Effect of Electroacupuncture Stimulation at Acupoints of the Heart Meridian on Cognitive Function in Vascular Dementia Patients

Background: This study aims to investigate the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture stimulation at acupoints of the heart meridian on vascular dementia (VD). Methods: A total of 120 VD patients were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups: The observation group, in which patients were treated with electroacupuncture stimulation; The control group, in which the patients were treated with oral medicine. Cognitive function was assessed by using the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE), Activity of Daily Living (ADL) and functional activities questionnaire (FAQ). Results: The total effective rate was 75% in the observation group and 73.33% in the control group, and the difference between these two groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05). After treatment, the MMSE, ADL and FAQ scores in these two groups significantly improved, when compared to scores before treatment (P<0.01). After treatment, the differences in MMSE, ADL and FAQ scores between these two groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: Electroacupuncture stimulation at acupoints of the heart meridian has a definite effect in improving the cognitive function of VD patients.