This meta-analysis suggests that acupuncture had positive effects on cognitive function after stroke.
Twenty-one trials with a total of 1421 patients met inclusion criteria. Pooled random-effects estimates of the change in the Mini-Mental State Examination were calculated for the comparison of acupuncture with no acupuncture in addition to medicine or rehabilitation. Following 4 weeks and 8 weeks of intervention with acupuncture, the merged mean difference was 3.14 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.06–4.21; p<.00001) and 2.03 (95% CI, 0.26–3.80; p=0.02), respectively. For the comparison of 3–4 weeks of acupuncture with no acupuncture in addition to medicine or rehabilitation groups, the merged MD in Neurobehavioral Cognitive State Examination total scores was 5.63 (95% CI, 3.95–7.31; p<.00001). For the comparison of 8–12 weeks of acupuncture with no acupuncture in addition to medicine or rehabilitation groups, the P300 latency merged MD was −12.80 (95% CI, −21.08 to −4.51; p<.00001), while the P300 amplitude merged MD was 1.38 (95% CI, 0.93–1.82; p<.00001). Overall, the study quality was rated as moderate on the basis of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (part 2: 8.5).
