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Efficacy of Acupuncture Combined with Local Anesthesia in Ischemic Stroke Patients with Carotid Artery Stenting: A Prospective Randomized Trial

  • Acupuncture Research
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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of electro-acupuncture (EA) or transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on perioperative cerebral blood flow (CBF) and neurological function in ischemic stroke (IS) patients undergoing carotid artery stenting (CAS).

Methods

In total, 124 consecutive IS patients were randomly allocated to the EA, TEAS, and sham groups (groups A, T, and S; 41, 42, and 41 cases, respectively) by software-derived random-number sequence. Groups A and T received EA and TEAS, respectively, at the Shuigou (GV 26) and Baihui (GV 20), Hegu (LI4) and Waiguan (TE 5) acupoints. Group S received sham EA. The stimulation was started from 30 min before surgery until the end of the operation. The primary outcome was the CBF at 30 min after surgery, which was measured by transcranial Doppler sonography. The secondary outcomes included hyperperfusion incidence and neurological function. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and General Evaluation Scale (GES) scores were recorded at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively.

Results

Mean CBF velocity at 30 min after surgery in groups A and T was much lower than that in Group S (P < 0.05); the incidence of hyperperfusion in Groups A and T was also lower than that in group S (P <0.05). Acupuncture was an independent factor associated with reduced incidence of hyperperfusion (OR=0.042; 95% CI: 0.002–0.785; =0.034). NIHSS and GES scores improved significantly at 1 week postoperatively in Groups A and T than in Group S (P < 0.05). Relative to Group S, groups A and T exhibited significantly lower incidences of moderate pain, as well as higher incidences of satisfaction with anesthesia, at 1 day postoperatively (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

EA or TEAS administered in combination with local anesthesia during CAS can inhibit transient increases in CBF, reduce the incidence of postoperative hyperperfusion, and improve neurological function. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IOR-15007447)

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Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

Zhao CM and Xiong W prepared the manuscript and implemented anesthesia. Jia CR performed acupuncture manipulation. Xie SN assisted in data collection and performed statistical analyses. An LX designed the study, interpreted the data, and revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Li-xin An.

Additional information

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests. The funding agent played no role in study design, data collection, or data analyses.

Supported by the Beijing Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Development Fund (No. JJ2014-04)

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Xiong, W., Zhao, Cm., An, Lx. et al. Efficacy of Acupuncture Combined with Local Anesthesia in Ischemic Stroke Patients with Carotid Artery Stenting: A Prospective Randomized Trial. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 26, 609–616 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-019-3174-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-019-3174-8

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