Acupuncture frequency affects aphasia outcomes post-stroke in randomized trial

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture at Lianquan (CV23) with different frequencies of twirling manipulation on post-ischemic stroke aphasia. METHODS: A total of 105 patients with post-ischemic stroke aphasia were randomly divided into a low-frequency twirling acupuncture group (LT group, 35 cases, 1 case dropped out), a high-frequency twirling acupuncture group (HT group, 35 cases, 3 cases dropped out) and a sham acupuncture group (SA group, 35 cases, 2 cases dropped out). All three groups received conventional stroke treatment. On this basis, the LT group was treated with acupuncture (regaining consciousness and opening orifices), and low-frequency twirling stimulation (60 times/min) was performed at Lianquan (CV23); the HT group was treated with acupuncture, and high-frequency twirling stimulation (120 times/min) was performed at Lianquan (CV23); and the SA group was treated with shallow needling at non-meridian and non-acupoint points. The frequency of treatment was once a day, 5 times per week for a total of 6 weeks. Before and after treatment, the Western aphasia battery (WAB), Boston diagnostic aphasia examination (BDAE), National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) and stroke and aphasia quality of life scale-39 (SAQOL-39) were used to evaluate the language function, neurological function and quality of life, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated in the three groups. RESULTS: After treatment, except for the communication and psychosocial scores of SAQOL-39 in the SA group, the WAB scores, BDAE grade, and SAQOL-39 scores were increased compared with those before treatment (<0.05), and the NIHSS scores were decreased compared with those before treatment (<0.05) in the three groups. After treatment, except for the physiological score of SAQOL-39, the WAB scores, BDAE grade, and SAQOL-39 scores in the LT group were higher than those in the SA group (<0.05), and the NIHSS score in the LT group was lower than that in the SA group (<0.05); the WAB-aphasia quotient (WAB-AQ) score, auditory comprehension score of WAB, BDAE grade, and communication score of SAQOL-39 in the HT group were higher than those in the SA group (<0.05); the WAB-AQ score, spontaneous speech score of WAB, and communication score of SAQOL-39 in the LT group were higher than those in the HT group (<0.05), and the NIHSS score in the LT group was lower than that in the HT group (<0.05). The total clinical effective rate of the LT group was 82.35% (28/34), that of the HT group was 71.88% (23/32), and that of the SA group was 54.55% (18/33), the total clinical effective rates of the LT group and the HT group were higher than that of the SA group (<0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with the high-frequency twirling manipulation acupuncture at Lianquan (CV23), the low-frequency twirling manipulation acupuncture has a better effect in improving the language function, neurological function and quality of life in patients with post-ischemic stroke aphasia.