Clinical Study Of Acupuncture And Moxibustion In The Treatment Of Mild To Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease Based On The Theory

Objective:In this study,the clinical effect of warm acupuncture on patients with mild and moderate Alzheimer’s disease was observed by comparing it with Donepezil Hydrochloride Tablets,the basic drug for improving Alzheimer’s disease,based on the theory of kidney-brain relationship and focusing on Du meridian acupoints.Methods : Patients were recruited in the outpatient clinic of Shanxi Provincial Acupuncture Hospital and surrounding communities.According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,the sixty AD patients were selected and divided into 2 groups according to the random number table,the control group and the treatment group with thirty patients each.The control group received oral donepezil hydrochloride tablets(5 mg/d,every night before going to bed,3 courses in total);the treatment group received warm acupuncture therapy(acupoint selection: Baihui,Dazhui,Mingmen,Shenshu,Xuanzhong,Taixi),According to different syndrome types,appropriate points are allocated(once every other day,4 weeks/course,3 courses in total).Before and after treatment,all AD patients not only assessed the MMSE scale,ADAS-cog scale,ADL scale scores,but also observed the changes in serum Hcy levels.SPSS25.0 software performs statistical analysis on the data of this study.Results:(1)Both groups could increase the total MMSE scores of mild and moderate AD patients(P<0.05),and also reduce the total ADAS-cog and ADL scores(P<0.05),indicating that both donepezil hydrochloride and warm acupuncture therapy had clinical efficacy in the treatment of mild and moderate AD patients;(2)In terms of curative effect judgment scale,the clinical curative effect of the two groups after treatment was significantly better than that of the control group(P<0.05),indicating that the treatment of mild to moderate AD by warm needle moxibustion can improve patients’ cognitive function and ability of daily living,and the curative effect is better than donepezil hydrochloride treatment;(3)In terms of changes in serum Hcy level,both groups could reduce Hcy level(P<0.05).After treatment,warm acupuncture therapy was slightly lower in reducing Hcy level in AD patients than donepezil hydrochloride treatment,indicating that warm acupuncture therapy was slightly better than donepezil hydrochloride treatment in improving dementia symptoms in AD patients;(4)Comparison of effective rates between the two groups after treatment showed that in the treatment group,8 cases were significantly effective and 17 cases were effective,with a total effective rate of 83.33%.In the control group,4 cases were significantly effective,14 cases were effective,and the total effective rate was 60.00%.The total effective rate of MMSE scale in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P < 0.05),indicating that warm acupuncture therapy could significantly improve the cognitive function and living ability of AD patients,and the clinical effect was better than that of donepezil hydrochloride treatment.Conclusion:(1)In the treatment of mild and moderate AD patients,oral donepezil hydrochloride and warm acupuncture therapy both have clinical efficacy,and warm acupuncture therapy is better than donepezil hydrochloride treatment;(2)Based on the theory of the kidney and brain,mainly at the Dumai acupoints,warm acupuncture therapy can significantly improve the scores of the MMSE scale,ADAS-cog scale,and ADL scale in patients with mild and moderate AD,and can reduce serum Hcy in AD patients It can significantly improve the cognitive ability of patients,improve the quality of life of patients,and delay the development of the disease process,which has important practical significance for reducing the disease burden of AD patients.