Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias

Abstract

Dementia is a common neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. There are many different types of dementias, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, followed by vascular dementias (VaD). AD has been severe enough to impair activities of daily living, social function, and decreasing the Quality of Life of both affected patients and their caregivers. The aetiology and pathology of dementia are still unclear. The diagnosis of dementia remains primarily clinical. Currently, there is no effective treatment for the disease.

Acupuncture has increasingly attracted attention for treating AD and other dementias. It is believing that acupuncture is effective in reducing the symptoms and slowing the progression of AD. The general acupuncture treatment for dementia should follow the general principle of pattern identification and points selection. With the development of TCM Brain theory, more practice and studies are focused on Brain acupuncture such as scalp acupuncture, Dao-qi technique on Du Mai and Ren Mai points.

Increasing studies have found that acupuncture may lead to beneficial brain changes in AD patients, such as ameliorating impaired cholinergic function, relieving amyloid neurotoxicity, and reducing hyperphosphorylated Tau protein and oxidative stress.