Tourette syndrome(TS)is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder.Acupuncture can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of TS patients.This article systematically summarized the clinical research status of acupuncture for the treatment of TS in recent years from the aspects of characteristic acupuncture methods,characteristic needles and comprehensive therapies,and put forward suggestions and prospects for systematically elaborating the peripheral-central mechanism of acupuncture for TS around the intestinal immunity and brain network mechanism in the future,so as to provide reference for optimizing clinical research and treatment.

OBJECTIVE To assess the effi-cacy and safety of acupuncture-related treat-ments for postherpetic neuralgia(PHN),identify the most effective acupuncture and related treat-ments.METHODS PubMed,Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials,Embase,Web of Science,and four Chinese databases,a clinical research registration platform,and grey literature were searched.We evaluated the risk of bias and quality in the included studies and per-formed a Bayesian multiple network meta-analy-sis.RESULTS We included 29 randomized con-trolled trials comprising 1973 patients,of which approximately 17.24%showed a high risk of bi-as.According to the Jadad scale,2,16,and 11 studies were high,medium,and low quality,respectively.The pairwise meta-analysis results revealed that the efficacy of all acupuncture-related treatments for pain relief related to PHN showed the difference was statistically significant com-pared with that of antiepileptics.The network meta-analysis results showed that pricking and cupping plus antiepileptics were the most effec-tive,followed by electroacupuncture(EA)plus antiepileptics for pain relief in patients with PHN.EA plus antiepileptics ranked the best regarding reduced Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Self-Rating Depression Scale scores in patients with PHN.No results were found regarding total response rate or quality of life among this study.Acupuncture-related treatments showed a lower incidence of adverse events than that of antiepi-leptics-related treatments.CONCLUSION Acu-puncture-related therapies may be potential treat-ment options for PHN and are relatively safe.Pricking and cupping plus antiepileptics are the most effective techniques for pain relief.EA plus antiepileptics is the best approach for improving insomnia and depression symptoms of PHN.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) external therapy for sleep disorder of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has good anti-fatigue effect and can improve sleep quality of patients. The treatment for sleep disorders of CFS with TCM external treatment mainly adopts acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, TCM bath, transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation and auricular point sticking, etc., or alone, or comprehensive application, or combined with oral Chinese materia medica. The appropriate treatment method can be selected according to the patients' condition and compliance, which reflects the unique advantages of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment and the treatment according to people and time. The existing research still needs to further form a standardized and recognized diagnosis and treatment system, so as to better guide clinical popularization and application.

Acupuncture at Baliao points for urinary incontinence has the advantages of obvious therapeutic effect, simple operation and few complications, which is mainly used for the treatment of urinary incontinence after stroke, urinary incontinence after spinal cord injury, stress urinary incontinence and urinary incontinence of bladder overactivity, etc. Urinary incontinence after stroke and spinal cord injury is a complication of disease, most of which are combined with acupuncture at Baliao points on the basis of primary disease treatment. The bladder meridian of foot-Taiyang has the characteristics of "entering the collateral brain" and "carrying spine to the waist". Baliao points can conduct induction along the bladder meridian to the sick site along the bladder meridian, and can play a certain therapeutic role in the treatment of the primary disease. Stress urinary incontinence and urinary incontinence of bladder overactivity can be regarded as independent diseases. Since Baliao points are located in the lumbosacral region which is close to the bladder, acupuncture can play a role in the near treatment of acupoints, improve the operation of bladder qi and blood, and the curative effect has a cumulative effect.

The treatment rules of point selection and treatment principles for treating chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) can be divided into three categories: regulating and replenishing, invigorating original yang and regulating zang-fu organs. The mechanism of moxibustion includes improving gut microbiota imbalance, regulating immune cell imbalance and correcting endocrine dysfunction. The moxibustion methods include ginger-partitioned moxibustion, thunder-fire moxibustion, warm acupuncture, and governor moxibustion. Acupuncture points such as Shenque (RN8), Guanyuan (RN4), Qihai (RN6), Zusanli (ST36), Baihui (DU20), Yongquan (KI1) and back-shu points are often selected to exert anti-chronic fatigue effects.

Heilongjiang Province has unique geographical environment, which makes the difference in population morbidity. This paper summarizes the physiological and pathological characteristics of stroke in Longjiang area from the regional factors and dietary factors. The paper also summarizes the treatment thoughts of acupuncture and moxibustion doctors in Longjiang area, mainly including five aspects: Knowing all diseases but treating the essence one, combining theory and practice, combining Chinese and western medicine, combining acupuncture and Chinese medicine, preventing diseases through learning and observing tiny clues. This article aims to summarize the experience of Longjiang acupuncture scholars and enriches the medical connotation of Longjiang area.

