Better outcomes for acupuncture versus nimodipine, with greater rates of clinical efficacy, MMSE scores
FRIDAY, Aug. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Acupuncture seems to be effective for amnestic mild cognitive impairment (AMCI), according to a meta-analysis published online Aug. 4 in Acupuncture in Medicine.
Min Deng, from the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, and Xu-Feng Wang, from the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, both in China, conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of acupuncture versus medical treatment for AMCI. Data were included for five trials with 568 subjects.
The researchers found that, compared to those receiving nimodipine, participants receiving acupuncture had better outcomes, with greater clinical efficacy rates (odds ratio, 1.78), mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores (mean difference, 0.99), and picture recognition score (mean difference, 2.12) (all P < 0.01). Compared with nimodipine alone, acupuncture in conjunction with nimodipine correlated with significantly improved MMSE scores (mean difference, 1.09; P < 0.01). Adverse events were reported in three trials. The methodological quality of the studies was generally poor.
“Acupuncture appears effective for AMCI when used as an alternative or adjunctive treatment; however, caution must be exercised given the low methodological quality of included trials,” the authors write. “Further, more rigorously designed studies are needed.”
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