Neurodegenerative Diseases
Conditions
Keywords
Acupuncture, Traumatic Brain Injury
Brief summary
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an altered brain function caused by an external force, which may annually have 69 million incidence cases all over the world. Increasing evidence suggests that TBI may be a major risk of beta amyloid (Aβ)-associated neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and Parkinson's disease. Investigations from brain imaging studies revealed that Aβ density maps of TBI patients overlapped with those with Alzheimer's disease, and increased Aβ density not only associated with prolonged TBI duration but also associated with decreased white matter integrity. It has been suggested that the axonal injury and cerebrovascular dysfunction due to TBI may associate with the elevated level of Aβ peptides. The increasing accumulation in Aβ due to TBI may contribute to the initiation of the pathological alterations in neurodegeneration diseases. Recent animal studies suggest that acupuncture may promote regeneration of nerves in injured tissues and reduce the concentration of Aβ in brain. Moreover, recent clinical trials also indicate that acupuncture may improve the vascular cognitive impairment due to cerebral small vessel disease. Thus, acupuncture treatment on TBI may not only be of benefit for the TBI recovery but also act to interrupt the pathological changes in these neurodegenerative diseases.
Interventions
PROCEDUREAcupuncture
20 minutes of acupuncture treatment, twice a week for 2 weeks. Acupoints will be manually stimulated every 10 minutes.
Sponsors
China Medical University Hospital
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
20 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. age ≥ 20 years old 2. GCS score \> 8 3. loss of consciousness \< 24 hr 4. the physical condition is suitable for acupuncture treatment 5. having adequate competency for understanding the study and a willingness to sign the written informed consent forms 6. be able to commence the acupuncture intervention within 2 weeks after TBI diagnosis
Exclusion criteria
1. medical history of neurological, cardiovascular events, e.g., epilepsy, stroke, major depression or anxiety 2. a history of the mental disorder, e.g., major depression or anxiety 3. other major medical conditions, e.g., active cancer, uncontrolled diabetes, amputation 4. receipt of acupuncture within the 6 months prior to study entry 5. patients with pacemaker or metal graf
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| plasma levels of Aβ peptide | After 2-week acupuncture treatment interva | Decreased plasma levels of Aβ peptide |
| plasma levels of tau | After 2-week acupuncture treatment interva | Decreased plasma levels of tau |
| plasma levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) | After 2-week acupuncture treatment interva | Decreased plasma levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) |
Countries
Taiwan
Contacts
Primary ContactYu-Chen Lee, Ph.D
Outcome results
None listed