[Clinical observation on catgut implantation at acupoint for treatment of Alzheimer's disease].
OBJECTIVE
To observe clinical therapeutic effect of catgut implantation at acupoint on Alzheimer's disease (AD).


METHODS
Twenty-six cases with mild-moderate AD were divided into an acupoint catgut implantation group and a control group by sample-paired method. The acupoint catgut implantation group were treated with cat-gut implantation at Shenmen (HT 7), Zusanli (ST 36), Fenglong (ST 40) and Taixi (KI 3), and the control group with the same manipulation at the same acupoints with no catgut implanted, once each month, for 6 months. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Activity of Daily Living (ADL) and Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Section (ADAS-Cog) scores were recorded before and after treatment and analyzed statistically.


RESULTS
After treatment, the score of MMSE significantly increased (P < 0.01), the score of ADAS-Cog significantly decreased (P < 0.01) and the score of ADL did not significantly change in the acupoint catgut implantation group; compared with the control group, the score of MMSE in the acupoint catgut implantation significantly increased (P < 0.01), the score of ADAS-Cog significantly decreased (P < 0.05) and the score of ADL did not significantly change in the acupoint catgut implantation.


CONCLUSIONS
Acupoint catgut implantation therapy increases cognitive function of the patient of AD, which provides a new therapeutic method for aged AD.
Zhou
You-long
YL
Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China.
Jia
Jian-ping
JP
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D002398:Catgut; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged