Cui Shuqi, Zhao Yongli, Wang Xiaowen, Huang Yingzi, Ye Jiaxi, Deng Ziyong, Li Yanjiang, Qin Hui, Wang Li, Li Yan, Wang Kaihua, Zheng Guangshan, Qin Qijing
Graduate School, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
International Zhuang Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Front Neurol. 2025 Aug 29;16:1571361. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1571361. eCollection 2025.
This systematic review aimed to synthesize current clinical evidence from randomized controlled trial (RCT) and meta-analyses on the efficacy and safety of TCM in the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease (AD).
Systematic searches across eight biomedical databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed) through October 26, 2024 yielded an evidence matrix, which was analyzed through integrated narrative-graphic synthesis.
Our analysis encompassed 187 studies (141 RCTs and 46 systematic reviews/meta-analyses), demonstrating cyclical publication growth with recent contraction. Study characteristics included sample sizes of 50-100 participants and intervention durations of 4-24 weeks. Interventions included acupuncture, herbal decoctions, and proprietary medicines. Outcomes focused on clinical efficacy, scale scores, TCM syndrome scores, and safety. While TCM demonstrated therapeutic potential, prescription heterogeneity and diagnostic ambiguity constrained specificity. Methodological quality was generally low, with few high-quality systematic reviews or meta-analyses.
While TCM shows therapeutic potential in Alzheimer's disease, methodological limitations persist. Subsequent research requires enhanced trial designs with standardized outcome metrics and rigorous bias control protocols.
本系统评价旨在综合随机对照试验（RCT）和荟萃分析中关于中医治疗阿尔茨海默病（AD）疗效和安全性的当前临床证据。
截至2024年10月26日，对八个生物医学数据库（PubMed、Embase、Web of Science、Cochrane图书馆、中国知网、万方、维普、中国生物医学文献数据库）进行系统检索，得到一个证据矩阵，并通过综合叙述性-图表合成法进行分析。
我们的分析涵盖了187项研究（141项RCT和46项系统评价/荟萃分析），显示出周期性的发表增长，最近有所收缩。研究特征包括样本量为50-100名参与者，干预持续时间为4-24周。干预措施包括针灸、中药汤剂和中成药。结果重点关注临床疗效、量表评分、中医证候评分和安全性。虽然中医显示出治疗潜力，但处方异质性和诊断模糊性限制了特异性。方法学质量普遍较低，高质量的系统评价或荟萃分析较少。
虽然中医在阿尔茨海默病中显示出治疗潜力，但方法学局限性仍然存在。后续研究需要加强试验设计，采用标准化的结局指标和严格的偏倚控制方案。
