| Senile dementia is a chronic, progressive deterioration of the mentality due to the acquired massive damage of the higher functions of the cerebral cortex. The most common clinical symptoms seen are intellectual deterioration, hypomnesia, disturbance in limb movements, deterioration of gnosia, lingual and abstract thinking abilities, personality changes, and obstructed emotions. In serious cases, the loss of the ability to manage daily living can be seen. Glutamic acid (Glu) is the major excitatory transmitter of the pyramid neuron. The highest content of excitatory amino acids in the human and vertebrae brain is the glutamic acid. However, excessive Glu causes damage to the neuron and is therefore considered as an endogenous excitatory toxin. In recent years, the neuro-toxicity of the EAAs, especially the role of Glu in senile dementia and its pathogenesis has called for more researches by scientists, forming a new "glutanergic theory" aside from the colinergic theory. According to the role of Glu in memory and the reports on the abnormal Glu system in senile dementia, we have enough evidence to hypothesize that the changes in the Glu system is closely related to the pathological changes, pathogenic mechanism, and clinical characteristics of the senile dementia patients.In Chinese medicine, senile dementia belongs to the fields of "depressive psychosis", "melancholia", "forgetfulness", etc. It belongs to the category of emotional disorder. The location of the disorder is in the brain; however, the causes of the disease are aging and weakening of the body, deterioration of the primordial energy, unregulated zang and fu organs, and unnourished seven orifices, or overstraining of the emotions, disturbance by exogenous pathogenic factors, causing malnourishment of the brain and disturbance of the mentality. The pathogenic factor is mainly endogenous, and is closely related to the 5 zang organs, 6 fu organs, tri-jiao, and extraordinary fu-organs, especially the kidney, heart, liver, and spleen organs. In clinic, the symptoms of senile dementia are mainly reflections of deficiency in origin and excess in superficiality. Its origin is "deficiency" while its superficialities are "phlegm and blood stasis". The chapter on brain and spinal cord of the book "Yi Lin Gai Cuo" says: mental activities belong to the brain. Qi and blood are produced and muscles are formed when food is eaten. The clear parts of food are turned into spinal cord that runs up the spinal column into the brain, thus called brain and spinal cord. We can see from this that the brain and spinal cord rely on the nourishment of the inherent and postnatal essences. Therefore, lack of inherent essences in addition to lack of postnatal essences will more easily lead to dementia. This should be treated mainly with strengthening the brain replenishing wisdom and supplementing qi and nourishing blood. In addition to the above-mentioned treatments, clearing stasis and stagnation, astringing mentality, and calming the liver and clearing away heat can also be used. The Du channel is one of the eight extra channels. In as early as the book "52 Formula", there are records of moxibustion on the Du Channel, center of the top of the head, to cure diseases. Its origin is from under the kidneys and in the uterus, coming out of the perineum, moving backwards and up the spinal column, reaching the nape and Du 16, entering the brain, going upwards to the top of the head, passing along the forehead to the nose bridge, following the 2 branches connecting the kidney channel, going downwards through the nose tip, nasolabial groove, ending in the Du 28, where all the yang channels meet. The Du channel is connected to the brain at the top and the kidneys at the bottom. The major function of the acupoints on the Du channel is they directly regulate the qi and blood of the zang and fu organs. Among the 28 acupoints of the Du channel, 24 are related to the disorders of the brain, only acupoints Du 1, Du 5, Du 7, and Du 10 do not have direct conne... |
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