Thirty-six cases of functional anorectal pain treated with heat-sensitization moxibustion

Objective To explore the clinical effects of heat-sensitizing moxibustion on functional anorectal pain. Methods Thirty six patients with functional anorectal pain were treated with moxibustion on heat-sensitive acupuncture points.The heat-sensitized points include Chángqiáng（长强 GV l）, Cìliáo（次髎 BL 32）, Yāoshū（腰俞 GV 2）, and local perianal points. A course of treatment consisted of treatment at each heat-sensitized point for 15 min once per day for 10 days. The therapeutic effects were observed after continuous treatment for 3 treatment cycles. Results Twelve cases were cured, eleven cases had effective results, and 3 cases were ineffective. The total effectiveness rate was 91.7%. The visual analog scale（VAS） total score was 6.1±1.52 before treatment and was 1.63±1.05 after treatment, showing a statistically significant difference（P〈0.01）. Conclusion Heat-sensitization moxibustion can significantly relieve functional anorectal pain.

Heat-sensitive moxibustion attenuates the inflammation after focal cerebral ischemia/ reperfusion injury

Heat-sensitive moxibustion has neuroprotective effects against focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, however its mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, rat models of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury were treated with suspended moxibustion at acupoint Dazhui （DU14） for 35 minutes. Results showed that suspended moxibustion decreased infarct volume, reduced cortical myeloperoxidase activity, and suppressed serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines in rats with focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Our experimental findings indicated that heat-sensitive moxibustion can attenuate inflammation and promote repair after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Thermal Effect of a Revolving Gaussian Beam on Activating Heat-Sensitive Nociceptors in Skin

We consider the problem of inducing withdrawal reflex on a test subject by exposing the subject’s skin to an electromagnetic beam. Heat-sensitive nociceptors in the skin are activated wherever the temperature is above the activation temperature. Withdrawal reflex occurs when the activated volume reaches a threshold. Previously we studied static beams with 3 types of power density distribution: Gaussian, super-Gaussian, and flat-top. We found that the flaptop is the best and the Gaussian is the worst in their performance with regard to 1) minimizing the time to withdrawal reflex, 2) minimizing the energy consumption and 3) minimizing the maximum temperature increase. The less-than-desirable performance of Gaussian beams is attributed to the uneven distribution of power density resulting in low energy efficiency: near the beam center the high power density does not contribute proportionally to increasing the activated volume;outside the beam effective radius the low power density fails to activate nociceptors. To overcome the drawbacks of Gaussian beams, in this study, we revolve a Gaussian beam around a fixed point to make the power density more uniformly distributed. We optimize the performance over two parameters: the spot size of static beam and the radius of beam revolution. We find that in comparison with a static Gaussian beam, a revolving Gaussian beam can reduce the energy consumption, and at the same time lower the maximum temperature.

Anti-inflammatory Effect of Heat-sensitive Moxibustion via the NF-κB Signaling Pathway on Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats

Ischemic stroke is universally acknowledged as a common cause of long-term disability or even death. Suspended moxibustion, an indirect form of moxibustion, is when moxibustion is placed superficially over the skin without being in contact with it. Some researchers have used this method to treat stroke patients, but strong evidence of its therapeutic effectiveness is lacking. However, the effect of traditional suspended moxibustion has recently been improved with the development of heat-sensitive suspended moxibustion. Our previous studies showed that moxibustion for 35 min provided a more effective treatment strategy than moxibustion for 15 min, and moxibustion by 35 min with tail temperature increase had a better outcome than that without, however, the mechanism underlying the effect is not clear. In this study, we treated the stroke rats with moxibustion by 35min and divided them into non-heat sensitive moxibustion(NHSM) group and heat sensitive moxibustion (HSM) group according to difference in the tail temperature increase, then we compared the effect and investigated the mechanisms between NHSM and HSM. We found that HSM significantly decreased tail-flick latency, increased neurological function score, decreased infarct volume, reduced inflammatory cells, decreased the expression of inflammatory factor ICAM-1 and reduced the expression of NF-κB p65 and p-IKKα/β in rats with focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Our experimental findings revealed that HSM exerted its anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects from MCAO-induced injury by decreasing the expression of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

The molecular mechanism of meridian qi sensory transmission by heat-sensitive moxibustion in the treatment of cerebral infarction

