Stroke Trials Registry

Acupuncture Treatment of Geriatric Patients with Ischemic Stroke

Principal Investigator
Matthias Siegfried Schuler, MD

PI Address
Matthias Siegfried Schuler, MD
Bethanien-Krankenhaus Geriatric Center
University of Heidelberg
Heidelberg, Germany

Study Size Actual:	120
Study Size Planned:	240
Centers Actual:	1
Max Time from onset:	35 Days
Follow-up Duration:	6 Months

Status:
Completed. Published in March of 2005.

Purpose:
To test the effectiveness, feasibility, and safety of acupuncture after an acute stroke.

Interventions:

Acupuncture
Acupuncture (from Lat. acus, "needle", and pungere, "prick") or in Standard Mandarin, zhe-n bia-n (a related word zhe-n jiu( refers to acupuncture together with moxibustion)[3] is a technique of inserting and manipulating fine filiform needles into specific points on the body with the aim of relieving pain and for therapeutic purposes.[4] According to acupuncture theory, these acupuncture points lie along meridians along which qi, a kind of vital energy, is said to flow.

Location(s):
Germany

Year Published: 2005

Design:
Single-center, randomized, prospective, single-blind clinical trial.

Inclusion Criteria
Patients with a baseline Barthel Index of 10 to 75, thrombocyte count greater than 100,000/L, international normalization ratio of coagulation of less than 3.5, and the ability to cooperate and understand simple instructions.

Exclusion Criteria
Patients with delirium, a malignant disease, terminal illness, unstable blood pressure, hypoglycemia during the past 48 hours, unconsciousness, and/or pacemaker.

Patient Involvement:
Patients were randomized into one of three groups to receive either accupuncture treatment in the form of needling of accupuncture points with electrical stimulation, or the placebo in the form of surface electrodes on acupuncture points with visual stimulation, or the control group with no additional treatment. Patients in the two treatment groups received 30-minute sessions twice weekly for 4 weeks.

Primary Outcome:
European Stroke Scale (ESS) and Barthel Index of activities of daily living.

Results:
No differences were observed between the groups for the primary outcome measures: the European Stroke Scale (ESS) (p=0.473 at 6 months) and the Barthel Index (p=0.687 at 6 months).

Source of Information:
J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005 Mar;53(3):549-50.

Web Links and Publications:

Acupuncture treatment of geriatric patients with ischemic stroke: a randomized, double-controlled, single-blind study.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2005 Mar;53(3):549-50

This information last updated on: 10/5/2005

UID: 633