Objective: To observe the impact of mind-regulating acupuncture plus donepezil on the cognitive ability, mean cerebral blood flow velocity, event-related potential P300, and activities of daily living (ADL) in the aged patients with Alzheimer disease (AD).Methods: Sixty senile AD patients were divided into a treatment group and a control group following the envelope method for random allocation, with 30 cases in each group. Based on the conventional treatment of the internal medicine, the control group received oral donepezil, and the treatment group received oral donepezil plus mind-regulating acupuncture. After 4-week treatment, the two groups were evaluated by the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Alzheimer disease assessment scale-cognitive part (ADAS-Cog), and ADL; changes in P300 and the mean cerebral blood flow velocity were also observed.Results: Before treatment, there were no significant differences in the scores of MMSE, ADAS-Cog, or ADL between the two groups (P>0.05). The MMSE score increased after treatment in both groups and was notably higher in the treatment group than in the control group, showing intra-group and inter-group statistical significance (P<0.05). After treatment, the ADAS-Cog and ADL scores dropped in both groups and were markedly lower in the treatment group than in the control group, also showing intra-group and inter-group statistical significance (P<0.05). Compared with the same group before treatment, the latency of P300 was shortened and the amplitude was extended in both groups, all with statistical significance (P<0.05); the latency was shorter and the amplitude was larger in the treatment group than in the control group after treatment, presenting significant between-group differences (P<0.05). The mean blood flow velocity accelerated after the intervention in both groups, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05); the improvement in the treatment group was more notable than that in the control group (P<0.05).Conclusion: Mind-regulating acupuncture plus donepezil can regulate the latency and amplitude of P300, increase cerebral blood flow, and improve the learning and memory abilities of AD patients.

This paper reviews the clinical research of electroacupuncture in the treatment of dysphagia after stroke. It is found that electroacupuncture is widely used in the treatment of this disease, either alone, or in combination with rehabilitation training, dysphagia therapeutic apparatus, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, transcranial direct current electrical stimulation, transcranial repeated magnetic stimulation, pricking and bloodletting, auricular point sticking, etc. At present, many methods are used to evaluate the clinical effect, such as water swallow test, video fluoroscopic swallowing study, standard swallowing function evaluation, swallowing disorder evaluation, etc. And electroacupuncture based therapy can effectively improve the swallowing ability of stroke patients.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect on post-stroke insomnia between the repetitive transcranial acupuncture stimulation (rTAS) and the conventional western medication in the patients and to explore the mechanism. METHODS: Ninety patients of post-stroke insomnia were randomized into a rTAS group, a medication group and a placebo group, 30 cases in each one. In the rTAS group, patients were intervened by rTAS. The acupoints were Baihui (GV 20), Ningshen (Extra), emotion area, Wangu (GB 12), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Neiguan (PC 6), Shenmen (HT 7), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zhaohai (KI 6), Zusanli (ST 36) and Taichong (LR 3). Fast twist with small amplitude was used at Baihui (GV 20) and emotion area for 2-3 min, 200-300 r/min, once 15 min. Electroacupuncture (EA) was applied at Baihui (GV 20) and Ningshen (Extra), bilateral Wangu (GB 12), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Zhaohai (KI 6) on the same side, 10 Hz, 0.5-1 mA. The treatment was given for 40 min in the rTAS group, once a day. Diazepam was prescribed orally in the medication group before sleep, 2.5 mg a day. Starch capsule was used in the placebo group before sleep, once a day. All the treatment was given for continuous 1 month. The level of serum orexin A was observed before and after treatment. The effects were compared. The recurrence rate was recorded 3 months after treatment. RESULTS: The total effective rates in the rTAS group and the medication group were 86.7% (26/30) and 90.0% (27/30) repectively after treatment, which were better than 20.0% (6/30) in the placebo group (both <0.01). After treatment, the levels of serum orexin A in the rTAS group and the medication group were lower than those before treatment (both <0.01), which were lower than that in the placebo group after treatment (both <0.01), without statistical significance between the rTAS group and the medication group after treatment (>0.05). The total effective rates in the rTAS group and the medication group were 86.7% (26/30) and 86.7% (26/30) at follow-up repectively, which were better than 16.7% (5/30) in the placebo group (both <0.01). CONCLUSION The rTAS is safe and effective for post-stroke insomnia, which is similar to oral medication of diazepam. The decreasing serum orexin A may be one of the mechanisms.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Orexins ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; therapy ; Stroke

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical efficacy differences between warming acupuncture and conventional acupuncture for diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) with syndrome of deficiency and cold coagulation, obstruction of collaterals and blood stasis.

METHODSA total of 64 patients were randomly divided into a warming acupuncture group and a conventional acupuncture group, 32 cases in each one. Based on basic treatment of blood glucose regulation, warming acupuncture was applied at Pishu (BL 20), Shenshu (BL 23), Guanyuanshu (BL 26), Zusanli (ST 36), Chongyang (ST 42), Quchi (LI 11) and Hegu (LI 4) in the warming acupuncture group, while acupuncture was applied at the identical acupoints in the conventional acupuncture group. Both the treatments were given once a day with an interval of one day every six days; totally the treatment was given for 4 weeks. The TCM symptom score, Toronto clinical scoring system (TCSS) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) before and after treatment were compared in the two groups.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the TCM symptom scores in the two groups were significantly reduced (both <0.01); the improvement of TCM symptom in the warming acupuncture group was superior to that in the conventional acupuncture group (<0.05). After treatment, the TCSS scores in the two groups were significantly reduced (both <0.01); the TCSS score in the warming acupuncture group was significantly lower than that in the conventional acupuncture group (<0.05). After treatment, the NCV of motor nerve of tibial nerve and nervus peroneus communis, as well as sensory nerve of tibial nerve and sural nerve was improved in the warming acupuncture group (all <0.05), while only the NCV of motor nerve and sensory nerve of tibial nerve was improved in the conventional acupuncture group (both <0.05); there were no significant difference between the two groups (all >0.05).

CONCLUSIONWarming acupuncture and conventional acupuncture could both increase TCM symptom score, improve NCV in patients of DPN with syndrome of deficiency and cold coagulation, obstruction of collaterals and blood stasis; warming acupuncture has advantage in symptom improvement.