Background:To explore the potential mechanism of thermal moxibustion in the treatment of i schemic strok e by using the method of network pharmacology and to partially explain the mechanism of acupoint meridian qi sense transmission.Methods:In this project,a training set was formed by researching the intersection of the reported components of M ugwort leaves that entered the blood after combustion and obtained the targets of heat-sensitive moxibustion meridian qi sensing and thermal effect by querying the literature.The Encyclopedia of Tr ad itional Chinese Medicine is used to search and screen the highly active chemical constituents of Artemisia argyi to predict potential targets;search i schemic strok e-related targets through GeneCards,O nline Mendelian Inheritance in Man,Drugbank databases.Gene Oncology functional analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes signaling pathway enrichment analysis were performed on the potential targets of the blood components of Artemisia argyi and molecular docking simulated the binding activity of key candidate active components and core genes.Results:192 ischemic stroke disease targets with r elevance score greater than 10 were screened out for analysis.Through the database Encyclopedia of Tr ad itional Chinese Medicine query of the action targets(243)of Mugwort leaves and the intersection of heat-sensitive moxibustion effect targets and ischemic stroke-related targets,a Venn diagram was drawn and a total of 17 were obtained.Finally,the effective components of Mugwort leaves into the blood were screened out.Five main volatile components were molecularly docked with 17 targets and 9 targets of acupoint meridian gas sensing/thermal effect.The docking results showed that the main volatile components showed good affinities for binding to key targets,respectively.Conclusion:Using the characteristics of“multi-component-multi-target-multi-pathway”of traditional Chinese medicine,the potential mechanism of action of Artemisia argyi in the treatment of i schemic strok e is explored,which provides a certain basis for the follow-up scientific research and clinical application of Artemisia argyi in the treatment of IS.

Non-Dimensional Analysis of Thermal Effect on Skin Exposure to an Electromagnetic Beam

We consider the problem of inducing withdrawal reflex on a test subject by exposing the subject’s skin to an electromagnetic beam. Heat-sensitive nociceptors in the skin are activated wherever the temperature is above the activation temperature. Withdrawal reflex occurs when the activated volume reaches a threshold. We non-dimensionalize the problem to write the temperature as the product of a parameter-free function of non-dimensional variables and a function of beam parameters. This formulation allows studying beam parameters without knowing skin material parameters. We examine the effects of spot size, total power and distribution type of the electromagnetic beam on 3 quantities at reflex: 1) the time to reflex, 2) the maximum temperature increase, and 3) the total energy consumption. We find that the flat-top beam is the best, with the lowest energy consumption and the smallest maximum temperature increase. The Super-Gaussian beam is only slightly inferior to the flat-top. The Gaussian beam has by far the worst performance among these three.

Effect and cerebral mechanism of moxibustion at heat-sensitized Yaoyangguan(GV3)in patients with lumbar disc herniation and myofascial pain syndrome by resting-state functionality magnetic resonance imaging:protocol for an observational study

We want to explore the analgesic brain effect of the moxibustion at heat-sensitized Yaoyangguan(GV3)in patients with lumbar disc herniation(LDH)and myofascial pain syndrome(MPS).In an assessor-blinded observational study,we will include 15 LDH and 15 MPS.They will accept same treatment of heat-sensitive moxibustion at Yaoyangguan(GV3).The resting-state functionality magnetic resonance imaging image data of brain activities before and after treatment will be analyzed by mean fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation,regional homogeneity analysis and brain functional connection.We select seed of first sensory cortex,second sensory cortex,insula cortex,periaqueductal gray and anterior cingulate cortex as the regions of interest to analyse the relationship between brain functional connectivity of pain-related networks and clinical data.Our study could disclose key brain targets and central response characteristics of the analgesic brain effect and the brain functional connection of heat-sensitive moxibustion.

Mathematical Model for the Continuous Vacuum Drying

An improved mathematical model for the continuous vacuum drying of highly viscous and heatsensitive foodstuffs was proposed, The process of continuous vacuum drying was presented as a moving boundary problem of moisture evaporation in cylindrical coordinates. Boundary condition of the first kind for the known functional dependence of the drying body surface temperature on time was considered. Finally, the appropriate system of differential equations was solved numerically and the values of drying rate, integral moisture content of the material, moving boundary position as well as temperature in any point of the material and at any moment time were obtained. This procedure was applied to continuous vacuum drying of foods such as natural cheese and fresh meat paste.

