Clinical observation on Governor Vessel-unblocking and brain-refreshing scalp acupuncture for cerebral palsy complicated with intellectual disabilities

Objective

To observe the clinical efficacy of Governor Vessel-unblocking and brain-refreshing scalp acupuncture for cerebral palsy (CP) complicated with intellectual disabilities.

Methods

A total of 300 CP cases aged between 1 and 5 years were randomly allocated into a treatment group (n=150) and a control group (n=150). Patients in the treatment group were treated with Governor Vessel-unblocking and brainrefreshing scalp acupuncture combined with rehabilitation training, whereas patients in the control group received rehabilitation training alone. The Beijing Gesell developmental (Gesell) scale and gross motor function measure (GMFM) scale were used to assess the motor and intellectual development before and 3 months after the treatment. In addition, the head CT/MRI examination was applied to assess the brain nerve repair before and after the treatment.

Results

After the treatment, the total effective rate in the treatment group was 78.0%, versus 42.7% in the control group, showing a statistical significance (P<0.05). As for scores of five subscales in the Gesell scale, there were significant intra-group differences in the treatment group (all P<0.05); and the scores in the treatment group were significantly better than those in the control group (all P<0.05). As for scores of five dimensions in GMFM scale, there were significant intra-group differences in the treatment group (all P<0.05); and the scores in the treatment group were significantly better than those in the control group (all P<0.05). According to the head CT/MRI findings, the total effective rate was 73.3% in the treatment group, versus 62.0% in the control group, showing a statistical significance (P<0.05).

Conclusion

When used in combination with rehabilitative training, Governor Vessel-unblocking and brain-refreshing scalp acupuncture can significantly improve the clinical efficacy for cerebral palsy complicated with intellectual disabilities. It can also improve the patients’ motor function, intelligence and language ability.