It’s often used interchangeably with Alzheimer’s, however, there’s a difference between the two.
UCSF describes vascular dementia as the sudden reduction in a person’s language skills, judgment, reasoning and memory.
Often due to a reduction in blood flow to the brain.
Alzheimer’s, however is a result of “sticky” proteins that build up between nerves and prevent synapses from functioning.
Acupuncture Improves Cognitive Function
While western medicine treats vascular dementia with drugs, research published in the Neural Regeneration Research journal discovered a new method.
New research indicates that combining drugs with acupuncture is a successful treatment protocol for vascular dementia.
The protocols used donepezil hydrochloride (Aricept) in conjunction with acupuncture.
The Results
Over the course of 56 days, 168 vascular dementia patients were given a 5mg dose of donezil hydrochloride, while a random selection of those patients were also treated with acupuncture.
After collecting the data, researchers found the patients who received both forms of treatment showed greater signs of cognitive clarity, and overall improved brain function.
In conclusion, “acupuncture combined with donepezil hydrochloride effectively improves cognitive function in vascular dementia patients.
The combination has noticeable advantages in improving cognitive function and protecting against vascular dementia compared with donepezil hydrochloride alone.”
This study is not only encouraging for those suffering with vascular dementia, but also for the effective combination of western and Chinese medical practices.
David L. Edwards is an author, Chinese medicine physician and acupuncturist. He is the author of The Body Fat Formula and The Pocketbook guide to Chinese medicine. David is the director of Barefoot Health and Wellness health programs.
If you got value from this article, share it with your friends on Facebook by clicking the share button so they too get access to this important information.
Leave a Reply