Moxibustion for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease A protocol for a systematic reviews and meta-analysis

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) occurs in the elderly and the early stage of aging, with early clinical manifestations of memory impairment, cognitive impairment, behavioral change and decline in language function, etc., and eventually loss of the ability to live independently, requiring 24-hour care, and a variety of complications. However, these complications are the direct cause of death in AD patients. With the acceleration of the aging process of society, the incidence of AD is increasing year by year, seriously threatening the physical health and quality of life of the elderly. There are many ways to treat AD, however, moxibustion is especially popular in China. Therefore, our systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of moxibustion in the treatment of ADand to provide reliable evidence for clinical decision-makers. Methods: We will search electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database (WF), and China Scientific Journals Database (VIP) from inception to January 2021. Two authors will independently screen the studies, extract data information, and assess methodological quality through the Cochrane risk of bias (ROB) tool. The RevmanV.5.3 software will be used for statistical analysis. Results: The results of this study will evaluate the current status of moxibustion therapy for AD, aiming to prove the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion therapy, and will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Conclusion: This systematic review will provide a credible evidence-based for moxibustion in the treatment of AD. INPLASY Registration number: INPLASY202110021