Influence of acupuncture on cognitive function and markers of oxidative DNA damage in patients with vascular dementia

• Published in: Journal of traditional Chinese medicine 2012-06, Vol.32 (2), p.199-202
• Main Author: 石广霞 刘存志 李倩倩 朱虹 王麟鹏
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acupuncture Therapy; Cognition; Dementia, Vascular - psychology; Dementia, Vascular - therapy; Dementia, Vascular - urine; Deoxyguanosine - analogs & derivatives; Deoxyguanosine - urine; DNA Damage; DNA氧化损伤; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Humans; Oxidation-Reduction; Quality of Life; 患者; 标志物; 生活质量; 血管性痴呆; 认知功能; 酶联免疫吸附试验; 针灸
• ISSN: 0255-2922
• DOI: 10.1016/S0254-6272(13)60011-4

OBJECTIVE：To test the influence of acupuncture on cognitive function and a marker of oxidative DNA damage in patients with vascular dementia（VD）.METHODS：Sixteen VD patients were evaluated before and after acupuncture,using the Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination-Revised（MMSE-R） to assess cognitive function,and the ADL-R scale to assess independence in activities of daily living（ADL）.Life quality was evaluated using the DEMQOL（Dementia quality of life questionnaire） questionnaire,and syndromes and expression of vascular dementia were evaluated with the Scale for the Differentiation of Syndromes of Vascular Dementia（SDSVD）.In addition,the urine concentration of 8-hydroxy-2＇-deoxyguanosine（8-OHdG）-a marker of oxidative damage-was quantified with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS：The MMSE-R and DEMQOL scores were higher after acupuncture than before（P〈0.05）,while there were no obvious differences in the ADL-R or SDSVD scores（P〉0.05）.The 8-OHdG content in urine significantly decreased after acupuncture（P〈0.05）.CONCLUSION：Acupuncture reduces the levels of 8-OHdG and improves cognitive function and quality of life in VD patients,suggesting that acupuncture is beneficial at least in part by preventing oxidative damage.