Acupuncture Boosts Cognition in Alzheimer's and Mild Cognitive Impairment

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Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD Published June 4, 2026 Medically reviewed June 4, 2026 Study authors: Chen Yifan, Zhao Shenggang, Yang Fenglei, Wang Ya, Han Zhenxiang, Han Fang, Wang Zhiqun, Chen Zhenbo… PubMed ↗ DOI ↗ By Dr. Ji-eun Park, MD · Brain, Mind & Pain

Key Takeaway

Acupuncture, alone or combined with Western medicine, significantly improves cognitive function in AD and MCI, though heterogeneity warrants cautious interpretation.

A comprehensive meta-analysis involving 3362 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) evaluated the effects of acupuncture on overall cognitive function. The analysis compared acupuncture alone versus blank or placebo controls, acupuncture alone versus Western medicine alone, and acupuncture combined with Western medicine versus Western medicine alone.

Results showed that acupuncture alone significantly outperformed blank or placebo controls (effect size 1.09, 95% CI [0.60, 1.58], p < 0.001) and was superior to Western medicine alone (effect size 0.45, 95% CI [0.22, 0.67], p < 0.001). The combination of acupuncture with Western medicine also yielded greater cognitive improvement than Western medicine alone (effect size 1.18, 95% CI [0.92, 1.44], p < 0.001).

Moderator analysis revealed that the combined therapy had a larger effect in AD patients compared to MCI patients (effect size 10.20, p = 0.001). No significant differences were found between manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture, whether used alone or combined with Western medicine.

Despite these promising findings, the authors caution that the results must be interpreted with care due to high heterogeneity and variable methodological quality across included studies. Acupuncture may serve as an adjuvant to Western medicine or as an alternative when Western medicine is contraindicated, but further rigorous research is needed.

Study Details

Study typeMeta analysis

EvidenceLevel 1

PublishedJun 2026

PMID41949488

View Original Abstract ↓

BackgroundAlzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) cause progressive cognitive decline, with Western medicine only alleviating symptoms at present. Acupuncture shows potential for these disorders, but existing studies have inconsistent results.ObjectiveTo examine the effect of acupuncture on overall cognitive function in patients with AD and MCI via meta-analysis.MethodLiterature from six databases on acupuncture, AD, and MCI was searched. Meta-analyses and moderator analyses were performed using Comprehensive Meta Analysis V3.0.Results52 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 3362 AD/MCI patients were included. Results showed that acupuncture alone outperformed blank or placebos (=1.09, 95% CI = [0.60, 1.58], p < 0.001, = 91.39%). In addition, acupuncture alone ( = 0.45, 95% CI = [0.22, 0.67], p < 0.001, = 69.38%) and combined with Western medicine ( = 1.18, 95% CI = [0.92, 1.44], p < 0.001, = 90.73%) were superior to Western medicine alone. Moderator analysis revealed significant effect of type of patients, showing larger effect in AD than MCI in acupuncture combined with Western medicine ( = 10.20, p = 0.001). Regarding types of acupuncture, manual acupuncture (MA) and electroacupuncture (EA) showed no significant difference between them (alone: = 0.38, p = 0.536; combined with Western medicine: = 0.57, p = 0.449) and both outperformed Western medicine alone.ConclusionsAcupuncture could improve overall cognitive function in AD and MCI, with similar effects between MA and EA. Due to the heterogeneity and variable methodological quality of the studies included, our results must be interpreted with caution. Still, these results suggest acupuncture may be an adjuvant to Western medicine for eligible patients and a potential alternative for short-term cognitive improvement when Western medicine is contraindicated.