The neuroprotective and neural circuit mechanisms of acupoint stimulation for cognitive impairment

Abstract

Cognitive impairment is a prevalent neurological disorder that burdens families and the healthcare system. Current conventional therapies for cognitive impairment, such as cholinesterase inhibitors and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonists, are unable to completely stop or reverse the progression of the disease. Also, these medicines may cause serious problems with the digestive system, cardiovascular system, and sleep. Clinically, stimulation of acupoints has the potential to ameliorate the common symptoms of a variety of cognitive disorders, such as memory deficit, language dysfunction, executive dysfunction, reduced ability to live independently, etc. There are common acupoint stimulation mechanisms for treating various types of cognitive impairment, but few systematic analyses of the underlying mechanisms in this domain have been performed. This study comprehensively reviewed the basic research from the last 20 years and found that acupoint stimulation can effectively improve the spatial learning and memory of animals. The common mechanism may be that acupoint stimulation protects hippocampal neurons by preventing apoptosis and scavenging toxic proteins. Additionally, acupoint stimulation has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, promoting neural regeneration, regulating synaptic plasticity, and normalizing neural circuits by restoring brain functional activity and connectivity. Acupoint stimulation also inhibits the production of amyloid β-peptide and the phosphorylation of Tau protein, suggesting that it may protect neurons by promoting correct protein folding and regulating the degradation of toxic proteins via the autophagy-lysosomal pathway. However, the benefits of acupoint stimulation still need to be further explored in more high-quality studies in the future.

The mechanistic effects of acupuncture in rodent neurodegenerative disease models: a literature review

“…For cognitive impairment, which is a frequently reported symptom caused by a variety of diseases with different phases, our review concentrated on neurodegenerative diseases, which share common pathogenesis and rehabilitation mechanisms to some degree. Previous review reported the mechanistic pathways of different interventions on acupoints, and summarized the molecular mechanisms of neuroprotective effects on cognitive deficits ( Zhang Z. et al, 2023 ). This study focused on acupuncture and electroacupuncture details, and highlighted the frequently studied acupoints and their targeted mechanistic pathways.…”

“…Acupuncture provides an adjunctive approach to the rehabilitation of neurological disorders ( Shi, 2021 ; Lu et al, 2022 ; Zhang Z. et al, 2023 ). Clinical studies have validated the neurological functional improvement effect of acupuncture in cognitive impairment ( Yang et al, 2019 ) and movement disorders.…”

Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy for cognitive impairment: the microbiome–gut–brain axis and its role

“…In murine models for vascular dementia (VaD), it has been identified that EA could improve cognitive impairment by improving the proliferation of hippocampal neuro-stem cells (NSCs) to repair neurons and improve brain function ( Ahn et al, 2016 ). In addition, studies have indicated that acupoint stimulation has the potential to protect hippocampal neurons by preventing apoptosis, scavenging toxic proteins, and inhibiting the production of amyloid β-peptide and the phosphorylation of Tau protein ( Zhang et al, 2023 ).…”

Effectiveness of Acupoint Therapy on Swallowing Ability among Patients with Post-Stroke Dysphagia

“…One of them is that stroke patients who undergo acupoint therapy will experience an increase in density from dendritic spines in the hypocampus region of the brain (Wang et al, 2020). In addition, acupoint therapy can increase the expression of cell division cycle 42, ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1, and F-actin proteins in the family of RhoGTPase, which function actively in the formation of cytoscoltonians from dendritic synaptics present in brain neurons (Zhang et al, 2023). Therefore, based on assumptions from the results of the study and the concept of theory and the results of previous research, it is concluded that this intervention is very effective in restoring motor function, especially swallowing disorders, in post-stroke patients with dysphagia.…”