Comparative study on moxibustion and infrared method for detection of the heat-sensitive state of Yāoyángguān (腰阳关GV 3) in patients of lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion

Objective To explore the possibility of infrared objective display of the heat-sensitive （HS） acupoint. Methods In 79 cases of lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion （LIDP） patients, infrared thermograms of the lumbar and back region were taken with a thermal texture maps（TTM） method at a natural state, followed by a heat-sensitive detection with moxibustion method [moxibustion was given at Yaoyangguan （腰阳关GV 3） area for 10 min]. The cases with thermal diffusion and heat transfer on the Yaoyangguan （腰阳关GV 3） area were recorded after ceasing of the suspended moxibustion. Then the infrared thermograms were taken by TTM for the second time, and the changes of infrared thermograms of the waist-back region before and after moxibustion were recorded. Finally, the differences between moxibustion and infrared detection methods in the heat-sensitive state on Yaoyangguan （腰阳关GV 3） area were compared in the LIDP patients. Results Before moxibustion, the infrared radiation intensity most displayed high-temperature characteristics on the Yaoyangguan （腰阳关GV 3） area in the LIDP patients. Compared with the moxibustion method, the sensitivity（true positive rate） was 86.4%, the specificity （true negative rate） was 70.0%, and the accuracy was 82.3%; after moxibustion at the Yaoyangguan （腰阳关GV 3） area, the infrared radiation enhanced area obviously extended vertically along the medial waist-back （the Governor Vessel） or horizontally along the Belt Vessel. Compared with the moxibustion method, the sensitivity （true positive rate） was 79.7%, the specificity （true negative rate） was 75.0% and the accuracy was 78.5%. Conclusion The HS state of Yaoyangguan （腰阳关GV 3） area in the LIDP patients can be objectively displayed by the infrared imaging to a certain extent; moxibustion at the HS acupoint produces the thermal phenomena, such as thermal expansion and heat transfer, which can be objectively displayed to a certain extent by the infrared imaging apart from the subjective feeling of the subject.

Therapeutic observation on heat-sensitive acupoint for treatment of Irishmen with discogenic low back pain

Objective To observe the therapeutic difference in treatment of Irishmen with discogenic low back pain （arthritis of cold-damp syndrome type） between heat-sensitive acupoint and acupuncture. Methods Eighty-two patients were randomly assigned to the heat-sensitive group （43 cases） and the acupuncture group （39 cases）. Corresponding heat-sensitive points in the lumbosacral area were selected in the heat-sensitive group. Then moxibustion was performed at the heat-sensitive acupoint, thus conducting the moxibustion sensation. The treatment was ended when the sensation conduction was finished. If there appeared no moxibustion sensation, moxibustion at the corresponding painful point was lasted for 30 min. Needling was performed in the acupuncture group at corresponding Jiájǐ（夹 脊 EX-B 2）, Back-shu point, Wěizhōng （委中 BL 40）; matching points included Huántiào （环跳 GB 30）, Fēngshì（风市 GB 31）, Yánglíngquán （阳陵泉 GB 34）, Zhìbiān （秩边 BL 54）, etc. The waste was irradiated with TDP after needling, with the maintaining time of 30 min. The treatment was carried out twice weekly, four weeks as one therapeutic course. The therapeutic effect was statistically calculated after 8-week treatment. Results Nineteen cases were clinically cured, 20 improved, 4 failed, and the effective rate 90.7%（39/43） in the heat-sensitive group, while 9 clinically cured, 25 improved, 5 failed, and the effective rate 87.2%（34/39） in the acupuncture group. Signif icant difference was shown in the clinically cured case by 2 test （P0.05）. Conclusion Heat-sensitive acupoint was superior to traditional acupuncture in treatment Irishmen with discogenic low back pain.

Irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) treated with moxibustion on heat-sensitive acupoints: a randomized controlled trial

