AUTHOR=Bai Lin , Cheng Hongliang , Hu Peijia , Wang Qingqing , Shilin Zhang , Shen Zhiqiang , Xu Fangyuan , Su Xingxing , Zhang Yiting 

TITLE=Effect of acupuncture on post-stroke dysphagia: a randomized controlled trial

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2024.1391226

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2024.1391226

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Introduction</title><p>Post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) is associated with various complications that increase morbidity and mortality rates. Acupuncture has been used extensively in China to treat these complications; however, its therapeutic efficacy remains uncertain. We therefore aimed to study the clinical effects of acupuncture on PSD.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>Patients (<italic>n</italic> = 101) were randomly divided into acupuncture (<italic>n</italic> = 50) and rehabilitation training control (<italic>n</italic> = 51) groups based on the treatment used. Both groups were treated once daily, 6 days a week, for a total of 4 weeks. Pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) and standardized swallowing assessment (SSA) were performed before the intervention, 2 weeks into treatment, after the intervention (4 weeks post-intervention), and at a 6-month follow-up (28 weeks). The levels of hemoglobin (Hb) and albumin (ALB), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) were measured before the intervention, 2 weeks into treatment, and after the intervention (4 weeks), as nutrition and swallowing function indices, respectively.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>Following the intervention, significant differences were observed between the acupuncture and control groups. The acupuncture group exhibited considerably superior enhancements in SpO2 and SSA scores at 4 weeks (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001). Moreover, this group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in Hb, ALB, 5-HT, and DA values 4 weeks post-treatment (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001). However, sex-based differences were not observed (<italic>P</italic> &gt; 0.005).</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>Acupuncture treatment can improve the swallowing function and nutritional status of patients with PSD, and increase the levels of 5-HT and DA. These findings strongly support the efficacy of acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention in patients with PSD.</p><p><bold>Clinical</bold><bold>trial registration:</bold> identifier, ChiCTR2100052201. (<ext-link xlink:href="https://www.chictr.org.cn/" ext-link-type="uri" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">https://www.chictr.org.cn/</ext-link>).</p></sec>