Acupuncture Therapy on Dysphagia in Parkinson's Disease

Summary

From June 2019 to May 2021, we conducted a randomized controlled study, including dysphagic patients with Parkinson's diseases who were admitted to the department of rehabilitation medicine in 3 hospitals in China. The participants were divided randomly into the experimental group and the control group, with 56 in each one. Both two groups were given routine treatment and swallowing rehabilitation training. Moreover, the experimental group was given acupuncture therapy.

Conditions

• Parkinson Disease

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Routine rehabilitation training

1. Balance function training: Patients were instructed to achieve weight shift between the left and right sides of the balance bar in a standing position. 2. Walking function training: based on hip, knee, and ankle control training, patients were instructed to take steps training. 3. Core muscle strength training: Patients were instructed to maintain 3 minutes of training in Bridge-style movement. 4. Functional training of daily living: including training on dressing and undressing, independent eating, painting, and writing. Routine rehabilitation training was performed 30-45 minutes/time, 1-2 times/day, 5-7 days/week.

BEHAVIORAL

Swallowing rehabilitation training

1. Swallowing-related organ training: including movement training of lip, mandibular muscle, cheek, tongue muscle, soft palate, as well as exercises of vocal cord closure, laryngeal lifting and pharyngeal muscle training. 5-15 minutes/time, 1-2 times/day, 5-7 days/week. 2. Sensory stimulation training: With the self-made popsicle, medical staff slowly and gently stimulated the patient's cheek, palatoquadrate, soft palate, posterior pharyngeal wall, tongue surface and sublingual area repeatedly. 5-25 minutes/time, 1-3 times/day, 3-7 days/week. 3. Direct training: When the patient's swallowing function improves to a certain extent of which the safety of oral intake can be basically ensured, oral feeding training (direct training) can be attempted gradually. 4. Mendelsohn maneuver: During the Mendelsohn maneuver, the patient consciously prolonged the duration of the muscle contraction in the throat during swallowing.15-30 minutes/time, once per day, 5 days/week.

PROCEDURE

Acupuncture therapy

The whole acupuncture therapy was performed once daily for 5 days per week, including acupuncture needle and tongue needle. Acupuncture needle: Main acupoints: Lianquan, Shanglianquan (depression between the hyoid bone and the lower border of the mandible), Yifeng; Auxiliary acupoints: Fengchi, Wangu, Fengfu, Yamen, Neidaying (depression of 1 inch below the anterior margin of the mandible). Tongue needle (pricking): Acupoints: Jinjin, Yuye, posterior pharyngeal wall (both sides of the uvula).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Zeng Changhao

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Nieto Luis, Master · Site Coordinator of United Medical Group located in Miami

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-06-01

Primary Completion

2021-05-13

Completion

2021-05-30

Countries

• Taiwan

Study Locations