As a dementia syndrome, vascular dementia (VD) results from brain function damage due to cerebrovascular factors, essentially, the cerebral arteriosclerosis. This is because the lipid metabolic disorder in the body leads to fatty deposits on the wall of blood vessels, narrowing the lumen of blood vessels, reducing the elasticity, and completely blocking them in severe cases. This brings about insufficient blood supply to the brain , making it in a state of chronic ischemia and hypoxia, and eventually the brain cells are necrotic and softened,and lots of infarcted and softened foci (multiple cavities lacuna encephalon infarction,etc.) occur.
At present, there are 120 million people over 60 years old in China, among which 5 million elders suffer Alzheimer's’s Disease. It is estimated that the old-age population will account for 20% of the total population by 2025, and incidence of Alzheimer's Disease will gradually increase. According to WHO: the proportion of people over 65 years old who suffer mental retardation reaches to 10%, among which 50% have dementia. The prevalence rate among people above 80 years old can be as high as 25%~ 30%. As a chronic disease, Alzheimer's Disease has a course of 5~10 years.
Patients have obvious behavioral problems regarding memory, calculation, thinking, orientation, judgment and other abilities, bringing a heavy burden to families and society.
In traditional Chinese medicine, this disease falls into the category of “dementia”, “amnesia”, “depression”, “epilepsy” and “mania”. Mania, manifested in crying and laughing, cursing, singing without taboos, and many other ill manners, is caused by stagnation of qi (vital energy) and blood, and disconnection between brain energy and viscera energy so the patient looks like she/he is dreaming. Stagnation of qi and blood stasis means that the brain energy is not well connected with the viscera energy. Because of this, the patient loses consciousness and self-control, and behaves like dreaming. Dementia is the main symptom.
Laser acupoint selection: The main acupoints are Baihui, Fengfu and Fengchi at both sides.Choose acupoint according to the symptom: choose Juegu at both sides if the brain lacks energy; choose Ganming, Shenshu and Zusanli at both sides if there’s an asthenia of liver and kidney; choose Zusanli and Sanyinjiao at both sides if there’s an asthenia of spleen and kidney; choose Taichong and Shenmen at both sides if there’s a heart or liver heat; choose Fenglong and Zusanli at both sides if phlegm blocks orifices; choose Xuehai, , Taichong and Hegu at both sides in case of Qi stagnation and blood stasis. Choose corresponding acupoints when hemiplegia, facial paralysis, and incontinence occur.
The laser is continuously adjustable for 0~2W with a wavelength of 808nm, an output power of 120mW, and 1.0cm as a distance; irradiate each acupoint for 2 minutes with an energy density of 43/64J/cm. The two teams are treated from 9: 00 to 11: 00 a.m. every morning, once a day, and cease for 2 days after 5 consecutive days treatment, and then continue the treatment until the treatment takes 42 days.
Before treatment, brain circulation improvers and brain metabolic activators like Cinnarizine, Pyrithoxine Hydrochloride, and Acetamide Pyrrolidone,etc., must be stopped, and yet both laser group and acupuncture group are additionally treated with traditional Chinese medicine.
Mo Feizhi and a few other experts from South China Normal University used laser and acupuncture to treat vascular dementia. In comparison, effective rate of laser treatment group reached 58. 06%, while that of acupuncture group reached 64. 52%. According to Ridit test, there was no statistical difference between these two groups (μ=0.85,P>0.05). This indicates that laser treatment of vascular dementia is just as effective as acupuncture group. However, laser is painless, safer and easier to operate.
