The efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with language training for motor aphasia after stroke: study protocol for a multicenter randomized sham-controlled trial

Abstract

Background Motor aphasia after stroke is a common and intractable complication of stroke. Acupuncture and language training may be an alternative and effective approach. However, the efficacy of acupuncture and language training for motor aphasia after stroke has not been confirmed. The main objectives of this trial are to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture and low-intensity, low-dose language training in treating ischemic motor aphasia after stroke from 15 to 90 days. Methods This is a multicenter randomized sham-controlled clinical trial. We will allocate 252 subjects aged between 45 and 75 years diagnosed with motor aphasia after stroke with an onset time ranging from 15 to 90 days into two groups randomly in a 1:1 ratio. Patients in the experimental group will be treated with “Xing-Nao Kai-Qiao” acupuncture therapy plus language training, and those in the control group will be treated with sham-acupoint (1 cun next to the acupoints) acupuncture therapy plus language training. All the patients will be given acupuncture and language training for 6 weeks, with a follow-up evaluation 6 weeks after the end of the treatment and 6 months after the onset time. The patients will mainly be evaluated using the Western Aphasia Battery and Chinese Functional Communication Profile, and the incidence of treatment-related adverse events at the 2nd, 4th, and 6th weeks of treatment will be recorded. The baseline characteristics of the patients will be summarized by group, the chi-squared test will be used to compare categorical variables, and repeated measures of analysis of variance or a linear mixed model will be applied to analyze the changes measured at different time points. Discussion The present study is designed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of traditional acupuncture therapy and language training in ischemic motor aphasia after stroke and explore the correlation between the treatment time and clinical effect of acupuncture. We hope our results will help doctors understand and utilize acupuncture combined with language training. Trial registration ChiCTR ChiCTR1900026740. Registered on 20 October 2019

Effects of acupuncture on angiogenesis-associated factor expression in ischemic brain tissue following cerebral infarction in rats

“…Based on these results, we chose 15 Hz/2 mA as the criterion for EA in our experiments. Our previous study [11] showed that EA at DU 26 could promote the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells around the infarct area in MCAO model rats. It is consistent with the present results, confirming that EA at DU 26 can promote angiogenesis of the penumbra following cerebral infarction.…”

“…The establishment of collateral circulation following cerebral infarction includes early vasodilation (collateral circulation initiation) and subsequent angiogenesis (collateral circulation reconstruction). Cerebral infarction has been treated with acupuncture in the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine First Affiliated Hospital for more than 30 years and Xingnao Kaiqiao method has been established [11] . Because acupuncture is effective, it plays an important role in promoting collateral circulation.…”

Effect of Acupuncture vs Sham Acupuncture on Patients With Poststroke Motor Aphasia

“…The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine before participant enrollment ( Supplement 1 ). 23 We recruited outpatients from 3 tertiary hospitals in China, the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, and the Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, from October 21, 2019, to November 13, 2021. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants before randomization.…”

“…The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine before participant enrollment (Supplement 1). 23…”