Effects of scalp acupuncture combined with rehabilitation training on brain functional connectivity in pa-tients with motor dysfunction after stroke
10.3969/j.issn.1001-1242.2025.03.009
- VernacularTitle:头针结合康复训练对脑卒中运动功能障碍患者脑功能连接的影响
- Author:
Zeyu LI
1
;
Jian PEI
;
Yijun ZHAN
Author Information
1. 同济大学附属同济医院针推伤科,上海市,200065
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
stroke;
motor dysfunction;
acupuncture;
functional magnetic resonance imaging;
functional connectivity
- From:
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
2025;40(3):375-381
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To compare the effects of scalp acupuncture combined with rehabilitation therapy and rehabilitation therapy alone on the brain functional connectivity(FC)in patients with post-stroke motor dysfunction.Method:Forty patients with post-stroke motor dysfunction were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group,with 20 patients in each group.Both groups received routine rehabilitation therapy,with the treatment group receiving additionally scalp acupuncture therapy.Functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)scans were performed on all patients before and after treatment,with the affected side primary motor cortex(M1)as the region of interest(ROI)to observe the FC between the Ml and other brain regions.Result:In the treatment group,FC was enhanced between the orbital inferior frontal gyrus,orbital middle frontal gyrus,right middle frontal gyrus,bilateral medial superior frontal gyri,and Ml;conversely,FC be-tween the right inferior temporal gyrus and Ml was reduced(FWE corrected,P＜0.05,cluster size＞59).In the control group,FC between the left triangular part of the inferior frontal gyrus and Ml was enhanced.Af-ter treatment,both groups showed a significant increase in Fugl-Meyer scores compared to pre-treatment,with the treatment group scoring higher than the control group(P＜0.01).In the treatment group,changes in FC be-fore and after treatment were moderately and significantly correlated with improvements in Fugl-Meyer scores(P＜0.05).Additionally,changes in FC of the bilateral medial superior frontal gyri before and after treatment were significantly positively correlated with changes in upper limb Fugl-Meyer scores(P＜0.05)in the treatment group.Conclusion:Scalp acupuncture combined with rehabilitation therapy can enhance the functional connectivity be-tween the frontal lobe and the affected side Ml,and the functional connectivity of the bilateral medial superi-or frontal gyri is associated with the recovery of upper limb function in patients with post-stroke motor dys-function.