Objective To compare the effects between acupuncture combined with moxibustion on heat-sensitive acupoints and acupuncture on irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea （IBS-D）. Methods Sixty-four cases were randomly divided into an acupuncture and moxibustion group （n=32） and an acupuncture group （n=32）. Conventional acupuncture at Tiānshū （天枢 ST 14）, Zúsānlǐ （足三里 ST 36）, Gōngsūn （公孙 SP 4） and other acupoints was used in the two groups, and moxibustion on heat-sensitive acupoints was added in the acupuncture and moxibustion group. The treatment frequency was 5 times a week, and 4 weeks were a course. After 2 courses, the therapeutic effect was evaluated. Results The clinical symptom scores after treatment in two groups decreased obviously than those before treatment （both P〈0.01）. The cured and markedly effective rate in the acupuncture and moxibustion group was 87.5% （28/32）, and that in the acupuncture group was 37.5% （12/32）, so the effect in the acupuncture and moxibustion group was better than that in the acupuncture group （P〈0.01）. The improvement of all kinds of symptom scores in the acupuncture and moxibustion group was all better than that in the acupuncture group （all P〈0.05）. Conclusion The clinical effect of acupuncture combined with moxibustion on heat-sensitive acupoints on IBS-D is better than that of acupuncture.

System evaluation and Meta analysis on clinical effi cacy of heat-sensitive moxibustion in treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy

Objective To systematically evaluate the efficacy of heat-sensitive moxibustion in treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy（CSR）. Methods Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure（CNKI）, China Biology Medical（CBM） database, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database（VIP）, Wan Fang Data, Pubmed and Cochrane Library were retrieved to search the randomized controlled trials（RCT） on heat-sensitive moxibustion in treatment of CSR, and Meta analysis was conducted by applying Rev Man 5.3 software. Results Eventually, 10 papers were included in this study, including 1008 subjects. Meta analysis result showed： the total effective rate of treatment group was higher than that of control group, and the difference was statistically significant [RR=1.13, 95%CI（1.06, 1.21）, Z=3.54, P=0.000 4]; the cure rate of treatment group was higher than that of control group, and the difference was statistically significant [RR=1.80, 95%CI（1.52, 2.13）, Z=6.82, P〈0.000 01]; the improvement of short-form Mc Gill pain questionnaire（SF-MPQ） of treatment group was superior to that of control group, and the difference was statistically significant [MD=–4.44, 95%CI（–6.38,-2.50）, Z=4.49, P〈0.000 01]; visual analogue scale（VAS） of treatment group was lower than that of control group, and the difference was statistically significant [MD=-0.36, 95%CI（-0.50, –0.23）, Z=5.42, P〈0.00001]; and the improvement of interleukin-6（IL-6） of treatment group was superior to that of control group, and the difference was statistically significant [MD=–7.32, 95%CI（-11.49, –3.14）, Z=3.44, P=0.000 6]. Conclusion It is indicated from the Meta analysis result that the clinical efficacy of heat-sensitive moxibustion or acupuncture combined with heat-sensitive moxibustion in treatment of CSR is superior to that of simple acupuncture or traditional suspended moxibustion, providing a new therapeutic method for treatment of CSR. However, the abovementioned conclusion still needs to be confirmed through randomized blind controlled trials with high quality and large sample size since the sample size of included studies was small, and the quality was low.

Effect of heat-sensitive moxibustion plus psychological intervention on SP, 5-HT and quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome

Objective： To observe the effect of heat-sensitive moxibustion plus psychological intervention on serum contents of substance P（SP） and 5-hydroxytryptamine（5-HT）, as well as the quality of life（QOL） in patients with irritable bowel syndrome（IBS）. Methods： A total of 120 IBS patients were divided into three groups by random sampling method, 40 cases in each group. The heat-sensitive moxibustion group received heat-sensitive moxibustion, the psychological intervention group received psychological intervention, while the observation group received both methods. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated after 3 courses of treatment. Results： After treatment, the therapeutic efficacy of the observation group was better than that of the heat-sensitive moxibustion group and the psychological intervention group（P〈0.01）, and the heat-sensitive moxibsution group was better than the psychological intervention group（P〈0.05）. In comparing the bowel symptom scale（BSS）, the observation group was better than the other two groups（P〈0.05）, and there was a significant difference between the heat-sensitive moxibustion group and the psychological intervention group（P〈0.05）. In the comparison of QOL, the observation group was significantly superior to the other two groups（P〈0.05）, and there was a significant difference between the heat-sensitive moxibustion group and psychological intervention group（P〈0.05）. In comparing serum SP and 5-HT, the observation group was markedly better than the other two groups（P〈0.05）, and there were significant differences between the heat-sensitive moxibustion group and psychological intervention group（P〈0.05）. The self-rating anxiety scale（SAS） and self-rating depression scale（SDS） were used to estimate the mental state of the three groups, revealing that the observation group was better than the heat-sensitive moxibustion group and the psychological intervention group（P〈0.05）, and there were significant differences between the latter two groups（P〈0.05）. Conclusion： Heat-sensitive moxibustion plus psychological intervention can regulate the levels of SP and 5-HT, improve BSS, SDS, SAS and QOL in treating IBS.

