were compared before and after treatment between the two groups. Results:The total effective rate was 93.18% in the observation group and 76.19% in the control group, the difference being significant (P<0.05). After treatment, the TCM syndrome scores of numbness of the limbs,hemi-paralysis,deviated mouth and eyes,dizziness,red complexion and eyes, and dry throat and mouth in the two groups were decreased when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05),and the above six scores in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group (P< 0.05). After treatment,the scores of CSS and NIHSS in both groups were decreased when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the MMSE scores were increased when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05); the improvement of above three scores in the observation group was more significant than that in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of Vs and Vm in the two groups were increased when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the RI levels were decreased when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05);the improvement of above three levels in the observation group was more significant than that in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment,the levels of serum hs- CRP and NSE in both groups were decreased when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the above two levels in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The therapy of acupuncture combined with Yangyin Xifeng Tongluo Decoction can effectively mitigate the clinical symptoms and significantly improve the neurological function, cognitive function and cerebral blood circulation of senile patients with cerebral infarction in convalescence.