Acupuncture as a Complementary Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease
Issue title: Therapeutic Trials in Alzheimer’s Disease: Where Are We Now?
Guest editors: Paula I. Moreira, Jesus Avila, Daniela Galimberti, Miguel A. Pappolla, Germán Plascencia-Villa, Aaron A. Sorensen, Xiongwei Zhu and George Perry
Affiliations: [a]
Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| [b]
Department of Acupuncture, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
Correspondence:
[*]
Correspondence to: Gang Wang, Department of Neurology, Shanghai Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China. Tel.: +86 02164370045, E-mail: wg11424@rjh.com.cn.
Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a significant global medical concern due to the aging population. AD is featured by gradual cognitive impairment, impacting daily functioning and causing behavioral and personality changes, causing disruptive psychiatric symptoms. While pharmacological interventions are the primary clinical approach, their efficacy is variable and limited. Acupuncture, with its distinctive theoretical framework and treatment approach, has garnered attention as a non-pharmacological intervention for AD through extensive preclinical and clinical research. Neurobiological investigations into the machinery of acupuncture in AD have provided compelling evidence of its therapeutic efficacy and unique advantages. This review commences with an in-depth exploration of acupuncture’s clinical applications, emphasizing its various parameters and its potential combination with first-line drugs and other therapies in the context of AD. Subsequently, we delve into the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of acupuncture in AD. Finally, we summarize these aspects, highlight current study limitations, and offer recommendations for future research. Taken together, in a rapidly aging society, both clinical application and mechanistic exploration of acupuncture in AD treatment have gained momentum. This trajectory suggests that acupuncture will continue to make significant strides in AD therapeutics as research progresses.
