Acupuncture may improve language function in people with motor aphasia after stroke, according to a study published online January 22. JAMA Network Open.
Bokshuang Li and colleagues from the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China, investigated the effects of acupuncture on language function, neurological function, and quality of life in patients with post-stroke motor aphasia. The analysis included 252 adult patients with post-stroke motor aphasia (October 21, 2019 to November 13, 2021) who were randomly assigned to receive 6 weeks of manual acupuncture or sham acupuncture.
The researchers found that compared with sham treatment, the manual acupuncture group experienced significant increases in the Western Aphasia Examination Aphasia Quotient (AQ) (difference, 7.99 points) and Chinese Functional Communication Profile (CFCP) scores (difference, 23.51 points) at week 6. These significant improvements persisted at 6-month follow-up (AQ: difference, 10.34; CFCP: difference, 27.43).
“The study results confirmed that the main symptom affected by acupuncture was post-stroke motor aphasia, suggesting that acupuncture may be useful as an adjunctive treatment for patients with post-stroke motor aphasia,” the authors wrote. “Furthermore, the clinical efficacy and safety results provide evidence for policymakers, clinicians, and patients regarding the management of post-stroke aphasia with acupuncture.”
For more information:
Boxuan Li et al., Effects of acupuncture versus sham acupuncture on patients with post-stroke motor aphasia, JAMA Network Open (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.52580
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