Electroacupuncture improves postoperative cognitive function among the elderly

A study has found that electroacupuncture can improve postoperative cognitive function in older people. The study, which was published in Deutsche Zeitschrift für Akupunktur, assessed the effects of preconditioning of electroacupuncture on postoperative cognitive dysfunction in the elderly.

• Electroacupuncture is a type of treatment that uses needles to be inserted into certain acupoints in the body and a low-frequency pulse current being electrified by an electric acupuncture machine.
• Researchers at The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University in China studied 90 older people scheduled for spine surgery and randomly divided them into two groups: a control group and an electroacupuncture group.
• Thirty minutes before anesthesia, participants in the electroacupuncture group received electroacupuncture on Baihui, Dazhui, and Zusanli acupoints.
• The researchers collected blood samples from the participants to measure interleukin(IL)-6, IL-10, and S100?, a marker of blood-brain barrier function and brain lesions.
• They also recorded the total dose of anesthetics remifentanil and propofol during surgery.
• They assessed the cognitive function of participants using the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) one day before surgery and at the seventh and 30^th day after surgery.
• Results revealed that compared to the control group, the scores of MMSE of the electroacupuncture group increased after surgery.
• Their IL-6, IL-10, and S100? decreased one hour after skin incision and after surgery was completed.
• The total dose of remifentanil and propofol also decreased during surgery in the electroacupuncture group.

Overall, these findings suggest that preconditioning of electroacupuncture could improve the postoperative cognitive function among the elderly by reducing inflammatory reaction and brain injury.

Read more studies on improving brain function as you age at BrainFunction.news.

Journal Reference:

Zhang Q, Li YN, Guo YY, Yin CP, Gao F, Xin x, … van den Noort M. EFFECTS OF PRECONDITIONING OF ELECTRO-ACUPUNCTURE ON POSTOPERATIVE COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION IN ELDERLY: A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL. Deutsche Zeitschrift für Akupunktur. 2017; 60(4): 36-37. DOI: 10.1016/S0415-6412(17)30126-1