Elucidating the mechanisms of post-stroke motor recovery mediated by electroacupuncture using diffusion tensor tractography
Acupuncture has been commonly used for post-stroke patients, and electroacupuncture allows simultaneous application of acupuncture and electrical stimulation. We aimed to elucidate the mechanism of electroacupuncture on post-stroke motor recovery using diffusion tensor tractography. A total of 33 su...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neurology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.888165/full |
| _version_ | 1811204048874897408 |
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| author | Min Su Kim Byung Soon Moon Jae-yoon Ahn Sang-song Shim Jong-Min Yun Min Cheol Joo |
| author_facet | Min Su Kim Byung Soon Moon Jae-yoon Ahn Sang-song Shim Jong-Min Yun Min Cheol Joo |
| author_sort | Min Su Kim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Acupuncture has been commonly used for post-stroke patients, and electroacupuncture allows simultaneous application of acupuncture and electrical stimulation. We aimed to elucidate the mechanism of electroacupuncture on post-stroke motor recovery using diffusion tensor tractography. A total of 33 subacute stroke patients were recruited. The control group was subjected to conventional rehabilitation therapy. In contrast, the patients in the experimental group received electroacupuncture treatment for 30 min per session for 4 weeks in addition to the rehabilitation therapy. Fugl-Meyer assessment of the lower extremity (FMA_L), functional ambulation categories (FAC), and the Korean version of modified Barthel index (K-MBI) were used to compare behavioral outcomes between groups. The corticospinal tract (CST) was examined before and after the intervention via diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) to determine the motor recovery mechanism mediated by electroacupuncture. After 4 weeks of intervention, both the control and experimental groups showed a significant improvement with respect to FMA_L, FAC, and K-MBI. The level of improvement in FMA_L, FAC, and K-MBI did not vary significantly between the two groups. However, DTT results showed that the CST fractional anisotropy of the affected side (control: from 0.456 to 0.464, experimental: from 0.459 to 0.512) and its ratio (control: from 89.8 to 90.3, experimental: from 90.2 to 93.3) were significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.032 and p = 0.018). In addition, there were significant differences in the CST axial diffusivity of affected side (control: from 0.783 to 0.877, experimental: from 0.840 to 0.897) and its ratio variation (control: from 87.9 to 100.0, experimental: from 95.7 to 100.7) between the groups (p = 0.003 and p = 0.001). Electroacupuncture played a role in promoting brain plasticity and delaying neural degeneration in subacute period after stroke. Thus, electroacupuncture could be an effective adjuvant therapy in addition to conventional rehabilitation for motor recovery after stroke in a long-term perspective. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T03:04:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-678c5a72e9444773bc69e612d6799adc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-2295 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T03:04:50Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
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| series | Frontiers in Neurology |
| spelling | doaj.art-678c5a72e9444773bc69e612d6799adc2022-12-22T03:50:31ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neurology1664-22952022-09-011310.3389/fneur.2022.888165888165Elucidating the mechanisms of post-stroke motor recovery mediated by electroacupuncture using diffusion tensor tractographyMin Su Kim0Byung Soon Moon1Jae-yoon Ahn2Sang-song Shim3Jong-Min Yun4Min Cheol Joo5Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, South KoreaProfessional Graduate School of Oriental Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, South KoreaDepartment of Korean Internal Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, South KoreaDepartment of Korean Internal Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, South KoreaDepartment of Korean Internal Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, South KoreaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wonkwang University College of Medicine, Iksan, South KoreaAcupuncture has been commonly used for post-stroke patients, and electroacupuncture allows simultaneous application of acupuncture and electrical stimulation. We aimed to elucidate the mechanism of electroacupuncture on post-stroke motor recovery using diffusion tensor tractography. A total of 33 subacute stroke patients were recruited. The control group was subjected to conventional rehabilitation therapy. In contrast, the patients in the experimental group received electroacupuncture treatment for 30 min per session for 4 weeks in addition to the rehabilitation therapy. Fugl-Meyer assessment of the lower extremity (FMA_L), functional ambulation categories (FAC), and the Korean version of modified Barthel index (K-MBI) were used to compare behavioral outcomes between groups. The corticospinal tract (CST) was examined before and after the intervention via diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) to determine the motor recovery mechanism mediated by electroacupuncture. After 4 weeks of intervention, both the control and experimental groups showed a significant improvement with respect to FMA_L, FAC, and K-MBI. The level of improvement in FMA_L, FAC, and K-MBI did not vary significantly between the two groups. However, DTT results showed that the CST fractional anisotropy of the affected side (control: from 0.456 to 0.464, experimental: from 0.459 to 0.512) and its ratio (control: from 89.8 to 90.3, experimental: from 90.2 to 93.3) were significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.032 and p = 0.018). In addition, there were significant differences in the CST axial diffusivity of affected side (control: from 0.783 to 0.877, experimental: from 0.840 to 0.897) and its ratio variation (control: from 87.9 to 100.0, experimental: from 95.7 to 100.7) between the groups (p = 0.003 and p = 0.001). Electroacupuncture played a role in promoting brain plasticity and delaying neural degeneration in subacute period after stroke. Thus, electroacupuncture could be an effective adjuvant therapy in addition to conventional rehabilitation for motor recovery after stroke in a long-term perspective.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.888165/fullactivities of daily livingacupuncturecerebrovascular disordersdiffusion tensor imaginggaitrehabilitation |
| spellingShingle | Min Su Kim Byung Soon Moon Jae-yoon Ahn Sang-song Shim Jong-Min Yun Min Cheol Joo Elucidating the mechanisms of post-stroke motor recovery mediated by electroacupuncture using diffusion tensor tractography Frontiers in Neurology activities of daily living acupuncture cerebrovascular disorders diffusion tensor imaging gait rehabilitation |
| title | Elucidating the mechanisms of post-stroke motor recovery mediated by electroacupuncture using diffusion tensor tractography |
| title_full | Elucidating the mechanisms of post-stroke motor recovery mediated by electroacupuncture using diffusion tensor tractography |
| title_fullStr | Elucidating the mechanisms of post-stroke motor recovery mediated by electroacupuncture using diffusion tensor tractography |
| title_full_unstemmed | Elucidating the mechanisms of post-stroke motor recovery mediated by electroacupuncture using diffusion tensor tractography |
| title_short | Elucidating the mechanisms of post-stroke motor recovery mediated by electroacupuncture using diffusion tensor tractography |
| title_sort | elucidating the mechanisms of post stroke motor recovery mediated by electroacupuncture using diffusion tensor tractography |
| topic | activities of daily living acupuncture cerebrovascular disorders diffusion tensor imaging gait rehabilitation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.888165/full |
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