Therapeutic effect of heat-sensitive moxibustion plus medications for senile osteoporosis and its effect on serum BMP-2 and OPG levels

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of heat-sensitive moxibustion plus medications on senile osteoporosis(SOP),and to explore the related mechanisms.Methods:A total of 70 elderly participants with osteoporosis were randomly divided into an observation group and control group,with 35 cases in each group.The control group was treated with conventional drugs,and the observation group was treated with heat-sensitive moxibustion on the basis of the conventional drugs.Both groups were treated for 3 months.Before and after treatment,assessed the visual analog scale(VAS)and Oswestry disability index(ODI)scores,determined the bone mineral density of the participants'lumbar spine(L2-L4)and left femoral neck,and detected the participants'serum bone morphogenetic protein-2(BMP-2)and osteoprotegerin(OPG)levels.Results:After treatment,the VAS scores of both groups were lower than before treatment(both P<0.05),and the VAS score of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group(P<0.05).After treatment,the bone mineral density values of the lumbar spine and left femoral neck in both groups were significantly higher than before treatment(both P<0.05),and the bone mineral density values of the observation group were higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).After treatment,the ODI scores of the two groups were lower than those before treatment(both P<0.05),and the ODI score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group(P<0.05).After treatment,the serum BMP-2 and OPG levels in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group(both P<0.05).Conclusion:Heat-sensitive moxibustion plus medications for SOP can significantly relieve patients'pain,improve dysfunction,and increase bone density,which may be related to the improvement of the serum BMP-2 and OPG levels.

Clinical observation on heat-sensitive moxibustion plus lactulose for postoperative constipation of mixed hemorrhoid due to spleen deficiency

Objective:To observe the clinical effect of heat-sensitive moxibustion plus lactulose oral liquid for postoperative constipation of mixed hemorrhoid.Methods:A total of 70 patients were randomized into a treatment group and a control group,with 35 cases in each group by a random number table.Patients in the control group received lactulose oral liquid alone,while those in the treatment group received additional heat-sensitive moxibustion at Shenque(CV 8).The treatment was given once a day for 15 consecutive days.The defecation interval time,defecation duration,the scores of stool form,visual analog scale(VAS)and patient assessment of constipation quality of life questionnaire(PAC-QOL),as well as the serum substance P(SP)and nitric oxide(NO)levels were measured before and after treatment.Results:After treatment,the stool form score,defecation interval time and defecation duration in the two groups dropped significantly(all P<0.05),and they were lower in the treatment group than in the control group(all P<0.05).After treatment,the VAS scores in the two groups dropped significantly(both P<0.05),and it was lower in the treatment group than in the control group(P<0.05).After treatment,the PAC-QOL scores in the two groups dropped significantly(both P<0.05),and it was lower in the treatment group than in the control group(P<0.05).After treatment,the serum SP and NO levels in the two groups improved significantly(all P<0.05),and showed statistically significant differences between the treatment group and the control group(both P<0.05).Conclusion:Heat-sensitive moxibustion plus lactulose oral liquid can improve stool form,shorten defecation interval time and defecation duration,alleviate defecation pain,and improve quality of life(QOL)for patients with postoperative constipation of mixed hemorrhoid,which may be related to the regulation of the SP and NO levels.

Comparative observation of the effect of electroacupuncture combined with heat-sensitive moxibustion and western medicine for premature ovarian failure

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy between electroacupuncture combined with heat-sensitive moxibustion and western medicine for treatment of premature ovarian failure. Methods Eighty patients were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture combined with heat-sensitive moxibustion group（group A, n=40） and a western medicine group（group B, n=40）. Zǐgōng（子宫 EX-CA 1）, Xuèhǎi（血海 SP 10）, Gānshū（肝俞 BL 18） and Shènshū（肾俞 BL 23） were selected in group A, and acupuncture combined with heat-sensitive moxibustion were carried out. Climen was taken orally in group B. The score changes of menstrual cycle, tidal fever and sweatiness, emotional excitement, soreness and weakness of waist and knees, dizziness and tinnitus, as well as the cured and markedly effective rate of the patients in the two groups before and after two courses of treatment were compared. Results The cured and markedly effective rate of group A was 72.5%（29/40）, which was superior to that of group B（37.5%, 15/40）（ P〈0.05）. The symptom scores were improved significantly in the two groups after treatment（all P〈0.05）, and the improvement in group A was superior to that in group B（all P〈0.05）. Conclusion The efficacy of electroacupuncture combined with heat-sensitive moxibustion is superior to that of conventional western medicine in treatment of premature ovarian failure.

