Effectiveness and safety of Governor vessel acupuncture therapy for post-stroke cognitive impairment: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Governor vessel acupuncture (GV Ac) in treating post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI).

Methods: There was a total of seven databases examined. Four English databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and Medline) and three Chinese databases (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Databases (VIP), and Wan Fang Database) contain all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing Governor vessel acupuncture to other treatments or none acupuncture for PSCI. The exact dates for the search period are from January 1, 2000, to January 1, 2023.Two researchers independently reviewed the literature, gathered RCT data, and performed statistical analysis. All data were analyzed using Review Manager software (Rev Man) 5.3.

Results: This meta-analysis includes a total of 39 trials with 2044 patients. There were 1022 participants in each of the test and control groups. Following 12-120 days of acupuncture treatment, a meta-analysis revealed that the treatment groups (GV Ac combined with conventional treatment groups) significantly increased their scores on the Curative ratio (OR = 3.00, 95 %CI = 2.37-3.79, P = 0.98, I² = 0 %), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)(MD = 1.82, 95 %CI = 1.60-2.03, P = 0.11, I² = 25 %), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)(MD = 2.18, 95 %CI = 1.64-2.72, P<0.005, I² = 92 %), and Activity of Daily Living (ADL)(MD = 5.99, 95 %CI = 5.33-6.64, P = 0.19, I² = 26 %).

Conclusion: The results suggested that acupuncture on points of the Governor vessel enhanced cognitive function in stroke survivors.