Lin Bingbing, Ni Jinglei, Xiong Xiao, Zhang Lanlan, Song Jian, Wang Mengxue, Chai Linsong, Huang Yunshi, Huang Jia
College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.
National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Rehabilitation Medicine Technology, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.
Complement Ther Med. 2025 May;89:103137. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2025.103137. Epub 2025 Jan 30.
Scalp acupuncture is commonly used as a complementary treatment to improve language function in patients with post-stroke aphasia. Our objectives were to evaluate the impact of scalp acupuncture on the cerebral cortex of post-stroke aphasia patients.
This assessor-blinded, parallel-arm design, single-center, randomized clinical trial recruited 64 patients with post-stroke aphasia. They were randomly assigned to either the acupuncture group (n = 32) or the control group (n = 32). The primary outcome measure was the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) score, while the secondary outcome was the oxygenated haemoglobin (OxyHb) index, which represents cortical activity as measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). All assessments were performed at baseline and post-intervention.
The acupuncture group showed significant improvements in WAB subscales (Spontaneous Speech, Comprehension, Repetition, Naming, and AQ) with all changes statistically significant (P < 0.001). The acupuncture group also showed higher OxyHb indices in the left frontopolar area, left fusiform gyrus, and left pars opercularis (P < 0.05). Additionally, OxyHb D-values were significantly greater in the left frontopolar area and right superior temporal gyrus (P < 0.05) compared to the control group. Among non-global aphasia patients, acupuncture improved comprehension and naming tasks, with lower OxyHb in the right visual association cortex and angular gyrus (P < 0.05). In global aphasia patients, improvements were seen in the AQ and Repetition scores, with higher OxyHb in the right inferior prefrontal gyrus (P < 0.05).
Adjuvant scalp acupuncture enhances the effectiveness of speech-language therapy in treating repetition and naming impairments in patients with post-stroke aphasia. Additionally, it may modulate cortical activation in the left frontopolar area, left fusiform gyrus, left pars opercularis, and right superior temporal gyrus, and induces different cortical alteration patterns in global and non-global aphasia.
头皮针疗法通常作为一种辅助治疗手段，用于改善中风后失语症患者的语言功能。我们的目的是评估头皮针疗法对中风后失语症患者大脑皮层的影响。
这项评估者盲法、平行组设计、单中心随机临床试验招募了64例中风后失语症患者。他们被随机分为针刺组（n = 32）或对照组（n = 32）。主要结局指标是西方失语症成套测验（WAB）评分，次要结局是氧合血红蛋白（OxyHb）指数，该指数通过功能近红外光谱（fNIRS）测量来代表皮层活动。所有评估均在基线和干预后进行。
针刺组在WAB分量表（自发言语、理解、复述、命名和失语商数）方面有显著改善，所有变化均具有统计学意义（P < 0.001）。针刺组在左侧额极区、左侧梭状回和左侧岛盖部也显示出较高的OxyHb指数（P < 0.05）。此外，与对照组相比，左侧额极区和右侧颞上回的OxyHb D值显著更高（P < 0.05）。在非完全性失语症患者中，针刺改善了理解和命名任务，右侧视觉联合皮层和角回的OxyHb降低（P < 0.05）。在完全性失语症患者中，失语商数和复述评分有所改善，右侧额下回的OxyHb升高（P < 0.05）。
辅助头皮针疗法可提高言语语言治疗对中风后失语症患者复述和命名障碍的治疗效果。此外，它可能调节左侧额极区、左侧梭状回、左侧岛盖部和右侧颞上回的皮层激活，并在完全性和非完全性失语症中诱导不同的皮层改变模式。
