Acupuncture for poststroke hemiplegia focusing on cerebral bilateral connections: study protocol for a randomised controlled neuroimaging trial.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Acupuncture is safe and effective for improving the motor function of poststroke hemiplegic patients, but there still exists a certain gap between clinical practice and understanding its neural mechanisms. The cerebral functional reconstruction after unilateral motor pathway injury exhibits a bilateral tendency, however current studies seldom pay attention to it. Hence, based on cerebral bilateral connections, the underlying mechanism of acupuncture in stroke rehabilitation remains an area for further research. The results of this study will increase our understanding of acupuncture-induced motor recovery in patients who had suffered a stroke and demonstrate the differences in brain response and clinical assessments.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS:

This is a single-centre, randomised controlled, paralleled neuroimaging trial, with patients and outcome assessors blinded. Thirty patients who had a stroke with motor dysfunction meeting the inclusion criteria will be randomly assigned (2:1) to receive either 10 sessions true or sham acupoints treatments (five sessions per week for 2 weeks). All the participants will receive conventional standard medical care and rehabilitation. Motor function assessments and neuroimaging scanning will be conducted before and after the entire acupuncture treatment. The clinical and neuroimaging data will be analysed, respectively. The voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity will be the primary outcome and the primary effect indicator. The secondary outcomes comprise clinical evaluations and neuroimaging assessments, which include Fugl-Meyer Assessment, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, fractional anisotropy and gray matter volume. The Needle Sensation Assessment Scale is an additional outcome. The correlation analysis will be explored between the neuroimaging indicators, clinical motor assessments and needle sensation.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION:

The protocol has been approved by the ethics committee of Dongzhimen Hospital affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (DZMEC-KY-2018-04). The results of the neuroimaging trial will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:

Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR 1800016263).

• Authors: Lan Jiang, Hualei Geng, Mengxin Lu, Zhongming Du, Pei Chen, Xiao Han, Yue Wang, Lixin Tang, Zhongjian Tan, Hua Zhang, Yihuai Zou
• Journal: BMJ open (BMJ Open) Vol. 10 Issue 4 Pg. e034548 (04 01 2020) ISSN: 2044-6055 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 32241789 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial Protocol, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Topics

• Acupuncture Therapy
• Hemiplegia (etiology, therapy)
• Humans
• Neuroimaging
• Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
• Stroke (complications)
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Treatment Outcome