| Summary: | Background Depression is a common and serious consequence of stroke (Paolucci, 2008). There are nearly 30% of stroke patients who develop PSD, either in the early or in the late stages after stroke (Paolucci, 2008). Although antidepressant agents are commonly used drugs for PSD, they have broad side effects, especially on cardiovascular system which may worsen stroke patients’ conditions (Paolucci, 2008). Another study showed that stroke patients are often medicated with various classes of drugs, the addition of antidepressant agents may increase risk of drug-drug interactions, resulting in unexpected and unpredictable adverse events (Hemeryck & Belpaire, 2002). Thus, the development of more effective and side effect-free alternative treatment strategies for PSD patients is needed Acupuncture has been increasingly used for the treatment of depressive disorders with beneficial effects (Man et al., 2014; Zhang, Chen, Yip, Ng, & Wong, 2010). In 2008, HACMD has commissioned a SR study on depressive disorders. It showed that acupuncture therapy is safe and effective, and it is considered as an alternative option for patients with depressive disorders (Zhang et al., 2010). Subsequently, a pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) study was commissioned by HACMD in 2010, the results showed that acupuncture could be effectiveness in reducing stroke patients’ depressive symptoms (Man et al., 2014). In addition, recent study has suggested a potential relationship between therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndromes of PSD (Wu, 2010). Based on the studies, further study to examine i) the effectiveness, consistency, reliability and credibility of acupuncture on PSD; and ii) the clinical efficacy of acupuncture is correlated with TCM syndromes of PSD is needed. Objective Followed by the SR and RCT studies on PSD, it is planned to develop a further study to examine i) the effectiveness, consistency, reliability and credibility of acupuncture on PSD; and ii) the clinical efficacy of acupuncture is correlated with TCM syndromes of PSD.
Conclusion This study demonstrated that CAT is effective in improving post-stroke depression (HAMD-17 score), functional disability (Barthel Index), and cognitive performance (Montreal Cognitive Assessment). It can serve as an effective therapy for management of neuropsychiatric sequelae of stroke.
|