Study on the effect of acupuncture on Alzheimer's disease

Chinese researchers investigated the effect of acupuncture treatment on Alzheimer's disease. In the course of a study, 141 test subjects were randomly divided into an acupuncture group (n = 72) and a control group (n = 69). The former received needle therapy once a day in selected acupuncture points. In order to achieve a comparison with conventional medicine, the other group was given a 5 mg tablet of donepezilorally every night. Four weeks later, the dose was increased to two tablets with a total of 10 mg donepezil per night. The Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), the ADL , the ADAS-Cog test and the Digit Span (DS) were evaluated before and after treatment. In the course of the study, acupuncture as a method for regulating Qi and promoting blood circulation proved to be suitable for improving overall function, cognition and everyday competence in Alzheimer's patients and also showed greater efficacy than donepezil therapy.