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Acupuncture treatment for Alzheimer\'s Disease
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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most prevalent forms of dementia worldwide. The neuropathological changes of AD are characterized by amyloid-β plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuronal loss.1 Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the most important at-risk state of AD. It has a high probability of degenerating into AD at a rate of 10–15% per year.2 People aged over 60 usually suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, which is characterized by a lack of thinking and language skills, and also behavioral changes. The condition known as Alzheimer’s disease is usually progressive.3 Not only progressive, this condition is also irreversible. Most people begin to suffer this disease at their mid-60s.4 However, there is no effective therapy for AD and MCI. Acupuncture, a treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), remains promising as a therapy to treat neurological diseases including chronic pain, drug addiction, stroke as well as dementia.5
CONTENTS
SYMPTOMS
CAUSES
TREATMENTS
SYMPTOMS
The most common early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is the difficulty in remembering recent events (short-term memory loss).6 As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems with language, disorientation (including easily getting lost), mood swings, loss of motivation, not managing self-care, and behavioral issues.7 As a person’s condition declines, they often withdraw from family and society. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death. Although the speed of progression can vary, the average life expectancy following diagnosis is three to nine years.8
CAUSES
The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is poorly understood.9 About 70% of the risk is believed to be genetic with many genes usually involved. Other risk factors include a history of head injuries, depression, or hypertension. The disease process is associated with plaques and tangles in the brain.10 In this vein, most of the scientists believe that Alzheimer’s disease is caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over time. Its effect on the brain is clear. Alzheimer’s disease damages and destroys brain cells. A brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease has many fewer cells and many fewer connections among surviving cells than does a healthy brain.11 As more brain cells die, Alzheimer’s leads to significant brain shrinkage.12 When doctors examine Alzheimer’s brain tissue under the microscope, they see two types of abnormalities that are considered hallmarks of the disease: plaques13 and tangles.14 Therefore, Alzheimer’s disease is caused by damage to the human brain. This damage affects the structure and function of particular brain areas. Some degree of vascular damage in the brain has also been found.15 Other possible causes of this condition could be extreme loneliness, insomnia or anti-anxiety medication,head or brain injury, diabetes and lack of sleep.16
TREATMENTS
There are four known acupoints for AD: Tai Chong (LIV-3) and He gu (LI-4) in left and right side. These points have shown to activate brain regions consistent with impaired brain function.17 Moreover, it has been found that for the brain resting state after acupuncture, there are several brain regions showing increased or decreased activities in MCI and AD subjects comparing to normal subjects.18 Most of the brain regions were involved in the temporal lobe and the frontal lobe of the brain, which was closely related to memory and cognition. Furthermore, another study revealed that stimulating at Tai Chong (LIV-3) and He gu (LI-4) enhances the hippocampal connectivity in the brain of AD patients.19
In addition to the acupoints mentioned above, the following four acupoints of Shenmen (HT-7), Zusanli (ST-36), Fenglong (ST-40) and Taixi (KD-3) have been demonstrated to activate the right brain main hemisphere (temporal lobe, such as hippocampal gyrus, insula, and some area of parietal lobe) and left activated regions (temporal lobe, parietal lobule, some regions of cerebellum).20 The activated regions induced by these acupoints were consistent with impaired areas in the brain of AD patients, which were closely correlated with brain cognitive function (memory, reason, language, executive, etc).21
Two additional studies have shown that acupuncture alleviates AD by improving verbal and motor skills and altering mood and cognitive function.22 In the first study, subjects were treated twice a week for three months. The initial 10 main acupoints selected were GB-9, GV-16, GV-20, GV-23, GV-24, PC-6, HT-7, SP-6, Sishencong, and Yintang.23 The secondary points selected were ST-36, LI-4, GB-20, GV-17, SP-4, KD-3, SI-3, BL-62, BL-23, GV-26, and the cervical and thoracic Huato Jiaji points.24 Ten acupuncture points emerged as the most frequently used points: GV-20 (in 68% of treatments), Taixi/KI-3 (60%), Zusanli/ST-36 (58%), Sishencong EX-1 (48%), Yintang EX-2 (48%), Sanyinjiao/SP-6 (47%), Shenmen/HT-7 (40%), laser stimulation of the occipital (base of the skull) (40%), GB-9 (35%), and GV-23 (19%).25 As the points were either on the head or on the four limbs, they required minimal or no undressing of the participants. In addition to the acupuncture, the subjects continued using any medications already prescribed.
