Objective: This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture on cognitive impairment (function) after a stroke. Design: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing acupuncture with no acupuncture in addition to medicine or rehabilitation were identified from databases (PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Chinese Periodical Database, Wangfang Chinese Periodical Database, Chinese Bio-medicine Database, Cochrane Library, and Chinese medical literature databases) and two relevant journals (Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion and the Journal of Shanghai Acupuncture and Moxibustion). Meta-analyses were conducted for the eligible RCTs. Results: Twenty-one trials with a total of 1421 patients met inclusion criteria. Pooled random-effects estimates of the change in the Mini-Mental State Examination were calculated for the comparison of acupuncture with no acupuncture in addition to medicine or rehabilitation. Following 4 weeks and 8 weeks of intervention with acupuncture, the merged mean difference was 3.14 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.06-4.21; p < .00001) and 2.03 (95% CI, 0.26-3.80; p = 0.02), respectively. For the comparison of 3-4 weeks of acupuncture with no acupuncture in addition to medicine or rehabilitation groups, the merged MD in Neurobehavioral Cognitive State Examination total scores was 5.63 (95% CI, 3.95-7.31; p < .00001). For the comparison of 8-12 weeks of acupuncture with no acupuncture in addition to medicine or rehabilitation groups, the P300 latency merged MD was -12.80 (95% CI, -21.08 to -4.51; p < .00001), while the P300 amplitude merged MD was 1.38 (95% CI, 0.93-1.82; p < .00001). Overall, the study quality was rated as moderate on the basis of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (part 2: 8.5). Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests that acupuncture had positive effects on cognitive function after stroke and supports the need for additional research on the potential benefits of this therapeutic approach.

The findings suggested that acupoint massage is an effective intervention for maintaining cognitive functions in older adults.

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Background Post‐stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) imposes a huge burden on patients and society as a whole; however, unequivocally effective treatments for PSCI are still lacking. Therefore, the exploration of effective and safe non‐pharmacological treatment modalities for PSCI is a key imperative. Moxibustion has been widely used for cognitive rehabilitation; however, there is a paucity of systematic reviews of the available evidence. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the effectiveness of moxibustion for treatment of PSCI to provide evidence base for the treatment of PSCI with moxibustion. Objective To evaluate the efficacy of moxibustion in improving cognitive function and activities of daily living (ADLs) in patients with PSCI. Design Systematic review and meta‐analysis of RCTs. Participants Patients with a clinical diagnosis of PSCI. Review Methods Relevant studies published in English or Chinese were retrieved from ten databases until December 2021. RCTs that assessed the efficacy of moxibustion on cognitive functioning and ADL in patients with PSCI were included. Two reviewers independently identified the trials and extracted the data. Risk‐of‐bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Cochrane's Review Manager (RevMan 5.4) software was used for the meta‐analysis. Results Eighteen RCTs (1290 participants) qualified the inclusion criteria and were included. Compared with the control group, the addition of moxibustion significantly improved the cognitive function, evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) [pooled mean difference (MD): 2.27, 95% CI: 1.98, 2.55, I2 = 22%]. The pooled MD of Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) score was 1.85 (95% CI: 1.56, 2.15, I2 = 26%), and the pooled odds ratios (OR) total effective rate was 4.74 (95% CI: 2.55, 8.80, I2 = 0%) (p < 0.05 for all). Moxibustion also significantly improved ADL, assessed using Modified Barthel Index (MBI) (pooled MD = 4.10, 95% CI: 2.10 to 6.10, I2 = 0%) and Barthel Index (pooled MD: 8.63, 95% CI: 7.47, 9.79, I2 = 5%) (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusions Compared with control group, the addition of moxibustion significantly improved the cognition and ADL of patients with PSCI. Clinical Relevance Nurses can incorporate moxibustion into the rehabilitation nursing of PSCI.

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