Abstract:

Objective

To observe the intervention effects and changes on hemodynamic parameters in cerebral infarction patients treated with (consciousness-restoring resuscitation) acupuncture.

Methods

Thirty patients selected in the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)from January 2015 to October were treated with consciousness-restoring resuscitation acupuncture for four weeks. The efficacy was observed before and after treatment. The two-way analysis of variance of randomized block design was used to compare changes of the U.S. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS)and Barthel index (BI) were evaluated in patients before and after treatment. The paired t-test was used to compare changes of hemodynamic parameters middle cerebral artery (MCA), the internal segment of carotid artery (ICA) and the terminal segment of the basilar artery, systolic flow velocity (Vs), diastolic flow velocity(Vd), mean velocity (Vm), pulse index (PI) and resistance index (RI).

Results

(1) The Chinese medicine symptom score was significantly changed from (15.10 ± 4.98) points to (9.67 ± 3.76) points in cerebral infarction patients after treatment with consciousness-restoring resuscitation acupuncture for two weeks(q=16.61,P＜0.05). The NIHSS scores and BI were significantly changed from[(7.53±2.43),(48.13±14.26)]points to[(6.50±2.40),(50.00±17.61)] points in cerebral infarction patients after treatment with consciousness-restoring resuscitation acupuncture for two weeks (q=16.97 and 18.49,P＜0.05).After 4-week treatment, The Chinese medicine symptom score ,NIHSS score and BI were[(6.77±3.05),(5.50±1.74) and(69.13±14.26) ]points, which were much better than those before treatment and two weeks after treatment,the difference was statistically significant (q=14.07、14.81、15.55，P＜0.01；q= 12.16、17.34、26.56，P＜0.01). The results showed that consciousness-restoring resuscitation acupuncture had good therapeutic effect on stroke recovery patients. (2) The VS and RI of Main cerebral artery were no significant differences before and after 4-week consciousness-restoring resuscitation acupuncture treatment.The Vd and Vm of MCA and BA was accelerated form[ (36.41±3.92)，(25.28±5.35)，(57.7±7.94)，(35.87±8.36)]cm/s to[(44.07±2.92)，(28.12±2.92)，(63.17±4.51)，(40.37±4.54)]cm/s after consciousness-restoring resuscitation acupuncture treatment, the difference was statistically significant (t=-10.043，P＜0.01；t=-3.271，P＜0.05；t=-4.097，P＜0.01；t=-3.807，P＜0.01). But the Vd and Vm had no significant differences in hemodynamic parameters except RI before and after ICA treatment (P＞0.05).The PI of MCA was declined form (0.96±0.13) to (0.80±0.02) after consciousness-restoring resuscitation acupuncture treatment, the difference was statistically significant (t=6.95,P＜0.05),and there were no significant differences in PI before and after BA and ICA treatment (P＞0.05) .

Conclusions

Consciousness-restoring resuscitation acupuncture has a good therapeutic effect on stroke recovery patients, which can effectively improve major intracranial arterial hemodynamics, accelerate diastolic flow velocity, reduce blood flow resistance index and index pulse,effectively alleviate vascular spasticity, improve blood flow, increase blood pressure and the supply of the ischemic area, and improve cerebral ischemic infarction status.

Key words: Infarction, middle cerebral artery, Hemodynamics, Consciousness-restoring resuscitation