Therapeutic observation of acupuncture plus heat-sensitive moxibustion for chronic pelvic inflammatory disease

Objective：To observe the therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture plus heat-sensitive moxibustion in treating chronic pelvic inflammatory disease （CPID）, for selecting an effective acupuncture-moxibustion method in treating chronic pelvic inflammation. Methods：Eighty CPID subjects were enrolled and divided into two groups by randomized single-blind method, 40 in each group. The observation group was intervened by acupuncture plus heat-sensitive moxibustion, while the control group was by acupuncture plus box-moxibustion, once every other day, 10 sessions as a treatment course, but the period time was skipped. The therapeutic efficacy was observed after 3 treatment courses. Results：The recovery rate was 45.0% and the total effective rate was 95.0% in the observation group, versus 20.0% and 80.0% in the control roup. There were significant differences in comparing the recovery rate and the total effective rate between the two groups （P〈0.05）. Conclusion：Acupuncture plus heat-sensitive moxibustion can produce a higher therapeutic efficacy in treating CPID than acupuncture plus box-moxibustion, and this is an easy-to-operate and safe method without adverse effect.

Clinical study on skin needling plus heat-sensitive moxibustion for chronic facial paralysis

Objective：To observe the clinical efficacy of skin needling plus heat-sensitive moxibustion in treating chronic facial paralysis. Methods：Sixty patients with chronic facial paralysis were divided into an observation group and an acupuncture group by using the random number table, 30 in each group. Patients in the observation group were given skin needling plus heat-sensitive moxibustion; while patients in the acupuncture group were given conventional acupuncture. Results：Three treatment courses later, the total effective rate was 93.3% in the observation group versus 86.7% in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant （P〈0.05）. Conclusion：Skin needling plus heat-sensitive moxibustion can produce a more significant efficacy than conventional acupuncture in treating chronic facial paralysis.

Therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of heat-sensitive moxibustion for vascular dementia

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of heat-sensitive moxibustion for vascular dementia and explore its mechanism.Methods:A total of 70 patients with vascular dementia were randomized into an observation group and a control group,with 35 cases in each group.The control group was treated with piracetam,and the observation group was treated with heat-sensitive moxibustion on the basis of the treatment of the control group.The treatment lasted for 8 weeks.Before and after the treatment,the mini-mental state examination(MMSE),activity of daily living(ADL)and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)symptom scores were assessed,and the levels of acetyl choline(Ach)and homocysteine(Hcy)were measured.The efficacy was evaluated after treatment.Results:The total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P<0.05).After treatment,the MMSE and ADL scores in the observation group decreased significantly,and were lower than those in the control group(all P<0.05);the TCM symptom score of the observation group decreased significantly(P<0.05),while that of the control group had no significant change(P>0.05);the plasma Ach level in the observation group increased significantly(P<0.05),and the Hcy level decreased significantly(P<0.05),which were statistically different from those in the control group(both P<0.05).Conclusion:Heat-sensitive moxibustion plus piracetam is effective in treating vascular dementia.It can significantly improve dementia symptoms and ADL,which may be related to the correction of plasma Ach and Hcy levels.

Effect observation on heat-sensitive moxibustion for cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type

Objective： To observe the difference of the therapeutic effect between heat-sensitive moxibustion and warm needling therapy for cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type （CSA）. Methods： A total of 60 cases with CSA who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into a heat-sensitive moxibustion （HSM） group and a warm needling therapy （WNT） group according to the visiting sequences, with 30 cases in each group. Patients in the former group were treated by heat-sensitive moxibustion, while patients in the latter group were treated by warm needling therapy. Both groups were treated once every other day, with 10 times as 1 course of treatment, and the therapeutic effects were evaluated after I course of treatment. Results： After 1 course of treatment, the total effective rate of the HSM group was 93.3%, versus 83.3% in the WNT group. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups （P〈0.05）. Conclusion： Heat-sensitive moxibustion has better therapeutic effect for CSA than warm needling therapy.