In the second study, subjects were treated on eight acupoints: the Si Shen Cong (EX-1), four points on the scalp, Shen men (HT-7 on the wrists) and Tai xi (KD-3 on the feet).26 Needling for each acupoint lasted a total of 30 minutes, comprising the needle testing and its reinsertion after every 10 minutes of therapy. Subjects received a seven-day treatment cycle with a three-day break in between for a total of 30 days.27
Another acupoint related to AD is LI-17.
Footnotes
- Neuropathological stageing of Alzheimer – Acta Neuropathol – 1991, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1759558
- Current concepts in mild cognitive impairment – Arch Neurol – 2001, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11735772
- About Alzheimer’s Disease – AFA – 2016, http://www.alzfdn.org/AboutAlzheimers/definition.html
- About Alzheimer’s Disease: Alzheimer’s Basics – NIH – 2016, https://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/topics/alzheimers-basics
- Clinical effects of acupuncture combined with nimodipine for treatment of vascular dementia in 30 cases – JTCM – 2009, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19894378
- Alzheimer’s disease – BMJ – 2009, http://www.bmj.com/content/338/bmj.b158
- Dementia Fact sheet N°362 – WHO – 2009, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs362/en/
- Alzheimer’s disease – NEJM – 2010, http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra0909142
- Alzheimer’s disease – BMJ – 2009, http://www.bmj.com/content/338/bmj.b158
- Alzheimer’s disease – NEJM – 2010, http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra0909142
- Dementia Fact sheet N°362 – WHO – 2009, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs362/en/
- Dementia Fact sheet N°362 – WHO – 2009, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs362/en/
- Alzheimer’s disease – BMJ – 2009, http://www.bmj.com/content/338/bmj.b158
- Dementia Fact sheet N°362 – WHO – 2009, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs362/en/
- Causes of Alzheimer’s disease – nhs.uk – 2016, http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Alzheimers-disease/Pages/Causes.aspx
- 5 Surprising Causes Of Alzheimer’s Disease – prevention.com – 2015, http://www.prevention.com/health/causes-alzheimers
- Effect of Acupuncture in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer Disease: A Functional MRI Study – PlosOne – 2012, http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0042730
- Effect of Acupuncture in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer Disease: A Functional MRI Study – PlosOne – 2012, http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0042730
- Acupuncture Modulates Resting State Hippocampal Functional Connectivity in Alzheimer Disease – PlosOne – 2014, http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0091160
- Effect of Acupuncture Given at the HT-7, ST-36, ST-40 and KD-3 Acupoints on Various Parts of the Brains of Alzheimer’s Disease Patients – AETR – 2008, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18672741
- Effect of Acupuncture Given at the HT-7, ST-36, ST-40 and KD-3 Acupoints on Various Parts of the Brains of Alzheimer’s Disease Patients – AETR – 2008, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18672741
- Treating Alzheimer’s Symptoms with Acupuncture – alzheimer.net – 2014, http://www.alzheimers.net/11-19-14-acupuncture-for-alzheimers
- Alzheimer’s disease – yingyanghouse.com – 2017, https://community.yinyanghouse.com/t/alzheimers-disease/2624
- Alzheimer’s disease – yingyanghouse.com – 2017, https://community.yinyanghouse.com/t/alzheimers-disease/2624
- Treating Alzheimer’s Symptoms with Acupuncture – alzheimer.net – 2014, http://www.alzheimers.net/11-19-14-acupuncture-for-alzheimers
- Alzheimer’s Disease and Acupuncture – acupuncturetoday.com – 2000, http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=27681
- Alzheimer’s Disease and Acupuncture – acupuncturetoday.com – 2000, http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=27681