Preliminary Study On Moxibustion Of Mild Cognitive Impairment In Hippocampal Functional Connection

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of moxibustion in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment and its effect on hippocampal functional connectivity,to explore the mechanism of action of moxa in the treatment ofMCI.Methods: A total of 140 subjects who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled,including 70 cases of mild cognitive impairment(MCI)and 70 cases of normal control group(NC).The MCI group was divided into the moxibustion group and the drug group according to the random number table.The moxibustion group was treated with moxibustion GV20,CV4,ST36,GB39 treatment,3 strong/cube,cure once every other day,15 times for one course of treatment,a total of two courses of treatment.The drug group was treated with oral donepezil tablets,5 mg each time,one time before going to bed every night,30 days for one course of treatment,a total of two courses.The changes of the Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE),the Montreal Cognitive Assessment(Mo CA)and the hippocampal functional connection before and after treatment in the MCI group were observed.Results:(1)The scores of MMSE and MoCA scales in the moxibustion and drug group were lower than those in the NC group(P<0.05).The scores of the MMSE and Mo CA scales after treatment in the moxibustion and drug group were better than those before treatment,the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).It was considered that the moxibustion group and the drug group could improve the cognitive function ofMCI patients.There was no significant difference between the two groups in the MMSE and Mo CA scales after treatment(P>0.05).The overall efficacy of the moxibustion and drug group was comparable;(2)Before treatment,the functional connection between the bilateral hippocampus and the right medial prefrontal cortex in the MCI group was lower than that in the NC group;The functional connection between the bilateral hippocampus and the right temporal lobe was enhanced after treatment in the moxibustion group.The functional connection between the bilateral hippocampus and the left insula was enhanced after treatment in the drug group.Conclusions:(1)Moxibustion as a safe and simple treatment can effectively improve the cognitive function ofMCI patients;(2)Cognitive decline in MCI patients may be due to the decreased functional connection between hippocampus and right medial prefrontal lobe;(3)Preliminary exploration of the mechanism of moxibustion treatment ofMCI,suggesting that moxibustion GV20,CV4,ST36 and GB39 may function to enhance the functional connection of hippocampus and right temporal lobe.To achieve the clinical efficacy of improving cognitive function,the oral administration of donepezil tablets in the drug group may be functionally compensated by enhancing the functional connection between the hippocampus and the left insula,thereby improving cognitive function.