title: Tongguan Liqiao acupuncture therapy improves dysphagia after brainstem stroke.
abstract: Tongguan Liqiao acupuncture therapy has been shown to effectively treat dysphagia after stroke-based pseudobulbar paralysis. We presumed that this therapy would be effective for dysphagia after bulbar paralysis in patients with brainstem infarction. Sixty-four patients with dysphagia following brainstem infarction were recruited and divided into a medulla oblongata infarction group (n = 22), a midbrain and pons infarction group (n = 16), and a multiple cerebral infarction group (n = 26) according to their magnetic resonance imaging results. All patients received Tongguan Liqiao acupuncture for 28 days. The main acupoints were Neiguan (PC6), Renzhong (DU26), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Fengchi (GB20), Wangu (GB12), and Yifeng (SJ17). Furthermore, the posterior pharyngeal wall was pricked. Before and after treatment, patient swallowing functions were evaluated with the Kubota Water Test, Fujishima Ichiro Rating Scale, and the Standard Swallowing Assessment. The Barthel Index was also used to evaluate their quality of life. Results showed that after 28 days of treatment, scores on the Kubota Water Test and Standard Swallowing Assessment had decreased, but scores on the Fujishima Ichiro Rating Scale and Barthel Index had increased in each group. The total efficacy rate was 92.2% after treatment, and was most obvious in patients with medulla oblongata infarction (95.9%). These findings suggest that Tongguan Liqiao acupuncture therapy can repair the connection of upper motor neurons to the medulla oblongata motor nucleus, promote the recovery of brainstem infarction, and improve patient's swallowing ability and quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Ling
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Li-Na
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Song
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Min
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4580-3117
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Shi
keywords: acupoints; acupuncture; brain infarction; bulbar palsy; dysphagia; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; neurological rehabilitation; stroke; swallowing disorder; traditional Chinese medicine