Effect of acupuncture on patients with mild cognitive impairment assessed using functional near-infrared spectroscopWeek12 (close-out)y: a pilot study protocol

This study is designed to be a prospective, two-arm, parallel clinical trial involving 24 participants. The patient group will be treated with acupuncture twice per week for 12 weeks; meanwhile, the healthy control group will not undergo acupuncture treatment. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy assessment and a working memory test will be performed at baseline and every 6 weeks to investigate the therapeutic mechanism of acupuncture. The primary outcome will be measured using the Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. The secondary outcomes will be the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale score, working memory task accuracy, response rate, response time, and hemodynamic response of the prefrontal lobe. The outcomes will be evaluated at baseline, and at 6 and 12 weeks after subject allocation.DiscussionThis clinical pilot trial is designed to determine the feasibility of acupuncture as an effective and safe treatment for improving cognitive function in patients with MCI. Results of this study may provide guidance for future larger-scale clinical trials.Trial registrationClinical Research Information Service (CRIS), Republic of Korea: KCT0002451. Registered September 5, 2017.
Source: Integrative Medicine Research - Category: Complementary Medicine Source Type: research