Acupuncture for vascular mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials.
Item
Title
Acupuncture for vascular mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials.
Journal Publication
Date
2013
volume
31(4)
pages
368-374
Research Type
Systematic Review
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Vascular mild cognitive impairment (VMCI) is the most common type of vascular cognitive impairment induced by cerebrovascular disease. No effective medicines are currently available for VMCI. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for VMCI. METHODS: Seven electronic databases were searched for randomised controlled trials which investigated the effects of acupuncture compared with no treatment, placebo or conventional therapies on cognitive function or other clinical outcomes in patients with VMCI. The quality of the trials selected was evaluated according to the 'risk of bias' assessment provided by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. RevMan V.5.1 software was employed for data analysis. RESULTS: Twelve trials with 691 participants were included. The methodological quality of all included trials was unclear and/or they had a high risk of bias. Meta-analysis showed acupuncture in conjunction with other therapies could significantly improve Mini-Mental State Examination scores (mean difference 1.99, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.88, random model, p<0.0001, 6 trials). No included trials mentioned any adverse events of the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The current clinical evidence is not of sufficient quality for wider application of acupuncture to be recommended for the treatment of VMCI, and further large, rigorously designed trials are warranted.
doi
10.1136/acupmed-2013-010363
View on Pubmed
has health condition studied
Mental Disorders
has study population number
0