SynthesisFrontiers in aging neuroscience2023
Efficacy of acupuncture and pharmacological therapies for vascular cognitive impairment with no dementia: a network meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Comparisons of acupuncture therapies combining conventional treatment in the management of vascular cognitive impairment: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2025Pooled it
- Comparative efficacy and safety of non-pharmacological interventions as adjunctive treatment for vascular dementia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Pooled it
- Electroacupuncture Ameliorates Neuroinflammatory Damage and Cognitive Impairment in Vascular Dementia by Promoting Shh Signaling-Mediated Microglial M2 Polarization.Neurochemical research · 2026Article
- Understanding the role of microglia in Alzheimer's disease: insights into mechanisms, acupuncture, and potential therapeutic targets.Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan · 2025Review
- The Effect of Acupuncture on Brain Iron Deposition and Body Iron Metabolism in Vascular Cognitive Impairment: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2024Article
- Emerging evidence that ginseng components improve cognition in subjective memory impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and early Alzheimer's disease dementia.Journal of ginseng research · 2024Review
- Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging on brain structure and function changes in vascular cognitive impairment without dementia.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2023Review
- Advances in understanding the mitochondrial mechanisms underlying acupuncture therapy for post-stroke cognitive impairment.Frontiers in neurologyReview
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background and objective: Vascular cognitive impairment with no dementia (VCIND) is considered to be the prodromal stage of vascular dementia, characterized by insidious onset. Although acupuncture and drug therapies are effective, the optimal therapy for VCIND remains to be further determined. Therefore, we conducted a network meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness of acupuncture therapies and current common medicines for VCIND. Methods: We searched eight electronic databases to identify eligible randomized controlled trials of patients with VCIND treated by acupuncture or drug therapies. The primary outcome was Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and the secondary outcome was Mini-Mental State Examination. We conducted the network meta-analysis within a Bayesian framework. Weighted mean difference with 95% confidence intervals were applied as effect sizes to continuous data for all outcomes. Sensitivity analysis was done to assess the robustness of the findings, and we also carried out a subgroup analysis based on age. We assessed the risk of bias using the Risk of Bias 2.0 tool and applied the Grade of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) to assess the quality of the outcomes. This study was registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42022331718. Results: A total of 33 studies with 14 interventions were included, including 2603 participants. In terms of the primary outcome, manual acupuncture plus herbal decoction was considered to be the most effective intervention ( Conclusion: Manual acupuncture plus herbal decoction might be the most effective intervention for VCIND. The combination of acupuncture and drug therapy had a tendency to perform better than monotherapy in terms of clinical outcomes. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=331718, identifier: CRD42022331718.
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