Effects of Du Meridian Acupoint Acupuncture Combined with High-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Vascular Dementia

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Du Meridian acupoint acupuncture combined with high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) on patients with vascular dementia (VD).MethodsA total of 104 patients with VD who received inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation treatment in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation branch of Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in Hebei Province from January 2020 to January 2023 were selected and randomly divided into a control group and an observation group using a random number table method, with 52 patients in each group. The control group was treated with oral Oxiracetam capsules (0.8 g each time, twice daily). The observation group, in addition to the same drug treatment as the control group, received adjunctive treatment with Du Meridian acupoint acupuncture combined with HF-rTMS. Before and after treatment, the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (BEHAVE-AD) was used to assess patients' psychiatric and behavioral symptoms; the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale was used to assess patients' activities of daily living; the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to assess cognitive function; the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality; color Doppler ultrasound was used to measure the mean blood flow velocity of the basilar artery (BA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), and posterior cerebral artery (PCA); and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the expression levels of oxidative stress markers such as serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and lipid peroxidation (LPO). The adverse reactions in both groups during the treatment period were recorded.ResultsCompared with those before treatment, the BEHAVE-AD, ADL, and PSQI scores of both groups decreased significantly after treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05), while the MMSE scores increased significantly (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). Compared with the control group, the BEHAVE-AD, ADL, and PSQI scores in the observation group were lower after treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05), and the MMSE score was higher (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). Compared with those before treatment, the mean blood flow velocities of BA, MCA, and PCA in both groups accelerated significantly after treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). Compared with the control group, the mean blood flow velocities of BA, MCA, and PCA in the observation group were faster after treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). Compared with those before treatment, the serum TAC and SOD levels in both groups increased significantly after treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05), while the LPO levels were decreased significantly (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). Compared with the control group, the serum TAC and SOD levels in the observation group were higher after treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05), and the LPO level was lower (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). During the treatment period, there was no statistically significant difference in adverse reactions between the two groups (<italic>P</italic>&gt;0.05).ConclusionDu Meridian acupoint acupuncture combined with HF-rTMS can synergistically improve cerebral hemodynamics and reduce oxidative stress damage on patients with vascular dementia, thereby enhancing their psychobehavioral status, cognitive function, sleep quality, and activities of daily living, with good safety.